Cyprus

The main tourist season runs from early May to late October with fine weather guaranteed. July and August are the hottest months and attract the most crowds. Winters are mild and wet and early spring or late autumn are good for walking and hiking in the mountains. Some winters there is skiing on Mount Olympus

You will need a passport to enter and leave Cyprus and if you wish to travel between the north and south. Passports must be produced when checking into hotels, making bank transactions or hiring vehicles. If you plan to stay more than three months you will need a visa. There are no vaccination requirements unless you are entering from a yellow fever infected area.

By bus:
Bus services connect all main towns and villages on Cyprus except Sunday and public holidays. Services are efficient and cheap.
Urban buses operate throughout the day, with additional services in the summer, timetables extending sometimes until midnight.
Rural buses are usually one or two services each day and can be slow.

By taxi:
Taxis run 24 hours in and between all the main towns. Fares are regulated and all taxis have meters. Those in rural areas can only be hired from a base station and may not have meters installed - agree the price before getting in.
Service taxis offer an excellent, cheap service using seven-seat taxis running fixed routes and, though they run to a timetable, they deliver door to door, mostly to hotels. They run every 30 mins and can be booked by phone. Fares are one tenth the normal taxi rate.

By car:
Cars are one of the best ways to explore the island. They may be hired at airports and roadside shops but are best reserved in advance in the summer season. Most only hire for a minimum two days and there are always extras in the deal - one scam is add a full tank of petrol knowing you are unlikely to return it empty. You can get cheaper deals for longer term hire.

By motorcycle:
Riders and passengers must wear crash helmets if the bike is over 50cc. Traffic drives on the left and most roads are of a good standard. There are strictly observed laws on seatbelts, crash helmets, mobile phone use and drink driving. Hire cars have red plates. Visitors can bring their own car to Cyprus for up to three months. Road signs are big and most in English.

On foot:
Cyprus has plenty of hiking and walking trails with variety the key. There is everything from mountain trails to coastal paths, from hilltops to gorges.

See Foxy's Cyprus Holiday and Travel Guides

The main currency in the south is Cyprus Pounds (C£) made up of 100 cents. The coins are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents and common notes are C£1, C£5, C£10, C£20. There's no limit on how much you can bring in but currency equivalent to more than US$1,000 should be declared. You can leave with C£100 or what you brought in.
In the north the main currency is the Turkish Lira (TL) although C£ are widely accepted. There are no coins and the most common notes are 100,000TL, 200,000TL, 500,000TL, 1mTL, 5mTL and 10mTL - making everyone an instant Turkish millionaire. There are no restrictions on how much you can bring in or take out.
Exchange rates vary daily but generally £1=C£0.8=TL3m making £C1 worth £1.20 so its worth checking, when haggling over price, whether you are talking Cypriot or British pounds, the Cypriot being more expensive.
Most banks, hotels etc in the main resorts both north and south will exchange money. In the north foreign currency is often preferred to the Turkish Lira which has been subject to very high inflation levels in the past.
Credit cards are accepted in most shops and restaurants and there are plenty of ATMs in the main resorts

Prices in Cyprus are on a par with the rest of Europe and the cost of accommodation is similar. Food probably costs more than you are used to paying, especially fruit and vegetables. The cost of eating out is also on a par with other countries though you you can get very cheap, good meals in the north. In tourist hotspots expect to pay premium prices for very ordinary food.

Within the EU:
There are no limits on what you can take when you travel between EU countries provided it is for personal use and not for resale. VAT and duty are included in the price. These are considered to be personal quantities:
800 cigarettes or 400 cigarillos or 200 cigars or 1kg of tobacco
10ltr of spirits or 20ltr fortified wine or 90ltr of wine or 110ltr of beer

Outside the EU:
If you are coming from a non-EU country you can bring goods for personal use within these limits:
200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250gms of tobacco.
1ltr of spirits or 2ltr fortified wine or or 2ltr wine
Perfume 50gms or 250ml
Other goods up to a value of C£100

For full details contact the Cyprus Customs and Excise Department

In the south:
There are two types of public phone booths - cash and phone cards. Phone card booths have instructions in English and Greek. Cards can be bought from banks, post offices and many shops for C£3, C£5 and C£10. At peak times a 3min call to the UK costs round C£2 and less than C£1 off-peak. You can make overseas calls from any phone booth. Mobile phones are widespread and you can rent a pay-as-you-go for around C£30.

In the north:
Public booths in the north take phone cards only, from a telecoms or post office. A peak 3min call to the UK costs around £1.50 and off-peak under £1. Many use mobile phones. If you dial a local code you must use the full 11-digit number including the country code 0392.

Dialling north/south and south/north has always been a bit tricky as calls normally have to go through Turkey but you can by-pass the system. In the north dial 0123 (in the south its 0139), wait for the dial tone and then dial the local number.

The Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) is the official tourist organisation in the south. The main office is in Nicosia (Lefkosia) but there are branches in Limasol (Lemosos) Larnaka, Paphos, Agia Napa, Polis and Platres. They have excellent leaflets and free country and city maps, though maps can sometimes be out of date.
In the north the North Cyprus Tourist Office (NCTO) is in Nicosia (Lefkosia) and there are branches in Famagusta, Yenierenkoy and Kyrenia. They have brochures and flimsy but adequate maps.