Corfu to Italy Ferry

Compare the 3 Direct Routes

Corfu's direct lines back to Italy mirror the outbound routes covered on Italy to Corfu, but the 2026 schedules aren't simple mirror images of each other – each operator publishes its own exact validity dates, and they don't all line up. Grimaldi's own route pages are the most precise source here, giving exact start and end dates rather than a vague “summer” label.

Corfu–Ancona and Corfu–Bari also connect, at least in principle, with the two Igoumenitsa lines that share overlapping summer departure times – Ancona–Igoumenitsa and Ancona–Corfu both leave around 19:30 on Thursdays in Grimaldi's summer timetable, for instance, suggesting the same ship may serve both ports on one run. Grimaldi's own route text doesn't confirm this explicitly, though, so treat it as a plausible pattern rather than a documented fact when planning a tight connection.

Grimaldi's dates are the most precisely documented; Anek Superfast and Ventouris windows are less exact on the sources checked. Always confirm the specific sailing date when booking.

Corfu → Brindisi: the short overnight hop

Grimaldi Lines runs this as the shortest of the three, departing Corfu at 15:30 and reaching Brindisi around 21:00 – roughly 5.5 hours, the fastest return crossing on the whole network. The documented 2026 window runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 3 July to 13 September, with two isolated Easter-period sailings also on record, 7–8 April and 13 April 2026. Outside those specific dates, there is no Grimaldi departure on this pairing.

It's the same operator and broadly the same ship type used on the year-round Igoumenitsa–Brindisi route, just extended to call at the island during the summer weeks. Grimaldi's general rule for Greece departures applies here too: check-in no later than 2 hours before sailing, handled by Grimaldi staff directly at the Maritime Station.

Check current Corfu–Brindisi prices and dates on DirectFerries →

Corfu → Bari: two operators, two patterns

Ventouris Ferries covers this as part of its wider Igoumenitsa–Corfu–Bari service: an evening departure from Corfu around 23:00 reaching Bari at 08:15 the next morning, or a later option near 01:30 arriving 10:45 – both once the ship has already called at Igoumenitsa first. Anek Superfast also serves this pairing as part of its wider network, though its exact Corfu departure times for the winter schedule aren't separately confirmed on the sources checked for this route.

Ventouris' published timetable only covers July, August and September 2026 – outside that window, Anek Superfast is the operator to check. For check-in, Ventouris asks foot passengers to arrive 2 hours before departure and vehicles 3 hours before, with the counter closing 1 hour prior.

Check current Corfu–Bari prices and dates on DirectFerries →

Corfu → Ancona: the long haul, three operators

Grimaldi Lines publishes the most exact Corfu–Ancona timetable of the three operators: Fridays and Saturdays, 3 July to 12 September 2026, departing 23:00 and docking in Ancona at 17:30 the next day – around 18.5 hours, plus an isolated Easter sailing on 7–8 April 2026. Anek Superfast also serves Corfu–Ancona as part of its network, and Minoan Lines markets the same Grimaldi sailings in Greece as general sales agent, on the ship Florencia.

Whether Anek Superfast keeps a Corfu call running through the winter outside the Ventouris and Grimaldi summer windows isn't separately confirmed on the sources checked – if your dates fall outside the documented summer weeks, check availability directly rather than assuming year-round service from Corfu itself. The year-round certainty on this coast is Igoumenitsa to Ancona instead.

Check current Corfu–Ancona prices and dates on DirectFerries →

Year-Round Alternative: via Igoumenitsa

None of the three direct lines above run outside their documented summer weeks. For the rest of the year – and as a valid option even in summer, if the direct sailing doesn't match your dates – the way back to Italy is the short local ferry from Corfu to Igoumenitsa, a crossing of 70 to 90 minutes with up to around 25 departures a day in summer, thinning to a handful in winter. From Igoumenitsa, all three year-round return lines are covered on Igoumenitsa to Brindisi, Igoumenitsa to Bari and Igoumenitsa to Ancona.

Vehicles are carried on the local Corfu–Igoumenitsa ferry, so a car or camper makes the whole two-leg journey without a rental in between. It adds a short extra crossing and a changeover at Igoumenitsa's New Port terminal, but it removes any dependency on a seasonal timetable – useful if your travel dates sit even a few days outside Grimaldi's or Ventouris' documented windows.

FAQ

Which direct ferries run from Corfu to Italy?

Three summer-only lines: Grimaldi Lines to Brindisi, Anek Superfast and Ventouris Ferries to Bari, and Anek Superfast, Grimaldi Lines and Minoan Lines (as Grimaldi's agent) to Ancona.

Is there a ferry from Corfu to Italy in winter?

No direct one. The year-round alternative is the local ferry from Corfu to Igoumenitsa, 70 to 90 minutes, followed by any of the Igoumenitsa–Italy crossings, which run all year.

How long is the Corfu to Brindisi ferry?

About 5.5 hours with Grimaldi Lines, departing 15:30 and arriving Brindisi around 21:00, on the documented summer schedule from 3 July to 13 September 2026.

When does the Corfu to Ancona ferry run?

Grimaldi Lines' Corfu–Ancona timetable is documented for Fridays and Saturdays, 3 July to 12 September 2026, departing 23:00 and arriving 17:30 the next day – around 18.5 hours.

Can I reach Italy from Corfu without a direct ferry?

Yes – the local ferry to Igoumenitsa (70–90 minutes, up to around 25 sailings a day in summer, fewer in winter) connects to year-round Igoumenitsa–Brindisi, Igoumenitsa–Bari and Igoumenitsa–Ancona ferries. It is the only option outside the direct summer season.