Flying to Cyprus
Cyprus has two major airports. The Larnaca airport is the largest one and is located on the east side of the island.
A new Larnaca airport is currently under construction which is expected to be finished within the next three years.
Flying to Larnaca is preferable if you are planning on staying in Larnaca (obviously!), Protaras (drive time from airport – 30-40 minutes), Paralimni (drive time from airport – 35-45 minutes), Ayia Napa (drive time from airport – 30-40 minutes) and Nicosia (drive time from airport – 30-40 minutes).
The Paphos airport is situated on the west side of the island and is smaller than the Larnaca airport. Flying to Paphos is preferable if you are planning on staying in Pafos, Limassol (drive time from airport – 30 minutes) or the graphic mountains (drive time from airport – 40-60 minutes).
Flights to Cyprus are available from almost all major airports although in some cases it is probable that a connection will need to be made.
From the UK
The flight to Cyprus can range from three to four hours depending on weather conditions and departure airports. Numerous airlines offer direct flights to Cyprus from Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Manchester. In most cases tickets can be booked online. Just to name a few airlines that fly to Cyprus from the UK are:
Cyprus Airways
British Airways
EuroCypria,
flythomascook.com
easyJet
First Choice
Monarch
Thomsonfly
Jet2.com and quite a few others.
From Central Europe
Some airlines which accommodate flights to and from Cyprus include:
Romania- Tarom
Greece- Olympic Airlines
Hungary- Malev Hungarian Airlines
Germany- Lufthansa, LTU
Netherlands- KLM
Yugoslavia- Jat Airways
Bulgaria- Hemus Air
Finnland- Finnair
Czech Republic- Czech Airlines
Austria- Austrian Airlines
Italy- Alitalia
Slovakia- Air Slovakia
Malta- Air Malta
From Russia
Aeroflot and Cyprus Airways have direct flights to Cyprus and numerous others have flights to Cyprus which connect through Athens.
From the Middle East
Airlines that fly to Cyprus from the Middle East include:
Emirates
Kuwait Airways
Royal Jordanian
Middle East Airlines
IranAir
Gulf Air
Egypt Air
Getting closer now...
As you descend upon the final approach to the runway you will get a first glimpse of the sandy beaches of the Larnaca, Makenzi area.
Take this opportunity to pinpoint a good sunbathing location (personally I prefer the beaches of Protaras but we will talk about this later) and start fantasizing about your dream stay!
Once landed, the plane will taxi to the nearest gate which takes only about 5 minutes.
A bus will approach the plane and a ladder will be connected which will take a further 5 minutes. As soon as you step out of the plane you will feel the surge of warm air hit you on your face.
This is usually the point where you realise that your holidays have just begun! Once you have boarded the bus it is a short 1-2 minute drive to the arrival terminal.
Have your passport ready or European ID (if you are a non-EU citizen you will also need your VISA) before you leave the bus in order to save precious time and rush ahead of the queue! As soon as you enter the arrival terminal you will queue in order to have your identification (visa if applicable) checked.
Queuing can range from zero to ten minutes depending on how busy the time of day and month it is.
Checking time usually takes a mere 10-20 seconds if you are a European citizen so it shouldn’t take too long considering the fact that there are approximately 4-6 operational police counters.
Once you have passed the arrival ID checkpoint you will enter the baggage retrieval area. There are about four retrieval points.
Check the monitor above each point to identify your flight and get a trolley if you need one. They are located at your 10 O’Clock as soon as you enter the baggage retrieval area.
Baggage can take from 10-20 minutes to start rolling out after you get off the plane so by the time you have passed the checkpoint it takes about 5-10 minutes.
For all you smokers out there, there is a smoking area as soon as you enter the baggage area to the right. It is easily identifiable. Just follow the smoky haze and the rushing Cypriot locals who have been travelling with you! There are also toilets where you can freshen up (usually quite clean) immediately to your right and just before the smoking area.
You can also find a small, duty free shop (if you walk straight ahead passed the baggage retrieval points it will be to your right). You will also find a great deal of flyers, maps and information on a stand which could prove useful so help yourself to a handful (they may come in hand).
After you retrieve your baggage follow the signs so that you can enter the arrival area (50 second walk).
There is a second and last checkpoint just before you exit into the arrival waiting area where you may be selected for a random baggage check but this shouldn’t take too long even if you are chosen since the check is usually performed through a baggage X-ray machine.
After the second checkpoint and immediately before the exit to the arrival area, to your right you can find various tourist services like renting a car etc.
Once in the arrival area (if there is no one to pick you up) you can walk dead ahead to the exit (20 second walk).
If you want to exchange some currency into Euros, there is a small bank branch at your 10 O’Clock (behind the swarm of people at the arrival area!) If it is closed, do not despair since there are ATMs outside the airport to your left and also most hotels have a currency exchange service).
Outside, you can find taxis and buses which can take you to your destination. A new bus service has also been introduced in July 2008 which runs every 30 minutes and can take you to Nicosia and Limassol for a fairly cheap price (€5 to €10).
Have a great holiday!
