Public Transport
Within urban areas, buses run on fixed routes roughly every half hour, with services ending in the evenings at about 18:00 Monday to Friday and earlier on Saturdays. Some routes have no service on Sundays. Hours are extended until midnight during the tourist season and some urban routes now offer a night bus service on Fridays and Saturdays. Timetables are available from tourist offices or directly from the bus companies. Rural buses connect towns and villages and make frequent stops. The service is infrequent with schedules limited to one or two routes per day. These buses can often be smaller mini-buses. There are also buses providing a service linking all major towns. These are generally very regular and all buses are modern and comply with European standards. A private company, Kapnos, provides a regular daily airport shuttle service between the major towns and cities and both of the island’s airports. There are no trains in Cyprus.
Car Hire & Taxis
Car and motorcycle rental firms have offices in all towns, as well as at Larnaca and Paphos International Airports. Their rates vary according to the rental period, season of the year and extras. They usually offer unlimited mileage, and their cars can be delivered and collected at the airports by prior arrangement. Rental cars and bikes are usually delivered to the customer with a full tank of fuel paid for by the customer. When the car is returned, the customer receives a refund for any remaining fuel unless stated otherwise in the contract. Drivers under 25 years of age who have held a driving license for less than three years must inform the car rental company so special insurance coverage can be provided. Foreign visitors are strongly advised to read the rental agreement carefully and demand the fulfilment of all their rights. Taxis are also very common, but before setting off on your journey, discuss the pricing with the driver and ensure the meter is functioning. TravelExpress is another good option, as a private company which provides a shared taxi service between cities in Cyprus. Taxi service app Bolt (formerly Taxify), which was created in Estonia, has also successfully launched in Cyprus, operating in Nicosia and Limassol. The app allows users to set their location and see where the nearest partner taxi is and order it. The taxi can be tracked heading to the customer’s location and indicates how far away it is and how long it will take to arrive. Customers can also track their routes while inside the cab, preventing drivers from taking longer routes and overcharging for trips. Customers can also pay via their phones.
www.travelexpress.com.cy
www.bolt.eu
Driving
Roads are well maintained in and between the main towns, and four-lane motorways connect Nicosia with Limassol and Larnaca. Driving is on the left in Cyprus and the maximum speed limit on motorways is 100 kph (60 mph). Cyprus accepts the driving licences of all EU Member States and any person with a valid licence may drive legally in Cyprus. According to EU rulings, driving licences issued before 1996 do not have to be exchanged for the new Community Model and remain valid until their expiration. Non-EU citizens may drive on valid foreign licences for a certain period (for those with a US licence the period is six months). Relevant Consular authorities can provide further information.
