Larnaca Airport Survival Guide, Cyprus
With its palm-lined promenades, magnificent beaches and the perfect mix of historic charm and modern convenience, Larnaca in Cyprus is a favorite for tourists with approximately 5.5 million passing through Larnaca International Airport last year. The option of enjoying the glorious Cyprus weather is proving so popular that a third terminal is under construction at Cyprus Larnaca Airport (slated for completion in 2013) and development of a marina and expanded cruise port from from late 2009. Name derives from the Greek word “larnax” meaning sarcophagus, many of which have been discovered on the island, and gives an idea of the depth of its ancient past and the archaeological wonders waiting to be discovered.
Located 5 km south of the city centre, Larnaca Airport comprises one terminal, 21 aircraft stands and 9 departure gates. A number of low cost providers, including easyJet and Thomson Flights, offer cheap flights to Larnaca, departing from a number of UK airports. Flights to Larnaca run from Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted. Upon landing, passengers are transferred by shuttle bus to the terminal building and go through passport control before collecting their luggage at one of 6 baggage claim carousels. If for some reason the property has disappeared, there is a lost luggage office nearby, although it is currently not possible to store anything here. Alternatively, airline helpdesks are also located in the arrivals hall to help locate lost items.
For those who have not managed to change money before leaving the UK, there are a large number of ATMs, a post office, a currency exchange office and three banks, all located in the arrivals hall of Larnaca airport or in the public lobby to choose from. There is a tour desk offering Larnaca literature and a 24-hour business center that allows visitors to stay on top of any work commitments through a variety of services such as fax, Internet access and photocopying. Other facilities include the obligatory duty free shop, newsagent, pharmacy and gift shop. To refresh yourself there is a café on the public concourse and a restaurant and bar at the departures of Larnaca airport, which also has 48 check-in desks.
However, the most important area of information once you have arrived at an airport is knowing about the onward journey. As the country’s public transport system is not great, for those who want to travel, car hire at Larnaca Airport is practically essential. There are 8 car rental companies at Larnaca airport and these are Astra, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Petsas, Sixt and Thrifty. Fortunately, vehicles drive on the right in Cyprus and, together with the helpful road signs provided in English and Greek, plus the large and well-maintained road network, driving here should be a breeze for British visitors.
The Larcana airport buses are quite symbolic of the public transport service as a whole. Numbers 22 and 23 take over the city center but there are only about 7 races a day with the last one leaving at 4pm. In addition, there is no service available on Saturday afternoons or Sundays. Tickets are purchased on board at a price of EUR 1.20. In addition to going to the center of Larcana, there are other buses that travel further afield to places like Ayia Napa, Limassol and the capital Nicosia. The most reliable options are to use Larnaca airport transfers, where a driver meets you at arrivals and takes you directly to a waiting car or to any of the Larnaca airport taxis located right outside the terminal. For the 10-15 minute journey to Larnaca it costs around EUR10-15. To check rates for other destinations there is a price table posted in arrivals with updated details.