TRNC's airport for tourist traffic is Ercan. Small, but newly equipped and expanded, it is situated some 12km east of Lefkosa.
Flights from London to Ercan take a maximum of six hours. Charter flights to Ercan, on a range of different aircraft, run up to twice daily from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester by either Cyprus Turkish Airlines or Turkish Airlines.
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The average return adult fare is £320, although this can vary in the range £180-400 according to season and availability.All flights to Ercan have to touch down on the Turkish mainland, since TRNC is not recognised by anyone except Turkey. From Europe, the touchdown points are usuaily Istanbul or Izmir, or occasionally Antalya or Dalaman. When touching down in Turkey, passengers for Ercan do not leave the plane, but simply wait a while on the tarmac. During peak season, these flights fill up surprisingly quickly, so you need to book well in advance if you have specific time constraints on your travel dates.
There are frequent scheduled and charter flights out of England and other European Countries to the island. More than 60 flights per week arrive at Ercan airport during the summer.
Another method for those who do not mind the hassle is to get the cheapest available flight to Istanbul, then buy a return ticket to Ercan from the Turkish Airlines (THY) or Cyprus Turkish Airlines (CTY, a subsidiary
of THY) office at Istanbul. Scheduled flights by THY and CTY to Ercan run at least
twice daily from Istanbul.The return excursion fare Istanbul—Ercan is only about US$200, and is classed as an internal domestic flight. |
Despite this, all flights to Ercan use Ataturk International Airport, rather than the scruffy domestic terminal used for other internal flights. This is a great bonus as any time spent waiting for connections is far more pleasant, Ataturk International Airport being very modern and efficient, with an extensive range of shops. Its restaurant on the upper floor serves good wholesome food at reasonable prices. Flights to Ercan get fairly full, so it is advisable to have reserved in advance, then pay and collect the tickets at Istanbul. Payment is in Turkish lira, and the airport banks are always open if you need to change money. It may also be useful to note that, from the Turkish mainland itself, there are additional direct flights to Ercan from Ankara, Antalya, Adana, Dalaman and Izmir.
Airline companies
Cyprus Turkish Airlines: 11-12 Pall Mall, London SW1Y5LU; Tel. 020 7930 4851; www.kthy.net
Onur Air: 1-3 Beal Rd, Ilford, Essex IG1 4QF; Tel. 08000
015 715; www.flytwi.co.uk
Turkish Airlines: 125 Pall Mall, London SWIY 5EA; Tel. 020 7766 9300; www.turkishairlines.com
Of course it is now possible to move freely between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sectors, and the alternative of flying in to the south shouldn't be overlooked. With healthy competition between scheduled and charter operators, it can be an attractive proposition to enter North Cyprus by this method.
British Airways offers direct flights from Heathrow to Larnaca, and flies to Paphos from Gatwick and Manchester. Fares on these routes can be as low as £140 if you book far enough in advance, but rise to a totally ridiculous £550 for short-notice reservations in peak season. It's worth shopping around though because on-line flight retailers will sell you a charter seat for around £100 from a whole host of regional airports including Bristol, Exeter, Doncaster, Newcastle, Glasgow, East Midlands, Birmingham, Cardiff, Norwich, Teesside, Bournemouth and Belfast.
Some Turkish and Greek Cypriot taxi drivers now hold special licences that allow them to cross the border cither at Nicosia or Famagusta. From Larnaca, expect to pay in the region of £75-80 for the 90-minute journey to Girne.
The stringent border regulations that for so long prevented free movement between the north and south sectors of Cyprus are slowly eroding. Both locals and tourists can now cross at one of four designated checkpoints, three allowing vehicular access and one, at Ledra Palace in Lefkosa (Nicosia), restricted to pedestrians. The formalities are straightforward - simply present yourself with your passport and complete the appropriate visa application.
Privately owned cars can be driven from north to south, and vice versa, so long as the driver purchases the requisite insurance at the crossing point. Some Greek Cypriot hire companies will also now allow rental cars to cross to the north, although the increased insurance premiums need careful scrutiny - some will cover up to a maximum of only £2,000-3,000 worth of damage in case of an accident, irrespective of the total repair bill.
Tickets can be obtained from Airlines directly, however, we recommend you to book on-line through the following websites:
goNorthCyprus Holidays
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Best Cyprus Hotels
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