Hi all
I am thinking of visiting my sister who is going to Protaras in early May. I have been looking at flights to Lefkosa (Nicosia). I will be arriving from Istanbul. It%26#39;s the only airport Turkish Airlines fly to in Cyprus.
Basically, can I travel to the south of the island if I arrive by air in Lefkosa airport? As mentioned, my sister will be in Protaras, so will I have any issues in trying to go visit her? (I%26#39;m British by the way. I have many Turkish stamps in my passport already so I%26#39;m wondering if this will be a problem with any overzealous customs officers?).
Also, what%26#39;s the deal with car hire? I%26#39;ve read conflicting information regarding hiring a car in one divide of the island and takeing it to the other. Could I hire a car at the airport say, and drive to Protaras without any issues (perhaps having to pay this €25 %26#39;insurance%26#39; fee that I%26#39;ve read about)?
Thanks in advance!!!
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Hi,
You will have to pay for any form of insurance if you are visiting southern Cyprus. 25euros is for people visiting northern Cyprus. We do not use euros in the occupied parts of Cyprus.
Apparently you can only do a day visit. You cannot stay overnight. But that applies to us Cypriots. I haven%26#39;t a clue if that applies to tourists or not. I am sure that someone will chip in with better information.
How about you fly to Larnaca and stay with your sister in Protaras? You wouldn%26#39;t have to pay for any insurance covers or worry about crossing the border.
Leah
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Are you sure that you are flying into Lefkosa? The airport in the North is called Ercan.
As for having Turkish stamps in your passport, I wouldn%26#39;t worry about it. I have lots of them in my passport and have never had any problems crossing the border by road or entering via southern airports. You are an EU citizen entering another EU country and you will not be denied entry.
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Hi both.
Thanks for the fast replies!
I am flying into Lefkosa (Ercan) and this is the only flight I can find that THY go to in Cyprus from Ataturk. I have no other option of flying to a different airport unfortunately.
Glad to hear about the customs stamps. I seriously do have a lot in there and have had queries raised in the past but that%26#39;s always been here in mainland Turkey.
I%26#39;ll have to research the matter regarding whether I can stay overnight there or not. It won%26#39;t be worth visiting my sister and her kids otherwise as will be too much hassle.
Thanks
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I am not familiar with the one night rule (I know that it used to be a rule for people travelling from the south to the north before the borders were opened and you used to have to get a day pass and be back before nightfall).
As a British citizen you can travel from the north to the south and stay there for as long as you like. I have done it myself when I have been visiting friends. It must be something that applies to Cypriots only.
Just so that you are aware, the airport at Ercan isn%26#39;t in Lefkosa. The two places are probably a half hour drive from each other.
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Thanks for the heads up, Karen. Will look into these matters.
I didn%26#39;t know that Ercan was a 30 minute drive from Lefkosa. The way it%26#39;s listed on the THY website, I thought the airport was in the city. Good to know. Bit like %26#39;London%26#39; Southend Airport : p
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