With its palm-lined promenades, magnificent beaches and the perfect mix of historic charm and modern convenience, Larnaca in Cyprus is a favorite with tourists with an estimated 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 (scheduled for completion in 2013) and the development of a marina and expanded cruise port from Late 2009. The 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 center, Larnaca Airport comprises a terminal, 21 aircraft stands and 9 boarding gates. Several low cost providers, including easyJet and Thomson Flights, offer cheap flights to Larnaca, departing from various UK airports. Flights to Larnaca run from Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted. Once they land, passengers are transferred by shuttle bus to the terminal building and go through passport control before collecting their luggage at one of the 6 baggage claim carousels. If for some reason the property has gone missing, there is a lost luggage office nearby, although it is not currently possible to store anything here. Alternatively, airline help desks are also located in the arrivals hall to help locate lost items.
For those who haven’t managed to change money before leaving the UK, there are a host of ATMs, a post office, a foreign 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 literature on Larnaca and a 24-hour business center that allows visitors to stay on top of any work commitments through a range of services including fax, Internet access and photocopying. Other facilities include the compulsory duty free shop, newsstand, pharmacy and gift shop. For refreshment there is a cafe on the public concourse and a restaurant and bar at the exits of Larnaca airport, which also has 48 check-in counters.
However, the most important area of information once you have arrived at an airport is knowing about the onward journey. As the public transport system in the country is not great, for those who want to travel, car rental 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.
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 around 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 1.20 euros. As well as 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 just outside the terminal. For the 10-15 minute ride to Larnaca it costs around EUR10-15. To consult rates for other destinations, there is a price table posted in arrivals with updated details.