Getting from Athens to Lefkada

If you are heading to Lefkada from Athens you are going to one of the most beautiful of the Ionian islands. Lefkada is connected to the mainland by a causeway and a floating bridge, which makes it unique among the Ionian islands, but once you are on it the connection to the mainland disappears completely. The west coast has some of the finest beaches in Europe, particularly Porto Katsiki and Egremni, sheer white limestone cliffs dropping to water of an almost impossible blue. The interior is mountainous and green. The town of Lefkada is a working island capital with an unusual style of architecture, the older buildings partly constructed from wood to withstand earthquakes.

Getting there by air

Lefkada has no airport. The nearest airport is Preveza, also known as Aktion Airport, around 20 kilometres from Lefkada Town. Daily connections from Athens to Preveza take around 50 minutes. From Preveza Airport a taxi or bus to Lefkada takes around 30 minutes. Total travel time is around 2 to 3 hours.

Take the train, bus or drive

The drive from Athens to Lefkada takes around 5 hours heading northwest via the E65 motorway and Agrinio. The KTEL bus from Athens Kifissos terminal runs daily to Lefkada taking around 5 to 6 hours. There is no train service to Lefkada.

Take the ferry

There is no ferry from Athens to Lefkada. The island is accessible by road via its causeway from the mainland and has no main ferry port connecting it to Piraeus.

Your best option

Fly to Preveza and take a taxi or bus across to Lefkada. It is the fastest approach and gets you on the island in under 3 hours. If you want a car for exploring the west coast beaches and the interior villages, fly to Preveza and rent at the airport or drive the full 5 hours from Athens if you are already travelling with a vehicle.