Car hire Corfu: airport pickup, deposit and driving on the right

Car hire Corfu begins just outside the terminal. At Ioannis Kapodistrias airport (CFU), the three companies you can book on Vrooem, Green Motion, LetsDrive and Surprice, have no desk in the arrivals hall: one sends a shuttle, one has an office across the main road and one meets you in person. This guide walks you through car hire at Corfu airport step by step, then spends time on what matters most if you drive on the left at home: what changes when Corfu’s traffic keeps right.

Every rule below was checked on 13 October 2026 against the companies’ own terms and location pages, Corfu airport, the Municipality of Corfu’s tourism site, the Greek Road Traffic Code and EU and UK government pages (sources at the end). Company terms apply to direct bookings; if you book through Vrooem, your voucher has the final word. For the rest of the country, see our guide to car hire in Greece.

Car hire Corfu airport: where each company meets you

None of the three has a counter inside the terminal, so you can walk straight past the desks in arrivals. Corfu airport’s own car rental page lists four companies there, Avis Budget, Enterprise, Hertz Thrifty and Sixt, and the three on Vrooem are not among them.

Company	After baggage reclaim	Office	Normal hours
Green Motion	A representative meets you outside the Arrival Hall, then a shuttle bus to the office	Reached by shuttle bus	Surcharge for handovers from 21:01 to 07:59
LetsDrive	On foot: out of Arrivals Area A, turn left and follow the path to the main road; the office is directly across	Konstantinou Georgaki 31	08:00 to 22:00, every day
Surprice	Meet and greet at the airport	Ethniki Lefkimmis 29	07:00 to 22:00, every day

Green Motion. If you cannot see the representative, its pickup instructions ask you to call +30 2661046440; its Corfu page suggests saving that number before you fly. At the desk you show your booking confirmation, driving licence, passport and a valid credit card, then complete a Vehicle Condition Report with the agent. Damage that is not on that report may be charged to you at the return.

LetsDrive. LetsDrive (Let’s Drive, letsdrive.gr) is a Greek rental company. The walking route in the table comes from the pickup instructions it supplies with bookings; the address and hours from its Corfu page.

Surprice. Its official booking site lists meet and greet at Corfu Airport and +30 697 669 6280 as the station’s number. The office is on Ethniki Lefkimmis, the road south towards Lefkimmi.

Visit Corfu, the Municipality of Corfu’s tourism site, places the airport about 2 km south of Corfu Town and half a kilometre north of Pontikonisi, the islet off Kanoni.

Driving on the right: what changes for UK drivers

Greece drives on the right. The Greek Road Traffic Code (law 5209/2025, article 20) sets right-hand traffic on the whole road network and tells drivers to keep close to the right-hand edge of the carriageway, even when the road is empty; Green Motion’s Corfu page gives the same instruction.

Two more rules from the same code (article 21) are worth knowing before you set off:

• Overtaking is done on the left, as a rule. Overtaking on the right is the exception, for a driver ahead who has signalled and moved over to turn left.
• When someone wants to pass you, keep close to the right-hand edge and do not speed up. On a narrow road with oncoming traffic, a slow driver has to ease off and move right to let others by.

What that means once you are behind the wheel:

• The controls swap sides. A car built for right-hand traffic puts you in the left-hand seat, so you change gear with your right hand. If that feels like one task too many, an automatic takes it away; our guide to automatic or manual weighs up the choice.
• Pulling out is the moment to think. Leaving a car park, a petrol station or a quiet junction, tell yourself “keep right”, especially on an empty road where there is no traffic to follow.
• Watch the passenger side. In right-hand traffic the kerb, parked cars and walls are on your right, the side you are not sitting on. Green Motion says most minor damage on Corfu happens in tight car parks and on narrow roads, and suggests choosing a safer space even if it means walking a little further.
• Let locals go. GOV.UK describes traffic in Greece as busy, fast and chaotic, especially in the larger cities, and says local drivers regularly ignore speed limits. If someone sits on your bumper on a coast road, the law asks you to keep right and not speed up, so let them pass.
• Mind the crossings, on foot too. Visit Corfu warns pedestrians that drivers often do not stop before crossings.

Green Motion describes Corfu’s roads as ranging from smooth highways to winding coastal routes. Leave a margin on the bends, and give yourself daylight for the first drive if your flight allows.

Your UK licence, the permit question and the check code

A UK photocard licence is enough to drive in Greece, according to GOV.UK, but two of the three companies here write stricter wording into their terms. A 1968 international driving permit is a sensible extra.

• GOV.UK: a UK photocard licence is fine in Greece; with an old paper licence you may need to upgrade or also carry a 1968 international driving permit (IDP). GOV.UK adds that rental firms often set stricter conditions, which can include an IDP, and sells the permit in person at certain PayPoint shops.
• Green Motion (Greek terms): non-EU customers show an IDP with their licence, but UK licence holders are excepted.
• LetsDrive: non-EU citizens must produce an international driving licence along with their national licence.
• Surprice (Corfu terms): UK licence holders present the official photocard, and customers from non-EU countries renting in the EU show both their domestic licence and an IDP.

The hire company may also ask to see your driving licence information. GOV.UK lets you create a licence check code up to 21 days before your trip; with a Northern Ireland licence, you show the paper counterpart instead.

All three want a physical licence held for at least a year. Green Motion and Surprice refuse digital versions and copies, and Green Motion asks for two years on premium and luxury cars. Our guide to documents for renting a car abroad has the full list.

Company	Minimum age	Surcharges
Green Motion	21 with a young driver surcharge; 23 or 25 without, by car group	Senior surcharge from 74
LetsDrive	21	Young driver fee up to 23, senior fee from 74 to 78
Surprice	20 with a surcharge, 23 without	Senior surcharge from 73; under 23, car groups A to D only

The deposit: bring a credit card, not a debit card

All three block the deposit on a credit card in the main driver’s name. A debit card will not do it.

Company	Card for the deposit	Not accepted for the deposit	Card valid after return	Release
Green Motion	Visa or Mastercard credit card, enough funds for the excess	Debit, prepaid, American Express, Diners, UnionPay	At least 2 months	Up to 14 working days, depending on the card
LetsDrive	Visa or Mastercard credit card in the driver’s name	Cash, debit cards, Diners, American Express	Not stated	Not stated
Surprice	Visa or Mastercard credit card, non-embossed accepted	Debit, American Express, Maestro, Electron, Diners, cash, prepaid, virtual cards and digital wallets	At least 1 month	At the end of the hire; with some banks 15 to 25 working days

What else the terms say:

• LetsDrive blocks the excess of the cover you choose, with a minimum of 250 euros even under SCDW, its zero excess option. If you cannot show a valid credit card in your name with enough limit, LetsDrive treats you as a no-show, without refund.
• Surprice accepts debit cards, and cash up to 500 euros, to pay for the rental, but not for the deposit. If the card cannot carry the pre-authorisation, extra cover may become compulsory, and failing the mandatory requirements means the booking is cancelled at the desk without refund.
• Green Motion takes debit and prepaid cards for local charges only. On hires over 11 days it may charge the excess instead of blocking it.

Car hire in Corfu with no deposit is not available from these three, whatever the cover. The smallest block comes with Green Motion’s Premium Plus, LetsDrive’s SCDW and Surprice’s FDW, which takes the excess to zero while a deposit may still be held for parts the cover leaves out. How excess and deposit fit together is explained in our guide to deposit and excess on a hire car.

Packages, mileage and fuel

Green Motion sells every car in Greece in four packages, and they differ in more than the excess:

• Basic: 150 km per day, non-cancellable and non-refundable, glass and tyres not covered.
• Plus: 250 km per day, lower excess, glass and tyres not covered.
• Premium: unlimited kilometres, lower excess again, glass and tyres not covered.
• Premium Plus: zero damage excess, glass and tyres covered, unlimited kilometres, free cancellation up to 48 hours before the hire. The undercarriage stays excluded, and the theft excess is never removed.

Surprice includes unlimited mileage and breakdown assistance at Corfu; if a replacement car is needed, it follows within 48 hours, depending on season and distance. LetsDrive’s terms contain no mileage limit.

Fuel. All three work same level: return the car with the fuel you received. Green Motion charges missing fuel per litre plus a refuelling fee of 14.88 euros; Surprice charges market value plus 15 euros per refuel, and 250 euros for the wrong fuel type. Neither refunds fuel you leave in the tank.

What cover leaves out. Green Motion’s Greek terms keep windows, mirrors, wheels, tyres, the undercarriage, engine, clutch and interior outside the excess unless stated otherwise. At Surprice, tyres, rims, glass, clutch and interior fall outside the standard cover; the Extra Plus option adds tyres, glass and mirrors, and no option covers the undercarriage or roof.

Landing late: hours and out-of-hours fees

The rental offices keep set hours, and each company’s terms decide what a late landing costs:

Company	Normal hours	Outside them	How long your car waits
Green Motion	Not published for Corfu; out of hours means 21:01 to 07:59	25 euros from 21:01 to 23:59 and 06:01 to 07:59, 50 euros from 00:00 to 06:00, 50 euros for less than 24 hours’ notice; 1 hour of grace	2.5 hours after the booked time; without a flight number 2 hours or until closing
LetsDrive	08:00 to 22:00	40 euros per rental from 22:00 to 08:00	Not stated
Surprice	07:00 to 22:00	On request, 30 euros per event, also on national holidays	No-show possible after 4 hours without a phone call; exception possible with flight details

Two more points from the terms. Green Motion treats a diverted flight as a no-show at the original location. On the way home, Surprice gives 2 hours of leeway at the return before charging an extra day, and LetsDrive bills 20 per cent of the daily rate for every hour you are late. Put your flight number on the booking and ring the company if you are running late.

Ferries to the mainland, Paxos or Albania: what the contracts say

The ferry question is where the three differ most:

Company	Car on a ferry	Leaving Greece
Green Motion	Only with written approval from Green Motion Greece; the ferry permit from the local office costs 31 euros per direction, usually 62 euros per island, or 155 euros for unlimited use. Without notice: 250 euro penalty and no insurance	Not permitted; 3,000 euro penalty for crossing without notice
LetsDrive	Not without its written permission	Not without its written permission
Surprice	Not allowed from any of its destinations	Not allowed; a fine applies and the insurance is invalidated

Green Motion adds that if the car breaks down on an island not listed in the rental agreement, it does not guarantee a replacement within its usual 24 hours, and that even with a permit, roadside assistance on some islands is not guaranteed. For a day in Albania, leave the car on Corfu and travel as a foot passenger. Planning a proper road trip there? Hire in Albania instead; our guide to car hire in Albania covers Tirana airport and the drive to Saranda.

Three drives from Corfu airport

Three day trips cover most of the island. Distances are from Corfu Town, according to Visit Corfu; the airport is about 2 km further south.

Drive	Stop	From Corfu Town	Good to know
West coast	Myrtiotissa	16 km	Very narrow road with little room when two cars meet; Visit Corfu advises parking about a kilometre from the beach
West coast	Paleokastritsa	23 km	Six coves, Chomi reachable only from the sea; the monastery stands on the northern promontory of Agios Spyridon
West coast	Agios Georgios Pagon	35 km	Northwest, about 45 minutes’ drive
North and east coast	Kontokali, Dassia, Barbati	6.5, 12 and 20 km	Beaches strung along the road north
North and east coast	Canal d’Amour	36 km	Rock formations and natural pools
South	Achilleion, Gastouri	9 km	Palace built in 1892 for Empress Elisabeth of Austria
South	Benitses, Agios Gordios	20 km each
South	Chalikounas	28 km	The sandy beach Visit Corfu calls the largest on the island

Myrtiotissa is a fair test of your right-hand driving, so park early and walk. With Green Motion Basic or Plus, add up the day’s kilometres before you set off.

Ends of the road can be unpaved. LetsDrive allows its cars only on the main road network, not on unpaved roads or off road; Surprice may cancel the cover if the car is driven off road; and Green Motion’s Greek terms exclude accidents caused by off-road driving. Visit Corfu presents jeep safaris on dirt routes as an activity: that is one for an operator, not for your hire car.

Corfu Town: leave the car outside the old town

Corfu’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to Visit Greece, the Greek National Tourism Organisation. Visit Corfu is blunt about driving in: parking in the historic centre is limited and full, and trying to enter by car will most probably fail. It points you to the car parks on the edge of town, which have hundreds of spaces, all 10 to 15 minutes’ walk from the centre:

• Lyriko, a large municipal car park at the southern entrance to town, between Donatou Dimoulitsa and Agrokipon streets.
• Kato Platia, on the Spianada, a municipal car park near the Museum of Asian Art.
• Anapafseos Street, a large free car park next to the airport, in front of the First Orthodox Cemetery.

Easter brings thousands of visitors to Corfu Town and special traffic measures. Visit Corfu then lists provisional car parks by the direction you arrive from: Alykes, the port and EPAL from the north; the airport, Lyriko, the prison, the EAK stadium and Garitsa from central and southern Corfu. The map on that page dates from 2025, so check it again before an Easter trip.

Greek road rules at a glance

From the EU’s Your Europe portal, last checked by the EU on 1 October 2026:

• Speed: 50 km/h in built-up areas and 90 km/h outside them, unless signs say otherwise; 110 and 130 km/h on expressways and motorways.
• Alcohol: 0.5 mg/ml, and 0.2 mg/ml for novice and professional drivers and for motorcycle and moped riders. GOV.UK adds that the limit is lower than England’s and that breaking it can mean a fine and possibly prison.
• Phones: hands-free only.
• Seat belts and child restraints: mandatory.
• In the car: a warning triangle, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher. Check they are in the boot before you leave the car park.

In an emergency, call 112; Visit Corfu gives 166 for an ambulance.

Pickup and return checklist

1. Save your company’s phone number before you fly, or note LetsDrive’s walking route from Arrivals Area A.
2. Pack your physical licence, passport, a 1968 IDP if you want to be safe, your licence check code and a Visa or Mastercard credit card in the main driver’s name with room for the deposit.
3. Walk round the car with the agent and photograph every side, the wheels and the windscreen, then the fuel gauge and odometer.
4. After an accident: Green Motion wants to hear immediately and needs the police report at the local office within 24 hours when a third party is involved or the incident is serious; LetsDrive asks for photos, a call to the police, witnesses’ names and addresses and a signed account within 24 hours; Surprice makes a police report mandatory for the cover.
5. Refuel to the same level before the return and keep the receipt.

Booking car hire at Corfu airport on Vrooem

Vrooem shows Green Motion, LetsDrive and Surprice at Corfu airport in one search; the overview at the top of this page shows what we found there. With Green Motion you pick the package while booking, so you decide at home on the excess and the mileage rule. Every Vrooem booking comes with a free travel eSIM, which gives you mobile data as soon as you land: handy for ringing the shuttle or opening your voucher outside arrivals.

Sources

Checked on 13 October 2026: Corfu airport car rental and buses (Fraport Greece), Green Motion location data for Corfu International Airport, Green Motion Corfu airport, Green Motion Greece terms, LetsDrive Corfu airport, LetsDrive terms and conditions, the Corfu Airport location data and “Full rental terms” on the official Surprice booking site, the Greek Road Traffic Code, law 5209/2025, article 20 and article 21 (in Greek), road rules in Greece (Your Europe), GOV.UK on safety and security in Greece, driving abroad and international driving permits, Corfu on Visit Greece, and on Visit Corfu: the airport, beaches, Kontokali, Myrtiotissa, Paleokastritsa, Chalikounas, Agios Georgios Pagon, Canal d’Amour, the Achilleion, jeep safaris and Pantokrator, parking in Corfu Town, parking areas, Easter traffic and useful information. Pickup routes of Green Motion and LetsDrive: as supplied by the companies on Vrooem, 13 October 2026.