Published · 7 min read · Facts checked 9 October 2026 against the sources below
Driving in Cyprus is easier for British visitors than almost anywhere else in Europe. Traffic keeps to the left, most signs are in Greek and English, and distances are short. The roads round Paphos and Coral Bay are busy in summer, though, and the rules on drink, phones and child seats are strict. This is what to know before you pick up the keys.
Why you’ll want a car
Peyia sits on the hillside above Coral Bay, Cyprus, and the beaches, tavernas and walks you’ll want are spread along the coast and up into the Akamas. A car lets you reach the quieter coves early, come back for lunch by the pool and go out again at sunset.
From the villa above Coral Bay, the Sea Caves are about 2 km, Coral Bay beach about 5 km and the edge of the Akamas National Park about 5 km. Paphos town, the harbour and the airport are further south along the coast.
Most people collect a car at the airport. Five hire companies have desks in arrivals, and our guide to getting from Paphos airport to Coral Bay covers the route and the alternatives.
Licences and hire rules
A UK photocard driving licence is accepted in Cyprus. If you still have an old paper licence, update it before you travel or get an international driving permit. EU licences are also valid.
If you are under 25, or have held a licence for less than three years, tell the hire company when you book. Hire companies set their own age limits on top of that: Hertz Cyprus, for example, asks for a licence held for at least a year and charges extra for younger and older drivers, so read the terms before you pay.
One more point from the FCDO: a hire company that asks to keep your passport as a deposit is acting illegally. Don’t hand it over.
The rules of the road
The basics will feel familiar, but the details and the fines differ from home.
| Road | Speed limit |
|---|---|
| Motorways | 100 km/h maximum, 65 km/h minimum |
| Other roads | 80 km/h |
| Towns and villages | 50 km/h, unless signs show another limit |
Limits are in kilometres per hour, and the speedometer in a hire car will be too. On the motorway, keep to the left-hand lane and use the right-hand lane only to overtake. You may not stop on a motorway except in an emergency.
Because traffic drives on the left, you go round roundabouts clockwise, just as in the UK. Expect a lot of them on the edge of Paphos and on the coast road north towards Coral Bay.
Seat belts and child seats
Seat belts are compulsory in the front and the back. Children shorter than 1.5 m must use a restraint suited to their size, and a rear-facing child seat must never go in front of an active airbag.
In 2022 the Cyprus Police set out what that means in practice: a child car seat up to 135 cm and a booster seat from 135 to 150 cm. The police also advise that children under 16 ride in the back.
Book child seats with the car hire company, or hire them from us for the car you collect: €35 a week per seat. Add them when you send your booking request.
Drinking and phones
The drink-drive limit in Cyprus is 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 ml of breath, or 50 mg per 100 ml of blood. For novice drivers, meaning anyone with a licence held for less than three years, it has been far lower since May 2015: 9 micrograms in breath, or 20 mg in blood. In practice, if you are driving, don’t drink.
A hand-held phone at the wheel is illegal; use hands-free. Seat belt, phone and drink-driving offences bring heavy fines.
Cameras, fines and red plates
Paphos has fixed traffic cameras. Sixteen went live at five junctions on 22 January 2024, recording drivers who jump red lights, cross solid white lines or speed. They include junctions on Chlorakas Avenue and Europe Avenue, which you are likely to use on the way into town.
Fines went up in 2026. Since 6 March 2026, crossing the stop line on a red light costs €300 and three penalty points.
What red number plates mean
Hire cars in Cyprus carry red number plates. They are known as "Z cars" because the registration has often begun with a Z. A red plate marks the car as a visitor’s, so don’t leave bags or passports on show when you park at a beach or a viewpoint.
Fuel and petrol stations
Petrol stations in Cyprus keep shorter hours than many at home. Weekday hours are 06:00 to 19:00 in summer, with shorter hours on Saturdays, and most staffed stations close on Sundays. Outside those hours, automatic pumps take banknotes and cards.
Fuel is sold by the litre. On 9 July 2026, unleaded 95 averaged €1.467 a litre and diesel €1.570 a litre across Cyprus. Prices rose sharply over the year, so treat those figures as a guide. Check which fuel your hire car takes when you collect it, and fill up before a day out in the Akamas.
Parking in Paphos
Kato Paphos, the harbour and the old town all have paid parking. Pafos Municipality charges from 06:00 until midnight, in five zones. These are the charges in 2026:
| Zone | Where | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| A | Main off-street car parks, such as Pervola, Kennedy Square, the Municipal Market and Tombs of the Kings | €1 per 2 hours |
| B | Other off-street car parks | €1 per 3 hours |
| C | Main streets, including Poseidonos Avenue and Apostolou Pavlou Avenue | €1 per 30 minutes |
| D | Other on-street spaces | €1 per hour |
| E | The harbour car park in Kato Paphos (Limanaki) | Free |
You pay with the Pafos Smart Parking app, by card or e-wallet, or at the pay machines. Park in a car park rather than on Poseidonos Avenue if you plan to stay a few hours at the harbour, the castle or the mosaics.
At the villa there’s no hunting for a space: electric gates open onto a private driveway with room for three cars.
The road to Coral Bay and Peyia
From the airport the route is simple. A short stretch of the B6 and the E718 brings you to the A6 motorway into Paphos. On the far side of town you join the E701, the coast road north through Chloraka and Kissonerga, which ends at the roundabout at Coral Bay. The whole route is 25.2 km.
From Coral Bay, local roads climb the hill into Peyia. They are steep and narrow in places, and you share them with buses, cyclists and people walking to the beach. Take them slowly, especially after dark.
The coast road is busy, and change is on the way. As of February 2025, a four-lane road was planned from the Tombs of the Kings to Coral Bay, with work then expected to start in the second half of 2026. Look out for roadworks on this stretch.
Akamas tracks and your hire insurance
The Akamas peninsula north of Peyia is the reason many people come to this corner of Cyprus. Beyond the tarmac, though, much of it is reached on unsealed tracks.
In April 2026, the Audit Office reported serious problems on those tracks: potholes, loose stones and steep drops, especially between the Baths of Aphrodite and Fontana Amorosa. It also found that small cars that can’t cope with the terrain were driving them freely.
If you want to see the wilder coast, a guided jeep tour or a walk from the end of the tarmac is the safer choice. Our pages on the Akamas and on Lara beach and its turtles have more on that coast.
Crossing to the north
Many visitors drive across the Green Line into the north of Cyprus. It’s possible, but the insurance is the catch.
GOV.UK warns that cars hired in the Republic of Cyprus are often not insured in the north. You can buy insurance at some crossing points, including Agios Dometios, but your hire company may forbid the trip or need to arrange cover itself. Petsas, for example, says customers must contact it in advance for extra insurance. Ask your hire company before you go, get the answer in writing, and carry your passport. Our guide to whether Cyprus is safe has the wider safety advice.
Where to stay
Villa Prasino is a private villa in Peyia for up to 6 guests, with a 6 × 12 m diving pool, a hot tub, an outdoor bar with a fire pit and a covered games area. Electric gates open onto a private driveway for three cars, so a car or two is easy. The Sea Caves are about 2 km away, Coral Bay beach about 5 km and the Akamas National Park about 5 km. See our villa in Peyia, check availability and rates, and when you have dates and know how many cars you’ll bring, send us a booking request and tell us when you land.
