Getting Around, Nicosia Travel, Transport and Car Rental

(Nicosia, Cyprus)

Crossing the Green Line border between the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and South Cyprus is now much more hassle-free than in recent years, with a number of transport options available. Nicosia pedestrians simply wishing to travel on foot can cross at the Ledra Palace Hotel Crossing and also at the recently opened Ledra Street crossing.

Private bus transport is also an extremely popular way to travel around the Nicosia region, particularly in the peak tourist summer season, although a good selection of taxis are always on hand. If you decide to hire a rental car in Nicosia, then you should note that you will need to obtain special insurance in you are planning to driving in both North and South Cyprus, as each region is treated quite separately from the other.

Larnaca International Airport (LCA) / Arriving by Air

Address: Larnaca, 7130, Cyprus
Tel: +357 2481 6130
Larnaca International Airport is the number one entry point to the island of Cyprus and is within easy reach of Nicosia, being located to the south-east. The facility sees huge numbers of tourists fly in each year, now numbering in excess of five million, and growing. Cyprus Airways is the biggest airline based here and provides flights to an array of different destinations, such as Amsterdam, Athens, Birmingham, Brussels, Cairo, Dubai, Frankfurt, London, Manchester, Milan, Moscow, Paris, Rhodes, Rome, Tel Aviv, Thessaloniki, Vienna, Zurich, and of course Paphos Airport, on the far south-westerly corner of Cyprus. Larnaca Airport came into being shortly after the Turkish invasion of 1974, when Nicosia's very own airport was closed for business.

Larnaca International Airport (LCA) Guide

Car Rental

Self-drive is a popular way to travel around North Cyprus and a selection of car rental companies are available at both Larnaca Airport and within the city of Nicosia itself, including some inexpensive local Cypriot firms. Nicosia is well placed for drivers, since major roads and motorways connect the main cities and resorts. Heading in a southerly direction and towards Limassol (just over 80 km / 50 miles), the A1 is a reliable choice with drivers, joining the A6 to Paphos. The A2 is a prominent south-easterly road and travels to Larnaca, joining with the A3 to Ayia Napa. Further roads head towards to northerly coast and to tourist hotspots such as Bellapais, Karavas, Kyrenia and Lapithos. To drive into North Nicosia from the southerly Republic of Cyprus, you will need to cross at the Agios Dometios.

Book your Larnaca Car Rental here.

Book your Nicosia Car Rental here.

Buses and Coaches

There are a large number of private bus companies now operating in Nicosia, offering a variety of local and long-distance services. In South Nicosia, most bus transport departs from either the Constanza Bastion, the Leonidou (by the Leoforos Stasinou) or the Plateia Solomou (next to the Tripoli Bastion), while in the North, the long-distance bus station is to be found on the corner of the Gazeteci Kemal Asik Caddesi and the Ataturk Caddesi. Most days, buses travel to and from Ayia Napa (one hour - Eman and Peal buses), Larnaca (45 minutes - Inter City buses), Limassol (one hour - Alepa and Inter City buses), Paphos (one and three quarter hours - Alepa, Nea Amoroza and Solis buses) and Troodos (one hour - Clarios, Kambos and Pedoulas-Platres buses). Do bear in mind that although bus transport in Nicosia is quite inexpensive, timetables can often prove unreliable, and only a handful of buses come with air conditioning.

Taxis

Privately operated taxis are commonplace in Nicosia and generally come in the form of air-conditioned Mercedes cars, often with a yellow taxi sign on the roof. A sizeable taxi rank in South Nicosia is sited on the centrally located public square known locally as the Plateia Solomou, although available private taxis are easy to hail from the street. In North Nicosia, the main taxi tank is based around the Kyrenia Gate. Shared 'service' taxis offer slightly better value, since costs can be shared with the other passengers. All service taxis in Nicosia are operated by Travel and Express, which is based on the Leoforos Salaminos and provides inexpensive travel to Larnaca (45 minutes), Limassol (one and a half hours) and Paphos (two and a half hours), amongst other leading Cypriot tourist destinations.

Boats and Ferries

What could possibly be a more relaxing and enjoyable way to travel than by boat. The coastline of Cyprus is beautiful at the best of times, but when viewed from the perspective of the Mediterranean Sea, it takes on a completely different appearance. Nicosia's is connected by ferry transport and cruise ships via both Larnaca (40 km / 25 miles) and also Limassol (80 km / 50 miles). Further afield, cruise boats also travel between Cyprus and other relatively nearby European and Middle East countries, such as Egypt, Greece, Israel and the Lebanon.