How to get to Lefkada: by car from Romania or by plane
No ferry, no boarding queue: Lefkada is the only big Ionian island you can drive straight onto. The full guide to the journey, from vignettes to the floating bridge.
Lefkada is the only big island in the Ionian Sea you can drive straight onto, across a floating bridge over the canal. No ferry, no boarding schedule, no stress. That is probably why so many guests arrive by car: you leave home on wheels and step out onto a beach.
I've gathered here everything my guests ask before the trip: which way to go, how long it really takes, which vignettes you need and what the flying option looks like. So you set off relaxed, not with ten tabs open on your phone.
By car through Bulgaria: the classic route
From Bucharest, the best-trodden route crosses at Giurgiu and Ruse, runs down through Bulgaria past Veliko Tarnovo and Sofia, enters Greece at Kulata and picks up the Egnatia motorway west towards Ioannina. From there the road drops to Preveza, you pass through the Aktio undersea tunnel and 20 minutes later you are on the island.
On paper it is around 1,150 kilometres from Bucharest. In practice, with coffee stops, fuel and the border, allow 14-16 hours. Many of my guests leave at night, around 2-3 am: they cross the border before the queues form and drive Bulgaria with no traffic.
Vignettes, tolls and fuel
For Bulgaria, buy the electronic vignette online before you leave, so you don't depend on the petrol stations at the border. In Greece, the Egnatia motorway has a few toll points with small fees, payable in cash or by card, and the Aktio tunnel has its own toll, paid at the barrier.
A tip from guests who have done the drive for years: fill up in Bulgaria, where fuel is usually cheaper than in Greece, and keep some change handy for the tolls. With those sorted, the trip becomes a simple string of quiet motorways.
The bridge: where the holiday begins
Unlike Corfu or Zakynthos, Lefkada involves no ferry at all. The canal separating the island from the mainland is crossed by a floating bridge, which opens periodically to let sailboats through. If you catch it open, you get a few minutes to admire the Agia Mavra fortress right beside it.
From that point, you are in Lefkada Town in 15 minutes, in Nidri in 40, and on the west-coast beaches in about an hour. The island is small and easy to drive.
By plane: Preveza (Aktion) airport
The closest airport is Aktion, near Preveza, some 20 kilometres from the island's entrance. In season there are direct charter flights from several countries, with Athens and Thessaloniki as backups, both about 4-5 hours away by rental car.
If you land at Aktion, you are at your accommodation in Nidri in under an hour. Write to me before you fly: I can recommend transfers and rental companies my guests have had good experiences with.
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Your first hours on the island
However you arrive, my advice is to plan nothing for day one. Drop the bags, walk down to the first taverna, order a souvlaki and a cold lemonade and look at the sea. The island isn't going anywhere, and the holiday starts the moment you stop hurrying.
Explore the stays →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a ferry to reach Lefkada?
No. Lefkada is connected to the mainland by a floating bridge, so you drive straight on, with no tickets and no boarding schedule.
How long is the drive from Bucharest to Lefkada?
Around 1,150 kilometres. With normal stops, the border and tolls, most of my guests do it in 14-16 hours. Leaving at night cuts the border wait considerably.
Which vignettes and tolls do I pay along the way?
The electronic vignette for Bulgaria, a few small tolls on the Egnatia motorway in Greece, and the Aktio tunnel toll just before the island.
Can I come without a car?
Yes: fly to Aktion (Preveza), transfer to your accommodation and use boat trips or local drivers on the island. For the western beaches, renting a car for at least 2-3 days helps a lot.
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