Lefkas is a relatively easy island to reach. It does not have its own airport but there is one on the mainland at nearby Preveza and a bridge link to the island makes for a quick and easy journey by road. Ferry links are a little more complicated but not much. Lefkas does lie on the main ferry routes from Italy but, with the mainland port of Igoumenitsa very close, the ferries don't bother to stop at Lefkas. Luckily, there are both connecting ferries from Igoumenitsa to Lefkas and the road journey is only about two hours.
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Most visitors to Lefkas take international flights to Preveza International (PVK) on mainland Greece just north of Lefkas island, also known as Aktio National Airport. The airport is also used by NATO and Hellenic Air Force Command.
The present Preveza-Aktio airport terminal dates from 1988 and is located about 3km miles south of Preveza and 15km north-east of Lefkas island. British charter flights, mainly from Gatwick and Manchester, arrive and depart on Sundays.
Facilities at the airport are limited and it can get congested. There are a couple of tavernas just a few yards from the terminal building if you need to escape the crowds.
There is a daily bus service to the airport from Lefkas, Preveza and Vonitsa and there is free parking for cars. The road journey time from Preveza-Aktio to Lefkas Town is about 30mins.
An alternative route is to get a cheap flight to Athens (many cheap flight airlines now fly to the capital) and to get an internal flight to Preveza-Aktio or travel direct to Lefkas by road.
Regular scheduled internal flights from Athens are operated by Olympic Airlines although these domestic flight connections are not particularly good so you will probably have to spend a night in the capital.
The road journey takes about five hours by car and longer by longer by bus from the Kiffisou Bus Station in Athens. To get to the Kiffisou station take a taxi or the 93 bus from the airport. You can't pre-book tickets, you have to get them at the bus station.
Another route is to fly to Corfu, catch the ferry to Igoumenitsa (90 mins) and then to travel to Lefkas by road (2 hrs) but this usually takes longer when you factor in ferry connections.
Alternatively you can fly to Kefalonia, travel by road to Fiskardo then catch a ferry to Lefkas. The final option is really only worth it if you plan to spend some time on Kefalonia. The ferries between Kefalonia and Lefkas (Nidri and Vassiliki) are not frequent and can be cancelled without notice.
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There is an extensive ferry network between the Italian east coast and Igoumenitsa, near Lefkas, on mainland Greece. Ferries leave Venice, Ancona, Bari and Brindisi and some of these places are already served by low-cost airlines so it is possible to make a connection. The main ferry firms are Minoan, Anek and Superfast. Once in Igoumenitsa it is a two-hour drive to Lefkas Town.
On Lefkas itself there is a ferry service from Nidri to Fiskardo on Kefalonia. It sails daily from Nidri in the morning a and calls at Frikes on Ithaca on the way out to Fiscardo and at Vassiliki on Lefkas on the way back. Times can vary so it's worth checking ports first on 031555 or 092509. This ferry also takes cars and bikes. Daily car ferries also sail from Nydri to Meganissi calling Vathy and at Spilia Bay (below Spartahori) on Meganissi.
Another route is to fly to Corfu, catch the ferry to Igoumenitsa (90 minutes) and then to Lefkas by road (2 hrs) or alternatively fly to Kefalonia, go by road to Fiskardo then catch a ferry to Lefkas. The final option is really only worth it if you plan to spend some time on Kefalonia. The ferries between Kefalonia and Lefkas (Nidri and Vassiliki) are not frequent and can be cancelled.
Summer ferry schedules may not be confirmed until April or May, and not published until then.
The information is as accurate as I can make it but note that ferry schedules can change at any time.
The recent rise in popularity of holidays to Lefkas has seen a considerable growth in hotel and apartment building in recent years. Lefkas (Lefkada) now has a wide variety of hotels, villas, apartments, studios and rooms. Most them will be found in the four most popular resorts at Lefkas Town, Nidri, Vassiliki and Agios Nikitas but there are always rooms to be found for those who prefer accommodation away from the crowds and in the villages off the beaten track.
Much of the luxury hotel accommodation is found in Lefkas Town but the great majority of visitors head for Nydri on the east coast and Vassiliki on the island's southern shore. If you plan a holiday in either resort in July and August it's probably best to book ahead, certainly in Nidri, as tour companies can block book the best accommodation. Vassiliki is also besieged by windsurfers in the summer months and rooms can be rather hard to find.
Cheaper rooms can be hard to find in Lefkas Town but there are plenty in Lygia, just 4km to the south and there is a decent campsite at nearby Kariotes. There are a coupe more campsites in Dessimi Bay, just south of Nidri but the biggest site is at Vassiliki which caters for the windsurfers that turn up by the thousand each year.
Many holiday villas can now be booked online through specialist companies or even direct with owners. Most visitors opt for the east coast where road and travel connections are good but there are hotels and rooms to rent on the wilder west coast. There is good accommodation to be found at Agios Nikitas, where there is also a campsite. Rooms can also be found at the seaside resort of Kathisma and at inland villages such as Kalamitsi and Athani.
Sited on Greek National Road 42, Lefkas is the only Greek island that can be visited by car without boarding a ferry. The new underwater tunnel of Preveza-Aktio has eased access from north-west Greece. The Rio Antirio brige also makes for easier road connections with the rest of Greece including the port at Igoumenitsa.
KTEL buses have daily services from and to Athens. There are four buses daily and the journey takes about five hours. There are also bus services from Thessaloniki which takes about seven hours. There are usually six buses daily to Preveza-Aktio Airport. The bus station is can be easily found near the new marina, about 1km from Lefkas Town centre.
There are daily island buses to the main resorts of Nidri, Vlicho, Vassiliki and Agios Nikitas. Services down the east coast are frequent but buses can get packed at popular times. Bus services to west coast villages are less reliable and there is always the chance of getting stranded. There are buses from Lefkas Town to Nidri throughout the day from 0530 to 1930 about every 30 minutes or so and returning from 0730 to 2115.
Four buses daily leave Lefkas Town for Vassiliki. Times are: 0640, 1045, 1400, 1930 and back again at 0715, 1345, 1530, 2045
There are two buses daily to Agios Nikitas. Times: 0640, 1415 and back 0730, 1500. Buses tend to be punctual and cheap but don't rely heavily on these times, they may be subject to change
Click here for the most recent Lefkas bus timetables in English and you can download a pdf file of Lefkas bus routes
Taxis mostly ply the route from Lefkas Town to Preveza or down the coast to Nidri. Approximate prices from Preveza are Lefkas Town €35, Lygia €40, Ag Nikitas €45, Nidri €57, Sivota €70. For Lefkas Town taxis you can dial 026450 or 022838; for Nidri taxis dial 026450 or 092000. All the taxis are modern and air conditioned.
There is a taxi rank in all the popular resorts on Lefkas. In Lefkas Town it is located on Agios Minas square. The main taxi rank in Nidri is on the harbour front.
