Cyprus-Forum.com

[MKcelt]

First poster...please excuse any naivity!

Have read many posts on this forum about crossing from South to North and visa versa (many conflicting).

Basically we are travelling over to Larnaca, picking up a hire car at the airport and driving up to Kyrenia.

Anyone able to give me accurate info. regarding:-

1 Insurance at green line (have read 10CP and 15CYP in different places)
2 How long will it take to drive and how far is it
3 Is the route fairly straightforward (have read that there's a fairly horrendous one-way system in Nicosia)
4 Any problems with TIME of travel (our plane lands at 5am ish)
5 Have read that it may be best to get blank piece of paper stamped instead of passport (when going S to N). Will this not slightly annoy the border guard?

Many thanks for any help or advice you are able to give.

[Svetlana]

Another question: will the hire company allow me to take the car into the North? Insurance north of the border is third party only and very limited.

Svetlana

[erolz]

First poster...please excuse any naivity!

Welcome to the site

Have read many posts on this forum about crossing from South to North and visa versa (many conflicting).

Welcome to Cyprus

5 Have read that it may be best to get blank piece of paper stamped instead of passport (when going S to N). Will this not slightly annoy the border guard?

If you mean on the North side then there will be no 'annoyance' from the guard if you chose to have your TRNC stamp on a seperate piecec of paper (which are provided at the border - any piece of paper will not do). The North has been doing this for many many years at the airport and are well accustomed to it. The reason to do this is somewhat less important these days though. In the past the North did this because having a TRNC stamp in your passport could cause you problems if you subsequently travelled to South Cyprus or Greece (because of the law stating it's illegal to enter Cyprus through a port of illegal entry). These days, although this law still stands, it is not enforcable according to the RoC (and my understanding) and a TRNC no longer 'proves' such illegal entry anyway - since the border is open and you could have got a stamp by entering the north via a 'legal' point of entry (before the opening of the border the only way of entering the north was illegal). So have your passport stamped or a seperate piece of paper as you like. No one in the North will be offended. If you go for the piece of paper approach just do not lose it as it will need to be stamped on your exit from the North. Hope that helps.

Many thanks for any help or advice you are able to give.

No problem and have a great time in Cyprus.

[MKcelt]

Many thanks Erolz. Anybody else with any more info please??!!

[Piratis]

I hope the hotel you are going to stay in Kerynia is not one of those stolen from us in 1974.

[metecyp]

You might know this already but it takes approximately 40-45 mins to drive from Larnaca to Nicosia. It's a highway so you won't get lost and once you cross from the south to the north, it will take another 20 mins or so to go to Kyrenia. Going to Kyrenia from north Nicosia is very easy. You'll be crossing from Kermia (called Ayios Demetrios from the south?) checkpoint and just drive towards the Besparmak (five-finger) mountains you'll see signs for Kyrenia and the road is again a highway (not as nice as the south in very good condition).

[magikthrill]

wow. Cyprus really IS that small huh?

[brother]

I thought you was there recently, todays youngsters don't even know they were born.

[cannedmoose]

wow. Cyprus really IS that small huh?

Yup, but you must remember that for many Cypriots, the trip to Pafos from Lefkosia is classed as a 'weekender', with the added bonus that you get to go through the road tunnels

[city]

Hi MKcelt, welcome!

Car hire companies in ROC usually allow you to take the car to the north. Insurance highly recommended. Price depending on how long you will stay, to be paid at the border. 3 days was CYP 15,- in summer 2004, 1 year was CYP 65,- if I'm not mistaken. Regarding getting the passport stamped I wouldn't know. I'm holding a german one and my friend one from Hungary and we didn't get any stamp anywhere. But we needed to fill in a small piece of paper at the border which had to be handed back upon our return.
Roads in the north are acceptable good, not as good as in south though. IMHO traffic is a bit more crazy in the north.

Enjoy your trip!

cheers, city