What is Corfu in October like?
What is it like to visit Corfu in October? In the second month of Autumn, the off-season already begins in Corfu and you might be wondering: is it possible to have a cheap vacation in Corfu in October? Let’s see what you can expect from a visit to one of the most beautiful greek islands in the month of October.
Corfu gets extremely popular during the summer. In fact, sometimes it might feel a little bit too crowded. Whether you are looking to avoid crowds or save money on the late-season pricing of hotels and amenities you should definitely consider a visit to Corfu in October. The sea is usually warm and the weather can be great.
How to get to Corfu in October?
Booking a cheap flight to Corfu proves to be absolutely no problem during summer. There are many countries that have a direct connection to the island. However, some of the flights end around September or the beginning of October.
We highly recommend that as a first option you try to book a flight to Corfu from your nearest big airport. You might be lucky and can still fly to Corfu in October. If this is not the case, then you can definitely change in Athens. Athens has multiple flights weekly to Corfu even during winter.
You may also choose to arrive by ferry. There are no direct ferries from Athens. You’ll need to travel to Igoumenitsa to grab a ferry to the island.
How is the weather in Corfu in October?
Before you book a vacation to Corfu in October you have to know that it’s the northernmost Greek island. While this still means that it’s a southern vacation destination by the standard of most European countries, it’s not as south as islands like Crete or Rhodes.
This means that the weather in Corfu can be a real mixed bag. We would absolutely love to tell you that the weather is awesome in Corfu during October, but there is no guarantee for that. We’ve had days similar to summer and days full of rain during October.
If you want to capitalize on the weather we recommend booking the first half of October for your Corfu vacation. You will definitely have a better chance for good weather in the first half of October. Temperatures during the day can go as high as 30 Celsius on some days if you are lucky. The usual good weather in October is around 25 to 28 Celcius, however, with plenty of sunshine, it can feel more than that.
Night Temperatures in Corfu in October
Even if you get good weather during October in Corfu one thing will be sure: night temperatures will start to fall. We highly recommend bringing some warm clothing, especially if you are planning on eating out or being out during the night. It can get as low as 10-15 Celsius, even if you’ve had 30 Celsius during the day. Don’t be fooled by the great weather during the day, nighttime will almost always be chilly during October in Corfu.
Corfu in October: Rainy Days
As we’ve highlighted, the weather in October can be a true mixed bag. There is no guarantee for sunshine and as such, you should plan around rainy days. You might get some beach days and some rainy days when you book Corfu in October.
In light of all this, make sure that you are planning both beach days and sightseeing days. Get ready to modify your itinerary on the go and be flexible. You’ll need it to enjoy a visit in the off-season. You can plan visits to some smaller villages like Kassiopi, Sokraki, or Pelekas.
💡 TopFlightsNow Tip: Try to leave packing as late as possible. Make sure you check out the weather forecast one day before you leave. Depending on the current situation you might completely leave out waterproof clothing if it does not look like rain at all. Otherwise, you can quickly make some last-minute itineraries if it looks like there will be more rain than expected. Make sure you bring a swimsuit. Even if the weather doesn’t look like it before you leave, it can change for the better while you are on the island.
Sea Temperature
The sea temperature is one of the best things about late autumn Greece. During the summer it gets heated to a very nice temperature and generally speaking, the sea only starts to get really cold at the beginning of November.
October should still have pretty great sea temperatures and if the sun is shining you can bring out those swimsuits and head into the water. We’ve been to Corfu in October and had awesome beach days many times. Sometimes we even went into the water during rain. It’s a special experience and it was actually very pleasant.
Turism during October
One thing we love about visiting Corfu in October is the missing crowds. Yes, there are still tourists around the place, especially in places like Corfu Town, but it’s much better than the high season. Get out of town and you will barely meet anyone but locals.
October is one of the best months if you are looking to get an authentic Greek experience. Seek out the places where locals eat, feel like someone who lives on the island just for a little while. Many of the restaurants and bars will be open and they will be very happy to see a tourist this time of the year.
Getting around Corfu in October
What is the best way to get around the island in the off-season? Corfu has a perfectly functional public transport system due to the large number of locals living on the island. On the other hand, there are fewer buses each day than in the summer season. You can still get around with public transport, but it’s not that comfortable. One thing to note: it’s pretty cheap, so if you are looking to save money, choose the bus.
Driving in Corfu is not only fun but come autumn and many tourists disappear from the roads. With mostly the locals driving around it’s one of the best times to rent a car on Corfu. Especially if you consider the unreliability of weather. You’ll have greater flexibility to change your itinerary on the go if you rent a car. Maybe it looked like rain in the morning, but the sun came out? Time to head to the beach, which might be the quickest with your own rented car.
In short, both public transport and renting is a great choice. Renting will give you the flexibility that might come in handy during the autumn in Greece, but with a well-planned itinerary and keeping an eye out on whether you can enjoy a vacation in Corfu by using public transport to get around the island.
How to pack for Corfu in October?
When you are going to visit the wonderful island of Corfu in October then there are some things that can’t be missing from your packing list. As the weather can be a mixed bag you’ll need both summer and autumn clothes to prepare well for anything. You can keep an eye on the forecast to make sure you don’t pack what’s not necessary, but we recommend a mix of clothing options.
Raincoat. We definitely recommend that you bring a raincoat to Corfu if you visit during Autumn. The chance of rain is fairly high and a compact raincoat takes up virtually no space and weighs nothing. Don’t skip out on this one.
Swimsuits. Just as much as it’s likely to rain you’ll likely get some nice sunshine days. When the weather is above 20 Celsius you are good for the beach. The sunshine will make it feel more and the warm sea will welcome you with open arms. Make sure you bring swimsuits. Even if it looks like it’s going to rain a lot. Don’t regret skipping this item.
Comfortable shoes. Off-season Greece means more walking than your ordinary Greek vacation. As you won’t be able to spend all your time on the beach it’s time to explore and indulge yourself in local culture. You will probably do a lot of walking so bring comfortable shoes that will keep you from getting tired too early. Bonus points for bringing waterproof shoes.
Warm Clothes. Get ready for chilly nights. Many tavernas have only outside seating. If you don’t want to freeze you need to pack some warm clothes as it gets chilly during the nighttime.
