Driving in Cyprus as a tourist is undoubtedly the best way to see the country. While there are some public buses in Cyprus that go between the major cities, a lot of the best beaches, historical sites and charming villages are best reached by car. We highly recommend exploring Cyprus by car to get the most out of your trip. For such a small island, you can cover a lot in just a few days. However, be prepared to drive on the left hand side of the road. As a heritage of the British colonial era, Cypriots drive on the left. The same applies if you would cross over to the Northern territory occupied by Turkey. Here’s everything you need to know about driving in Cyprus to ensure you have a hassle-free trip.

The island of Cyprus is currently divided, which will need to be considered if you plan to cross the Green Line. If you rent a car in the southern part of Cyprus, it’s best to speak to the car rental company to determine what their policy is with regards to driving to Northern Cyprus.

Many car rental companies will allow you to drive to Northern Cyprus. However, if you rent a car in the North of Cyprus you are not allowed to take your car rental across the border. There are a number of rental agencies located at the various border crossings so this will allow you to rent a car once you cross the border. Any insurance that you may have purchased on either side is not valid once you cross the borders, and therefore it will be necessary to purchase additional insurance if you plan on driving on the other side of the border.

A passport is required to cross the border.

If you want to see some of Northern Cyprus, but don’t want to take your rental car across the border, then it’s worth spending a couple of days in Nicosia and crossing the Green Line by foot.

You should find that most signs around Cyprus are written in both English and Greek. In standard European marking of speed limits are in kilometers.

When driving in built-up areas the maximum speed limit is 50 km/h or 65 km/h depending on the road. Max speeds in most built-up areas will be signposted. In certain areas such as villages, the speed limit is 30km/h with plenty of speed bumps to remind you to slow down. Outside built-up areas the maximum speed is 80 km/h. On motorways, maximum speed is 100 km/h. You should also be aware that there is a cap on minimum speeds on the motorways as well of 65 km/h.

Don’t Drink and Drive. Police are known to do random breath tests and if you’re over the limit, it’ll be six points on your license to take back home with you. The rule is 22 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milligrams of breath or 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milligrams of blood.

Up until 2015, all rental cars in Cyprus were required to have bright red license plates, making it easy for tourists to stand out. Although this rule is no longer in force, most car hire companies still use red license plates as it’s an expense for them to change them.

Third party insurance is mandatory when driving in Cyprus. Although most rental companies will offer this, our advice would be to secure your own before your trip, it will save you by almost half the cost.

Although the driving limit is 18 years, you have to be over 21 to rent a car in Cyprus.

Beware of going off road in a rental car as you’ll void your agreement with them and could lose some of your deposit. This is mentioned because it can be easy to do in Cyprus. Many tourist attractions outside of cities have dirt tracks leading up to them, which are technically off road.

Car rental prices vary by season – in winter months (November - March) it’s usually cheaper and you can get the car as low as 10 - 15 euros per day, during the season it’s much higher around 30 - 50 euros per day. Price also depends on the type/size of the car you want, your age and so on.

Most rental companies will happily drive the car to the airport and meet you there, so you can drive off straight to your hotel or accommodation. Alternatively, you can find small rental offices close to big hotels or they will be happy to recommend a place. The big rental companies have a presence at the airports so you can just walk into their office and rent a car on spot, if you arrive during regular business hours.

There are a few things to keep in mind when renting a car in Cyprus:

-Most companies ask for a large deposit (300 – 500 eur). Always check before as not all of them will let you pay with a card.
-Contracts are given in Greek and English language.
-You will need an international driving license to rent a car in Cyprus.
- If you’re renting a quad bike or similar, they will ask to keep your drivers license as collateral - this is not something to be alarmed about. If the police are to stop you, you show them the papers from the company listing your driving license number.
-If you are renting a car in Cyprus (south side), you are legally and by contract not allowed to drive to North Cyprus (even though most people ignore the warning). It can be an expensive mistake – your car insurance is not valid there, you have to purchase an extra one at the border and in case of an accident, you have to pay to get the car moved back to South.
-If you require a child or baby seats, most rental companies provide this free of charge or for a small fee, or you can bring your own.
-You can pay the rental company for navigation (about 10 euros per day) or simply download a free app called Navigator (or other alternatives) and use it without the need of internet connection. Download the map of Cyprus and you’re good to go. To get from city to city, the roads are well sign-posted and you will have no trouble getting where you need to be. The navigation is handy if you’re aiming to get to a specific hotel, restaurant or attraction.

Petrol stations are readily available around cities and villages. On the main highway, the petrol stops are clearly marked and often don’t offer a wide range of services like elsewhere in Europe, where you would have a resting place with a restaurant next to it.

Many of the larger gas stations have attendants on hand whose job it is to fill your car up. Remember to tip them! Even just a couple of euro is enough to give your thanks, although tipping isn’t mandatory, it’s just a nice gesture!

When driving in Cyprus always carry your drivers license and insurance documents (or documents from your car rental company). Also you should always carry your passport or other form of ID if you have it.

If your driver’s license is not in English or doesn’t have a stamped photograph, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is required together with the original driver’s license. For driver's licenses from countries not part of the international driver's license treaty, an official translation of the license in English must be presented with the original license.