Buses in Cyprus, town by town

Buses in Cyprus do the job, but it helps to understand how they’re organised. There’s no single network, just one company per area, each with its own fares. Here’s who runs each town, what it costs in 2026 and when I’d use the bus and when I wouldn’t. The overview of every way to get about is in getting around Cyprus.

One company per area

Cyprus Public Transport runs town and rural buses in Nicosia and Larnaca, on 1416. In Limassol the service belongs to EMEL, and in Paphos district to Pafos Buses, the OSYPA company, on a freephone number. The Spanish foreign ministry describes the buses as clean and comfortable but warns that routes and frequencies are thin. Between towns it works. For mountain villages, I wouldn’t rely on it.

What it costs in each town

Fares in Nicosia and Larnaca changed on 3 August 2026. A single is 2.70 euros on paper and 2 euros on a Motion card, and a night fare 4.70 and 3.50 euros. Visitors can buy a paper card with four trips for 8.70 euros, and once all four are used in a day, further trips that day are free. Paper passes for 2, 3 and 7 days are sold too. They underpin much of my plan for Cyprus on a budget.

In Limassol, EMEL currently charges 2 euros for a single and 6 euros for a day ticket, rising to 2.50 and 7 euros on 5 November 2026, when reduced fares also move to cards only. In Paphos a single is 2 euros, a night fare 3 euros and a day ticket 6.50 euros, all bought on board. The tables above sum it up.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Nicosia on Expedia and filter by area before price.

Between towns and across the island

Intercity buses link the main towns. The Cyprus By Bus portal, which doesn’t date its fares, lists 4 euros for Nicosia-Larnaca, 5 for Nicosia-Limassol, 7 for Nicosia-Paphos and 9 for Paphos-Paralimni. If you’re switching towns and riding around once there on the same day, EMEL and Pafos Buses sell a 20-euro day ticket valid in every district and on intercity routes, and EMEL has a 75-euro weekly version.

From the airports

At Larnaca, the airport is part of the Cyprus Public Transport network, which Hermes Airports names as the operator for the airport and the surrounding area. At Paphos, Pafos Buses runs two routes, the 612, which leaves from the bus station at the Tombs of the Kings, and the 613, which starts at Karavella. For further afield, see the shuttles I compare in airport transfers in Cyprus.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Nicosia and pick one that fits your day.

When I’d use it

With one town as a base and the odd trip to another, the bus is a sensible, cheap option. For the Troodos, the Akamas or a run of villages, I’d hire a car, as explained in car hire in Cyprus. Timetables change with the seasons, so check each operator’s website before you set off. For a late night or a trip with heavy bags, shared intercity taxis run at fixed prices, as I explain in taxis in Cyprus.

Where the bus does not go, a car does: compare car hire in Nicosia before you arrive rather than at the desk.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Nicosia on Booking.com and filter by area before price.