Parking in Cyprus, from airport to old town

If you hire a car in Cyprus, which is what I’d do to get beyond the towns, parking becomes part of the day. On the coast and in the mountain villages it’s rarely a headache. In the old quarters and by the town beaches it can be, because space is short and most of it is paid. Traffic keeps left, as at home, so for a British driver the only real novelty is the price list. The road rules are in driving in Cyprus.

Airport parking

This is where prices are best documented, because Hermes Airports, which runs both airports, publishes them. Larnaca has 2,548 spaces split between public and hire cars, and its list in force since 1 March 2026 works by zone. In the open-air long-stay zones, P1, P3 and P5, the first 20 minutes cost €1 and the first hour €4. A full day is €12 in P1 and P3 with €8 for each extra day, dropping to €10 and €4 in P5. Covered P4 costs €17 a day and €15 after that, and short-stay P2 €20 a day.

Paphos is smaller, with 725 spaces, and its prices date from 1 December 2025. A full day ranges from €10 in P7 to €15 under cover, and an extra day from €4 to €12. At both airports Hermes advertises up to 45% off for booking online, which I’d do without a second thought for a week or two away. Everything else about the terminals is under Larnaca Airport and Paphos Airport.

Is there an alternative to leaving the car at the airport?

There’s one most visitors miss. The Kapnos shuttle, which links Nicosia with both airports, offers free parking at its Nicosia station. If you’re staying in the capital, you can leave the car there and ride the shuttle to the plane. The other shuttle and taxi options are in airport transfers.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Larnaca before prices climb.

Parking in town

Here official information thins out, and I’ll be upfront about it. Larnaca Municipality runs paid car parks with meters and pay-and-display machines in the town’s shopping centre, on Tasou Mitsopoulou Avenue and around Mackenzie. It has made them free at set times, for instance from 12 December 2022 to 8 January 2023, and in another year over Easter week. In October 2021 it also opened the car park at the new Municipal Market, with two free hours for anyone visiting the centre or Finikoudes beach until the council decided otherwise. Read the sign at the entrance, because those terms may have changed.

For Nicosia, Limassol and Paphos I don’t have council tariffs I can cite. In any of the three I’d park outside the historic core and walk in. Nicosia’s walled centre is best on foot, and in Limassol the Molos seafront and the old town sit side by side. In Paphos, the harbour and the archaeological park are close enough that one car park on the edge of Kato Paphos does for both, and a short walk beats circling for a space in August.

Car sharing by the minute

If you don’t want a hire car for the whole trip, the Limassol Tourism Board lists Ride Now, a car share you can pick up in one town and leave in another for a fee. Ending a trip at the airports, Ayia Napa, Coral Bay or Pano Platres costs a flat €10. The cars can’t go to the north, or more than 2 km down unsealed tracks.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Larnaca and choose by the reviews.

With a Blue Badge

Gov.uk says the UK Blue Badge can be used in Cyprus in some circumstances, so bring it and look for local signs. Both airports have dedicated disabled bays near the terminal entrances, according to Hermes. The European Commission adds that the EU parking card, issued at home, gives access to the parking rights of the EU country you’re visiting. The rest is in accessible travel in Cyprus.

My rule of thumb

At the airport, book online and choose your zone. In town, park outside the centre. In the villages and along the coast, park where you’re not in anyone’s way, and never on a mountain bend. And on a day without the car, keep the taxis in Cyprus in mind.

A car frees you from timetables: search car hire in Larnaca on DiscoverCars and compare companies.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Larnaca before prices climb.