Traveling There: Flights connect from the United States to Athens on American Airlines, British Airways, Air France, and Olympic Airlines. Flights from Athens to Corfu and Preveza (a taxi ride from Lefkada) are available through the Greek airlines, Aegean and Olympic Airlines. If staying on Corfu, a car rental is suggested for island explorations. Cars are available directly at the airport from Auto Europe and Europe-by-Car. Web links and phone numbers are available at this magazine's Autos page. Drive carefully on Corfu, minimize nighttime driving, and watch for potholes when off of the major roads.

Staying There:
Apartment rentals are available through the online resource, www.Greeka.com.Our recommended guide book is The Rough Guide to the Greek Islands. It was last published in 2006 with excellent suggestions for restaurants and how to best explore and adventure the islands, with an excellent chapter on Corfu and another chapter on the remaining Ionians. The best time to visit is May through October, with the shoulder season of May/June and September/October preferred for better pricing, fewer tourists, and cooler daytime temperatures.

Chartering a Sailboat:
If you have sailing experience and qualify for obtaining a Greek sailing certificate, many options are available for chartering a sloop from Corfu or Lefkada. If you have insufficient sailing experience, you have the option of chartering a boat with a Greek captain for approximately 130 euro extra per day. The recommended Web site for planning your sailing trip is www.sailingissues.com. The site covers itineraries throughout Greece's archipelagos and offers a service of recommended boat chartering companies. Charters generally run for one week. Options exist for one-way sailing itineraries, such as Corfu to Lefkada, for an extra fee. The recommended sailing guide book is Ionian by Rod Heikell. It includes all of the information required, including maps of suitable coves and harbors in the Ionians, overviews of each location, pilotage advice, and available facilities such as water, fuel, and groceries. For those interested in Odysseus, recommended reads are Homer's The Odyssey and Hal Roth's We Followed Odysseus, published in 1999 by Seaworthy Publications (www.seaworthy.com).

Return to Ionian Sailing Odyssey article.