Car Hire in Cyprus - Getting to Cyprus

Cyprus is effectively two countries, and you will have to chose one or the other (the North is an independent state recognized only by Turkey). Most visitors head for the independent Republic in the south because it’s more accessible and popular with package deals. Its two airports are at Larnaka and Pafos, servicing flights from most of Europe and the Middle East. Taxis will willingly take you anyway around the island from them but the usual tourist fee applies. Resorts tend to run their own shuttles. North Cyprus has an international airport at Ercan, but only Turkish airlines fly there.

Crossing the border is tricky, at best you can get a day pass (including car) into the North from the Republic of Cyprus (south), but not the other way around. You cannot enter the island via one side and leave from another. Despite thawing relations between Turkey and its ‘Greco/Cypriot’ neighbours in the Aegean, the bitter taste of the ’74 invasion by Turkey still lingers in the mouths of most Cypriots. Border formalities are awkward and costly.

Car ferries leave Lemesos for Athens mainly - but sometimes Rhodes, Patmos or Crete, and Israel. Direct ferries to Greek islands are very limited unfortunately. From Northern Cyprus there are ferries to southern Turkey.