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!

So, you’ve finally relocated to Northern Cyprus and you want to get around and need some independence – i.e., you want to look around for that ideal form of transport, the car!

Buying a car here is actually really quite easy, and there are heaps of car dealerships for both brand new and second hand vehicles.  We will offer some tips and advice on how to get the best deal, what to expect within the cost of buying a car, and what you need to do to keep it legally on the road!

If you fancy getting an idea of prices before venturing out to look at the thing in all its metal glory, then it’s a great idea to get a copy of the Alım Satım Magazine (Buying & Selling) which you can find in supermarkets and newsagents.  It has hundreds of cars, mostly advertised by the dealerships themselves, as well as some private sales too.  If you know the type of car you want then you will know straight away whether it’s affordable for you.  If you are not sure, then again the magazine will give you a good idea of what you can expect to pay.

From time to time you may also find someone selling their vehicle in the classified ads section of the Cyprus Today newspaper, and also it’s sometimes worth checking the web forums to see if someone is flogging their motor on the cheap!

Other things to think about are the running costs of a vehicle too.  Road tax here is based on the weight of the car, which is aimed at trying to reduce the amount of juggernaut Hummers and other big off-road vehicles that have become a popular purchase in the last few years!  Insurance is available either as a standard third party policy, which will only cover costs to a certain limit should you have an accident, or there is also fully comprehensive which is calculated based on car type and purchase price.

The engine size is not really taken into account it would seem, although the smaller the engine the cheaper to run and less polluting from an owner’s point of view!  Just to note that MOTs are not required for newly registered cars, (unless it’s a commercial van for example which needs an MOT each year).  MOTs are only required after a car has been registered for around 4 years (no matter how old it is!) – so that’s a great bonus.  This is the same for emissions tests as well which are only required at the time of an MOT.

It’s also worth noting at this juncture that the cost of both brand new and second hand cars in North Cyprus are pretty expensive compared to what you would be expected to pay in the majority of European countries.  Again, because of the status of North Cyprus, the embargoes against it and the fact that it is an island of course, the import costs of bringing cars onto the island are high, so this is then passed on to the consumer unfortunately.  As an example for you to keep in mind, think of a small car such as the popular Suzuki Swift (there are hundreds of them here!), at around 2 years old when imported here it will set you back the same price as a brand new model in the UK.

When you are looking around make sure you visit a few dealerships.  The main ones tend to be in the Lefkoşa area along or around the main airport road.  After you reach the main roundabout after coming down the mountain from Kyrenia you will see the roads to the right and left are packed with dealerships.  As you approach the roundabout there is the big Opel dealership, and all along the road to the left you will find dealerships for Mercedes, Fiat, Renault and Toyota for example, all mingled together with second hand dealers as well.

If you’re looking for more of a bargain basement vehicle that may have seen some better days but is still in reasonable condition, then try the road off to the right by the Fiat dealership.  Here you can often find some good deals on older vehicles which are more than likely to have been made in Turkey, such as Renault, Tofaş and Fiat.  All the costs of running these types of cars are much cheaper due to the availability of spare parts and low tax costs.  All along this road you will also find plenty of dealerships – both new and second hand – including the Ford dealership called Çangar which also sells BMWs if your budget stretches that far.

Our main advice is that it’s sensible to shop around.  There are some dealerships in Kyrenia and also Famagusta, but they do tend to be a little more expensive for some reason, so it’s always better to take a trip into Lefkoşa as this is where the car fraternity appears to congregate!  The majority of second hand dealerships seem to mainly offer cars from the Japanese market.  This could be because they have plenty of nearly new car auctions there and their cars are easy to purchase over the Internet and get shipped here – plus the steering wheels in Japanese imports are on the correct side for Cyprus, ie., the right hand side!  One particular car service company has a relative working in Japan, so it’s an even easier process for them to get their cars to North Cyprus!

When you have finally chosen a car that you like and it suits your needs perfectly, then you can haggle with the dealer a little bit, but you would be surprised how little flexibility in price there is!  From our own experiences here at Essential Cyprus there is not much you can get thrown in for free to add some incentive to get you to buy a car!  However, prices do come ‘on the road’ which includes a year’s road tax, the car transferred into your name, number plates registered and put on and the car will have already had the import duty paid on it.  If you’re lucky the dealer might just throw in a key-ring and an air freshener for you!  If you’re a first time car buyer, just watch out for some sharp practices that can occasionally occur and ensure that the price you are quoted includes all of the above ‘on the road’ elements before you agree to buy.

Some dealerships will do you a deal for your old car should you own one already, and in particular if you have brought from them previously and are taking your first purchase back to them to change it for a new one – they may give you a few hundred pounds more than if you were a new customer for example.

So, once you have the keys to your new or second-hand car and all the paperwork has been done and you’ve remembered to get some temporary insurance cover in the form of a cover note, you can drive your new toy home!

All that you need do now is remember to have all the requirements in place to run it legally here in North Cyprus, with the obvious insurance documentation, service schedule and emissions tests, MOT and Road Tax.  We shall save all that for other articles in the future though!  In the meantime, if you need to know more about obtaining a TRNC driving license please click the link provided.

You can find taxis anywhere and everywhere in North Cyprus!  They are often to be found dropping off their previous fare, waiting at taxi ranks, at Ercan airport, hotels or casinos, and you can also hail them on the road.

In recent years legislation has required the metering of taxis in the major towns, so you should always feel comfortable that you are being charged the going rate.  Some of the smaller towns and villages don’t have meters though, so you should always agree a price before departing.  Taxi drivers also need to hold a valid license to carry passengers, and they often belong to a private taxi company.

You can always book a taxi via your hotel, or there are various companies now offering 24 hour services, although you should book ahead if you expect to be out until the early hours!  These days nearly all taxis in North Cyprus are new, the majority being Mercedes, and they all have air-conditioning and maybe even a DVD screen if you’re lucky!

There are normally standard rates for airport transfers with most taxi companies, although depending on your final destination the rate you pay may be slightly more.  Licensed taxi drivers are a must as you will be protected in case of accidents.  Some may argue that if you are travelling from or to an airport in the south of the island it does not make any difference as third party insurance is standard for everyone travelling south of the border, but that’s only half of your journey and you should take your safety seriously.

If you are looking to book an airport transfer either from or to Ercan, Larnaca or Paphos airports then we can help you too!  We can refer your booking requirements to a licensed and responsible driver who can help at any time of the day or night.  Please contact us if we can be of help.

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.

Driving can be quite an emotive subject here in North Cyprus, as it seems that driving standards have not improved in tandem with the upgrade of the road system, and have indeed got worse now that people can afford to purchase faster and more modern cars.

In North Cyprus cars drive on the left hand side of the road (most of the time!), which for Brits is of course the norm anyway.  Most main roads are in good condition, but you need to be aware that some back roads, and even some fairly major town roads can be in quite bad condition.

There are speed limits in North Cyprus – despite what you may think and witness!  Major dual carriageways, such as the roads from Kyrenia to Lefkoşa, and from Lefkoşa to Famagusta, have a maximum limit of 100kph which is equivalent to 60mph.  Speed limits do vary on stretches of main road though, sometimes dropping down to just 50kph/30mph when you’re proceeding through a built up area or a problem spot.

It goes without saying that the wearing of seatbelts for adults AND children is compulsory both in the front and the back of the car, and that the use of mobile phones is strictly prohibited, but did you know that eating, drinking and smoking when driving is also prohibited in TRNC?  Good on North Cyprus for taking up the issue and banning anything that distracts a driver from paying attention to anything else BUT his or her driving we say!

North Cyprus has recently started installing speed cameras and you cannot really miss them as there is plenty of road signage in advance – unless of course you’re driving so fast that you miss the signs!

Should you have the misfortune of incurring a speeding fine, you should in theory be notified of this and given notice to pay your fine at the local police station.  However, there have been instances where this has not happened, so if you have a feeling you have been caught speeding then it might be worth taking a trip to your nearest main police station to ask, as fines increase with time.

Beware also to have ALL your documents available in case you are ever stopped by the Trafik Polis.  They often do spot checks, even on hire cars, and you need to be able to provide your driving license, (for holidaymakers or part time residents that will be your European license, for permanent residents a TRNC license is compulsory), insurance, kocan (title) and emissions test documents.  For hire cars these documents should all be with the car when you hire it.  If you fail to produce any of these documents you may be requested to attend the police station at a later date with said documents and to pay a fine.

All in all, if you are a competent driver then you should have no problems driving in North Cyprus.  Please check our related articles via our tags for further information on transport in North Cyprus, as well as importing vehicles to North 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.

A great mode of transport, if you fancy popping over to Turkey for a quick break at any time of year, is the ferry boat.

North Cyprus has its own ferry terminal located at the New Harbour area to the east of Kyrenia town, and you can travel to Turkey from there every day of the week!  You can travel just as a foot passenger, or you can take your car if you’re feeling really adventurous!

In the summer months you can travel to either Taşacu located to the east of Alanya, or directly to Alanya itself.  In the winter months ferries only travel to Tasacu.  As of this year, but for a limited time in the summer months only, you can also travel to Latakia in Syria from Famagusta Port.  You can also travel to Mersin on the south coast of Turkey from Famagusta, but travel times are much longer as you travel on the huge cargo boats.

In recent years the older ferries have been gradually replaced, and the shipping company Akgünler now has a very impressive fleet indeed!  Now with their faster catamarans, the journey time only takes around two and a half hours to Tasacu from North Cyprus.  The boats depart daily from Kyrenia at 09.30am, and there is a departure from Tasacu at 11.30am.  Additional services also run, but only on certain days of the week.

Car ferries depart slightly later and only run at certain times of the week, prices are higher and also depend on what type of vehicle you’re taking with you.

Apparently all of the vessels in the fleet conform to international requirements and are certified to ISM (International Safety Management) and ISPS (International Ship & Port Security) regulations and SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) requirements.

On arrival in Tasacu you will find a huge terminal with coaches departing for many destinations in and around Turkey, so it’s a great way to travel if you want to try another form of transport and also explore the Turkish mainland.

Akgünler now has a great little website, giving schedule, pricing and contact information, as well as the low down on their fleet, and you can find them online at http://www.akgunler.com.tr/english.htm, although they are not quite there yet with the option of booking tickets online.  However, you can visit their offices directly and most travel agents can also book tickets for you; some also do 3 day trip offers during the summer months.

If you suffer from a physical disability and are living in or visiting North Cyprus you may notice that there is a distinct lack of facilities for you, and that your trips to town may be more than problematic.

Some of the larger more established hotels have some facilities for disabled visitors, but most only stretch as far as having wheelchair access and lifts to higher floors.  Many pavements and roads in North Cyprus are in need of a facelift to allow for the easy use of wheelchairs, or for those who find walking difficult.  Money is being invested heavily to make the island more accessible to all, but at the moment it can be difficult for the less physically able visitor.

However, if you do have mobility restrictions the good news is that there is a company that has established itself in North Cyprus offering mobility scooters, power-chairs, electric wheelchairs and rollators for hire.  The company’s called Enable Holiday Mobility and it’s being run by a lovely couple who have run just such a business for many years in the UK.

They can provide a delivery service which is free of charge 10 miles either side of Kyrenia, although they will ask for a small fee for travelling further distances.  For the electric vehicles they supply, they also provide a charger for the rental period, as well as ramps for those spots where there are no dropping kerbs.

As well as short and long term hire, Enable Holiday Mobility also sells mobility products, as well as selling off their ex-hire models at reduced prices.  Visit the website to find out more about the services they can offer you to ensure you get out and about and around Northern Cyprus in comfort and with ease.

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.