Car hire on Cyprus
Cyprus is a truly beautiful island that offers amazing sights and experiences. With a rental car, getting around the island is made both easy and convenient. Below you’ll find information on how to find cheap car hire on Cyprus as well as a travel guide to the island.
Our car rental offices in Nicosia
Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus and the largest city on the island. The city is divided between Cyprus and Turkey, the southern part being Cypriot and the northern part being Turkish. In the Cypriot part of Nicosia, you’ll find several good car hire options.
- Central Nicosia: There are five car rental offices spread out in the central parts of Nicosia. All of them have a wide range of cheap rental cars. Finding the offices is very easy. One office is located on Byron Avenue near the Eleftheria square. This office is also close to one of the larger roads in the area. Slightly north of this office you’ll find three more: two on Aikaterinis Kornaro Street and one on Ledra Palace near the Byzantine Museum and St. John’s Cathedral.
- It is also possible to rent and pick up your car in the southern parts of central Nicosia, at the office on Acheon Street. Since this office is very close to the B1 road, which is one of the major roads in the area, it’s convenient to get to other parts of Nicosia and its surrounding areas.
- South Nicosia: South of the central parts of Nicosia, on Limassol Avenua, you’ll find a car rental office with a large number of rental cars. This office is located in the vicinity of Nicosia’s University campus and the Filoxenia Conference Centre. Since the office is also close to the B1 road, it is easy to get to Nicosia’s surrounding areas and other parts of Cyprus from here.
Car hire at Larnaca Airport
Officially, Nicosia doesn’t have its own airport. Instead, people usually fly in to Larnaca airport (airport code: LCA), which is the largest international airport on Cyprus. Larnaca Airport is only a few kilometres south of Nicosia and getting to and from the airport by car is both easy and convenient.
There are a number of car rental offices at the airport. These are located in the arrival hall and are easily found. The cars are usually picked up from the airport garage after having collected the keys from the office. The parking garage is very accessible since it is connected to the airport.
Rules
Certain requirements and regulations apply for car hire on Cyprus. These may vary depending on the company but there are a few rules that seem to be general:
- The age limit for car hire is 21 years and most places will require you to have had your driving license for three years.
- Depending on the type of care you’d like to hire, the age limit can be higher.
- If you are under 25 years, some companies will charge extra.
- Some companies also have an upper age limit of 70 years.
Be sure to carefully check what applies for your car of choice before booking as these rules may differ somewhat from company to company.
Add-ons at booking
Should you want extra equipment in the car, e.g. a GPS or child car seat, it’s recommended that you add this when booking the car. This, in turn, facilitates the pick-up of your car and ensures that the equipment is available on site.
Using a GPS when driving on Cyprus is a good idea. Especially when driving in the countryside, where the roads are narrow and winding, finding your way can be difficult.
Also keep in mind that by law, children under five years aren’t allowed to sit in the front seat of the car and children under 12 years must sit in a child seat or a booster seat.
Driving on Cyprus
Cyprus by car is the ultimate way of experiencing the beautiful island. Getting around and discovering the different parts of the island is very easy. You’ll also find the major roads in prime condition.
Cyprus has left-hand traffic, a remnant from the time when the island was controlled by the UK.
- Keep in mind that although Cyprus has left-hand traffic, the “Priority to the right-rule” applies in maneuvring. This means that the driver coming from the right has priority at uncontrolled intersections. In other words, drivers coming from the left must yield to drivers approaching from the right in the absence of traffic lights or sign posts.
- Below we’ve listed a few important things to be aware of when driving on Cyprus:
- The Cypriots usually don’t follow traffic rules to the letter. Just relax and don’t rush, you’ll be fine!
- Talking on the phone (without hands-free) whilst driving is prohibited.
- When entering a larger road, you must yield to the drivers on the larger road. When entering a road of the same size, the driver that arrives first has priority.
- Speed limits are generally as follows: 100 km/h on motorways, 80 km/h on main roads and 60 km/h in urban areas and smaller roads. Pay attention to speed signs!
- Never leave valuables visible in the car, especially when parking it overnight. Always try to park your car in a safe place.
- If you want to drive to the northern Turkish controlled parts of Cyprus , it’s best to check with your car hire company first. Some companies don’t allow border crossing, and some have extra fees and/or requirements.
- If the car was hired on the northern (Turkish) part, driving it to the southern part isn’t allowed.