Author Topic: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...  (Read 20411 times)

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Offline Curt

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Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« on: April 17, 2012, 10:20:55 PM »
Just in case any of you are thinking of driving to Corfu , we did it a few weeks ago and might be able to give you a few tips ?
We took the tunnel and then drove to Lyon which was about 625 miles and took about 8 hours from Gatwick airport.  We stayed in an Etap hotel , just past Lyon , which  was very good , clean and only £29.00 a night !
Next day we set off across Italy to a place on the east coast called Fano (500 miles) where the hotel was a bit more up market and cost around £65.00.   The town of Fano is beautiful and we had a fantastic Italian meal !
Next day was the trip down the coast to Bari which was about 450 miles and we ended up in a mad house of one way streets in Bari center - Don't Do It !!  Go straight to the port !! (the first port office is for Albania so go past that and the Corfu office is 1/4 of a mile further - right at the end.
All told it cost us about 100 euros a day in fuel and the road tolls cost about 200 euros each way.
Keep in mind we were in a van which is a little more expensive !
One of the tunnels , from France to Italy , cost 38 euros each way !!!  (included in my toll charges)
The ferry was with a sleeper cabin and cost around £200 return. 
It was basic but comfortable if you like bunk beds !!  (only about 8 hours sail and you wake up arriving in Corfu feeling refreshed)
All told this is an easier and cheaper route than going through Switzerland and sailing from Venice ...
The Venice ferry is 24 hours and very expensive !
I hope this helps someone considering the trip .... its a great adventure (take an Italian phrase book !)
Curt

Offline Curt

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Re: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« Reply #1 on: April 17, 2012, 10:29:18 PM »
Forgot to say .... Don't use the sat nav between the tunnel and Lyon.
It will take you through the outskirts of Paris.  We came back using the Tom Tom and it was a nightmare !!
Drive via the signs to Lyon towards Reims and then down to Troyes ... Tom Tom from here on .
Good luck !!

Offline Sandy x

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Re: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2012, 10:49:12 PM »
Fascinating....thank you....something I plan to do one day....
Sandy x

Offline coys

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Re: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« Reply #3 on: April 17, 2012, 11:14:18 PM »
Thanks for the information. It's a bit late for us this year but with all the problems we have had with Minoan this year we will look at the Bari option next year.Can you tell us what ferry company you used out of Bari.
What were the fuel prices like in France and Italy?
Barry. 

Offline coys

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Re: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2012, 11:58:09 PM »
Sandy you will find you always drive faster on the way to Arillas than you do on the way back.
Barry.

Offline Jo Wissett

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Re: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« Reply #5 on: April 17, 2012, 11:58:49 PM »
Certainly does sound like a great adventure Curt and definitely on our wish list for one day. Thanks for sharing.

Offline mikej

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Re: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2012, 12:18:03 AM »
This is something that we have talked about for the past 5 years and definately on my list of things to do before i'm 50 (which ain't far off and approaching rapidly) and when the kids stop raiding my pockets.

The road from Fano to Bari looks great we intend to stop off at Modena as my brother lives there should take about 3 or 4 days to get to Arillas for 2 weeks then back up again....well thats the plan anyway!

Thanks for the post really inspired my enthusiasm to do this trip.



Offline Geoff

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Re: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« Reply #7 on: April 18, 2012, 10:49:01 AM »
Thanks Curt.
When the time comes for us to make our move we will be doing it by road as we have 2 dogs to take. I have read numerous posts on a number of forums about which route to take, and without a doubt your advice is not only the most informative but also the best so far as I am concerned as it fits my needs exactly.
Have copied and pasted into a file so I can find it easily when the time comes.
Isn't this forum GREAT! :-)
Home is where the heart is - CORFU :-)

Offline Curt

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Re: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« Reply #8 on: April 18, 2012, 03:15:03 PM »
Thanks for the information. It's a bit late for us this year but with all the problems we have had with Minoan this year we will look at the Bari option next year.Can you tell us what ferry company you used out of Bari.
What were the fuel prices like in France and Italy?
Barry. 
We used Ventouris Ferries which go straight to Corfu ...
The fuel is a little more expensive than UK in Italy but at the end of the day the ferry from Bari was nearly £500
cheaper than the Venice route ...

I must stress that this is a long and very tiring trip ... but interesting .

Its great you guys are getting something out of my post !!
Curt

Offline coys

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Re: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« Reply #9 on: April 18, 2012, 08:21:22 PM »
Thanks again Curt.
We will be leaving in 8 days time driving down to Ancona to catch our ferry.
Will look to do the ferry trip from Bari next year.
Is the price of petrol expensive on Corfu?
Barry.

Offline Ivan

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Re: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« Reply #10 on: April 18, 2012, 09:02:56 PM »
Curt, good information, thanks for posting. Have you ever considered going thru Bulgaria or Croatia and Abania and on to Igou. and ferry to Corfu? I've only gone from Venice to Corfu and Patras so any info. is welcome
                                    Ivan

Offline Curt

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Re: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« Reply #11 on: April 19, 2012, 10:59:58 PM »
Curt, good information, thanks for posting. Have you ever considered going thru Bulgaria or Croatia and Abania and on to Igou. and ferry to Corfu? I've only gone from Venice to Corfu and Patras so any info. is welcome
                                    Ivan

I have been advised not to go through Croatia & Albania because the Police run the place and impose on the spot fines and taxes for using their roads and bridges ????   Requested by officers with machine guns !
I was also told that once you pay the first one that they radio ahead to their mates 30 miles on who also stop you !!  Is it true ?  I don't want to risk it !  This came from a Greek guy who said it was normal ?

Answer to the other question ... Yes fuel is very expensive in Corfu !!

Offline Whitecheeks

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Re: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« Reply #12 on: March 11, 2019, 08:15:43 PM »
My cousin is moving to Arillas from the UK and me and my hubby will be driving over with a van with her belongings end of March beginning of April does anybody know which ferry are running .

Online Eggy

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Re: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« Reply #13 on: March 12, 2019, 11:38:33 AM »
Hi
Keith and Eileen (Villa Linakis) currently make this trip, every year , as does Pete n Jackie (Hippopots) and are the first two , of many, that spring to mind if you need advice. They are both on the Forum and hopefully should see this post. Just in case , I will mention it to them.
Cheers
Negg

Offline angiem

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Re: Driving from the UK to Corfu ...
« Reply #14 on: March 13, 2019, 01:08:21 PM »
My other half used to do this trip and always went from Igoumenitsa. I don't think ferries start running from Italy until May. He always booked ahead online to start with ( - don't know which site he used, I'm afraid), but then decided not to bother, as he quite often took 'detours' en-route and found a strict timetable too stressful, lol.


 

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