On the 20th of july we will be arriving in Paphos to spend our 14-days vacation. We are really excited to go, but I get different information about border crossings. We would love to visit Famagusta and Salamis, and Kyrenia and St. Hilarion, perhaps also Vouni. We would like to rent a car, but several people tell me you can%26#39;t take rental cars over the border. Other tell me that some company%26#39;s alow, other don%26#39;t. Can you recommend us a company for car hire in Paphos? Or, if not possible, are there organised excursions from Paphos to Famagusta? On my search I find only excursions from closer city%26#39;s to Famagusta, saying Paphos is too far. Or how does it work at the border? Can you leave your rental car there and step into a bus or taxi at the border?
Since we are arriving on a sunday, and I have prepaired a program for al the following dates, I wonder if tour-operators and car-hire-company%26#39;s will be open, or do I have to wait to make reservations on monday.
Of course we have a day to spend in Paphos to, to visit the many historic artefacts, and if booking-offices are closed on sunday-afternoon, we will do this on monday, but I would rather stay in Paphos on the 26th or 27th. I read there would be a celebration for Agia Paraskevi, and all information is welcome. Is it on the 26th only in the evening, or the whole day?
I%26#39;ve noticed there are a lot of people living on Cyprus who are members here, so I hope there might be someone to help me out... Thanks very much in advance!
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Floevy
Why not avoid the hire car hassle and leave your hire car on the greek side and hire a taxi for the day when you get to the Turkish Side? We did this some years ago (10 yrs) before it was really the %26quot;thing to do%26quot;. The taxi was cheap and confortable (a Merc as they usually are!!) and they were all waiting at the border the other side for day trippers.
The benefits of this was that the driver took us exactly where we wanted to go and knew the best ways to get there. We had a list of places we wanted to visit as we had ben to the North prior to the occupation in 1974 and hadn%26#39;t been back until then. However I%26#39;m sure a local taxi driver would if you asked be more than happy to act as a guide for the daya and take you to all the best places.
We had a fantastic day out.
Hope this helps.
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And where did you cross the border? Can you leave your car behind and cross the border on all checkpoints on foot? Or do you have to take the pedestrian one in Ledra Street, Nicosia? Since the border checkpoint on Agios Nicolaos is closer to Famagusta, would we do better driving from Paphos to there and then take a taxi on the border? Thanks for the help!
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Hi
We crossed on foot at the Ledra Palace Checkpoint in Nicosia and parked in car park are very close by. As I said its 10 years ago and I know for sure that more checkpoints have opened up so you may well be able to do the same at others. Someone else on here may know, also you could try posting on the North Cyprus Forum and see if you can get clarification there. Failing that perhaps the Turkish Tourist Office (unless the North has its own one?).
Whatever you do, Im sure if you go you will have a wonderful time as it is beautifull. Make sure you visit Kyrenia and Bellapais Abbey!
Enjoy
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Kyrenia and Bellapais are sure on my list of things to to, as wel as St Hilarion and if we have time: Vouni. (I%26#39;m quiet passionate about old rocks :-) )I%26#39;ll have to be patient untill we get there, I guess. Thanks for the help. I heard the CTO office at paphos airport is opened every time a plane comes in, so I will go and explore while my husband looks after the suitcases... And I supose if there%26#39;s no car-rental company open in Kato Paphos on sundayafternoon, there will be renting company%26#39;s on the airport. We%26#39;ll manage... Any advice still welkom though...
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Some companies do allow you to take cars over the border. However you will have to do some searching to find one. Insurance is bought on the Northern side, cheap for third party but expensive fully comp, you NEED fully comp.
Car hire in Paphos on Sunday, no problem plenty of places open, haggle for a deal, plenty available, I was there yesterday very quiet according to locals.
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Thanks for your contribution, Leica. Now my worry%26#39;s are a bit less and I%26#39;m confindent we %26#39;ll find our way out perfectly. We booked a hotel in Paphos just to make sure it was in a tourisic area, so we would easily find rental companies and excursions. Once we have our car we just take day trips from early in the morning untill late that evening. Happy to hear that I won%26#39;t run into problems on our first day. There %26#39;s a lot to see, and it would hurt to take a descision what trip to cancel.
Thanks minnifiona for the taxi-tip. Considering what I read about driving in the north, I think we might do better taking a taxi or booking an excursion. I%26#39;ll find out at the airport (CTO) if there are taxi%26#39;s waiting on the border between Larnaca and Famagusta. (at Agios Nicolaos, I guess) And for Kyrenia, Bellapais and St. Hillarion we can cross in Nicosia.
Just in case you are interested in our trips, I%26#39;ll give a brief list of the places we like to visit. If you can recommend others, I%26#39;m always happy to hear:
- St Hilarion, Bellapais and Kyrenia, if time permits: Vouni
- Salamis and Famagusta, if time permits: Nissi beach
- Loutra aphrodite and take a hike on the Akamas penisula, if time permits: Lara beach turtles
- Choirokoitia and Lefkara, Governor%26#39;s Beach
- Kolossi, Amathous and Agios Georgios Alamanos
- Agios Neofytos, Kouklia and Petra tou Romiou
- Kourion, Kourion beach, if time permits: Akrotiri Saltlake
- take a hike through Avagas-canyon
- Vasa, Omodos, Foini, Troodos (take a hike around mount Olympus) Kakopetria
- Kykko-convent, Pedoulas, Moutoulas, Cedar valley, Stavros tis psokas and if time pernits Coral bay
- Geroskipou and Nicosia, if time permits: Dali
- Paphos
- And if it fits in our budget, a one-day trip to Cairo...
What do you think? Will I get a good look on Cyprus?
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Wow ! I am very impressed. You should get a good feel for Cyprus with the trips you have planned.
Take it easy now, Cyprus is all about taking your time, but you have done your homework well.
Enjoy, and let us know how it all went, I think you will be the next destination expert on Cyprus.
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You are going to have a very busy holiday!! Can%26#39;t think of any other places that I would add to your list. If you get to the saltflats at Akrotiri you can see them from ladies mile beach, well you actually have to drive alongside them to get to the beach!!! You get to Ladies mile by following the signs for Limassol Container Port (sounds great doesn%26#39;t it!!) and then it is signed from there. Really nice beach.
Enjoy your holiday, I don%26#39;t think you will be disappointed. Not long now until you go.
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I%26#39;m counting the days, Minnifiona! Thanks for the tip on Lady%26#39;s mile beach. Was also thinking about goïng there. We are already doïng Kourion beach on the day that might be appropriate. (since we are near...) Perhaps we can still fit it into our program, for an evening walk or something... We are not that fond of lying on the beach. After a walk, it%26#39;s really great just getting wet and waiting untill you%26#39;re dried again. So we hardly stay longer on a beach than 1-2 hours.
Lol, Leica! I don%26#39;t think I will be able to meet up to that expectations! Thanks for making me smile. I hope my road calculations are good so we have time for everything on our program. But I%26#39;m not goïng to hurry on my holliday, don%26#39;t worry. We always get up early, about 7 hours. Get the earliest breakfast possible and stay away untill 20 hours. So if we arrive, for example, at 19 at Coral bay, no problem, we take it easy and take a walk hoping that the most tourist will already have left the beach.
I%26#39;d like to share an experience some years ago in Crete. We stopped in a village where I guess they had never seen a tourist. We went to the lokal tavern, kitchen chairs just outside on the street. %26#39;Dia Raki parrakalo%26#39;, because no-one spoke one word english. And we just sat there for an hour looking at village life. The old men where sitting toghetter and drinking raki, until a three-weeler stuffed with mellons arrived. Everyone got a melon, and the drinking continued. The women were sitting a bit further in the shade, doing some handcraft and needlework. And we were thinking: this is the life. Just sit around and gossip, and when husband and wife are united again in the evening at home, there%26#39;s always something to talk about...
In a village like this we once took our diner. A typical place for the residents, in the middle of nowhere. Mother cooking, doughter serving the table. (yes, one long table, where everybody could take a place) I had what our booklet said %26#39;rabbit%26#39; but I%26#39;m quite convinced that it had nothing to to with rabbit. The meat was totaly white, like chicken. But it was%26#39;nt chicken eighter... I guess it must have been a cat or a rat or something? Maybe cavia? It was really tasty! Really, we had a delightfull meal, but don%26#39;t ask me what it was...
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Floevy
I have had similar experiences up in the mountain villages in Cyprus where we came across a shack with the famous Coca Cola sign. We were thirsty and stopped for a coke. The whole family came out as we were the only people there. The mother got the drinks, brought out Cake and Melon that we hadn%26#39;t asked for and the Father sat down with us lit up his cigarette and we proceeded the put the world to rights. We were there for a few hours and were only charged for the drinks we had, not any of the extras and it was ridicaulously cheap. It was a wonderful experience and one that I remember to this day.
Take Care and enjoy!
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