Help with travel between Athens and Ionian Islands- Zakynthos, Kefalonia, Lefkada

Posted by mvjanigian on 04/12/25 11:27 AM

Hello,
My family and I will be traveling to Greece in Sept and would like to visit the Ionian islands. First, is the weather still warm enough to enjoy the beaches? Second, we want to avoid touristy places, so I'm thinking of avoiding Corfu and going to Zakynthos and either Lefkada or Kefalonia. I don't know much about any of the islands or how easy it is to get to them. We'll be flying into Athens and plan to go directly to one of these islands, then take a ferry to one of the other islands. Are there direct ferry services between the islands and which islands are the easiest to get back to Athens from? I'm assuming we'd fly back to Athens.
Which islands would you recommend?

Many thanks!
Marianne

Posted by JoLui

France Southwest

04/12/25 09:18 PM

2753 posts

Apart from Corfu, only Zakynthos and Kefalonia have an airport connected to Athens by Aegean or Sky Express.

Traveling by ferry between the Ionian islands is not always easy. There aren't necessarily daily ferries. Kefaloni has four different ports depending on the destination, while Zakynthos has two.
And sometimes you have to return to the mainland.

Before planning anything, check the ferry companies schedules and routes:

https://ionionpelagos.com/

https://www.levanteferries.com/en/

https://lefkadapalace.com/

https://kerkyralines.com/en/

Posted by Barkinpark

Bay Area, California

04/20/25 05:49 AM

1705 posts

Zakynthos is very touristy because there is an international airport. Ionian islands are not well known to Americans, but they are well known to Europeans. Kefalonia and Lefkada are also quite touristy as there is no other major industry there, beside agriculture and vacation real estate.

Posted by Marsle

Atlanta

04/20/25 08:08 AM

3281 posts

We are currently in Greece. We flew from the U.S. to Athens on a direct flight and then flew to Kefalonia on Aegean Airlines the same day as it’s a very short 40-minute flight. We arrived at the airport in Argostoli (EFL) and took a taxi (arranged by our apartment manager) into the city. We’ve been in Argostoli for 4 nights and like it very much. We’ve rented a car and will stay a few nights each in Poros, Fiskardo, and Sami as bases to explore each region. We may opt for more time on this island once we get a feel for it. It’s very laid back with shopping and many good restaurants. We’ll know more as we get further into our trip, but so far, it’s been great. We are staying in a very nice one-bedroom apartment in the center of town for $124.00.