Preveza is a harbor town on the Ionian coast of Epirus, in northwestern Greece, sitting at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf across a narrow strait from ancient Actium, and a rental car is the easiest way to see how the town connects to the surrounding coastline and islands. Most visitors arrive through Aktion National Airport (PVK), a small airport just across the water from Preveza that despite its modest size functions as the main gateway for this stretch of coast and, notably, for the island of Lefkada, which connects to the mainland by a short causeway and bridge rather than a ferry. Picking up a car near the airport or in town means desks staffed by international and local operators, and pickup is generally quick given the airport's low passenger volumes outside peak summer weeks.
From Preveza, the drive to Lefkada Town takes roughly thirty to forty-five minutes, crossing the causeway that links the island to the mainland, after which Lefkada's own beach roads and hill villages open up for further exploring. Staying on the mainland instead, the Roman ruins of Nikopolis lie just north of Preveza, a short ten-to-fifteen-minute drive, while the university city of Ioannina, inland across the Pindus foothills, is a longer trip of roughly an hour to ninety minutes through increasingly mountainous terrain.
Driving is on the right, as throughout Greece, and Greece's national road network carries tolls on some of its main highway corridors, generally collected at staffed booths rather than through an electronic vignette; the coastal roads immediately around Preveza and across to Lefkada are largely toll-free, though longer trips toward Ioannina or further along the national road may cross a toll section. Roads in town and along the coast are well paved, while village lanes inland narrow considerably. Fuel stations cluster in Preveza and near the airport, so top up before heading into the quieter Epirus hinterland or across to Lefkada's more remote beaches, particularly outside the busy summer season.