Hi, I'm hoping someone can help me. We're in Paphos for two weeks in July/August and want to hire a car for a week during which time we'd like to visit the Turkish-occupied northern part of the isalnd. So far I've discovered that neither Budget or Hertz insure their rented cars in the north. Does anyone know if this is the same for all companies? And if it is, how can I visit the north?
Also, any other tips on car hire, where to visit gratefully received. It's been quite a long time since I've been to Cyprus.
Thanks
Pat
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I've just looked at a car-hire brokers site. If you hire a car in the south you can't take it into the north, it seems.
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You can buy tpft insurance at the border for a tenner or so, but if the car is involved in an accident, it is your responsibility to get it back to the south
MVP
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Four of us are going to Paphos next week. We would like to go to the north and visit Kyrenia. Does anyone know where the border crossings are please?
Last year we went to Ayia Napa. We hired a car and crossed the border at 4 mile point. We drove up through Famagusta and had lunch at a fishing port called Bogaz where they gave you freshly caught fish at about a third of the price in the south. It was the best meal we had in Cyprus.
I hired the car of a local firm and paid cash. This stops any unpleasant surprises after you get home. I am insured with Insurance for Us and did not see a "do not go to North Cyprus" in their conditions. BUT I was a bit worried all day and was relieved to get back south.
That night I told the barman where we had been, he seemed very cross and would not serve us again! The Greeks hate the Turks and vice versa.
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Last year I hired a car in Pafos from Petsas & Sons (at airport counter).
They said if I buy some extra insurance, I could take the car to North of border.
I didn't go to North though as time didn't permit.
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We went to N Cyprus in 2005 - hired a car for cash - local company. The main crossing point is in Nicosea - it says in he Rough Guide I bought for the trip that you are not allowed to cross either way in a hire car - full stop. The situation may have changed, since I visited.
I can highly recommend the Restaurants on the front in Kyrenia -in particular the rooftop one bang in the middle.....lovely..
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`Thanks for the replies.
Pug - how did you get to Kyrenia?
We're so looking forward to the trip. My wife and son haven't been before, but I actually lived there as a child because my dad was in the RAF. Getting up into the Troodos mountains and (hopefully) the north coast/mtns is what we want the car for.`
Any other advice much appreciated.
Pat
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We flew with a Turkish Airline to Ercan Airport after a stopover in Istanbul (compulsory apparently) it was a good two week break. What I would suggest is get to Nicosea cross over on foot, hire a car on t'other side for cash (take Sterling). Those costal routes are incredible, remarkably friendly locals - we went to a coffee shop or a brew in a remote town, my friend and I were the centre of attention for all the right reasons. I am going back there next year, albeit overland via Turkey on my motorbike....some cracking motorcycling roads there.
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Cheers, Pug. Love the sound of your trip.
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Oh, N Cyprus immigration will want to stamp your passport when you get there. There is a form you can get to avoid this as the stamp can cause problems elsewhere in the world. Don;t
think the Greeks like it too much.
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Oh N Cyprus immigration will want to stamp your passport when you get there. There is a form you can get to avoid this as the stamp can cause problems elsewhere in the world. Don;t think the Greeks like it too much.
A North Cyprus stamp does not cause any problems anywhere.
If you are an EU citizen, another EU country can't deny you access because of some prejudice.
MVP
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North Cyprus is not in the EU, in fact it is in nowhere. It is a non country in the world.
It is nothing to do with any imaginary prejudices either. Turkey invaded Cyprus illegally and claimed the northern part. They made the Greek people move to the south with whatever they were standing in. They were not allowed to take their possesions with them.
In Famagusta dead bodies were left to rot on the beach. The cathederal roof is no more. Some of the seaside hotels were hit by rockets, fired from planes. The damage has been left, I have seen it.
The only reason that no-one stopped the Turks was because the US wanted to put bases in Turkey, this was during the cold war period.
This is why the Greeks hate the Turks so much. But the Greek majority were not always very pleasant to the Turkish minority before the invasion. It is a bit like the old problems in Northern Ireland.
If you have a Northern Cyprus stamp in your passport, you will find it difficult to go to Greece.
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In Laws live in N.Cyprus for half the year - I believe that they have mentioned that you can get the passport stamp on a piece of paper in your passport rather than on the book itself so that you dont have problems elswhere, well, or at least in the south
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MVP is right on both counts. You can hire a car in the south and take it over the Green Line in Nicosia for about a tenner. Then it's an easy drive over the hill to Kyrenia. I've done it a couple of times the past 2 years.
The border control guards didn't stamp my passport in 2006 or 07; they stamp a separate piece of paper, so no issues there either, as Mikeyb says.
The North is a perfectly civilised, welcoming place. Some people prefer it to the south. I do.
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Many thanks, guys. I've now booked a group B car with air con for a week for £184 (with a major rental company) which seems reasonable. I think I'm left with four choices in terms of visiting the north:
- pay the extra insurance at the border
- walk over the border and hire a car for the day
- walk over the border and hire a taxi to take us around
- go on a coach excursion from the south (in our case Paphos)
Pat
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