The bus from Nicosia to Famagusta doesn't take cash. The shared minibus (dolmuş) from Kyrenia to Famagusta takes nothing but cash. That's why the Cyprus public transport network can't be explained with a single rule: every route has its own operator, and both the fare and the payment method change with the operator. That said, the "KIBHAS" bus runs from Ercan to the city centres, with tickets per person ranging from 350 to 550 TL (as of mid-2026). Intercity shared minibuses and city minibuses come into play after that, while taxis operate under a separate arrangement. If tariffs change during the year, the figures will shift.
The İtimat Bus on the Nicosia-Famagusta Route
İtimat runs the route between Nicosia and Famagusta. Though there's no precise annual figure, the company carries close to 200 thousand passengers a year and bills itself as the TRNC's (North Cyprus's) biggest transport company. Buses depart on the hour, with the first service at seven in the morning and the last between six and seven in the evening. You board in Nicosia in front of the office in Cağlayan, and in Famagusta at the glass-fronted terminal opposite the Anıt roundabout; the journey takes an hour and a half. A ticket costs 250 TL with AdaKart or mobile QR, 280 TL by credit card. There's no cash sale on board. A passenger with nothing but banknotes either buys a ticket at the office or downloads the AdaKart app and tops up the balance there. If you have neither card nor app, you need to stop by the office before boarding.
From Kyrenia to Famagusta by Shared Minibus
The shared minibus that runs directly from Kyrenia to Famagusta has no connection to İtimat — a small operator runs it with eight-seat vehicles. Departure is from the building signed "Kombos" in central Kyrenia; arrival is in front of the Komtur office in Famagusta. The journey takes an hour and fifteen minutes. Services depart between 09.00 and 18.00 at intervals of one to one and a half hours, and since the vehicle is small you're asked to reserve a seat in advance. The fare is 350 TL and entirely in cash: on the way out you hand the money to the driver, on the way back you get a ticket or receipt from the counter. The banknote that's useless on the Nicosia route is the only valid payment here. A passenger who mixes up the two routes either stands cardless at İtimat's office or waits card in hand outside Kombos; carrying both in your wallet is the cheapest insurance.
The Nicosia-Kyrenia Route: Half an Hour
On the Cyprus public transport map, this is the route linking the two biggest cities — half an hour's drive. Under the 15 January 2026 tariff, the fare rises from 70 TL to 100 TL; the 42 percent hike is the latest update to the official tariff. At peak times a vehicle leaves every 20-30 minutes; in winter the interval stretches to hourly. The first vehicles set off around 06.00-07.00. Can you find a shared minibus from Kyrenia to Nicosia at nine in the evening? The last vehicle departs somewhere between 19.00 and 21.00; past nine, waiting at the stop is down to luck. In Nicosia the departure point is the bus terminal. On the Kyrenia side the departure point isn't known with the same certainty — a central stop is mentioned, but it may have been confused with the KIBHAS departure. If you're boarding in Kyrenia, ask at your hotel or at the stop a day in advance.
Minibus Fares Within the Cities
Down at city level, Cyprus public transport fares shrink. In Nicosia there's a single tariff: 20 TL. In Kyrenia the central routes cost 29 TL, and on the district routes towards Karaoğlanoğlu, Alsancak, Lapta and Çatalköy the figure climbs to 39 TL. Since no list showing which route costs what is published, you learn the fare on board. On Kyrenia's two main routes east and west, a vehicle passes every 20-30 minutes; per-route timetables aren't published anywhere, and there's no method other than going to the stop and waiting. In the small minibuses, money is still handed to the driver.
In the Gönyeli-Alayköy area, the municipality abolished on-board cash payment from 1 April 2026. Buses here are boarded with "AdaKart" or a contactless bank card, and the mobile app works too. The card is bought from kiosks and municipal cash desks; balance is topped up at kiosks or Turkcell centres. İtimat also uses the AdaKart name, but whether the two cards are the same system or two separate systems sharing a name is unclear. Don't assume the balance you load in Gönyeli will work on the Famagusta bus; if it doesn't, buying a ticket at the office is still possible.
What's Left in the Evening Hours
Intercity routes run on office hours: after 18.00-19.00 in the evening there's barely a service left, and there's no shared minibus to a beach or an archaeological site anyway. There is a bus from Famagusta to Dipkarpaz, but it runs on a schedule that brings villagers into town in the morning and takes them back in the afternoon. There are one or two services a day on weekdays, mostly none at weekends. There's no evening return at all. East of Dipkarpaz — to Altınkum and the monastery — no service exists. Kantara, Alagadi, St. Hilarion, Karmi, Buffavento and the Morphou (Güzelyurt)-Lefke coast are in the same position; you reach these addresses by rental car or taxi.
Two experiments were made for night travel, both in 2025. In Nicosia, the municipality and the Nicosia Public Transport Company launched a three-month night service on 1 July 2025: from Tuesday to Saturday, a vehicle left every hour between 19.00 and 01.00. The ticket was 55 TL and could also be paid by card. In Famagusta, the municipality's flexible transit system started in May 2025 with five routes. The Palm Beach-Glapsides route runs Friday to Sunday, the Thursday Market routes only on Thursdays, and there's no information on the fare. There's no current news that either was still running in "August 2026". So count both as unconfirmed experiments in 2026, and don't plan your night return around them.
The Taxi and Bicycle Option
Taxi fares sit outside this network, set by the taximeter tariff. Since ride-hailing apps don't operate in the north, you find the car at a rank; the second way to ask a price is to message the number the rank posts on "WhatsApp". So can you rent a bicycle? There's no city-wide network as such — if you dig around, you'll only find classic bicycles as a side service of car rental companies. In Kyrenia, an electric bike app called TAZI was introduced in May 2026; at the event on the Kordonboyu waterfront on 18 May, participants tried the app for free. No price was announced, and whether it actually operates in the city after the launch isn't known. It's being tried for short hops like the harbour to Bellapais — an unconfirmed option in 2026.
Fares by Route
The figures are August 2026 tariffs; no figure was entered for items without a source, and unconfirmed ones are marked as such.
| Route | Departure | Frequency | Fare | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicosia-Famagusta (İtimat) | Nicosia Cağlayan office / Famagusta opposite Anıt roundabout | Hourly, 07.00-18.00/19.00 | 250 TL card-QR, 280 TL credit card | No cash on board |
| Kyrenia-Famagusta shared minibus | Kyrenia "Kombos" building / Famagusta outside Komtur | Every 1-1.5 hours, 09.00-18.00 | 350 TL | Cash only |
| Nicosia-Kyrenia shared minibus | Nicosia bus terminal / Kyrenia departure unconfirmed | 20-30 min at peak, hourly in winter | 100 TL | Cash, general practice |
| Ercan-cities (KIBHAS) | Opposite Ercan arrivals terminal | 16 services a day, 00.30-22.30 | 350-550 TL | Web/app ticket |
| Famagusta-Dipkarpaz | Famagusta terminal | 1-2 services weekdays, usually none at weekends | No figure | Unconfirmed |
| Nicosia city routes | City stops | All day | 20 TL | Cash; card only in Gönyeli-Alayköy |
| Kyrenia city and district | Central and neighbourhood routes | 20-30 min on main routes | 29-39 TL | Cash, to the driver |
| Nicosia night bus (2025 pilot) | Terminal, 2 routes | Hourly, Tuesday-Saturday | 55 TL | Card accepted; 2026 unconfirmed |
The country-wide public transport master plan envisages replacing 1,200 licensed vehicles with 350 vehicles and an app that puts timetables and live locations on your phone. Minister Erhan Arıklı said in July 2025 that two years of work had reached the final stage. A year has passed and the app's launch date still hasn't been announced. In the summer of 2026, the vehicle you board in the Cyprus public transport system isn't that plan's vehicle; the eight-seat shared minibus you reserve by phone and the hand-written receipt at the counter are still part of the daily routine. When the plan hits the streets, half the system will change. Until that day, you ask the departure time at the stop.
