A guide / 06.2026
Getting around Cypruswithout a car.
How to travel Cyprus without a car: intercity coaches between Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos, urban buses in every city, fares, the Motion Bus Card, and live times.
01
The shape of the network
Cyprus has two layers of public bus. Intercity coaches stitch the four major cities together — Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos — with a handful of routes that double as the country's spine. Urban buses then fan out inside each city. There is no national rail, so the bus is, in practice, how you cross the island without a car.
All schedules are GTFS-published, which means live tracking, accurate stop sequences, and proper routing are possible. Aloya is built directly on those feeds, plus rider GPS for the segments operators don't report.
02
Popular intercity legs
The three workhorse routes most visitors actually use:
Need a different pair? Open the planner and search door-to-door.
03
Urban buses, by city
Each city runs its own operator and its own livery. The fare, the card and the app behaviour are the same.
- Nicosia
- OSEL — blue & yellow. Hub: Solomos Square.
- Limassol
- EMEL — green & white. Hub: New Port / Anexartisias.
- Larnaca
- Zenon — orange & white. Hub: Finikoudes seafront.
- Paphos
- OSYPA — green & yellow. Hub: Karavella station.
04
Fares, in one paragraph
Urban single: €1.50. Urban day pass: €5. Intercity short hop: €4. Longest intercity leg: €7. Pay the driver in cash, tap a Motion Bus Card, or pay in-app. Children under 6 ride free. Students and pensioners get ~30% off with a registered card.
05
Frequently asked
+Can you get around Cyprus without a car?
Yes. Intercity coaches connect all four major cities (Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos) several times a day, and every city runs its own urban bus network. For airports there are direct coaches from Larnaca and Paphos to every city. The main gap is rural Troodos villages and the Akamas — for those a taxi or rental is usually faster.
+How much does a bus ticket cost in Cyprus?
Urban single tickets are €1.50. Intercity coaches are €4 for short hops and €7 for the longest legs (e.g. Paphos – Nicosia). A day pass is €5 in most cities. Children, students and pensioners pay reduced fares with the Motion Bus Card.
+What is the Motion Bus Card?
The Motion Bus Card is the island-wide stored-value card accepted on every urban and intercity bus. You can top it up at kiosks, online, or at the driver. Aloya links to your card balance and shows fare deduction in real time when you tap on.
+Do Cyprus buses run on Sundays?
Urban buses run a reduced Sunday timetable in every city. Intercity coaches run a near-full schedule but with longer gaps after 19:00. Aloya's live times reflect the actual day of the week so you always see what is really departing.
+How long does the bus take from Larnaca Airport to Nicosia?
Roughly 45–55 minutes on the direct intercity coach (route 425 / Kapnos), running every 30–60 minutes from outside Arrivals. Larnaca to Limassol takes ~70 minutes, Larnaca to Paphos ~2h15.
+Are Cyprus buses reliable?
Urban services are generally reliable but can run 5–10 minutes late in afternoon traffic. Intercity coaches are very reliable and rarely cancelled. Aloya overlays live GPS on top of the schedule so a late bus shows as late, not on-time.
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