Transport in North Cyprus – General Overview
January 16, 2009 by Essential Ed
Filed under North Cyprus Guide, Transport
North Cyprus does have a fairly adequate transport system – it has shipping facilities and plenty of inland transport facilities for example – but in terms of getting around the island, some forms of public transport are fairly basic but at the same time perfectly acceptable!
North Cyprus’s road network is improving with time, and most routes in-between the major cities and towns are modern with regard to road surfacing and lighting. However, you may find that within towns themselves, the roads need regular maintenance work, and with the upgrading of other utilities such as telephone, electric and water going on at the same time, it can sometimes lead to the uprooting of roads!
More upgrading is being done in North Cyprus all the time, specifically in the Kyrenia area where you may come across the work being carried out on the proposed new bypass, this will run parallel to the existing road leading from Kyrenia to Alsancak. Work has been halted at the present time of writing, so it’s hard to tell when this will be complete. Additionally there is work taking place to improve the major road from Tatlısu on the east coast, but again work has halted in last few months. Please visit our articles on driving and car hire in North Cyprus for more details about getting around.
Public transport facilities come in the form of the dolmuş (pronounced dolmush), and buses, which are a network of mini vans taking passengers to and from major towns and cities. You can pick them up anywhere along the main roads, but these may not get you everywhere you want to go.
There is an up to date network of taxis in North Cyprus as an alternative, with companies operating fleets of modern vehicles, you can pick these up at taxi ranks or by booking via your hotel, or sometimes by flagging them down on the road. All taxis are metered and often have set fares for airport transfers for example.
You can also catch a passenger and car ferry boat service in North Cyprus that departs from Kyrenia and travels to one or two destinations in Turkey, dependent on the time of year.
North Cyprus’ Ercan airport is small but modern, serving passengers travelling to and from North Cyprus via Turkey, and is the central hub for air cargo transportation as well. Major airlines such as Turkish Airlines, Cyprus Turkish Airlines, Pegasus and Atlasjet all fly via Ercan.
It is also worth mentioning that there is disabled access in some of the major hotels and holiday villages, but unfortunately you will find that many hotels do not offer such facilities and that getting around can be difficult for the less physically able in Northern Cyprus. However, there is a company based in the North which can help provide mobility products during your stay should you require them.
Please use any of the links contained in this article to find out more about the modes of transport and travel available, or alternatively please visit our Transport and Flights to North Cyprus sections.