Lixouri to Argostoli Ferry
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Turn-up car ferry, every day of the year
Car ferries cross the Gulf of Argostoli between the island’s two largest towns all year round. The operator publishes a new timetable every week or two. From 19 October 2026 boats leave every 30 minutes from about 07:00 until 16:30, then hourly until about 22:30, and on Sundays hourly all day. In June 2026 the half-hourly service ran until about 19:30; in the winter timetable (December to February) boats leave hourly, from 07:00 at Lixouri and 07:30 at Argostoli, with the last around 21:30. The crossing takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Tickets: Buy your ticket on board, as a foot passenger or with a vehicle. The operator offers no advance booking.
- Fares: Adult €3.50; half fare €1.80; car €7.00 with the driver; motorbike €2.00. Ten passenger tickets cost €25 and five car tickets €25.
- Operator: Ionian Sea Ferries Consortium
Hours change from one fortnight to the next and holidays differ: on New Year’s Day 2026 there were two boats each way. Check the operator’s timetable page for the day you travel.
The Lixouri to Argostoli shuttle is the workhorse crossing of Kefalonia, cutting straight across Argostoli Bay in fifteen to thirty minutes rather than driving the long way round the head of the gulf. Ionian Sea Ferries run it with small passenger and car boats. It is more a bus service on water than a ferry journey, and for anyone based on the Paliki peninsula it is the obvious way into the island capital.
Argostoli is Kefalonia's capital and administrative centre, sitting at the far side of the bay. Arriving by boat puts you close to the town's waterfront and the shops, offices and tavernas that cluster around it. It is the natural base for onward travel across the island.
Because the boats are small and turn round quickly, it is generally a walk-up service rather than one you need to book. Lixouri at the other end is the island's second town and the gateway to the Xi and Petani beaches.