Is the border between Cyprus and North Cyprus an issue for a casual tourist?
- By
- Aparna Patel
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- 6 Aug, 2023
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At the Ledra Street pedestrian crossing in Nicosia in August 2015, you weren’t even stopped for checks, with locals casually walking through the checkpoint. In fact the North Cypriot officers were bamboozled at me voluntarily walking up to the booth and presenting my ID card (as I wanted my entry into a non-EU country to be recorded).
Just make sure your rental company insures your car to travel to KKTC (Occupied Cyprus), otherwise you may have to rent a vehicle in the north.
As for what’s to see in KKTC, the beachfront at Kyrenia is very nice. Prices tend to be cheaper, but not as much as many folks hope they are. While labor costs are lower, KKTC has to import many things just as ROC does (fuel, food, water, autos, etc.)-and they both have to pay prevailing rates. So it’s cheaper in the south by maybe 10-15% on an average.
It’s been a while since I visited Cyprus. But I doubt things have gotten worse; There are only a few border crossings, but crossing the border is quite painless, though the setting might resemble crossing from East to West Berlin before German unification.
Public transport, on both sides, was limited when I was there. It should be possible to take a rental car from South to North. If you’re only two people, you could consider renting a scooter instead.
There’s plenty to see in terms of history, but most tourists come for the beaches and visit the sights on organised tours. But, the road system (in the south) is excellent and, with your own transport, it’s easy to get around and visit the sights yourself.
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘