Kefalonia is a large island — about 45 kilometres from north to south — and public transport is minimal. A hire car is essentially essential for seeing more than the immediate area around your accommodation. Cars can be hired at the airport and in Argostoli; rates are reasonable in shoulder season, higher in July and August.
There are bus services between the main towns (Argostoli, Sami, Lixouri, Skala, and Fiskardo) but they run infrequently and make it impossible to visit the more remote beaches or the Melissani Cave without a car.
Taxis operate from Argostoli and the major resorts. Motorbikes and quad bikes can be hired in the resort areas, though the mountain roads require care.
A small car ferry crosses the Argostoli lagoon between Argostoli and Lixouri every half hour — a faster route than driving around the lagoon.