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Larnaca is the main international airport on Cyprus (LCA) and the point most travellers use to step onto the island. The town itself is compact and unhurried, and the traffic is noticeably gentler than in Limassol — that matters on day one of left-hand traffic. If your flight lands late, it is also a sensible place to spend the first night before moving on.
Car rental reviews in Larnaca
Larnaca does not pretend to be the cultural capital of Cyprus, and that is a large part of its charm. The salt lake with its wintering flamingos sits half a kilometre from the runway. Hala Sultan Tekke mosque stands at the lake's edge. Finikoudes promenade runs along a long palm-lined beach with cafés. The town suits family travellers and anyone who wants to ease into the island at a calm tempo.
We usually meet our renters straight at the Larnaca arrivals exit, with a flight-number sign. The contract is already printed and the inspection takes five minutes — by the time other tourists are still queuing at the rental desks, our clients are on the road.
Car hire in Larnaca is popular for another reason: the location. Distances on Cyprus are short, and Larnaca sits roughly equidistant from everything worth seeing. Ayia Napa is around forty minutes east on the A3. Limassol is an hour west on the A5. Paphos is roughly two hours along the south coast. Nicosia and the Green Line crossing are forty-five minutes north on the A2.
The A5 motorway runs west out of Larnaca airport — flat and predictable, with no serpentines on the first stretch. A good route for anyone who is still getting used to driving on the left and wants an easy first hour.
Where to collect the car in Larnaca: airport or hotel
There are three pickup scenarios in Larnaca. The most common is a meet-and-greet at the airport (LCA): your supplier waits in arrivals with a flight-number sign. The contract is signed in five to ten minutes on the car park across from the terminal — no shuttle bus and no transfers between buildings.
The second option is hotel delivery. It works if you are already in Larnaca without a car, or if you fly into Paphos and stay on the east coast. Delivery is usually paid — figure on around forty euros across town, more for longer distances. The third option is collection from the supplier's office; this is rarer and tends to apply to the cheapest tariffs.
Ford Focus in Cyprus
Everything was great, nice car. Great transfer
Suzuki Jimny in Cyprus
Everything was great. Thank you
Suzuki Swift in Cyprus
Everything is fine. I recommend it.
Nissan Note in Cyprus
Everything was top notch! Thanks Alik. There were no problems with the car. Highly recommend
Mazda Demio in Cyprus
There was a problem with picking up the car. The car was supposed to be waiting for us at the airport at 5 a.m., but no one was there. We tried for more than an hour to get someone from the agency, because no one answered the phone. Finally, when we established a connection, they came to pick us up. Everything else was fine.
Toyota Yaris in Cyprus
Everything was fine. The company was decent, communication was very good. Car great. 5 from 5.
Mazda Demio in Cyprus
Everything was great! Thank you!
Toyota Vitz in Cyprus
Regarding the car rental, everything went unexpectedly comfortably and smoothly! There was some uncertainty in terms of the lack of a deposit and the quality of the vehicle itself, but when Jonny met me at the airport in a car, I was surprised. Everything got better: -service - price - quality
Toyota Vitz in Cyprus
Very good, no problems
Mazda Demio in Cyprus
This is not the first time I have rented through you - everything suits me. The car did not fail, it was in good condition, thanks, I will contact you again.
Toyota Vitz in Cyprus
Everything was perfect. Without any delays or procrastination.
Toyota Yaris in Cyprus
Everything went great, I can't remember any problems. I would also like to note the friendliness of the guys who deliver cars.
Honda Fit in Cyprus
Everything went fine. Next month I will be back in Cyprus and maybe rent a car from you.
Larnaca routes and tips on our blog
Our blog gathers the pieces written specifically for Larnaca and the east of Cyprus: where to take children, when and where to look for flamingos, how to plan an Ayia Napa day without hitting the evening traffic on the way back, which wineries around Omodos take walk-ins. The routes are tested, and travel times and costs are given for travellers driving a rental car.
Parking and small everyday details in Larnaca
Most parking in central Larnaca is free, except along Finikoudes promenade and the old port area. Those are blue zones: pay at the meter or through the easyPark app, around a euro per hour. In high season you may need to circle a few minutes for a free spot, especially around sunset when everyone gravitates to the seafront.
Most Larnaca hotels offer parking for guests — sometimes free, sometimes at a fixed daily rate, so confirm at booking. There is also a paid underground car park near the promenade itself; a sensible option for the whole day if you plan a long walk along the front or dinner at one of the seafront restaurants.
Finikoudes is busy until late on summer evenings. If you arrive at sunset, leave the car on the side streets three or four blocks back from the seafront — parking there is free and unhurried, and it is a five-minute walk to the water.
Below — the average daily rental price in Larnaca by month.
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Meet at the LCA arrivals exit
The supplier waits inside the Larnaca arrivals hall with a sign; the paperwork and inspection take about ten minutes. Unlike the international rental desks, there is no shuttle bus to a separate lot — the car is parked next to the terminal and the A5 motorway is five minutes away.
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Hotel delivery and one-way returns
If you fly into Paphos but stay in Larnaca, hotel delivery makes sense, as does a one-way booking from PFO with a return at LCA. One-way rentals between the two airports are standard; the surcharge depends on the supplier and the route, and is shown before you confirm.
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Seasonal availability
Demand from Larnaca peaks in July and August — crossovers, automatics and convertibles are the first to sell out. Booking a month or two ahead is sensible, especially if your route includes the Troodos. In winter the choice is wider and prices fall by 40 to 50 per cent.
Where to drive from Larnaca: half-day routes and full-day trips
Larnaca's strongest card as a base is geography — it is the same short distance from each of the island's main destinations. East, around forty minutes away, is Ayia Napa with the sea caves of Cape Greco and the Blue Lagoon. West along the motorway is Limassol, with the Troodos serpentines an hour beyond. North is Nicosia, with its divided centre and the pedestrian crossing into the northern part of the island.
Half-day loops close to town
Three short routes work straight out of Larnaca. The salt lake on the edge of the city is the best place on Cyprus to spot flamingos in winter — the parking is ten minutes from the centre. Lefkara, a mountain village famous for lace and silver, is about an hour into the hills. Choirokoitia, a Neolithic settlement under UNESCO protection, sits roughly an hour away on a route you can loop back along the coast.
From Larnaca everything is close: in a single day you can have breakfast on the promenade, see flamingos on the salt lake, lunch in a mountain village and be back at the beach for dinner. A car makes that possible — public transport does not.
Longer day-trips
Three longer trips are realistic in a day. The Troodos with Mount Olympus and the wineries around Omodos — leave early, return at sunset. Akamas with its wild bays and the Baths of Aphrodite — better combined with lunch in Paphos. Northern Cyprus through the Nicosia crossing — but only if your supplier permits the trip.
In practice, you can drive the full coastline of Cyprus in a single day, but you won't enjoy much of it. Five to seven days with the car is the sweet spot — enough to spread the directions across days and leave time to stop in the villages.
Frequent Questions
On TakeCars partners in Larnaca the deposit ranges from €0 to roughly €1,500. International chains (Avis, Hertz, Sixt, Europcar, Budget) hold €500–€1,500 on a credit card in the main driver's name. Local Cypriot suppliers usually take €100–€500 and many accept cash or a debit card. Use the no-deposit filter to narrow the listing to cars with no hold at all.
Yes, but only with selected local suppliers. Use the cash payment, debit card, or no-deposit filter when booking — these flag cars whose supplier accepts non-credit-card deposit. International chains (Avis, Hertz, Sixt, Europcar, Budget) require a credit card in the main driver's name and won't release the keys without one.
Most TakeCars partners use meet-and-greet: a representative waits in arrivals with a sign showing your flight number. The contract is signed and the inspection done in about ten minutes on the car park across from the terminal. There is no shuttle bus, and the A5 motorway is five minutes from the gate.
From 21 with at least one year of driving experience. The widest selection of cars is open to drivers 26 and over with three or more years of experience; younger drivers see a narrower fleet and may pay a Young Driver fee on certain models.
Most TakeCars partners forbid the trip — insurance taken out on the southern side does not work in the north. A few suppliers do allow the crossing, but it must be agreed before the booking, and a separate Turkish third-party policy is bought at the Agios Dometios checkpoint near Nicosia. Always confirm crossing rules with the supplier before signing the contract.
Yes — hotel delivery is offered by most TakeCars suppliers in Larnaca. The fee is around €40 across town and scales with distance. It is the practical option if you fly into Paphos but stay on the east coast, or if you arrive late and want to skip the airport pickup queue.
Yes, one-way rentals between LCA and PFO are standard with most TakeCars partners. The surcharge depends on the supplier and direction and is shown before you confirm. Specify the drop-off location at booking — the listing then narrows to cars eligible for that route.
Blue zones run along Finikoudes and the old port — pay at the meter or via the easyPark app, around €1 per hour. In high season, especially around sunset, the seafront fills up quickly; locals leave the car three to four blocks back on the side streets where parking is free and unhurried, then walk five minutes to the water.
No — EU, EFTA, UK and Swiss licences are accepted on the plastic card alone. Licences from outside this group are accepted as long as they include Latin script. An IDP is required only if your card is in a non-Latin alphabet (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, etc.).
On the A2 and A3 motorways out of Larnaca, the limit is 100 km/h with a minimum of 65 km/h — driving below the minimum is also fined. Rural roads are 80 km/h, urban areas 50 km/h. Cameras and average-speed sections are common; penalty points are added to the licence automatically.