Travel to Cyprus

Flying to Cyprus

Cyprus is served by international airlines that fly direct to Larnaca International Airport and Paphos International Airport from around the world. Numerous airlines fly from the UK to Cyprus including Aegean (www.aegeanair.com), Cobalt Air (cobalt.aero), Blue Air (www.blueairweb.com), British Airways (www.ba.com), easyJet (www.easyjet.com), Norwegian (www.norwegian.com) and Ryanair (www.ryanair.com).

All flights to the north arrive at Ercan International Airport in north Nicosia via Turkey. Turkish Airlines (www.turkishairlines.com) is the Turkish national carrier, with Pegasus Airlines (www.flypgs.com) and Atlasglobal (www.atlasglb.com) among the companies offering flights to North Cyprus. 

While Cyprus is a year-round destination that can boast of attracting tourists who like to relax on the beach in the morning and ski on snow in the afternoon, at least during the month of February, many airlines offer limited flights during the winter. July and August are the most expensive months to fly, while bargains can be found in winter, early spring and late autumn.

Major airports are: Paphos International Airport and Larnaca International Airport.

Since 1974, the Cyprus government declared Ercan International Airport an illegal port of entry to Cyprus and there are no direct flights to the north other than from Turkey. However, tourists can now fly into the south and travel by car or taxi across the border in Nicosia to holiday in the north.

Airport Guides

Flight times

From London: to Paphos 4 hours 30 minutes; to Larnaca 4 hours 40 minutes, to Ercan in North Nicosia, via Turkey - 6 hours 45 minutes (including stopover).

Departure tax

None.

Travelling to Cyprus by Rail

Driving to Cyprus

Getting to Cyprus by boat

Cyprus has a growing number of marinas that welcome visiting yachtspeople. Limassol’s marina is the largest and newest, with 650 spaces for yachts. Meanwhile, Larnaka and St. Raphael Marina are other official ports of entry.

Water note

Since 1974, the Cyprus government has declared the ports of Famagusta (Ammochostos), Karavostasi, and Kyrenia, all in the north of the island, as illegal ports of entry to Cyprus.

Cruise ships

Cyprus is a regular port of call for cruise companies with eastern Mediterranean itineraries. Cruise ships disembark at the cruise terminal in Limassol (www.cpa.gov.cy).

Salamis Cruise Lines (www.salamiscruiselines.com) offers short cruises of between two and eight days departing from Limassol. The Holy Lands are popular two-day cruises, with longer cruise options between three and eight days including sailing around the Greek Islands.

Ferry operators

Akgünler Denizcilik (www.akgunlerdenizcilik.com) operates crossings between Turkey and Girne in norther Cyprus. Each week the ferry crosses up to three times per week between Taşucu and Girne. There are no ferries connecting Cyprus with Greece.