Getting there

Planes

Thomson Airlines (flights.thomson.co.uk) operates direct flights from London Gatwick to Kefalonia’s airport, nine miles from Argostoli. In summer, there are charters available from other airports in the UK. Otherwise, you’ll have to catch a 45-minute connecting flight at Athens (www.olympicair.com, www.aegeanair.com). Once you’ve landed, you can hop in a taxi to your destination. Getting to Ithaca is trickier: from the airport make the hour-long taxi trip to Fiskardo and catch the ferry to Frikes.

Boats

The islands are linked by regular car ferries between Fiskardo or Sami and Fikes or Vathi (less frequent in winter). The trip takes around an hour. For boat timetables all around the Ionians, check www.gtp.gr. If you’d rather follow your own timetable, hire a boat at www.fiscardo.com.

Automobiles

Public transport is patchy, so hire a car – or a moped – if you want to explore on your own. There are rental depots at Kefalonia(try Argus www.arguscarhire.com) and in Fikes, Ithaca’s port.