Ioannina is small and the historic centre is best walked. The old castle district, the Mavili lakefront, and the central commercial streets are all within a 15-minute stroll of each other.
For the island, regular boats leave from the Mavili promenade — every half-hour in summer, hourly in winter. Local buses cover the new town and the surrounding suburbs, including the Perama Cave (15 minutes north). Taxis are plentiful at the central square and around the lake. For day trips into the Zagori villages or to Dodona, hiring a car is much easier than waiting for the limited rural buses.