Cyprus Car Rental

Hello everyone. I’m Mary. And today I’ll talk about car rental in Cyprus, local roads, traffic and much more. It will be useful!

We’ve been living in Cyprus for three years now, but we still haven’t bought our car. My husband works in IT: at any moment there may be a “dream job” and we will move to the other end of the Earth. There will be no time to mess with selling a car, and it’s a pity to lose a lot of money on this.

That’s why we often use car rental and have already managed to try out a variety of companies and options.

I must say right away that car rental is the best way to see Cyprus: cheap, convenient, reliable. I’ll explain why and tell you how to rent a car further in this article.

In the article I’ll tell you everything that I managed to learn about car rental in Cyprus. And I’ve a lot of experience. We live here and rent cars quite often: 1-2 times a month.

If you want to learn more about what car and insurance to choose, how to find the best price, how not to run into a scam, how to take a car, where to go on it and what are the specifics of local traffic rules, read on.

Why rent a car here?

Car rental is the only way to see Cyprus inexpensively. Excursion prices here are clearly overpriced, and public transport cannot reach the most interesting places. Let me tell you more, with pros and cons:

I would compare car rental only with excursions. Still, taxis or minibuses will not even come close to providing such memories. Let’s count money:

• Group tours cost from 50 € ≈ 52.5 $, 43 £, 193 Dh, 912 ₺ per person and I cannot say that they offer any special service for this money.
• A good private tour on Viator.com costs 150-300 € ≈ 210 $, 172 £, 772 Dh, 3648 ₺. No worse than renting a car, but not everyone can afford it: 10 times more expensive.
• You can get for 13-20 € ≈ 15.75 $, 12.9 £, 57.9 Dh, 273.6 ₺ per day a really nice car on Localrent.com even in July-August (peak season). In autumn and winter there are options for 8 € ≈ 8.4 $, 6.88 £, 30.88 Dh, 145.92 ₺ per day. And this is not some dead garbage, but decent cars (2015-2016).

It seems obvious which option is cheaper? But let’s still count. Renting a car for 2 people is about 5-10 times more profitable than excursions.

How much does it cost to rent a car: let’s compare prices

The most common class of cars in Cyprus are ordinary small cars. Because they are not expensive and for 90% of cases they are good enough. You can rent a decent car even for 15-25 € ≈ 15.75 $, 12.9 £, 57.9 Dh, 273.6 ₺ per day. Out of season – even cheaper.

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  A typical small car, which is most popular among rented cars in Cyprus.

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  Only with a rented car can you get to truly interesting beaches.

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  The roads in Cyprus are very good and beautiful. Even in the mountains. Here is a photo of Troodos Mountains.

I will talk a little further about which cars are better to take for traveling around Cyprus. And now let’s compare prices on different sites to understand which one is more profitable. I chose dates for the summer everywhere (the article is being written at the end of spring, now it’s just a good choice), the rental period is 7 days.

In comparison, I tried very hard to select similar car options. But this is not realistic: cars are very different everywhere. For example, the cheapest crossover on Rentalcars.com turned out to be 35 € ≈ 36.75 $, 30.1 £, 135.1 Dh, 638.4 ₺, and on Localrent.com it’s 50 € ≈ 52.5 $, 43 £, 193 Dh, 912 ₺.

This is because for 35 € ≈ 36.75 $, 30.1 £, 135.1 Dh, 638.4 ₺ you’ll have Nissan Juke. It’s even hard to call it a crossover. It’s a bit cramped inside, there is almost no space in the back, the trunk is tiny: neither suitcases nor a baby stroller will fit. It’s better not to drive off the asphalt at all. But this car looks and drives pretty cool. For two – a decent option.

And for 50 € ≈ 52.5 $, 43 £, 193 Dh, 912 ₺ there will be Suzuki Jimny. It’s a bigger car, and shouldn’t be afraid to drive off-road: it’s quite possible to drive to the Blue Lagoon or to the baths of Adonis. A very cool car if you plan to drive, including unpaved roads.

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  Blue Lagoon. There is also a pretty good beach nearby.

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  Baths of Adonis. Like any tourist place in Cyprus, they catch you by the name.

The same story with taxes, deposits and other “hidden surcharges”. They can be very different for each car. The only site where the conditions are clearly spelled out and we have never paid more than we should’ve been called Localrent.com.

If you carefully calculate everything, then the lowest price does not seem so low. Usually just the opposite – if the price is suspiciously low, then it does not include taxes, fees, insurance and a bunch of everything. I’ll explain how it works.

Why you shouldn’t go after the cheapest option?

I’ll say right away: it’s wrong to compare only by price. Sometimes the cheapest option ends up being much more expensive than the rest. Here’s how it happens:

1. Cheating with scratches. One of the most popular “schemes”. When accepting a car, you make all damages and scratches on the car to the contract. Well, the ones you notice. And upon acceptance, the manager “finds” new ones. Somewhere under the bottom or in the most unexpected places. They know their cars very well.

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   That’s it, part of the deposit may no longer be returned. The fine can be more than the rental price.
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     Small scratch in the parking lot. This will cost about 50-200 euros. The usual thing. Don't worry.

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     And here is a decent dent. I think that you'll lose about 200 euros. Some particularly arrogant offices may charge you for bumper replacement.

2. Insurance cheating. Booking a car on aggregators like Rentalcars.com, people do not always read the conditions carefully. And they don’t notice the paragraph about the deposit in 800-3000 € ≈ 1050 $, 860 £, 3860 Dh, 18240 ₺. Or a requirement for age or driving experience. Sometimes it is from 35 years old and the minimum driving experience is 5-7 years. I saw this happening myself.

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   This paragraphs is clarified at the rental desk at the airport. Such money may not be on the credit card. And then they give you a hard choice: either you pay extra 300 € ≈ 315 $, 258 £, 1158 Dh, 5472 ₺ for extended insurance, or you don’t get a car, they won’t refund the prepayment either.

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   That’s how, simple and quite legal, rent can rise in price by 2-3 times.
3. Car class upgrade. Very similar to the previous one. You may be told that there are no cars of the reserved class now: either take something obviously worse, or pay significantly more for a regular option.

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   Once in Berlin, the manager of a major international brand just silently upgraded our class and added 300 € ≈ 315 $, 258 £, 1158 Dh, 5472 ₺ into the bill. Since then we’ve been checking everything twice.
4. Cheating with taxes and fees. Few people carefully read the contract before making an advance payment. And often there is a lot of interesting things.

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   For example, the phrases like “Local fees to be paid on a spot” or “Local taxes may be required” easily allows to add  from 15 to 150 € ≈ 105 $, 86 £, 386 Dh, 1824 ₺ to the price (tax rate in Cyprus is 19%).

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   If you refuse to pay, you’ll lose the advance payment, as a penalty for late refusal.

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   In the case of booking through small local sites, the situation is complicated: some do not describe the full rental conditions with which you agree anywhere at all. Or they may be written, but only in Greek or Turkish.
5. Car is not available. This is what small companies do sometimes. You arrive in Cyprus, go to the counter at the airport, and they say: “Oh, the previous client just crashed your car. We can’t help with anything”.

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   You are tired after the flight, standing at the airport with suitcases and family. The children are crying, the husband or wife is nervous. Prices from other companies are many times higher than yours. For example, you booked a car for 30 € ≈ 31.5 $, 25.8 £, 115.8 Dh, 547.2 ₺, and they had one for 70 € ≈ 73.5 $, 60.2 £, 270.2 Dh, 1276.8 ₺. The manager negotiates with colleagues, so you pay “only” 50 € ≈ 52.5 $, 43 £, 193 Dh, 912 ₺.
6. Cheating with fuel. There is no established practice for paying for fuel in Cyprus. Some distributors give out a car with a full tank and ask to return the same one. Others ask you to pay in advance for gasoline (the price may be a little high) and return the car with an almost empty tank. Many write down how much gasoline was in the tank and ask to return with the same amount.

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   If you don’t control this moment, you can easily spend extra 50-100 € ≈ 52.5 $, 43 £, 193 Dh, 912 ₺ for gasoline (the price will be calculated 2 times higher than at a gas station) and car refueling service. If you rent a car for several days, such a fine often turns out to be more than the rental itself. Unpleasant…

And I have listed only the most common methods of cheating tourists, which are used by dishonest companies. Therefore, I advise you to collect a list of verified places and compare prices only with them. And no matter what “delicious” conditions advertising offers, do not fall for this lure.

To make it easier for you, I will share a list of websites where my husband and I booked at least 1-2 times. These are more or less proven and reliable options.

Where to book a car in Cyprus: verified places

My husband and I quite often use car rental services in Cyprus. At least once a month. Plus, sometimes we help friends who fly here to rest. We’ve been living here for three years, so the experience is rich.

I know three decent ways to find a car in Cyprus. Each has its pros and cons, prices are constantly changing. You need to choose according to the situation:

METHOD #1: Rental on the spot

At any resort along the waterfront there are always a lot of advertisements for various tourist services. Car rental is no exception. You can choose the most solid-looking rental office and hope for good luck.

But in the summer almost all the cars have long been taken and prices “on the spot” are constantly climbing up. The same car on the Internet can cost about 15-20 € ≈ 21 $, 17.2 £, 77.2 Dh, 364.8 ₺, and while renting at the office everything starts from 30-50 € ≈ 42 $, 34.4 £, 154.4 Dh, 729.6 ₺. If you want to rent a car for less than 4-6 days in the summer, they may refuse. Not good for their business.

Several times, due to inexperience, we booked a car in offices near the house. I must say right away that it was a bad experience: they gave out very old cars, it broke down at the most unfortunate moment, some deceived us, charging fines for everything.

But who cares about such whining? Just don’t be like me, don’t fall for such a trap.

You can at least somehow check the reliability of a local company if you carefully study reviews from various sources: maps, travel forums, social networks. But even this does not guarantee anything, because the information is very contradictory. Personally, I try not to even consider companies with a rating of less than 3.7-4*, no matter how tasty the price is. Life taught me a few lessons.

I do not understand the logic of local distributors. Prices on their websites or in the office are almost always noticeably higher than if you rent the same car for the same dates through Localrent.com or Rentalcars.com. Such a paradox…

What’s the point? Since inexperienced tourists came to your office or website, you should make the most of them?

I would understand if only small firms with an assortment of 3-5 cars behaved like this. But in the same way international brands impose services and inflate prices. Sometimes it seems that this is their main income..

There are a couple of advantages renting a car on the spot. You can chat with the manager and bargain for better conditions. For example, some local companies may give you a car without a deposit.

Ask about options, negotiate. Often you don’t have to pay extra for the second driver in the contract (my husband and I like to drive one after another) or for a child seat. You can see it live before renting a car.

True, local prices are 1.5-2 times higher, so it still doesn’t turn out to be profitable. In summer, you’ll even be offered a choice … of one or two options. Like, take what we have and don’t show off, other cars has been taken long ago.

METHOD number 2: Alliance of Trusted Local Companies

As I said, not all local distributors are bad. There are really very good guys who treat customers almost like friends. Or, at least, in a human way. In case of any problems, this becomes very important.

But finding them is not easy: not everyone has websites or cool offices on the main tourist streets. Usually it’s just the opposite. An office, a large parking lot in the center and a modern website cost a lot of money.

It’s rather difficult to search for such companies: you have to check dozens of forums, ask your friends, etc. And this doesn’t guarantee that in a year or two a small company hasn’t changed the owner or the service quality . Well, reviews are also custom-made. You can’t 100% trust them.

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  I'll fill up this little boring article with beautiful photographs. They make you want to go to Cyprus. Here is a lighthouse near Paphos.

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  Just a colorful street and cafes in the Pissouri village. If you're in those places, you can stop by for a couple of hours. Nothing incredible there, but cozy and good.

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  Well, the most recognizable place in Cyprus: Cape Greco, which the Cypriots call the Bridge of Love. You may be sure, naming of a places here is definitely cool.

It’s good that now there is an easy way to combine reliability and low prices with a good attitude towards you. Have you read carefully and already guessed that I will advise Localrent.com? That’s right!

This is my favourite car rental site. They have been operating in Cyprus since 2018, but they gained momentum very quickly. The secret of success is simple: they are very tough in selecting small companies with which they then work. And control them even more tightly. It good for me: I get excellent service at a very low price. Looks like advertising, but they are really good.

Prices and conditions: you can rent a car in winter for 7 € ≈ 7.35 $, 6.02 £, 27.02 Dh, 127.68 ₺ per day, in summer from 13 € ≈ 13.65 $, 11.18 £, 50.18 Dh, 237.12 ₺. Many cars are given without a deposit at all, but this is not always profitable. Often you can find about the same car with a deposit of 300 € ≈ 315 $, 258 £, 1158 Dh, 5472 ₺, but 2 times cheaper.

I almost always book on Localrent now. Only sometimes big brokers (read method No. 3) can offer better prices (promotions are rare but do happen). Then I take from them, if the conditions for the deductible and deposits suit me.

I will talk in detail about the main pros and cons of the company and even give step-by-step instructions for car rental a little further, about receiving it and returning your vehicle.

METHOD #3: Big car metasearch engines

You can use one of the specialised websites to search for a car. The most popular is Rentalcars.com (owned by Booking.com). You can double-check the price on Economybookings or Discovercars.

This method is good because works more or less in all countries. It’s enough to work with some site once and then you’ll definitely not be left without a car.

If you rent a car through one of the international aggregators, I advise you to read all the conditions very carefully: look at the size of the deposit, information about unexpected fees, whether the final price includes 19% tax or not.

I’ll give you an example. Once we took a car for a week at Larnaca airport. Subcompact Kia Picanto. It should have cost us 137 € ≈ 143.85 $, 117.82 £, 528.82 Dh, 2498.88 ₺, deductible 650 € ≈ 682.5 $, 559 £, 2509 Dh, 11856 ₺. We were additionally charged 20 € ≈ 21 $, 17.2 £, 77.2 Dh, 364.8 ₺ airport tax, 4.5 € ≈ 4.725 $, 3.87 £, 17.37 Dh, 82.08 ₺ for the second driver and 19% tax. It turned out 192 € ≈ 201.6 $, 165.12 £, 741.12 Dh, 3502.08 ₺, almost 30% more expensive. Since then, we always read the contract.

What is the best website to book a car?

If almost all  websites that I recommend simply collect offers from various international and local companies, then in theory the prices and level of service should be the same for them. This is not true in real life. They are very different!

Let’s share a personal rating of car rental sites in Cyprus and at the same time talk about the pros and cons of all the presented options:

1. Localrent.com – here are offers from trusted local distributors. Basically, these are rather small private companies.

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   The upside is that prices and deposits are often lower here than on other sites. The attitude towards customers is very good – any problem will be solved quickly and, most importantly, fairly. For example, if you scratch your car, you will only have to pay for the cost of painting, not the replacement of the entire bumper.

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   This is the only website where we’ve never been deceived even in small things.
2. Rentalcars.com – this is the largest website of its kind in the world. Works with both large local companies and international brands.

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   Due to the volumes, they can sometimes offer very tempting prices. The cost will be noticeably lower than when booking a car directly on the spot.
3. Discovercars.com – I’ll put this site in third place for the fact that they often come across interesting and unusual cars. For example, my gals and I once rented a Range Rover Sport for a day in time of promotion. It turned out very expensive, but incredibly interesting – the car is just super. After the usual vehicles this one was like from another world.
4. Economybookings.com – another good car rental website. Sometimes you can find quite interesting offers with a good price there.

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   I rarely use it myself. I don’t like that it’s not really clear what kind of deposit you need to make for the car and what kind of deductible it’ll have.

Why do I like Localrent the most?

I try to use all the sites from the selection. I choose the one that offers the most favourable conditions for my dates. In about 90% of cases, this turns out to be Localrent or Rentalcars.

There are quite a few articles about Rentalcars on the Internet. Not surprising, because this is the largest and most hyped website. A good, proven option. They are quite usable. Especially if you rent a car not for the first time.

But Localrent is quite new, not everyone knows it yet. It appeared in Cyprus, it seems, in 2018, but somehow it quickly became the main one for me.

For the last year, I’ve been starting my search from this website, and if I find a good price, I don’t look any further: there is no point in risking for the sake of 5-10 € ≈ 5.25 $, 4.3 £, 19.3 Dh, 91.2 ₺ savings.

Let’s talk about the benefits that are important to me. I’m not saying it’s all advantages. It’s just that these are the things why I use the service myself:

1. Safety and reliability. I like that the website immediately shows the final rental price. And it will remain so. If I need additional insurance, a navigator, a second driver or a child seat, I’ll add these options myself. And the price is immediately visible.

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   When renting on Localrent, I’m sure that they will definitely provide me with a car. Even if the distributor has force majeure, it’ll no longer be my problem. The company will fix it. On the contrary, they’ll give me a better car for the same money.
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     How they rebooked me a car that was broken by previous clients.

2. Human attitude. We are all only human and sometimes we make mistakes. You can scratch the car or puncture the tyre. Even if you drive ten times cooler than my husband and I, no one is safe from a stone flying into the windshield.

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   And here’s the difference between Localrent and some other companies . The first will quickly and honestly calculate the real price of the repair, while the second will gladly charge much more for the same damage: they’ll say that they will change the entire bumper due to a simple scratch.
3. Prices, deposits, prepayment. I’m not going to show off. It’s just cheaper here. Approximately 10-30%. For me, this is good money. Conditions for prepayment, deposits, insurance, child seats are also more profitable.
4. Lots of information about the car. I do not like to take a pig in a poke. It’s clearly described what kind of car they will give you on Localrent, what year and color it is, is there air conditioning, how many airbags, etc.

   

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   This is not the case on other sites. They offer to choose only class of a car. Everywhere there is a postscript “or similar.” And what is included in this class is known only to their managers.
5. Easy to search for a car. The site has the most convenient filter system. You can choose cars from 2015 with an engine over 1.5 liters, priced up to 30 € ≈ 31.5 $, 25.8 £, 115.8 Dh, 547.2 ₺ and without a deposit with a couple of clicks. This saves a lot of time.

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   A little further I’ll tell you in detail how to use filters and what they give. It’s unrealistically convenient thing that helps to choose a car.
6. Clear terms. No need to read a huge contract in small print. All conditions are very simple, fair and intuitive.

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   The price, deposit, prepayment, the cost of insurance can be seen immediately. The website shows whether it’s possible to pay in cash or the distributor accepts only credit cards.
7. You can pick up the car at the airport. A very handy option. You arrive, pick up the car and drive to the hotel. Saves both money and time.

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   But you can ask to leave the car in any convenient place for you. For example, right at the door of a villa or hotel. Sometimes you have to pay extra for it, sometimes you don’t. The site will immediately show how much such a service will cost.
8. Nice customer support. The level of service is shows best in trouble. Unfortunately, in non-standard situations, support on many websites responds with standard phrases and doesn’t help in any way. You’re only wasting your time.

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   On Localrent it’s different. There are great guys who are trying to help and advise you what to do.
9. There are child seats and boosters. I don’t have children yet, but friends and family often come to visit. The ability to quickly and inexpensively order a car with a child seat or a booster is very important for them.

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Have I convince you? Then here is the link to Localrent.com. Go ahead and choose a car. Don’t delay with booking – it’ll turn out more expensive.

What’s about disadvantages?

I like this site and I don’t see any special disadvantages here.

If you start “digging”, you can probably find something. But usually these will be far-fetched arguments like “you will pay a lot more for a small advantage that you will not use later.”

I even searched the Internet for what other bloggers usually point out. It seems to me that there is such nonsense … Judge for yourself:

• Website requires prepayment. Well, yes, any decent company requires an advance payment. All these bookings without prepayment are such garbage… They mean nothing and no one will be obliged to give you a car. If there is a suitable car available, they will give it to you. If they don’t have a car, they’ll send you away. With an advance payment, at least some obligations and guarantees appear.
• You can’t see the car before booking. And who gives you such a service? The rest of the websites don’t even promise to provide a specific model. Do you think that if you book a Ford Focus and the picture shows a new car of the latest model, they will give it? No way! They can give you anything at all.

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  The local companies are no better. There may be some photos of cars, but often they are made 5 years ago, and sometimes they are even taken from the Internet.

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  Localrent in this regard is very advanced: there is a detailed description of the car, often with photographs. You can roughly judge the condition by the year of production.
• Not always possible to pay by card. Well, sometimes it happens, that’s true. But if someone is ready to overpay one and a half to two times more or freeze a lot of money on the credit card just to not bother with cash – your choice.
• Small companies are not reliable. This is where I want to argue. Everything is just the opposite. The company is reliable, and they treat every customer very well. I have a lot of experience. There were different situations. I have always been listened.

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  For example, if a rental car got into an accident or broke down, they offered to choose another one for the same price, with the same deposit. Of the options that are much cooler and more expensive than the originally booked car is.

Is it possible to book a car without a deposit and a deductible?

There are two ways to rent a car without a deposit at all:

Option number 1: choose a car on Localrent. Click Filters -> No deposit. It’ll show only cars without collateral.

Option number 2: local search. Go around all the rental offices on foot, see all offers, negotiate. Spend all day on this. And the price is likely to be much higher than if you book in advance via the Internet.

Step-by-step instructions for car rental in Cyprus

Since Localrent.com turned out to be the cheapest in our comparison, I’ll write the car rental instructions using it as an example.

When to book a car?

It’s better to book a car immediately after buying tickets. I’ve never seen distributors cut prices. Even if the machines are idle. Only the tsunami or something like that will help, but it has not yet been in Cyprus, as I recall.

Usually everything is quite the opposite: you can find options for 30-50% cheaper a month or two before the vacation in comparison with booking just a couple of days before.

Therefore, since you’re already reading the article, it’s better to start looking for a car right now. I will duplicate the links: Localrent.com or Rentalcars.com.

How to use filters?

First of all, it’s worth deciding on the parameters of desirable car. I ask friends and found out the most common “Wishlist”. Let’s look how you can find the car you need on Localrent.com. It’s very easy and can be done in just 5 minutes.

1. Car for the family. Spacious car, powerful engine, air conditioning, automatic, not older than 2013, the presence of a child seat.

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   To find such a car, you first need to select the city where you want to pick up and return the car. You can choose different ones, for example, for a long trip around the island, I advise you to take a car in Larnaca and return it in Paphos. Then choose the dates and the desired car class.

   

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   Most tourists are suitable for “middle class” and “crossovers”. If the budget allows, you can include “luxury and convertibles”, but such cars are more expensive. For large companies (if you are traveling with two families), “minivans” are good. The site will filter out only the cars you need. If you need to refine your search, click on the “Filters” button in the upper right and select the one you need:

   

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   Here we select an automatic transmission, the desired engine size (if you have a child and 2 suitcases, take at least 1.5 liters), the manufacture year (so that your car is not quite old and dead), the desired version of the child seat. It remains to click on the green button “Show 148 cars” and website will find only those cars that perfectly match your criteria.
2. An important event. Expensive and beautiful car. Perhaps a convertible or a good crossover. Automatic transmission. Not older than 2014.

   

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   You can search in the same way as in the previous case. Just choose the class of car “Luxury”. The site will show different unusual cars that will look great in a wedding photo album, Love-story, etc.
3. Budget vacation. Economy class car, low fuel consumption, no deposit. Price up to 30 € ≈ 31.5 $, 25.8 £, 115.8 Dh, 547.2 ₺ per day.

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   There is nothing complicated here either. Choose the city where you will pick up the car and the rental dates you need. And then set up filters:

   

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   Keep in mind that cars without a deposit often cost a little more. If you have money for a vacation and you just don’t want to overpay for a car, it’s better to take a cheaper car, albeit with a deposit. It’ll be back anyway. P.S. Very old cars, especially those produced before 2010, I do not recommend. Usually they are in a pretty bad condition.
4. Spontaneous trip. The ability to book a car in 5 minutes without correspondence and waiting for confirmation.

   

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   There is no special filter here, but a small lightning bolt in the car list.
5. Inexperienced driver. Not the newest and most expensive car, automatic, CDW or SuperCDW insurance without a deductible and deposit. The size of the car is small.

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   I advise you to choose the class “Compact”, “Crossovers” or “Cabriolets”: Economy class cars just small and compact. It’s easier to park in the city or drive on a narrow road. The dimensions are easier to feel.

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   In convertibles you can see and hear the traffic situation much better. Dimensions are also easier to feel. Parking, changing lanes and turning will be more convenient and easier. SUV’s have direct landing. You sit higher, see farther and have better control of the road. But parking in such cars is difficult. Ask your husband or wife to stand aside and help: let them say whether you fit in or not.

   

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   Website first shows economy class cars (sorted by price), but if budget allows, you can scroll down the page and find something much more interesting.

What insurance to choose?

For the most part, you don’t need insurance. The fact is that high deposits in Cyprus make insurance almost useless. I’ll explain why.

Localrent.com published an interesting statistic recently:

Two interesting conclusions can be made:

1. Renting a car in Cyprus is safe. Only 0.23% of clients have to spend a really big money (more than 200 € ≈ 210 $, 172 £, 772 Dh, 3648 ₺). This is one person out of 500.
2. Insurance with a deposit is useless. Every insurance company has a deductible. Usually it’s clearly more than 200 € ≈ 210 $, 172 £, 772 Dh, 3648 ₺. So, for 99.77% of tourists insurance will not help.

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   Of the 0.23% of the remaining people, not all of them damaged the car for an amount greater than the deposit. Let’s assume that the insurance comes in handy in half of the cases. Seems like only one person out of a thousand is will get a payout!Is it worth paying extra for CDW or SuperCDW 30-50% of the rental price if this insurance is unlikely to be useful, and the probability of getting into an accident is low? Decide for yourself. Personally, I usually don’t pay for insurance.Insurance without a deposit makes sense, because it will also protect against scratches in the parking lot. And this is the most common case in Cyprus. But for such insurance you have to pay the same amount as the rent.

P.S. If you rent a car from unreliable distributors, and even very cheaply, it makes sense to overpay for the most reliable insurance without a deductible.

What kind of insurance is available in Cyprus?

You can choose from three insurance options in Cyprus. TPL is mandatory, it’s included in the price by default and cannot be refused. CDW or SuperCDW are usually bought as option, but with some cars they go “as a gift.”

1. TPL. If you’re not at fault for the accident, you don’t have to pay anything at all. Guilty – pay only for the repair of your car.
2. CDW. The same as TPL, in case of your fault in an accident, insurance will pay the difference between the deductible and the repair. Except the wheels, bottom and windshield.
   Example #1: deductible 500 € ≈ 525 $, 430 £, 1930 Dh, 9120 ₺, repairs cost 700 € ≈ 735 $, 602 £, 2702 Dh, 12768 ₺. They’ll take the entire deposit, the insurance company will pay 200 € ≈ 210 $, 172 £, 772 Dh, 3648 ₺.

   Example #2: deductible 500 € ≈ 525 $, 430 £, 1930 Dh, 9120 ₺, repairs cost 200 € ≈ 210 $, 172 £, 772 Dh, 3648 ₺. You’ll be refunded 300 € ≈ 315 $, 258 £, 1158 Dh, 5472 ₺ from the deposit, but 200 € ≈ 210 $, 172 £, 772 Dh, 3648 ₺ will be taken away. The insurance didn’t help.
3. SuperCDW. The same as CDW, but in case of damage to the wheels, bottom or windshield, insurance will cover these damages.
4. No deposit. There will be no deductible in insurance. You don’t have to leave a deposit. Beneficial for CDW or Super CDW. Examples:
   Example #3: CDW insurance without deposit. The repair costs 1000 € ≈ 1050 $, 860 £, 3860 Dh, 18240 ₺, including a broken windshield for 200 € ≈ 210 $, 172 £, 772 Dh, 3648 ₺. The insurance company will pay 800 € ≈ 840 $, 688 £, 3088 Dh, 14592 ₺, but you will have to pay for the windshield.

   Example #4: SuperCDW insurance without deposit. The repair costs 1000 € ≈ 1050 $, 860 £, 3860 Dh, 18240 ₺, including the windshield for 200 € ≈ 210 $, 172 £, 772 Dh, 3648 ₺. The insurance company will pay 1000 € ≈ 1050 $, 860 £, 3860 Dh, 18240 ₺, you – nothing.

How to rent a car at Larnaca Airport

If you arrive on your own, it’s very profitable to rent a car right at the airport. This way you can save a lot on a taxi. For example:

• A taxi from Larnaca Airport to Limassol costs 50 € ≈ 52.5 $, 43 £, 193 Dh, 912 ₺.
• A taxi from Larnaca Airport to Larnaca costs 22 € ≈ 23.1 $, 18.92 £, 84.92 Dh, 401.28 ₺.
• A taxi from Larnaca Airport to Ayia Napa costs 44 € ≈ 46.2 $, 37.84 £, 169.84 Dh, 802.56 ₺.
• A taxi from Larnaca Airport to Paphos costs 113 € ≈ 118.65 $, 97.18 £, 436.18 Dh, 2061.12 ₺.
• A taxi from Larnaca Airport to Protaras costs 50 € ≈ 52.5 $, 43 £, 193 Dh, 912 ₺.

Instead of taking such an expensive taxi, you can book a car with delivery to Larnaca International Airport. It’s free and very convenient. Even if you rest in Larnaca, the first day of the rental will be free. Well, if you choose Paphos for your vacation, you can take a car for 5-6 days instead of a taxi.

How to inspect the car upon receipt?

I made a small instruction on checking the car before signing the papers. If you’ve already rented a car abroad many times, feel free to skip this chapter, there is nothing extraordinary there.

But if this is your first rental, I advise you to take it carefully or even print out my checklist for yourself. Perhaps these simple tips will help a lot.

Shooting such a video is useful as evidence in controversial situations. Most even not entirely honest distributors will not try to deceive you seeing that you are serious about renting. What is the point if there are many people who take any car and sign documents without looking.

Also, such a video takes your worries away. It’s unrealistic to find and remember all the damage when inspecting the car. Over time, you’ll notice new scratches and dents. You can either to worry, or to open the video and see if you are guilty or not.

How to travel around Cyprus? What to be afraid of?

In general, there are no problems or dangers in a car trip in Cyprus. But still, several times a year, tourists encounter troubles that I consider necessary to warn about.

Don’t leave the car anywhere and anyhow. Cyprus is quite safe and very relaxing. But even here there can be problems:

• Hubcaps. If the car is on stamped disks (usually small cars), then they are often covered with hubcaps for beauty reasons. So, very, very rarely they can be stolen. A set of hubcaps can cost up to 50 € ≈ 52.5 $, 43 £, 193 Dh, 912 ₺.
• Broken glass. If you leave the car unattended, it is better to remove handbags, wallet, phone, camera or any valuable items from the inside, so they can’t be seen through the glass. Again, trouble is rare, but someone can break glass to steal your things.
• Convertible must be closed. Never leave a convertible with open top anywhere. Something can be stolen from it, animals can get in there or birds fly in and take a shit. And yes, people are different.
• Park carefully. Do not huddle in the parking lot close to other people’s cars. Not the fact that they have experienced drivers: they can scratch your car and not even notice. If the car has good insurance, it will cover all this. But you need to worry about it, call the distributor, draw up an accident report…Not worth it.

How to return a car?

Returning a car is much easier and faster than receiving it. Most distributors accept it literally in one minute: they walked around in a circle, saw that there is no new damage and immediately give you the deposit.

But if you book not on my tip, but in some unfamiliar company, it’s better not to leave the manager when returning the car and not leave him alone with the car until you receive back either your deposit or a no-claims document.

Q&A: what you need to know about car rental in Cyprus?

Since I often help friends to organize their holidays in Cyprus, I constantly have to answer the same questions. I decided to collect them all in one place so as not to repeat myself.

Car rental reviews in Cyprus

I left my review and gathered the opinions of other tourists: my friends who at least once rested in Cyprus and rented a car here.

Let’s try to collect here the largest database of honest reviews about car rental in Cyprus? I’m sure many tourists will find it useful.

After the rental, do not forget to spend 3-5 minutes and describe your experience in detail: what kind of car you rented, how much it cost, where you went, etc.

Well, that’s the end of the article. I told absolutely everything I know about car rental in Cyprus. If something is not clear, you can ask in the comments.

Well, the best gratitude to the author is your feedback. If you took the car based on my tips, be kind to spend 2-3 minutes and tell how it went.