From the series “readers ask, I answer”
Maybe for many the information that is below is well-known, maybe for others it is not so much. So I say it doesn’t hurt if we have them here, just in case we need it.
👉 Cyprus is in the EU, the currency used is the Euro and it drives on the left.
👉 Currency exchange: You will find you can exchange dollars or pounds in tourist areas at various shops or car rental offices. Don’t struggle to get to the bank.
👉 You can pay by card in almost all shops – they passed a law that obliges all economic agents to have a POS – but you have to have cash if you want to go by taxi or bus.
👉Tips: Also on the topic of money, I would add that everyone loves to receive tips here, from the bus driver (not the one on public transport) to the receptionist. A euro millionaire once told me that a million is made of cents, so every cent counts on this island! This is to understand why someone looks at you badly if you don’t leave something :))
👉 You can pay with the Revolut card, but you may have problems if you have American Express. You can also pay with your phone and smartwatch, but it doesn’t hurt to have the “plastic” with you, just in case!
👉 Bank ATMs can only be found at their offices. You will find ATMs of a private company all over the resorts, but they charge a rather high withdrawal fee.
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🚩There is NO train, tram, trolleybus and so far I have NOT heard of car sharing services (if anyone knows of such a thing, let me know and I will pass it on!). Here we only move by car…
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The buses and routes you can use to travel around the island
Each district has its own public transport company, but only one operator covers routes to help you travel all over the island – Intercity Buses
Here you will find all the routes you have available to choose your route on the island and the prices charged. Keep in mind that you also have a one-day ticket, which varies in value depending on the chosen route, but also one that is valid on all routes and currently costs 15 euros.
🚦 Famagusta – OSEA
– if you will travel in Ayia Napa, Protaras, Pernera, Kaparis, you have buses 101 and 102 – it’s the same route, only the numbers are different depending on the direction of travel.
– if you want to get from Ayia Napa to Paralimni, you have route 501-502.
– also with OSEA buses you can reach Larnaca and, normally, from Larnaca to the resort area; you will find the schedule on the company’s website and the prices charged.
🚦 Larnaca – Cyprus Public Transportation
Here you will find the routes in the city, those that go outside the city and, perhaps most importantly, at the bottom of the page are also the routes that take you to and from the airport.
Including a map with the route followed so you can orient yourself better if you know where you want to go.
🚦 Limassol – EMEL
Bus number 30 runs from Parkline Hotel, i.e. the first one from the end, goes through the entire seafront area and stops right at the Mall. It will also drop you off in the area of the old port where the Marina is now, and opposite is the old town, with restaurants, the Castle and shops.
🚦 Pafos – OSYPA
Kato Pafos is the central station, near the port. From there you have buses that take you to Coral Bay or at the other end, to Aphrodite’s Stone (Petra tou Romiou).
The site seems to be quite an offerer. I saw that it offers the possibility to search for buses by stations and by the name of an objective.
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How do I get from the airport to the accommodation?
If you did not buy a ticket through the company that ensures your transfer, you have more possibilities.
👉 You book your private transfer. There are companies that offer this service. Google helps you, and if you want details, I can give them to you privately, not to say that I am advertising to anyone here.
👉 Take a taxi from the airport. Prices have been capped by the state and pretty much everyone has the same rates. They are stubborn enough and I don’t think you will be able to negotiate with them. Everyone has devices, but no one pays attention to them. HERE is a article from Cyprus Mail where all the prices set last year are listed, so you can at least get an idea of what the minimum price of the trip would be.
👉 You also have an office of the Kapnos company in the airport and you can use a shuttle transfer, at more humane prices. You will arrive near your hotel, but not right at the entrance.
👉 If you are an experienced traveler and you land during the day, there are buses that take you to the central station of Larnaca and from there you can take a connection to your destination, at prices as low as 1.5 euros if you go with the district companies or up to 10 euros if you go with Intercity Buses.
👉 By luck: Another possibility would be, if you are not a very large group, to call on the help of a representative of a transport company (those who meet travelers who come in organized groups) and ask them if they have any free seats in the buses or minibuses that are at the airport and going to your destination. You will be surprised to find that for 10-20 euros you get super ok transport!
👉 And the simplest is to rent a car, preferably automatic if you have never driven on the left side of the road before, and follow the GPS directions. If you don’t have internet, although it’s hard to believe because rooming works, I recommend the maps.me app, which goes offline.
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Can I drive my rental car to the North part of the island?
Yes. Although most of the car rental companies officially forbid it, nobody and nothing can stop you from crossing the border. At customs, you pay another insurance, 25 euros for a month (can’t be less) and pass, but it’s at your own risk. There are also companies that allow this.
More on that soon though!