Cyprus: Paphos, Troodos, Nicosia, Ayia Napa, best time to visit, getting there and costs 2026

Cyprus suits you if you want to combine beach days with excavations, mosaics and mountain villages. Three sites on the island are on UNESCO's World Heritage list, all as cultural heritage: Paphos since 1980, the painted churches in the Troodos Mountains since 1985 and Choirokoitia since 1998 (as of September 2026). The euro has been the currency since 2008.

What is new in 2026 is above all the bus fares: since 3 August, a city journey with Cyprus Public Transport costs €2.70 in cash and €2.00 with a plastic card. From January to July 2026, 2.5% fewer passengers flew from Germany to Cyprus than in the same period of 2025 (our own analysis, Destatis).

Cyprus is a poorer fit if you don't cope well with heat and can only travel in July or August. In Nicosia the mean daily maximum is then 37.5 °C (average 2002–2011, WMO). The island has no railway.

Getting there from Germany

In 2025, exactly 447,324 passengers departed from the 22 main German airports with Cyprus as their last known destination, not counting passengers changing planes abroad. That is 43rd place of 211 destination countries abroad. Of these passengers from Germany, 332,168 landed in Larnaca and 94,010 in Paphos; 21,146 flew to Ercan in the northern part of the island.

Most often they departed from Frankfurt (96,167), then Munich (91,426), Berlin (73,899) and Düsseldorf (56,023). October had the most passengers with 57,259, January the fewest with 15,777. The source is the Federal Statistical Office, year 2025; totals, ranking and breakdown are our own analysis.

According to the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, you currently cannot reach Cyprus by ferry from any other country (as of September 2026). What applies to travel to the northern part is at the German Foreign Office (link under “Practical information”).

Larnaca and Paphos are operated by Hermes Airports; both airports are open around the clock (as of September 2026).

Larnaca (LCA): bus 425, shuttle, Airport Express

Line 425 runs via Makenzy, among other places, and stops near the bus station; the terminus is Dekelia. On the bus itself you can only get single journeys, including for the night and for village lines; all other tickets are available from Cyprus Public Transport sales points.

The Kapnos Airport Shuttle takes you to Ayia Napa via the A3; for the roughly 50 km the operator allows 44 to 45 minutes. A seat for adults costs from €13, with the price varying by departure (as of 28 June 2026). Kapnos also runs from Larnaca airport to Nicosia. The Limassol Airport Express connects both airports with Limassol; adults pay €10, children €5 (as of September 2026).

Paphos (PFO): lines 612 and 613

Line 613 runs from Paphos airport to the Karavella bus station on Andrea Geroudi Street, twelve times daily between 5:50 and 0:00. Line 612 ends at the bus station on Tombs of the Kings Avenue and departs 17 times daily between 7:30 and 1:00. A journey costs €2.00, after 21:00 €3.00, and the day ticket €6.50 (as of September 2026).

Regions and destinations at a glance

Status of the table: September 2026 unless stated otherwise. Climate values: average 2002–2011 (WMO).

Nea Pafos was founded at the end of the 4th century BC and was the island's capital under the Ptolemies and Romans. The House of Dionysus covers 2,000 m², of which 556 m² have floor mosaics: hunting, grape harvest and scenes from mythology. The Tombs of the Kings from the 3rd century BC contain no kings; the name alludes to the magnificent complexes. According to legend, Aphrodite was born at the rock Petra tou Romiou.

Limassol has the island's most important port. The Kourion excavation site lies on a coastal hill, 4 km south-west of the village of Episkopi. The sweet Commandaria comes from the wine villages on the southern slopes of the Troodos. In the mountains themselves stand the ten World Heritage churches from the Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods, such as Panagia tis Asinou near Nikitari and Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis in Kakopetria.

The old town of Nicosia lies within a ring of Venetian walls whose bastions are shaped like hearts. The Cyprus Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, until 20:00 on the first Wednesday of every month, and is free of charge according to the Department of Antiquities (as of September 2026). In Larnaca stand the church of Agios Lazaros and the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque. Hand-embroidered lace and silver filigree come from the mountain village of Lefkara.

Best time to visit

Averages 2002–2011 (WMO, data from the Cyprus weather service) for Nicosia-Athalassa inland (162 m) and Larnaca airport on the coast (1.69 m). Per month: mean maximum and minimum in °C, precipitation in mm.

From June to September, Nicosia gets 35.2 mm of rain in total and Larnaca 12.1 mm. On the coast the maximum in July and August stays about 4 °C below Nicosia (both our own calculation). According to the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, the open sea is warmer than 22 °C from June to November. It rains more in the Troodos: Prodromos gets 805.4 mm a year, 2.4 times as much as Nicosia (our own calculation).

In July 2026 the weather service reported a heatwave for the interior on eleven days (our own count) and measured 43.2 °C at Athalassa. Many fires broke out in the same month, and August 2026 was then the wettest August since 1901.

Getting around the country

Bus instead of train

There are no rails in Cyprus, neither railway nor metro. Intercity buses run between the cities; village buses often only two or three times a day (as of September 2026). Some intercity routes (fare since 1 April 2025, journey time according to the operator, as of January to March 2026):

• Nicosia–Limassol: about 1 h 45 min, single €6.
• Nicosia–Paphos: about 2 hours, single €8.
• Limassol–Paphos: about 1 h 15 min, single €5.

On the intercity bus you pay in cash, and the driver sells only single journeys and paper monthly passes. At Cyprus Public Transport, the network pass for Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos and the Famagusta district has cost €20 a day since 3 August 2026.

Car, taxi and roads

In Cyprus you drive on the left. Four-lane motorways lead from Nicosia to the coast at Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos and Ayia Napa. According to the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, a maximum of 100 and a minimum of 65 km/h apply there, on other roads 80 and in towns mostly 50 km/h. ADAC gives a differing 65 km/h for country roads (as of September 2026). The limit is 0.5 per mille; phone at the wheel only with a hands-free system.

According to ADAC, a German driving licence is enough. If you are under 25 and have held your licence for less than three years, say so when hiring; the hire company then insures you separately. In town centres you pay €1 to €2 per hour at the parking meter on weekdays during office hours (as of September 2026).

City taxis run with a taximeter: from 6:01 to 20:30, €3.80 base fare and €0.95 per kilometre, at night €4.80 and €1.10. For 10 km without luggage you therefore pay €13.30 by day and €15.80 at night (our own calculation, as of September 2026).

Money and costs

Cyprus has belonged to the eurozone since 1 January 2008. Credit cards work mainly in the big cities and resorts, with Visa and Mastercard the most widespread. A reduced VAT rate of 9% applies to hotel stays, restaurants and taxis, and tipping is voluntary (as of September 2026). The table gives prices from operators and authorities; the food prices are averages from the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.

Practical information

Clocks in Cyprus are one hour ahead all year round. Many people understand English; the official languages are Greek and Turkish. The emergency number is 112, the country code 00357. Because Cyprus belongs to the EU, you phone and use data at the prices of your home tariff (as of September 2026).

According to the Ministry of Finance, most sockets are built for three-pin plugs with rectangular pins (as of 2012); for German plugs you need a travel adapter, according to ADAC. Public holidays from October 2026 are 1 October (Independence Day), 28 October and 24 to 26 December. In seaside resorts many shops are also open on public holidays; otherwise authorities, banks and shops are closed then. Exception: on Christmas Eve the banks open.

What applies to entry, safety and health, including for the northern part of the island, is in the travel and safety advice of the German Foreign Office.

Who Cyprus is not for

• Anyone who doesn't cope well with heat: In Nicosia the mean daily maximum in July and August is 37.5 °C, and in July 2026 the weather service measured 43.2 °C.
• Anyone who wants to get around quickly without a car: There are no trains; the bus from Nicosia to Paphos takes about two hours.
• Anyone who doesn't like driving on the left: Traffic drives on the left in Cyprus, and the road signs are on the left too.
• Anyone who wants to drive around the whole island in a hire car: The insurance applies only in the area under the control of the Republic, and in the northern part EU law is also suspended.
• Anyone who wants bathing weather in winter: In Larnaca an average of 102 mm of rain falls in January, and the sea is then 16 to 17 °C according to the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.
• Anyone who relies on calm summer weather: According to the weather service, many fires broke out in July 2026; the worst burned 120 hectares.