Hiring a car in Cyprus without nasty surprises

For British visitors, Cyprus is about as easy as car hire abroad gets. You drive on the left and your photocard licence is valid. But there are a couple of local habits worth knowing before you sign, and one of them is illegal. Here’s what the official sources say and what I’d check. The wider transport picture is in getting around Cyprus.

Licence and left-hand traffic

Hiring on your UK photocard licence is fine according to gov.uk, though with only the old paper licence you may also need an IDP. Traffic keeps left, so the only real adjustment is that speeds are in km/h. According to the European Commission, the default limits are 100 km/h on motorways, 80 on open roads and 50 in towns, unless a sign says different. For alcohol, the cap is 0.5 g/l, or 0.2 if you’ve recently passed your test. More in driving in Cyprus, and where to leave the car, airport rates included, in parking in Cyprus.

The deposit, where people slip up

Some desks ask to keep your passport as security, and gov.uk is clear that it’s illegal and you should refuse. I’d offer a credit card and, if they insisted on the passport, walk away and find another firm. It’s exactly the kind of thing I cover in scams in Cyprus.

Scooters and quads hide a second trap. Be wary of hired motorbikes and quads, which gov.uk says are often third-party only, so a tumble can get very expensive. If you fancy two wheels, check your travel insurance first. And if the Akamas dirt tracks are the draw, I’d go with a licensed operator, as I explain in jeep safari in Cyprus.

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Insurance and the small print

No official source I can quote gives the minimum age, the usual deposit or prices, because each company sets its own. What I’d read carefully is exactly what the insurance covers, the excess if you have a bump, and the fuel policy when you return the car. And I’d be wary of a very cheap headline price that’s clawed back with extras at the desk.

Some hotels hire out cars at their own reception, such as the Golden Bay hotel in Larnaca or the King Evelthon hotel in Chloraka. It is convenient, but compare the price and terms with the airport desks before signing.

Crossing to the north

The Republic’s insurance doesn’t apply in the north. Gov.uk says separate cover can be bought at some crossings, such as Agios Dometios. Before anything else, ask the rental company whether it allows its cars across. The full procedure is in crossing to northern Cyprus.

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Where I’d collect it

At whichever airport you land, so you skip the hotel transfer and have the car from minute one. From Larnaca, Ayia Napa is about 38 km away in a straight line; from Paphos, Coral Bay is about 19 km. Every alternative is weighed up in airport transfers in Cyprus. And if you’d like a ready-made circuit, mine is the Cyprus road trip.

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

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