Practical Cyprus

Travel essentials

Everything practical about visiting Cyprus, without having to read six blogs to find it.

Currency
Euro (EUR). Cards accepted almost everywhere; keep small cash for villages.
€1 = £0.84 = 4.39 zł = $1.12 (ECB reference rate, not a card rate).
Plugs
Type G, the UK three-pin plug, 240V. Bring an adapter from mainland Europe.
Driving
On the left, UK style. Roads are good, signs bilingual Greek and English.
Fuel this week (national average): unleaded 95 €1.74/l, diesel €2.03/l (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin).
Tap water
Safe to drink in towns and cities. Most locals drink bottled by taste, not necessity.
Emergency
112 works island-wide for police, ambulance and fire.
Language
Greek. English is spoken practically everywhere tourists go.
Tipping
Not obligatory. Rounding up or 5 to 10 percent for good service is appreciated.
SIM / eSIM
EU roaming applies for EU SIMs. Local prepaid and eSIMs are cheap and easy.
Buses
No trains on the island; buses cover cities and intercity links. See Cyprus by bus.
Timezone
Eastern European Time, UTC+2 (UTC+3 in summer).
Next public holiday
Greek National Day (28 Oct) - all Cyprus holidays. Shops and banks close.

If something goes wrong

In any emergency call 112, island-wide, English spoken. EU visitors can use public emergency care with an EHIC card. Pharmacies run an official night and holiday duty rotation; any pharmacy window lists the on-duty one nearby. On your phone, the Near Me page shows your closest hospital and pharmacy.

Limassol
Mediterranean Hospital of Cyprus
Nicosia
Κυριάκος Δημητριάδης MD Msc
Paphos
Kings Medical Centre
Larnaca
Şifa DentalCare
Famagusta
Gazimağusa Devlet Hastanesi
Kyrenia
Güzelyurt Sağlık Merkezi

Month by month

Average daytime highs and sea temperature. Cyprus has the longest swimming season in the Mediterranean: the sea stays above 20°C from May to December.

MonthDay °CSea °CWhat it is like
January 17° 16° Mild, quiet, green. Good for hiking and cities, too cold to swim for most.
February 17° 16° Almond blossom in the hills. Occasional rain, mostly sunny.
March 19° 17° Spring proper. Wildflowers everywhere, sites without crowds.
April 23° 18° Warm days, cool nights. Sea still brisk but the brave swim.
May 27° 21° Real summer begins. Sea warms up, beaches still uncrowded.
June 31° 24° Hot and dry. Long beach days, warm evenings.
July 34° 27° Peak heat. Plan mountains or beach, avoid midday city walking.
August 34° 28° The hottest and busiest month. Book stays well ahead.
September 32° 27° Many locals' favorite: summer sea, thinner crowds.
October 28° 25° Warm sea into November. Superb month for everything.
November 23° 22° Swimming still possible early in the month. Quiet and mild.
December 19° 18° Christmas villages in the mountains, mild coasts.

Figures are coastal long-term averages, rounded. Mountain villages run roughly 8 to 12 degrees cooler, with snow on Troodos most winters.