Getting Around Cyprus
Cyprus has no railway at all, so getting around comes down to renting a car (drive on the left, a British colonial legacy) or relying on infrequent intercity buses. The island is small enough to cross coast to coast in under two hours, which makes a rental car ($25–45/day) genuinely worth it for most itineraries beyond a single beach town. Airport taxis and Bolt cover the cities well.
Getting to Cyprus
Cyprus has two international airports: Larnaca (the busier, more central one) and Paphos (better placed for the west coast). Flight time runs about 4–5 hours from the UK and most of Europe, roughly 11–14 hours from the US East Coast with one connection (there are no direct flights from North America), and 20+ hours from Australia via a Middle East or European hub. Round-trip fares from Europe start around $150–300; from further afield, budget $900–1,500+.
Getting around: the real options
This is the one country in this guide where the honest answer to 'what's the best way to get around' is genuinely just 'rent a car' for most visitors — Cyprus never built a rail network, and the island's small size makes driving yourself the most practical option by far.
- Trains — none. Cyprus has no passenger railway at all; it's one of the few EU countries without one, so don't plan around a train option existing.
- Buses — intercity coaches (Kapnos, Zinonas, and others) connect Larnaca, Nicosia, Limassol, and Paphos reasonably well for point-to-point travel ($5–10 one-way), but schedules thin out fast in the evenings and on Sundays, and villages and beaches off the main routes aren't well served.
- Domestic flights — not applicable; the island is far too small.
- Car rental / driving — driving is on the left with the steering wheel on the right (a holdover from British rule), the opposite of most of continental Europe. Rental cars run $25–45/day, roads are generally good, and you can drive coast to coast in under two hours — this is genuinely worth it for almost any itinerary beyond one beach town, since Protaras, the Troodos Mountains, and most archaeological sites have no realistic public-transport alternative.
Getting around inside cities
Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos, and Nicosia are all walkable at their cores, but there's no metro or tram in any Cypriot city. For getting around town, Bolt operates in the main cities and coastal resorts and is the easiest way to book a ride at a known price; Uber does not operate in Cyprus at all, so don't expect it to work here. Regular taxis are metered and reliable but cost noticeably more than Bolt for the same trip.
| Route/option | Typical cost | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Larnaca Airport to town | $13–20 (taxi) | 10–15 min |
| Larnaca to Paphos (intercity bus) | $8–10 | 1.5–2 hrs |
| Larnaca to Paphos (rental car) | included in daily rate | 1.5 hrs |
Book your rental car before you land, not on arrival — Cyprus's airport rental counters can run out of cars in peak season (June–September), and pre-booking online is almost always cheaper too. Budget a slower first day behind the wheel if you're used to right-hand driving; roundabouts follow UK logic and catch out a lot of visitors.
Common transport mistakes
Assuming you can get by without a car because 'it's a small island' — the bus network is functional between the four main cities but genuinely weak for beaches, villages, and the Troodos Mountains, so a car-free trip limits you more than most visitors expect. The second mistake: forgetting Cyprus drives on the left and defaulting to old habits at a roundabout on day one — slow down and give yourself extra room the first few hours.