Getting Here and Around

Bus

Zakynthos Town is the main hub for all bus transportation, but the network is very limited. Resort areas on the east and south coast, including Leganes, Kalamaki, and Tsilivi, are well catered to, as are the sandier areas of the Vasilikos Peninsula, with a few routes even running at weekends. Summer weekday services also run four times a day to and from the airport, but that's it; the rest of the island is woefully underserved. Tickets cost €1.60–€1.80 and can be bought from the driver.

Car and Scooter

Unless you’re content to roast on a beach (or at bus stops), a car or scooter is essential. Without one, the whole western and northern parts of the island are inaccessible, and taxi fees soon mount up. Roads are fewer and less developed outside the resort areas, with little street lighting after dark and some rough surfacing, so be careful at night. Minimal signage means a GPS is useful, though the island really isn't large enough to get badly lost. All the usual car-rental agencies are found at the airport and in Zakynthos Town, including Avia, Goldcar, Dollar, and Sixt, with prices from around €30 a day for a three-day hire.

Scooter hire requires a specialist license, which is why many tourists opt for the incredibly noisy four-wheel ATVs instead. These only require a regular driver's license but are, quite simply, the Jet Skis of land: loud, obnoxious, and pretty dangerous.

Contacts

George & Nick Rentals. Scooter rentals (50–125cc) for between €20 and €35 a day, including insurance. Can be delivered for airport pick-up. Laganas Main Road, Laganas, Zakynthos, 290 92. 69958/07419; www.georgenickrentals.com/en.

Taxi

Fixed-rate prices are set for most destinations on the island if you book in advance, with trips from Zakynthos Town to the farthest points, such as Shipwreck Cove or the ferry port of Agios Nikolaos, in the far north of the island, costing around €45 one-way. Shorter journeys to the beaches of the Vasilikos, 15 km away, are set at around €23. There are no meters, so book ahead if you can. Note that if coming from Kefalonia by ferry, there is no bus service from the port of Agios Nikolaos, so book a taxi ahead of your arrival.

Contacts

Zante Taxi. Taxi ranks can be found in Agios Nikolaos, Zakynthos Town, Laganas, Argasi, and Vasilikos, among others. Zakynthos Town, Zakynthos. 26950/48400; www.zantetaxi.gr.