Please anyone in the community assist. Very hard to track airlines flying to Paphos from Say Gatwick ect. May time. Then I am heading SOUTH of the equator but need to get to Istambul to catch this southern connection. Is it possible to fly Paphos to Istambul. There use to be issues once apon a time between the two countries. I do not wish to head all the way back to the UK to fly South.
If you want a direct flight to Istanbul from Cyprus you'll need to get into the TRNC, and catch a flight from Ercan airport. Have a look on Skyscanner for times and prices.
For info, there are two airports in Istanbul, Attaturk on the European side not far from the city, and Sabiha Gokcen which is on the Asian side about 60kms out of town.
So make sure you allow plenty of time for transfers if your connecting flight is from a different airport.
If time isn't an object, then it's well worth staying a few nights in Istanbul. It's one of the world's great cities.
There are still, as you say "issues between the two countries", but it is possible these days to travel from one side of the island to the other easily.
There are many operators flying from the UK to Paphos - as suggested above, use the skyscanner site for details. Pegasus and Atlas airlines fly from Ercan (Lefkosia) to Istanbul very cheaply.
Trisha
Skyscanner. Had not heard of it. A good site. Not sure how one gets to Ercan from Paphos. Is there a boarder crossing and is there any issues that may arise from doing this and also imigration flying into Istambul. I notice there are flights from Larnaca to Athens then onto Istambul but there again will Turkeys imigration have issues with my passport being stamped with Greece. Use to be problem in the 70s.
Wai
I've never done the trip across into the TRNC and onward to Istanbul. Trisha has, so she might post an easier way of doing it.
There's a shuttle bus from Nicosia to Ercan, here it is...
ercanairportnorthcyprus.com/services/…
Here's the bus timetable from Paphos to Nicosia...
www.cyprusbybus.com/routedetails.aspx?id=185
...and I'd allow plenty of time.
You haven't told us what your nationality is. But helpfully for your visa needs, all that info is on the Ercan shuttle link above.
You won't have any problems getting in or out of the TRNC or mainland Turkey, unless [perhaps] you've got an Israel stamp in your passport.
Ercan to Istanbul direct will be much cheaper than LCA-ATH-IST/SAW.
Cypriotpal, can you please give some price and duration times to back that up? Because you're wrong!
How can a trip that costs £100+, more often than not flying out of Larnaca at 0600(ish), which involves a several hour stopover in Athens be less hassle that a straightforward direct flight from Ercan to Istanbul costing about £30? I haven't included luggage etc in those estimates, which will obviously bump up the prices a bit.
Either way I shall still need to bus to either of these airports from Paphos. Shall not require visa crossing over to TRNC as nationality New Zealand. I may well have a stamp in my passport from Israel as the ship I will be travelling on will stop there for one day. Cost of flight not really an issue, just trying to get most convienent way home. Istambul has flights to Malaysia and onwards to NZ which is my final destination. Otherwise I may need to go elsewhere in Europe to get connections. After being on road for 3 months the shortest way can be the best perhaps.
If you've been on a cruise and call in at an Israeli port (Ashdod?), Israeli immigration will want to see every passenger with their passport for a 'face-to-face' before allowing you to disembark.
But they won't put a visa stamp in your passport, they'll just give you a stamped card with your personal details on it to slip in your passport. Once the ship has sailed you can bin the card if you want to, or stick in a scrapbook like we did.
Whilst travelling to Ercan airport can sound onerous, it really isn't. On maps it looks like it's a real trek to get there but it took me less that two and half hours to drive from Paphos. I know using public transport will take longer but it is absolutely doable and much easier than taking the Athens route. Ercan is a small airport.
My last passport had an Israel stamp and it wasn't a problem.
Trisha
Edited: 15 January 2013, 13:00@Trisha<<<My last passport had an Israel stamp and it wasn't a problem.>>>
Good job I wrote ...[perhaps]...!
Trouble with some of these Arab and Middle Eastern countries is they keep falling in and out of friends with Israel [and even between each other], so it's always best to check on the current situation.
Edited: 15 January 2013, 13:31
