Unusually, Cyprus has had no railways since the last one was dismantled in 1950, so for those who wish to buy property in Cyprus, other means of transport must be considered.
Cyprus has a fairly good road system, and, like England, driving is done on the left side of the road. Due to the lack of trains, renting a car may be your best option when visiting the country. Cars are available to rent with both manual and automatic transmissions from many dealers, and roads in Cyprus are, as a general rule, well paved and modern. Roads in some mountainous areas may not be in a good condition, so if you plan to visit these areas, some extra preparations may be in order.
When driving in Cyprus, the maximum speed on motorways is 100 kilometres or just over 60 miles an hour. As in the UK, one cannot use a mobile phone while driving unless a hands-free set is used.
For those who wish to bring their own car to Cyprus, this is possible for up to three months, provided the car has a valid registration licence of its country of its origin. If the person is considered a visitor by the Department of Customs and Excise, the three months can be extended to a longer period.
A national license should be sufficient for British citizens driving in Cyprus, provided it covers the class of vehicle you wish to drive. An International driving license is also acceptable.
Cyprus is a signatory to the Multilateral Guarantee Agreement, or M.G.A. Because of this, for the purposes of insurance, Cyprus is considered to be one territory with the other signatories. This means that if a foreign visitor enters Cyprus with a vehicle bearing a license plate from one of the other signatories, they will not be intercepted at their point of entry, as the assumption will be made that they are covered by the insurance of the vehicles country of registration. Signatories of the M.G.A. include all E.U member states as well as Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Iceland, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia and, of course, Cyprus. If the vehicle is not registered in one of these countries, a check will be made to ensure that the motorist has valid green card. If the motorist is not from a country covered by the M.G.A, and does not have a valid green card, they will not be allowed to drive their vehicle within Cyprus.
While viewing properties in Cyprus, or while living there, taxis are another transport option. Many taxis are reasonably priced, and an economical and sound choice for airport transfers, while “service taxis” provide connections between major towns at regular intervals.