In the not too distant past hire cars were really the only way of seeing a lot of the island, and not much has changed!  To be able to have the freedom to explore North Cyprus, it’s always nicer to do it on your steam and to a schedule that suits you.  Hiring a car is obviously one of the best options available so that you are not restricted.

However, there are some organised sightseeing trips and walking tours that your hotel or holiday village will be happy to help you arrange, and there are regular mini-bus (dolmush) services between all the major towns and regions, but these options may not be flexible enough for you.

Car rental here in North Cyprus is affordable and common practice and you will have no problem being able to find a company to supply you with a car for the duration of your break, although most companies state a 3 day minimum rental.  However it’s not unknown to be able to get a day’s rental in low season!

There are plenty of car rental companies to choose from and with modern technology it is easy to book direct online before you arrive. In peak season your choice may be limited by demand…North Cyprus is such an attractive destination for its sun, sea and sand, its places of cultural and historical interest that it’s not only tourist accommodation that is in demand during the long hot summer, but rental cars as well.  Be sure to book your car well in advance to avoid disappointment and to get the most choice, the best deals and the most competitive prices.

Depending on the season prices do vary with low season usually stated as being November to March, mid season April to June and high season July to October.  Many hire care companies will advertise special deals well in advance of the holiday season so it would be wise when deciding on your timetable to book early to take advantage of any deals available. More often than not if you choose to book online you will also receive a discounted price.

For the independent travellers your hotel or holiday village will be able to recommend a car rental company to you for sure, as often family members run a care hire company!  If you’re renting a villa or borrowing a friend’s holiday home then check on the internet for companies offering the best deals and book before you travel.  Major car rental companies like Avis, Budget and Hertz haven’t established offices in North Cyprus yet, so all the organisations offering cars here are small local companies.  As such you can be assured a personal and friendly service.

Most hire companies now run a collection service if you are arriving at an airport in south Cyprus such as Larnaca or Paphos. Normal practice would be to pay the taxi transfer separately and not as part of the hire car agreement, as the hire companies often sub-contract to a regular taxi driver for these pick-ups. Alternatively your car can be ready for you on arrival at Ercan airport in the north, or they can deliver your hire car to an address or pretty much anywhere you choose in North Cyprus and they will collect it from the same spot when you depart.

The range of cars available for rent in North Cyprus is very wide and in recent years has become more updated.  For those who have visited North Cyprus in the past, the days of the Renault 19 and Renault 12 are sadly numbered!  You can now rent the bastions of rental cars such as the Ford Focus or VW Polo or indeed even a top of the range 4 x 4.  Consider what your requirements are and if you plan to see all of the castles in North Cyprus it might be wise to consider a 4 x 4 as the roads are a little rough once you head off the beaten track.  And make sure you insist on a car with air-conditioning…trust us, you’ll need it!

Be sure to bring your driving licence with you of course, and if any other members of your holiday party want to be included on the car rental documents then they too need to bring their licence.  Insurance and tax will most likely all be included in the price, but it’s important to note that the minimum age limit for hiring a car in North Cyprus is 25.  Most hire car companies also offer 24 hour assistance should you have any problems that you may have with the hire vehicle.

If you want to take your hire car over the Green Line to South Cyprus we are afraid you cannot.  It’s not illegal as some may otherwise advise you; it’s just that hire car companies in North Cyprus are reluctant to allow their cars across and therefore do not allow it.

You can easily spot rental cars here as they have red number plates instead of yellow – this should mean that local drivers take care and give rental cars space as they are most likely being driven by drivers unfamiliar with the road…in reality it means that people will speed up and try and overtake you!  Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it!

If you come from the UK you’ll be happy to learn that in Cyprus – both North and South – you drive on the left.  If you spot a car with Turkish number plates watch out as they occasionally forget and wander to the right side of the road as on the Turkish mainland they drive on the right!  It makes for interesting driving!

This finishes our general information on car hire in North Cyprus and hope that it helps in your decision making process.  Good luck and happy driving!

There is only one passenger airport in North Cyprus, it’s called Ercan Airport and in recent years it has seen massive refurbishment and now serves people wishing to travel to and from North Cyprus.  It’s located a 40 minute car journey from the harbour town of Kyrenia and 15 minutes from Lefkoşa.

Direct flights are not officially available to North Cyprus from anywhere other than Turkey.  If you’re flying to and from the island from any other destination you have an hour’s stop-over on the Turkish mainland.  On the way to Cyprus passengers can alight in Turkey for onward destinations whilst other passengers remain on-board and new ones embark for the one hour continuation flight to Northern Cyprus.  Plans for the future include challenging the UK government on their ban of direct travel to North Cyprus, so watch this space!

Alternatives exist for those who want a guaranteed direct flight to Cyprus – now that the border is open between North and South for those with valid passports and visas it’s possible to fly to either Larnaca or Paphos and hire a car or get a taxi to Northern Cyprus.  It has proved a popular option for many, as major carriers such as British Airways, Monarch and Cyprus Airways are frequent flyers to airports in the south, and many would rather spend the additional travel time in a taxi coming through the border to the north rather than sitting on the tarmac inside a plane.

Prices too are extremely competitive if booking well in advance, so it’s down to personal choice for most as to which airport they arrive into, however we at Essential Cyprus advocate the use of Ercan for your flights to North Cyprus – it’s a good little airport and you would be helping the Turkish Cypriot economy no end if you used it – would be easier to say this if flights were cheaper though!!

Flights to Ercan Airport from the UK are currently offered by the likes of  Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines.  CTA, otherwise known as KTHY, the state airline, is currently not an operating airline having been forced to close due to financial issues in 2009.  Our article on airlines serving Ercan and the south (via the links above) including the still even cheaper option of airlines such as EasyJet will give you more food for thought on the options available to you.

Plans are also afoot for 2009 to introduce new markets to North Cyprus, with the TRNC government in the frame to sign deals with tour operators in Italy, and CTA about to launch flights to the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Finland and Norway.  It remains to be seen if these initiatives will boost the ever competitive worldwide tourism sector, but it’s a good start.  However some would argue, perhaps justifiably, that more departure points in the UK and other European countries are more important.

In terms of getting flights to the UK and the rest of Europe from North Cyprus, there are many tour operators and travel agents in Kyrenia and Lefkoşa and you can usually walk in, pay in cash and book there and then for next day flights.  Prices start from as little as GBP 150, and it’s usually possible to have an open ticket for up to six weeks.  You can also use travel agents in North Cyprus to book flights from airports in the south too, and book tickets for family and friends who are coming to North Cyprus, with all that’s required is for them to either print off an e-ticket or collect tickets at check-in on departure.

We will continually add articles on the options available, and obviously things change all the time, so we will try to keep you abreast of what’s on offer, including articles on destination holidays that you can book from North Cyprus, weekend jaunts, price comparisons and much much more! In the meantime please click on any of the tags below for related articles.

When travelling to and from North Cyprus these days passengers can find themselves spoilt for choice in terms of the airline they choose and the airport they fly into!  It wasn’t so long ago that you had to fly into the old and unfashionable Geçitkale airport whilst Ercan, the current passenger airport, was undergoing a major refurbishment.  With the border opening to the south, the choice is even broader too.

Several airlines now offer flights to Ercan airport via Turkey, and it’s worth checking them all out before committing to purchase your tickets.  All of them have the facility to purchase tickets online, with many now changing over to an e-ticket solution meaning no good old fashioned triplicate slips!  However, for some it’s still more preferable to have a travel agent do the searching for you, and to pay in cash at their offices or via credit card on the phone.

PLEASE NOTE that CTA below are not currently an operating airline due to financial issues, however we are keeping the details here in this article in the sincere hope that it will be resurrected in due course!

Cyprus Turkish Airlines, (also known as either CTA or KTHY), is the state run carrier; and it’s now possible to fly to North Cyprus from the UK’s major cities and airports – London Stansted, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham, with winter and summer scheduled timetables offering a wide choice of flight options.  Flights at times can be expensive, but they often release blocks of cheaper tickets at certain times of the year, so it’s always worth checking, but be prepared to book and pay at the same time to take advantage of any offers.

CTA’s head office is in Lefkoşa and they have additional sales offices in Lefkoşa, Famagusta, Kyrenia and at Ercan Airport.  There are also offices in Istanbul, Ankara, Adana, Antalya, Izmir, with general sales offices in Trabzon and Gaziantep in Turkey and Frankfurt in Germany.  In the UK you can find them located at 11-12 Pall Mall, London, SW1.

CTA Head Office North Cyprus: Bedrettin Demirel Avenue, Lefkoşa, Tel: +90 (0)392 228 3901

Reservations North Cyprus : rezervasyon1@kthy.aero – +90 (0)392 227 1240 / 227 1479 / 228 4163 / 228 1463 / 227 1536 / 227 1706 / 228 4161 / 228 1461

Head Office UK : 11-12 Pall Mall, London, SW1

Reservations UK : info@kthylondon.co.uk – +44 (0) 207 930 4851

General E-mail: info@kthy.aero

Website : www.kthy.net

Turkish Airlines (THY), the largest of the carriers serving North Cyprus are not the cheapest airline option by any stretch, but do have, in addition to CTA’s departure points, Dublin on their schedule with a transit change at Istanbul.  Again both winter and summer schedules offer a wide schedule and a great choice of onward journeys from Turkey if you are not travelling to the UK!  However, one major stumbling block seems to be that you can only book flights to Turkey from ‘Lefkoşa’ and not beyond, therefore requiring the need to book an additional set of onward flights.  We could be wrong, but when trying several options it tells you that ‘we do not have permission to book tickets for Lefkoşa.’

So, you may well need to visit a Turkish Airlines office to book your trip, or book it via a travel agent who can get round the issue!  THY have offices in Lefkoşa and at Ercan Airport, as well as many ticket sales offices around the world with offices in Birmingham and London in the UK or example.

THY North Cyprus:

Mehmet Akif Caddesi, No. 52, Köşklüçiftilik, Lefkoşa, Tel : +90 (0)392 227 1382

Ercan Airport +90 (0) 231 4790

Website : www.turkishairlines.com

Pegasus Airlines (PGS), a private Turkish airline making waves in North Cyprus by consistently offering cheaper fares.  Their destinations at present include major cities in Germany and Turkey as well as Amsterdam, Venice and Zurich amongst others.  The one possible downside for the UK though is that they only fly to Stansted presently, but this could well change in the near future.  But with cheap tickets it may be possible to budget in an internal UK flight to get there for your onward journey to North Cyprus!

Beware also that Pegasus, when stopping in Istanbul, only fly into the Sabiha Gökcen airport which is not the main airport in Turkey (Atatürk Airport is the major international airport).  It’s not far out from the main city, but it’s smaller and less well connected with internal flights.  According to friends (having not flown with them ourselves yet) you don’t get a meal on the flight – we are sure that this wouldn’t be a problem for many who have had regular experiences of in-flight meals!!

PGS North Cyprus :

Kaya Bekiroğlu Apartments, Merriduh Asaf Sokak, Köşklüçiftilik, Lefkoşa, Tel : +90 (0)392 228 7311

Yusuf Ziya Apartment, No. 1 Ziya Rızka Caddesi, Girne, Tel: +90 (0)392 815 4681, Email : info@cyprusxp.com

Ercan Airport : +90 (0)392 231 4288

Website : www.flypgs.com

Atlas Jet (AJET) is the smallest operator serving North Cyprus and only accommodates flights to destinations in Turkey – perfect if you just want a short hop to another holiday destination!  Presently you can fly to Adana, Antalya, Ankara, Izmir and Istanbul – of course many carriers will then take you from there to other destinations in Europe should you wish to take a more laborious route!  However, Atlas Jet do fly into Atatürk Airport, so not a bad choice of airline if you want a city break.

Atlasjet North Cyprus :

Girne Caddesi, Lefkoşa, Tel : +90 (0)392 227 9192

Girne Hirondelle Roundabout (connecting with Lefkoşa mountain road), Tel : +90 (0)392 815 6747

Website : www.atlasjet.com

Hopefully this article has been helpful, and although at the time of writing all information was correct, it may be wise to contact the airlines direct in case of any changes!  If you would like to find out more about Ercan Airport, travelling to North Cyprus from the south of the island as well as general information on flights into North Cyprus, see our other related articles.

Since the borders opened between the north and south of the island, the option of travelling into either of the two airports in the south, Larnaca and Paphos, has steadily gained popularity.

The main reasons are sometimes cheaper flights, as most major airlines can be very competitive with their pricing, and the fact that there is no obligatory stop-over in Turkey.  From most European destinations it is only a 4 or 5 hour journey time to the south, whereas it would be a 5 or 6 hour journey time to the north because of the stop over in Turkey.

However, there is also the issue of having arrived into Larnaca or Paphos and then again adding on journey time to get to your destination in the north, with taxi fares and border crossings as additional expenditure and inconvenience.  Nonetheless, many feel that it’s a more viable option for them, and luckily there is plenty of choice for those who find it a more relaxing route to take to North Cyprus.  We will list a few of the airlines serving south Cyprus for you, to give you an idea of travel options.

Cyprus Airways is the official state carrier for south Cyprus serving both Larnaca and Paphos airports, and it offers relatively low fares flying in from all the UK’s London airports and both Manchester and Birmingham in the UK, as well as other major capital cities in the Middle East and mainland Europe.

www.cyprusairways.com

British Airways can often be cheap when booking well in advance, with flights departing from all London airports into both Larnaca and Paphos.  In the summer time they do add on other UK airports, but the norm seems to be internal flights into London and onwards from there.

www.britishairways.com

Monarch Airlines only fly into Larnaca and up until recently only flew via Luton Airport in the UK, but have added Birmingham International, Manchester and Gatwick to their scheduled flights which is good news as price-wise they are extremely competitive.

www.monarch.co.uk

Easyjet, the budget airline, do provide flights but only from mid season the last time we looked, and flights didn’t start until the end of March.  They usually operate flights between London Gatwick and Larnaca and are obviously pretty cheap being a budget airline!  Booking well in advance is the process to get the best fare available.

www.easyjet.com

That’s it for our round-up of our choice of airlines serving the south of the island.  For general information on flights into North Cyprus and airlines serving North Cyprus, as well as information on Ercan Airport please check our related articles.

There is only one airport in use in North Cyprus and this is Ercan Airport, located on the outskirts of Lefkoşa.  There is one other airport called Geçitkale which is located near to Ercan, but this has not been in use for passenger flights since 2004.

Ercan serves North Cyprus with flights to most major European destinations, but due to embargoes and restrictions, flights to and from Ercan can only legally fly via Turkey.  Flights are frequent and at the time of writing the main carriers only appear to be, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines.  AtlasJet and Onur Air will apparently be starting flights in 2012, but on researching they are not quite there yet.  Cyprus Turkish Airlines, the state airline stopped flying in recent years and despite numerous attempts to reinstate the airline, nothing has come to fruition yet, which is real shame indeed.

Currently handling around 2 million passengers a year, Ercan has a 2.5 kilometer-long landing field and an apron with a capacity for seven aircrafts, which at present is not suitable for larger aircraft.  Plans are afoot as of 2009 to privatise Ercan, which will increase investment to incorporate additional landing space and terminal buildings to allow for an increase in traffic. Havaş, a Turkish company provides ground services.

Ercan airport is a modern facility nowadays with shops, cafes, viewing gallery, modern technology security checks and scanners and is able to accommodate offices for car rental companies and airline ticket sales.  Car parking is no longer free as of 2008, with a scaled pricing structure depending on the duration you leave your car, with prices starting at 15ytl for the first 24 hours.

You can book tickets to fly from the UK to North Cyprus with most of the major travel agencies here in North Cyprus, and the agencies can often offer better prices than if you book the same flight in the UK.  You can also purchase tickets online via the airlines’ websites, and it’s worth keeping a look out for cheap deals at certain times of the year.

Please visit our Tourism section for more articles on flights to North Cyprus, as well airline information, and options for arriving via south Cyprus.

Many find the word ‘dolmuş’ (pronounced ‘dolmoush’) to be a little strange, but it basically means a shared taxi, and the word is used to refer to the many mini buses and stretch taxis that you see driving around the main roads in Cyprus!

The dolmuş is great way to travel from town to town, it’s relatively cheap, and you can pretty much flag them down anywhere, even though there are also official bus or dolmuş stops these days!  Each bus route is leased from the North Cyprus government, with vehicles being owned privately and with each driver holding a license for transporting passengers.  You can spot a dolmuş by the fact that most of them are white Ford transit minibus type vehicles, and they usually have their final destination shown in the front windscreen.  One other sign is that you may be walking along minding your own business and you get beeped at, meaning the driver is asking you if you want to get on – they aren’t being rude, they are being courteous!

It never seems as if there are timetables but the buses are frequent during the day time and you should never have to wait too long for one, although by around 19.00-19.30 they become less frequent, so plan ahead if you want to get to your destination later in the day.

Unfortunately there are no dolmuş services that travel to the tourist sights around North Cyprus, but you can always book a guided tour or a private taxi.  Dolmuş’ also have terminals in each of the towns where they all gather, and these are usually located right in the centre so you can pick them up there before they get too packed!

The normal cost for getting onto a dolmuş before you request your destination these days is around 2ytl at the time of writing, but again with oil and tax increases this may change without notice.

Similar shared taxi services are also run by the bigger taxi companies, you can get in a stretch limo Mercedes, (don’t get too excited as they are usually very old), which can take 7-8 passengers, and it will take you between the big towns of Lefkoşa, Famagusta, Güzelyurt and Kyrenia.  You can also send packages and urgent documents this way as well, which can come in handy at times.

However, do remember that at the moment those who fly to Ercan have to land at a Turkish mainland airport first, and Turkish passport and visa requirements may differ.

Passports will be stamped with a 30-day visa at passport control on arrival to North Cyprus.  As most visitors on holiday will only require this as a maximum then you need not be concerned about overstaying.  However, rules can change very quickly and you may find that a 60 or even 90 day visa stamp has been issued!  It is worth asking for a longer visa at passport control if you intend to stay over 30 days as they can give a discretionary automatic extension.

If you do intend to stay longer than your stamp allowance it is possible to visit one of the immigration departments which are located in the larger police stations in Lefkosa, Kyrenia or Famagusta.  They have the authority to extend your stay.  For children up to the age of 18 travelling to North Cyprus there is no time allowance restriction.

Whilst it is completely unnecessary, as visa stamps for the TRNC in passports are not illegal in any other country, including Greece or south Cyprus, you may, depending on what you have heard, prefer to not have your passport stamped on arrival and departure.  If this is the case then tell the official and they will provide you with a separate visa entry form which is then stamped and needs to be kept for your departure when it will be stamped again.

If you intend to visit the south of the island during your stay, then again you will just need to produce either your existing visa paper if you did not want your passport stamped on arrival, or complete a new one at the checkpoint.  You generally do not need to show your passport again in the south side unless you are specifically asked for it. The process is then repeated on your return.  If you arrive into and depart from North Cyprus via the south from Larnaca or Paphos airports for example, then the above process is also applicable.

However, should you arrive into North Cyprus but then leave via the south of the island, then you have effectively initially arrived via an ‘illegal’ port – according to the Greek Cypriots – and you may be in for a nasty shock as they will more than likely turn you back, so you need to enter and leave via the same location.  It may sound strange for visitors, but this has happened before as people are sometimes unaware of the restrictions imposed by the Greek Cypriot authorities.

You can get complete and up to date information from the offices of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in London, telephone +44 (0)207 631 1930, or from the Turkish Tourist Office, telephone +44 (0)207 629 7771.

Should you wish to learn more about permits for working and living in North Cyprus, border crossings or Embassy and High Commissions located in Northern Cyprus, then please visit our Relocation, Border Crossings and Embassy sections.

North Cyprus’s road network is improving with time, and most routes in-between the major cities and towns are modern with regard to road surfacing and lighting.  However, you may find that within towns themselves, the roads need regular maintenance work, and with the upgrading of other utilities such as telephone, electric and water going on at the same time, it can sometimes lead to the uprooting of roads!

More upgrading is being done in North Cyprus all the time, specifically in the Kyrenia area where you may come across the fairly new bypass, which runs parallel to the existing road leading from Kyrenia to Alsancak.  Additionally there is work taking place to improve the major road from Tatlisu on the east coast, but again work has been slow to progress so it’s anyones guess as to when it will be completed.

Public transport facilities come in the form of the dolmuş (pronounced dolmush), and buses, which are a network of mini vans taking passengers to and from major towns and cities.  You can pick them up anywhere along the main roads, but these may not get you everywhere you want to go.

There is an up to date taxi network in North Cyprus as an alternative, with companies operating fleets of modern vehicles, you can pick these up at taxi ranks or by booking via your hotel, or sometimes by flagging them down on the road.  All taxis are metered and often have set fares for airport transfers for example.

North Cyprus also has a passenger and car ferry boat service that departs from Kyrenia and travels to one or two destinations in Turkey, dependent on the time of year.

Ercan is a small but modern airport serving passengers travelling to and from North Cyprus via Turkey, and is the central hub for air cargo transportation as well.  Major airlines such as Turkish Airlines, Cyprus Turkish Airlines, Pegasus and Atlasjet all fly via Ercan.

It is also worth mentioning that there is disabled access in some of the major hotels and holiday villages, but unfortunately you will find that many hotels do not offer such facilities and that getting around can be difficult for the less physically able in Northern Cyprus.  However, there is a company based in the North which can help provide mobility products during your stay should you require them.

For more detailed information on each mode of transportation available, please click on any of the related tags below for further articles.