How to get to Cyprus: airports, flights and border crossings

Cyprus has two commercial airports, both on the coast of the Republic in the south: Larnaca (LCA) and Paphos (PFO). Larnaca handles the bigger share of flights and sits closest to the middle of the island, which makes it the default for Nicosia, Limassol, Ayia Napa and Protaras. Paphos is smaller and quieter, and wins when your base is Paphos town, Polis or the Akamas.

The island's old Nicosia airport has been closed since 1974 and sits inside the UN buffer zone, so no flight lands there. Ercan (ECN) in the north serves the Turkish Cypriot side, but it is reached almost entirely through Turkey, and travellers who use it usually connect in Istanbul or another Turkish city.

From the UK and Ireland, Cyprus is a short-haul destination with year-round service and heavy summer capacity. London to Larnaca is roughly 4h 30m; Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Dublin add an hour or less. Budget carriers and charter airlines both fly the route, and seats in July and August sell out early.

From North America there is no nonstop service, so expect one stop, usually in London, Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, Athens or Istanbul. New York to Larnaca runs about 13–16 hours door to door; Toronto and Vancouver are longer. From Australia and New Zealand you connect through the Gulf or Southeast Asia and then Europe, which makes it a 20-hour-plus journey; some travellers break it with a night in Athens or Dubai.

Fares move with season. Shoulder months (April–June, September–October) are usually the cheapest and the most comfortable, while late July and August are peak. Book early for summer and for the Greek Orthodox Easter period.

Cyprus has no land border with any other country, so the only alternatives to flying are ferry and cruise. Passenger ferry links to Greece and to Turkey run seasonally rather than daily, and schedules change from year to year, so treat any sailing you find as something to confirm with the operator before you build a trip around it.

Cruise ships call at Limassol and Larnaca, and some itineraries let you start or end a voyage there. If you arrive by sea from the north or through a port in the north, note that crossing the Green Line is a separate matter with its own rules; read the entry requirements before you plan a route that crosses between the two sides.

Larnaca airport sits about 5 km from Larnaca town, with city buses and a shuttle into Nicosia and Limassol. Paphos airport is roughly 10 km from Paphos town, with a local bus and shuttle services to the resort strip. Taxis and pre-booked transfers are the fast option, and a hire car picked up at the airport is the usual choice if you plan to move around the island, since public transport outside the main corridors is thin.

Driving is on the left, as in the UK, and EU and most foreign licences are accepted for hire. If you land late, check whether your hotel runs an airport shuttle before paying for a taxi.

Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the EU enter visa-free for short stays, but rules differ by passport and can change, so confirm your own case before booking. Carry the passport you booked with, and check that it has the validity your route requires.

The Republic uses the euro; the north uses the Turkish lira. Cards work widely in the south, but keep some cash for small places. Picking up a local SIM or eSIM at or before arrival is straightforward, and travel insurance is worth arranging before you fly, especially if you plan to drive or dive.

Pick Larnaca unless your trip is anchored in the west. It has the widest choice of flights, the most competition on fares, and the shortest road transfer to Nicosia, Limassol and the eastern resorts. Pick Paphos if you are staying in Paphos, Polis or the Akamas, where the airport is close enough that a taxi is cheap and a hire car is optional for the first days.

If you are splitting the trip between the two ends of the island, either airport works: the drive between Larnaca and Paphos is about 1h 30m on the motorway.