Patras to Kefalonia Ferry

Where it leaves from

The crossing departs from Patras, the main city of the western Peloponnese and one of Greece's most important ports. Patras is well connected by road and rail to Athens, and it is also the Greek terminus for major international ferry routes from Italy (Ancona, Venice, Bari), making it a practical gateway for travellers arriving overland from western Europe.

The crossing to Sami

The ferry arrives at Sami, on Kefalonia's eastern coast, after a roughly 3-hour conventional crossing. There are no high-speed catamaran services on this route — the journey is made by car ferry, which allows vehicles of all sizes as well as foot passengers and motorcycles. The channel between the Peloponnese coast and the island is deep and generally sheltered.

Operators

Levante Ferries is the dominant carrier on Ionian Sea routes from the Greek mainland, and runs the Patras–Sami connection. The company has invested in modern vehicle-carrying tonnage for the route. Frequency increases substantially in summer to meet the demand from Greek and international visitors heading to the Ionian islands.

From Sami to the rest of Kefalonia

Sami is a small but pleasant harbour town, and it is a practical entry point if you are heading to the northern part of the island — the Myrtos Beach viewpoint, the monastery of Agios Gerasimos, and the cave of Melissani lake are all within reasonable driving distance. Argostoli, the capital, is about 25 km to the west. Car hire is available at the port; buses also link Sami to Argostoli.