Transport options on the island of Zakynthos

If you will be travelling between major tourist resorts, bus transport is the ideal solution. It is a cheap and easy way to get around, the roads in Zakynthos are good quality and the bus services are easy to find. However, if you want to explore the more remote parts of the island, or if you arrive on the island at night or at the weekend, for example, it is better to use the services of local taxis, which are well represented on the island.

There are car rental companies in every major tourist resort, which offer various means of transport, especially cars, for hire. This service is very popular and often used by tourists, because it is easy to rent a car (you only need a valid national driving license), you are not dependent on bus schedules and, most importantly, you can get to places that are not served by public transport and are worth visiting. Be inspired by tips on the most beautiful beaches of Zakynthos, excursions or sightseeing.

On Zakynthos, you can also hitchhike or try it yourself. Hitchhiking is common in Greece, but it is not allowed on expressways and motorways.

Bus transport

Public transport on Zakynthos is exclusively by bus, there is no rail transport on the island. The main bus station is located in the capital of Zakynthos and acts as a starting point for travel to various parts of the island. Bus lines from here go to the most famous resorts of the island such as Laganas, Kalamaki, Tslivi, Tragaki, Alykes, Vassilikos and others. The bus also runs from the main station to the airport. KTEL even offers bus travel from Zakynthos to mainland Greece, specifically to the cities of Athens, Patras and Thessaloniki.

For example, the price from the airport to the capital of Chora is €1.40, a single price from Zakynthos main station to the resorts of Argassi, Kalamaki, Laganas, Alykes, Tsilivi etc. is €1.80 or a trip to the capital of Athens for €28 (year 2023). Tickets are bought directly from the driver on the bus, timetables tend to be posted at each stop, but the current timetable is always posted at the main station (timetables change frequently).

KTEL's website, where you can find both local timetables and intercity routes, and a complete price list: https://ktel-zakynthos.gr/

The clear advantages of using public bus transport are mainly its low price and ease of transport, while the biggest disadvantages are the unreliability of the bus service (not running exactly on time according to the timetable) and the fact that bus lines only connect the biggest tourist resorts.

Taxi service

Taxis are a more convenient way to travel. It is of course more expensive compared to bus transport, but the driver will pick you up where you specify and take you to your destination as well. The ideal use of a taxi is for transport from the airport to your hotel and then back to the airport on your flight home, when you can book a taxi in advance and at a time of your choosing. Taxis are also popularly used by tourists who go to enjoy the nightlife of holiday resorts and need to get back to their hotel late in the evening.

In the cities, prices are around €0.40/km of driving, outside the city around €0.80/km, plus boarding tax, night fare, luggage surcharge, etc. The average price for a 1 km ride is therefore around 2.5 €, but we recommend that you always agree on the price before getting into the taxi.

If you should use the taxi service more often or for longer distances, e.g. for trips around the island, hiring a rental vehicle is a better solution.

Car, motorcycle and bicycle rentals

The ideal and increasingly popular option for travelling around the island is renting a car, motorbike or scooter, which is very common and very accessible on Zakynthos, as there are both larger rental companies (some even have branches at the airport) and smaller local rental companies. In order to rent a car, there are a few requirements: the driver must be over 21 years old, have a valid national driving licence with a validity of more than one year and an ID card, and the driver must have a credit card or debit card and a bank account.

Rental prices range from around €30 to €50 per day, depending mainly on the type of car and the length of the rental period, and for some rental companies also on the age of the driver. The highest prices apply in the high summer season (July, August), and lower prices outside the high season (May, June, September, October). Similarly, the price also decreases with the length of the rental period (price/day). Renting a motorbike or scooter is a little cheaper, but since scooters are generally weaker means of transport, we recommend not to choose the weakest ones, so that you are not left standing somewhere under a hill.

The petrol station network is sufficient for the demand, they can be found in every major resort. However, petrol prices in Zakynthos are among the highest in the whole of Greece. To give you an idea, the average price of 1 litre of petrol in Greece is currently (2024) €1.87, on Zakynthos it is around the average of €1.91 and in the Czech Republic it is currently at €1.48. In Greece, refuelling is carried out by trained staff.

You can see how fuel prices vary in different places in Greece, for example here: https://fuelgr.gr/web/

You can rent a car on the spot at one of the local car rental companies, but you can also book online in advance from home. We recommend this especially for the peak summer season, when all cars may be available for rent for some days and you would have to go to several rental companies. The advantages of this early booking include a lower price and a wide choice of vehicles. If you are travelling with a travel agent, the delegate can also arrange the car rental and arrange for the car to be picked up directly in front of the hotel (with a surcharge for arranging this, on the other hand, e.g. with help with translating the contract).

We also recommend that you make sure that car insurance is included in the agreed price before taking delivery of the rental car . Too low rental prices may indicate that this may not be the case.

Ship transport

The main port is located in the capital of Zakynthos, on the east coast of the island. The main port is the departure point for most ships, especially large ships and ferries bound for the Greek mainland, such as the ports of Killini and Patras on the Peloponnese peninsula, and the surrounding islands, especially nearby Kefalonia and Lefkada. However, smaller cruise ships also leave from here and can sail around the whole island of Zakynthos or head to the island's most popular tourist destinations, including the so-called Blue Caves, Navagio Bay with its smuggler's shipwreck or the "turtle" island of Marathonisi. From the port of Zakynthos, cruise ships also sail to the neighbouring island of Kefalonia, the small islands of Strofada or to visit the ancient city of Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games.

The smaller port of Agios Nikolaos (Volimó) is located at the northern tip of the island and is mainly used by cruise ships. Due to the location of the harbour, boats and dinghies mostly sail from here to the so-called blue caves, past the Skinari lighthouse and to the "smuggling" beach of Navagio.

However, small boats and dinghies, such as the popular glass-bottomed boats, leave from all the larger resorts and beaches. For example, boats leave daily from Laganas Bay (Laganas, Kalamaki, etc.) to the nearby islands of Marathonisi, Pelouzo or Cameo (which can be reached on foot, as it is connected to the mainland by a wooden bridge) or to the Keri cave.

Basic traffic rules in Greece

To drive a motor vehicle in Greece, you must have the following documents: a valid national driving licence (since the Czech Republic joined the EU, Czech citizens are no longer required to have an international driving licence), the vehicle's technical licence and proof of payment of the compulsory insurance for abroad (green card).

The traffic regulations in Greece are not too different from those in the Czech Republic. In Greece, you drive on the right-hand side of the road and all passengers must wear seat belts in the vehicle, and children must be in child restraints (in car seats or booster seats). Talking on the phone while driving is forbidden (use hands-free), and driving in inappropriate footwear is also forbidden (police officers do not tolerate barefoot driving or wearing flip-flops). Motorbike drivers and their passengers must wear helmets. What is a bit chaotic are the roundabouts. There are two types of roundabouts in Greece - one of the kind we know from the Czech Republic, where the approaching vehicle gives way to other vehicles on the roundabout, but then also the other type, where the vehicle entering the roundabout has the right of way. You can only tell which roundabout it is by the traffic signs. Please pay attention.

The maximum speed limit is 50 km/h in the village, 90 km/h outside the village, 110 km/h on the expressway and 130 km/h on the motorway. The fact that you will be going much slower than the locals if you keep to the speed limit does not appear to be a common occurrence.We find the Greek drivers' temperament more chaotic, aggressive and unpredictable.Greeks drive fundamentally faster than the signs allow, overtake on the full line, don't indicate a change of direction with their turn signals and don't always respect the right of way at junctions.Don't let their behaviour put you off, however, as the fines are quite high and the police in Greece are particularly keen to check on foreign tourists.

In Greece, the blood alcohol limit is set at 0.5 per mille (for beginners with a driving licence less than 2 years old, service drivers and motorbike drivers, the limit is set at 0.2 per mille).

Road network in Zakynthos

As far as the Greek island of Zakynthos is concerned, there are no motorways. Heavy vehicle traffic can be expected especially along the southern and eastern coasts of the island, where the busiest tourist resorts are located, including the capital city of Zakynthos. Outside the larger resorts, traffic eases, but the roads are often narrow and very winding, so it pays to continue to keep a close eye on your driving. Zakynthos is a hilly island, so it's a good idea to choose your car according to the terrain you plan to travel with it.