2007-03-08 07:49:09 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Travel ➔ Europe (Continental) ➔ Greece
If you mean North as in the Turkish part then it could be pretty dificult for the taxi to go through the checkpoint but you should have no problem. You may find the driver drops you at teh border and you have to get through yourself.
2007-03-08 08:01:10 · answer #1 · answered by bassmonkey1969 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To be honest I don't know if you will find a taxi driver in the Republic of Cyprus willing to take you into the occupied area in the north of Cyprus, and you won't be allowed to use a rental car for this purpose either. Even with a privately owed car, insurance taken out in the Republic does not cover the vehicle for entry into the north, you would have to pay for insurance (minimum 3 day charge) at the border. The 'Green Line' which is the buffer zone between the two areas of the island has been open since 2003 and does have several check points, Nicosia and Famagusta for example,where you can cross legally. You will need to show your passport and obtain a visa so that you can enter the north.
2007-03-09 14:08:44 · answer #2 · answered by Michele the Louis Wain cat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You will be able to hire a taxi in the south but it will only take you to the UN checkpoint in Nicosia. You can make the journey cheaper by taking one of their taxi-buses, where you share a large taxi with other people doing the same trip. The drivers are a bit scary by the way and take water and expect the others will smoke. Book taxi day before, the hotel can help.
At Nicosia you will have to leave your taxi and cross no-man's land at the Ledra Palace hotel. This is the only place you can cross I think (the rest of the border has snipers and landmines). You will leave the south and walk a few minutes across the UN blue beret patrolled zone. This is really interesting and sad as it is exactly as it was left at the invasion. Keep walking, do not stop! Do not do anything suspicious and do not take photographs. The UN are keeping the two sides apart for a reason. At the other side there will be Turkish Cypriot military and snipers.
At some point, I can't remember which side, you will need a visa. This visa must be on a separate piece of paper, not in your passport. The southern side and Greece won't let you in with a Turkish stamp in you passport. Make sure the Turkish stamp the sheet and not your passport.
Then you'll need to change money to Turkish money and get a taxi to the Turkish part of Nicosia. You can walk it but it's difficult to get maps in the south so you might get lost. Watch out for extortionate taxi rates. Once in Nicosia have fun, but be careful about taking photos, I don't think you are supposed to at all. Don't carry large scale (i.e 1:10,000) maps as in north and south these could have you arrested for spying. Don't look too much at military installations. If you are female it is respectful to cover you arms and legs and perhaps wear something on your head like a scarf. If you take your camera you risk having the roll ripped out or the memory card deleted when you go back across the border, so put in a new roll or make a back up of old pictures. The people in the north are friendly; as are those in the south. Don't buy much in the north as it is considered stolen property and might well be confiscated at the border. Postcards and small mementos probably alright.
This may have changed, but certainy 5 years ago there was a curfew and you had to be back in the south by about 4pm. If that still exists, you must not break the curfew. If you stay in the north pst this time or overnight the Greek Cypriots will class you as having dealt in stolen property as where you stay will have been taken from the Greeks. You may well be arrested or refused re-entry to the south, then you're really stuck!
To fly to the south is easy but I think you need to have it booked with accommodation, there's some sort of rule. So you'll need to be staying in the south.
If you go to the north directly you have to go via Turkey as the north is occupied territory and unrecognised by other countries. You can then stay in the north for the whole holiday but you won't be able to go to Greece or southern cyprus until you get a new passport, because the visa will be in your passport.
Read up about the history so that you act sensitively with both sides. It's not really dangerous and foreigners haven't been killed for years. You can get arrested quite easily though. Things may also be more relaxed now, this was 5 years ago that I went.
2007-03-09 13:41:25 · answer #3 · answered by KateScot 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Stay on the southern side, i have heard some awful reports of the northern part of Cyprus, i would never travell to the northern side, out of principal, they should give Cyprus back to the Cypriots.
2007-03-11 08:30:38 · answer #4 · answered by kevina p 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is not so difficult I think, but I would reccomend to stay in the south.. I 've heard that accomodation facilities are not as good in the north part and that army personnel are walking round the towns day and night. I have been to the south part and it was great..! The quality of life very high and the people really friendly/
2007-03-10 18:48:16 · answer #5 · answered by 10questions 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
why is it expensive? if your at one border and want to go to the next, and your just a hop skip and a jump away?. whats the expense?
2007-03-08 16:02:21 · answer #6 · answered by valda54 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i dont know now, but if the common sense and wisdom beats the arrogance an uncooperativeness of greeks and our eu, it will not be so difficult.
ps. im not turkish citizen. just trying to be objective.
2007-03-10 07:51:56 · answer #7 · answered by favorite 1 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Not possible. Stay in your country.
2007-03-08 22:39:58 · answer #8 · answered by Hoplite 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
very easy ,but very expensive
2007-03-08 15:56:55 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋