Renting a car in Cyprus, which company to choose: local or international?

Renting a car on the island of Aphrodite is a great idea.

Quality roads with improved pavement and no traffic jams on the way allow you to visit a lot of interesting things in no time, whether it is a famous landmark or a picturesque village in the mountains. In everyday life, it is also more convenient to have a car. That's why Cyprus has so many rental services for every taste.

Let's talk about the difference between local and branded companies known all over the world.

It is good when the rental market is wide and varied. Thanks to competition, prices remain affordable even during the peak tourist season. On average, you can rent a car in Cyprus for 15 euros per day in the off-season and 40 euros per day in the high season of the influx of tourists. The luxury car rental market stands apart, but it is also very lively. In addition, many people take cars for long-term rent for 3 months and more. For example, during a long wait to order a new car from the mainland.

Today in Cyprus you can find:

1. International rental companies Sixt, Hertz, Europcar, Firefly, Flizzr, Payless.
2. Local giants: Cyprus Airport Car Rental, KEM Rental Cars, My Car Hire Deals, Get Your Car.
3. Small private family-owned rental centers.

The market leaders provide their customers with the most convenient service, starting from choosing a car on the website and ending with the agent's consultation and delivery of the car to the client. In addition, today in Cyprus everywhere you can pay with both cash and card.

Most customers prefer to compare all rental options and prices on the rental market at the same time. You can analyze the situation and book a car in advance through aggregator sites, which have in their database relevant data and convenient filters. The most popular of them are English and Russian speaking and accept payment in almost all ways: Rentalcars, EconomyBookings, Localrent.

Additional costs

Additional expenses during car rental: insurance, deductible, and deposit. The amounts and responsibilities vary from company to company.

The deductible is the cash equivalent of the renter's liability in case of damage to the vehicle. This money is not refunded in case of damage to the car. The average cost is 300-1000 euros.

Insurance comes standard and extended. If the rental car comes with a tangible deductible, it makes sense to take extended insurance, rather than the usual, covering only third-party liability, theft, and body damage (not including windshield, tires, or underbody). And if no deductible has been requested, you can get by with the most economical insurance.

It should be noted that in Cyprus the car insurance will cease to be valid when driving on unpaved roads. Ask if the service can be extended if there is a need.

A deposit may be charged at the discretion of the hirer. The amount may vary, but most often it is equal to the amount of the deductible. In some cases, it is more convenient to pay the deposit in cash, because when paying by card, the procedure of returning the frozen amount may take a month.

Additional equipment. Navigators have already disappeared into oblivion, but someone still rents them, although it is easier to download the maps.me application and use the map offline, as well as to make marks and plan the trip. However, every Cypriot driver is required by law to install a booster or seat for a child under 10 years old.

International rental companies

First of all, international rental companies are convenient because they usually have a quality and clear website, where you can book the desired car in advance.

In addition, many of them have an office in Larnaca or Paphos airport, which also facilitates communication and registration of the rental.

The choice of business class cars differs significantly from the offer of small local companies. But the responsibility is also higher.

By and large, companies like Sixt and Hertz are chosen either by meticulous German tourists or by those who first came to the island of Aphrodite and their soul asks to be insured by a loud international name. By and large, the laws for European companies are the same, and people with a similar mentality work in them. Unrelenting competition makes all players pull up to the bar of international standards.

Local rental companies in Cyprus

The main difference is that many local rentals do not take a deposit. You can often see an ad online "Rent a car in Cyprus without franchise and without deposit". So this refers most often to small local rental businesses.

To find economical offers of this plan, it is convenient to use the Localrent website with the filter "No deposit".

In addition, the deductible is reduced or eliminated by the driver's extended insurance.

Sometimes small companies generously offer child-free car seats, which is very convenient and economical, especially if a family with more than one child is traveling.

I don't know, I didn't feel any difference between the service of an international and a local company. There are still local workers and local cars," shared his opinion, a forty-year-old resident of Cyprus, who has had time to be a tourist and a resident.

One of the main components of the success of a local rental company is that most people are very easy to deal with light scratches and minor damage to cars. Without wasting time on repairs, we pass the vehicle on to another client," says an employee of a local Cypriot rental company.

From this, we can conclude that the quality of rental cars in any case is worth checking before taking yourself and your family for a ride.

Which driving license is acceptable in Cyprus?

By law, foreign nationals can only drive a rental vehicle with an international driver's license. The Cypriot government is a signatory to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. In practice, few renters have such documents and the renters are satisfied with the national license in Latin script. So far everyone is satisfied. Well, the road signs are intuitive.

All rented cars in Cyprus have red license plates. Local police treat them loyally, and sometimes even turn a blind eye to minor violations. The main thing is not to forget about left-hand traffic. There are enough daredevils on the island and among the locals. It is worth noting that by law it is strictly forbidden to park on the opposite side of the road to the traffic, but many natives constantly do exactly that, so do not be surprised and be vigilant behind the wheel.

Every adult in Cyprus drives a car. There are practically no traffic jams, except during rush hour at the entrances to major cities. So feel free to rent a car and enjoy your trip around the beautiful island of Aphrodite!

For a large selection of cars visit the DOMCar website.