Park Rest Journal — July 2026 · Getting there
A car in Northern Cyprus is not a luxury but the only way to reach the Karpaz beaches, the mountain castles and the village tavernas the buses never get to. Below: what you need to hire one, how the insurance works, what the red number plates mean and where to park in Kyrenia (Girne) without picking up a fine.
What you need to hire
The hire company will want your passport and a national driving licence in Latin script; according to 2025–2026 guides, British and European licences are accepted without an international permit, while drivers from other countries are often asked for an international one as well. The minimum age with most firms is 25, though some rent from 21 with a surcharge. Basic insurance is included in the price and full cover with no excess costs extra; deposits start from around 300 euros, and some local firms take none at all.
Every hire car carries red plates, so police and other drivers can spot a visitor at once. You cannot take a hire car into the Republic of Cyprus: the insurance is void on that side. Fuel works on a 'return it as you found it' basis; a litre of 95 cost about 50 TL in early 2026, filling stations are attended and take cards.
Driving on the left
Traffic drives on the left with the wheel on the right; at roundabouts, whoever is already on the circle has priority. Limits are 50 km/h in town, 65 on unsigned roads, 80 where signed and 100 on the inter-city highways. Seat belts are compulsory in every seat, and a phone in the hand is the most expensive fine: 43,500 TL under the 2025 tariff, against 4,350 TL for a missing belt. Fines are paid by card only.
Where to park
Double yellow lines mean no parking at any time, a single line means loading only; a parking fine is around 2,170 TL. In Kyrenia the old harbour front is pedestrian, so you leave the car at the municipal car park in the centre or at the St Andrew's church car park and walk down. In Bellapais you park on the square below the abbey: the narrow lanes fill up by late morning.
Red plates, the left-hand side and card-only fines: the three rules of hiring here.
- Book an automatic with air conditioning several weeks ahead: in July the economy class goes first.
- Photograph the bodywork and wheels at pick-up and have the fuel level written into the contract.
- Keep your licence, the hire agreement and your passport in the glovebox: if you are stopped, the police ask for all three.
- In an accident, do not move the car; call 155 and wait for the report, since without it the insurance will not pay.