Zante is relatively easy to get to. The island has its own airport and, as well as the usual charter flights from Europe, there are daily domestic flights from Athens and from Corfu, Kefalonia and Thessaloniki. Zante has good ferry connections to Patras and Kilini on the Greece mainland, while there are also boats to Kephalonia. There are also daily KTEL bus services to Patras and to Athens. Othere bus routes from Zante got to Nafpaktos, Larissa and Thessaloniki.
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Zante has its own international airport, known officially as Dionysios Solomos Airport and it is located on the south coast, near the Kalamaki holidaty resort and about 6km from the capital port of Zakynthos Town.
A new airport building is now fully operational - a far cry from the old cattle shed that once greeted Zante holiday visitors.
There are regular UK charter flights from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester in the summer.
The island is also well served by UK charter flights from April to October from Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Luton, Newcastle, Manchester and Stansted.
EasyJet now has new summer flights to Zante from Gatwick.
Visitors will find only two carousels in the new airport and the seating is not great. Thursdays and Sundays can bring major congestion as charter flights arrive and leave. Beware the prices at the airport snack bar - €4 for a bag of crisps I am told.
The domestic flier Olympic Airways flies two to three times daily between Zante and Athens, even in the winter - flight time is about 60 mins.
There are also domestic flights from Kefalonia, Corfu and Thessaloniki but these are not daily. No planes are permitted to land on Zante at night.
Approximate coach airport transfer times from the airport to the major resorts are Alikes (75 mins), Argassi (30 mins), Kalamaki (15 mins), Laganas (25 mins), Tsilivi ( 45 mins), Vassilikos (90 mins).
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Hellenic run regular ferries from Brindisi, Italy, while Superfast run ferries from Ancona, Brindisi and Venice to Patras and Igoumenitsa on the Greek mailand and to Corfu where you can catch connecting ferries to Zante. Blue Star also operate similar routes. The most popular car ferry route is Ancona to Patras where you can drive south to Killini and a get local car ferry to Zante - Zakynthos.
Regular daily services run from Kilini (Kyllini) on the Greek mainland with around seven ferries to Zante daily, Monday to Saturday, and three on Sunday. The crossing takes around 90 mins. These ferries run all year but there can be a reduced service in winter. There is no need to book in advance but it is best to buy a ticket from a local agent to ensure a place. The ferries also link up well with bus services so passengers can buy tickets on Zante to Patras and/or Athens.
A car ferry goes from the Zante port at Agios Nikolaos in the north to Pessada in Kefalonia. There are two ferries a day in the summer season and the trip last about 60 mins.
Summer ferry schedules may not be confirmed until April or May, and not published until then.
The information here is as accurate as I can make it but note that ferry schedules can change at any time.
Zante has plenty of accommodation right across the island, though most hotels and apartments in the more popular resorts are block booked by tour operators.
Zakynthos Town is more a working town that a tourist resort and the independent traveller is more likely to find rooms here than in somewhere like Laganas. Zakynthos Town is also the place to stay for those intending to see the island using public transport as most bus routes start and end here.
The dominance of organised tourism in the main resorts leaves little in the way of accommodation for the independent traveller unless it is in early or late season. The resorts are less busy at this time and accommodation both more plentiful and considerably cheaper.
Those on a budget have several camping sites to choose from. There is a large camp site near Ampoula beach, not far from Tsilivi and more camping just outside the resort of Alykes. In the south are a couple of camping sites near Laganas Bay. The Laganas Camping site at Agios Sostis has an Olympic size swimming pool while the Tartuga Camping is found at the southern end of the Bay of Laganas.
There is a year round bus from Athens to Zante and it's a cheap way to get there but the journey takes around 5-6 hours. It links with the Kyllini ferry. There is also a daily bus to the mainland port of Patra and a twice weekly bus to Thessaloniki. Details from Zante bus station 026950 42656; Athens bus station: 0210 5129432; Patra bus station: 02610 220993 or Thessaloniki bus station: 02310 595416/595465.
Zante has a good road network that serves all the major holiday resorts. Away from the main roads, though the conditions can deteriorate quickly and it is not unusual to end up on a rough unmade track.
Buses are cheap and efficient with regular daily services from Zante Town to the main resorts. Detailed timetables are posted in the bus station in Zante Town and you pay the driver. The number of daily services detailed here are approximate and subject to change but there are bus services from Zakynthos Town to Argasi, Xerokastelo, Vassilikos, Porto Roma, Tsilivi, Planos, Tragaki, Kipseli, Alikanas, Alikes, Katastari, Orthonies, Anafonitria, Volimes, Exo Hora, Kambi, Agios Leon, Agios Nikolaos, Maherado, Galaro, Gyri, Limni Keriou, Agalas, Lithakia and Laganas.
Click here for KTEL Zante bus timetables but beware, the site has been half finished for years now - but the local routes are at least listed in English. Zanteweb has a good Zante bus timetable for both local routes and long distance buses to the mainland.
There are taxi ranks in all the main tourist resorts on Zante. Charges to the most popular tourist resorts are fixed. For other destinations there is a meter. Fares are fixed rate. Taxis can be booked for the day or for an island tour, although this will not be cheap. You can check out latest taxi prices here www.zantetaxi.gr
