UltimateCyprus.com

Driving in Cyprus is relatively easy if you come from Britain as they drive on the left hand side of the road, just like back home.

If you are moving to Cyprus you may wish to purchase a vehicle but if you are only visiting for a short while then you may wish to hire a vehicle. There are plenty of car hire shops in most of the large towns, especially the tourist areas. Prices start from around £8.00 (Cyprus pounds) per day for a small car and can increase to £30 (Cyprus pounds) per day for larger vehicles. The amount of money you will be charged will depend on the time of year that you go, as in the winter months some of the car hire companies do not insure their vehicles and so you may find that you see shops with lots of cars outside but you will not be able to hire them as the hire shop has to insure the vehicle for a minimum of three months.

There are several car hire companies that operate from the airports. Be aware that if you hire from the airport there is an airport surcharge, which was €15 (2009 price)

To hire a vehicle in Cyprus you will need a valid EU or British driving licence and a credit card (normally). The credit card can be needed to be used as a deposit and so that it can be charged for a fixed amount in the event of a car accident being your fault, this involves you signing a blank credit card slip which is kept by the car hire company. If the vehicle is damaged your credit card will be charged for a fixed amount to cover the damage. If you are involved in a car accident the Police will be called and if it is found that it is your fault then your credit card will be charged the excess on the insurance policy. On a Suzuki Vitara the excess was £600 (Cyprus pounds).

There are some websites and magazines that claim that petrol in Cyprus is twenty five pence per litre and that diesel is nine pence per litre, this simply is not true and the last time I visited in December 2009 petrol was slightly cheaper than in the UK.

The hire cars are easily recognisable in Cyprus as the number plates are Red, whilst non hire car plates are the normal white on the front and yellow on the rear.

Speed limits in Cyprus are similar to those in the UK, but most of the speed limit signs are in Km/h ( kilometre per hour) and not Mph (miles per hour). In built up areas and populated areas the speed limit is 50 Km/h, in other areas it is 80 Km/h and on the motorway the Limit is 100 Km/h (unless a different speed is indicated!) Radar speed traps are used on Cyprus and can often be found in the town centres, these are very difficult to spot as they often do not use vehicles and blend in perfectly with their surroundings. Often you will not know that you have hit a speed trap until it is too late as it is often a Police officer stood alongside of the road with what looks like a pair of binoculars on their side. There is also a minimum speed on the motorway which is currently 65 Km/h

Be very aware that although you are driving on the left hand side of the road, driving in Cyprus is a lot different than driving in Britain. Often you will come to road junctions where it is unclear exactly who has the right of way and although you are in a hire car with distinct red plates the other road users will not hesitate to use their horns. It is not unusual to see drivers inching forwards at red traffic lights, often their vehicle will be completely over the white line before the lights change!

The motorway is two lane with a hard shoulder in most places, it is not unusual to see drivers pull onto the hard shoulder at speed and then re-join the main carriage way at speed, I can only assume that this is done to allow people to pass.

 It is not uncommon to be driving on a perfectly well surfaced road and have it disappear in front of your eyes, only to be found driving down a dirt track. Some of the road signs are not too good and if you get lost it is very easy to be driving around for hours and not leave the vicinity, road works and diversions compound this problem.

Driving in the rain can be especially difficult as many of the roads cannot cope with the water. It is not unusual to see the locals pull over onto the hard shoulder of the motorway in heavy rain with their hazard lights switched on.

Filling up with petrol can be confusing for the first time. If you have an hire car and are unsure which fuel to put in the car you can normally find out by opening the petrol flap on the vehicle, it should tell you there! At some pumps they have an attendant to put the fuel in the car for you, but at others you have to prepay at a machine, like the one in the picture to the left.