The first thing to remember when thinking about how to get to Varosha is that there is no public transport between the south and the occupied side.
There are tours you can buy, you can cross the border and use public transport on the Busy side, or you can rent a car and go through customs, but it’s your responsibility here if anything should happen.
On your own to Famagusta
To pass from Ayia Napa/Protaras area, you can use the customs at Deryneia. There are also daily tours, but if you want to go on your own, you have bus 501 (Ayia Napa – Paralimni – Derineya) which will take you closest to your destination. (Does not go through Protaras!)
See here the bus routes and the schedule 👉 OSEAAfter you’ve cleared customs, ask the Turkish customs officer to call you a taxi and he or she will. Otherwise, you have to walk 7.3 km to your destination. From what I read on the Facebook groups, the ride is not very expensive, somewhere under 10 euros.
I asked a taxi driver in the city how much he wanted to get to customs, and he said 15 euros. Now, I’m sure the amount can be negotiated.
Nicosia – Famagusta
If you are coming from Nicosia to Famagusta, then go through the pedestrian customs at Ledra Street, go to Gîrne Gate station on the busy side, and take a bus or minibus that will take you to your destination in about an hour. The final station is right next to the fortress wall of Famagusta, near the Victory Monument from the roundabout.
Buses run every 30 minutes – an hour, depending on how quickly they fill up with passengers. The price of a ticket is 65 Turkish liras (about 3 euros) and the last bus leaves from Famagusta to Nicosia at 19.00.
The recommendation would be to get your return ticket even when you arrive at your destination because usually, the last bus is full. At least that’s what the person at the counter told me when I asked.
You can check more information about the buses here
From the bus station, it is a maximum of 10 minutes walk to the entrance to Varosha, the ghost town.
🚩 See here how much time you need to visit and what you will find – Varosha, the ghost town from Cyprus
Exchange money
If you want to change euros into pounds, there are two exchange offices below the statue on the right side of the street.
There is also an exchange office in the old city.
Otherwise, you can pay by card just about everywhere.
How to get to Varosha by car
Representatives of car rental companies on the island will tell you that you cannot cross the border. But they can’t stop you.
If you decide to go there in a rented car, you will pay an extra 25 euros at the crossing point, the insurance for one month. There is no insurance for a day or a week.
You must be aware that if something happens, you will pay for everything out of your own pocket, they say.
The traffic in the busy part is more chaotic than in the south, and you also drive on the left side in the North. If you go on their roads in the highway system, watch out for fixed-speed cameras.
As far as I know, if you were fined, you will be made to pay the fine at Turkish customs. They have the system interconnected.
To cross the border between the two sides, you need a passport or identity card. The visa will not be applied to the travel documents.
🚩 You have here car rental companies recommended by tourists – Rent a car in Cyprus. Tourists recommendations!
Car rental in Katehomena
You can also rent a car in TNRC. I don’t know the prices or which company is recommended.
What I know is that you can only go through customs through Nicosia. At least that’s what the agent at the Derineya border crossing explained to me. He said that after you have passed through the capital and made the insurance for the southern part, you can then go through customs at any border point you want.
I hope I understood correctly…
Hi!
I am going next week to Cyprus and I really wanna go to Varosha. Is it easier to visit from Ayia Napa or Nicosia? I will stay in both places but I am not sure from where I will go to Varosha. I prefer to go without tour to have as much time as I want, I am travelling solo so the more I could reduce the costs the better 🙂
Hi. I think it will be easier if you go from Nicosia. Just take the bus from the occupied part of the city (65 lira-app 3 euros) and in one hour you are in Famagusta, the city. Walking distance to all you want to see.
Be sure you buy your ticket to go back to Nicosia when you arrive, so you are sure you have a seat in the minibus, especially if you want to go back with the last one, at 7 o’clock in the evening. This is what they said to me…
I believe that for someone that doesn’t know the area, it is more complicated to go with the busses in Ayia Napa-Paralimni and cross the border in Deryneia.