Cyprus / The verdict
Paphos airport to town: which way?
For most arrivals the EUR 2 airport bus is the answer: 612 for the seafront and Tombs of the Kings, 613 for the upper town. After the last bus at about 01:00, or with a group, take the rank taxi at the gazette's fixed EUR 20 to 25 fare.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The Cyprus story
Cyprus sells itself on beaches, but the island's real depth is archaeological. Paphos' whole harbour district is a UNESCO site where Roman villa mosaics sit beside the water, the Tombs of the Kings honeycomb the cliffs north of town, and the Troodos mountains hide painted Byzantine churches listed in their own right. It is also the practical kind of easy: English is everywhere, driving is on the left, and distances are short, with a swimming season that runs roughly May to November.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Our pick: Bus 612 to Kato Paphos and Tombs of the Kings (runner-up: Taxi or pre-booked transfer)
For most arrivals the EUR 2 airport bus is the answer: 612 for the seafront and Tombs of the Kings, 613 for the upper town. After the last bus at about 01:00, or with a group, take the rank taxi at the gazette's fixed EUR 20 to 25 fare.
Go if
- Travelers staying in Kato Paphos, along Poseidonos Avenue or near the harbor
- Solo travelers and couples landing before about 01:00
- Groups of three to six who can split a fixed-fare taxi
- Visitors touring beyond town who planned to rent a car anyway
Skip if
- You land between about 01:00 and 05:50 and refuse the taxi rank
- Your hotel is in the upper town and you board the 612 anyway
- You expect a free hotel shuttle; only package passengers get resort coaches
- You trust a copied timetable over the operator's live route page
The options
Bus 612 to Kato Paphos and Tombs of the Kings Go
Anyone staying on the seafront, near the harbor or at the Tombs of the Kings end of town.
Good
- EUR 2 covers the airport to the harbor, Poseidonos Avenue and the Tombs of the Kings terminus.
- The operator lists departures about every hour to 90 minutes from 07:30 until 01:00, every day including holidays.
- Logged reports call the ride about 30 to 40 minutes and the most dependable of the two airport routes.
- Luggage rides free and under-5s pay nothing.
Watch out
- A full bus means an hour's wait; one logged report in June 2026 could not board at all.
- It serves the coast only: the upper town needs the 613.
- Pay the driver in cash, EUR 2 by day and EUR 3 after 21:00.
Bus 613 to Karavella and the upper town It depends
Travelers staying in Ktima or connecting to an intercity coach at Karavella station.
Good
- The same EUR 2 flat fare as the 612.
- The operator lists departures from 05:50 to midnight, daily.
- Covers the Geroskipou and town-market corridor the 612 skips.
Watch out
- A testing transit guide logged midday gaps of up to about three hours.
- Its planner sometimes found no working route to Karavella despite a listed departure.
- With fewer departures, a missed bus hurts more than on the 612.
Taxi or pre-booked transfer It depends
Anyone landing after the last bus, groups splitting one fare, and travelers with heavy bags.
Good
- The government gazette fixes the fare at EUR 20 by day and EUR 25 at night to Kato Paphos, luggage and VAT included.
- The rank outside arrivals is staffed around the clock.
- Zone fares reach Coral Bay at EUR 35 to 40, so resorts price out predictably.
Watch out
- For one or two people it costs ten times the bus.
- Logged reports quote EUR 28 to 45, which shows why checking the fixed tariff matters.
- One logged report saw a EUR 31 ride-hailing app quote against the EUR 20 fixed fare.
Official airport taxi fixed fares, gazette K.D.P. 79/2021See fixed transfer pricespartner site
Rental car It depends
Travelers touring Troodos or the Akamas coast rather than staying put in Kato Paphos.
Good
- Desks cluster in arrivals and offsite depots run shuttle loops, so drivers leave quickly.
- A logged report collected a car at the airport and drove straight out to Polis at 1 AM.
- On a touring itinerary the hire earns its cost beyond the airport leg.
Watch out
- A parked car is dead weight on a Kato Paphos beach stay.
- Offsite depots mean a shuttle hop before the drive.
- Driving in Cyprus is on the left, a hurdle for a tired night arrival.
Compare rental carspartner site
| Criterion | Bus 612 to Kato Paphos and Tombs of the Kings | Bus 613 to Karavella and the upper town | Taxi or pre-booked transfer | Rental car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official price | EUR 2 day, EUR 3 night | EUR 2 day, EUR 3 night | EUR 20 day, EUR 25 night to Kato Paphos | Daily rate plus fuel |
| Where it ends | Tombs of the Kings, via harbor and seafront | Karavella station, upper town | Your hotel door | Anywhere on the island |
| Time to town | About 30 to 40 min | About 30 to 40 min | About 20 min | About 20 min drive |
| Hours covered | 07:30 to 01:00 | 05:50 to 00:00 | 24 hours | Desk hours vary |
| Luggage | Free, in the cabin | Free, in the cabin | In the boot | Your own car |
| What reports say | Dependable and cheap, can leave full | Direct but thin midday | Fixed fare kills the haggle | Best for touring, wasteful for a beach week |
What it costs
- Pafos Buses district single fare, day: €2 (EUR 3 after 21:00; luggage and under-5s free; pay the driver in cash). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Pafos Buses day ticket: €6.50. Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Taxi, airport to Kato Paphos, Area 1, day: €20 (EUR 25 at night 20:30 to 06:00; 5 to 6 seaters EUR 30 and 35; fixed by gazette K.D.P. 79/2021, VAT and luggage included). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Taxi, airport to Coral Bay, Area 3, day: €35 (EUR 40 at night; covers Coral Bay up to west of Pegeia). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Limassol Airport Express, adult single: €10 (About 45 to 55 minutes to Agios Georgios Havouzas station; the onward leg rather than the ride into town). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 13 traveler reports (May 2025 to Sep 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 0 were negative.
What people like
- The airport bus covers the seafront hotels, the harbor and Tombs of the Kings for EUR 2.
- Two routes mean the coast and the upper town each get a direct ride.
- Taxi fares are fixed by gazette, so there is no negotiation at the rank.
- The 612 runs about hourly until 01:00, covering nearly every scheduled arrival.
What people complain about
- One logged report found the 612 already full at arrivals and faced an hour's wait.
- A testing transit guide logged midday gaps of up to about three hours on the 613.
- Three of the logged reports quote retired figures, from a EUR 1.50 bus to metered taxis.
- Nothing runs between about 01:00 and 05:50, so the deepest red-eye arrivals pay the taxi fare.
How to do it right
- Before you fly, pin your hotel on a map and check whether it sits on the Kato Paphos seafront or in the upper town.
- For Kato Paphos, the harbor and Tombs of the Kings take bus 612; for Ktima and Karavella station take 613.
- Pay the driver in cash: EUR 2 by day, EUR 3 after 21:00, with bags and under-5s free.
- After the last bus at about 01:00, or with a group to split it, take the rank taxi at the fixed EUR 20 to 25 fare to Kato Paphos.
- For Coral Bay ride the 612 to its Tombs of the Kings terminus and change to the 615, or take a taxi at the fixed EUR 35 to 40.
- Heading straight to Limassol or Nicosia, use the Limassol Airport Express or Kapnos shuttle from the terminal instead of the town bus.
The trap to avoid
Stale guides still quote a EUR 1.50 bus, a metered taxi and a route 610 that no longer serves the airport. The operator's current pages show only the 612 and 613, EUR 2 flat, and airport taxis run the fixed government tariff, so check the live route page on the day.
Why this verdict
Paphos airport sits about 15 km from town and the real answer depends on which town you mean. Paphos is two places on arrival day: the Kato Paphos seafront where the hotels, the harbor and the archaeological park live, and Ktima, the upper town where the market and Karavella bus station sit. The airport has a dedicated bus to each, and they are not interchangeable.
For the seafront, take bus 612. The operator lists departures from 07:30 until 01:00 every day, the ride takes 30 to 40 minutes, and it ends at Tombs of the Kings, walking distance from the whole hotel strip. At EUR 2 a seat with bags free, it undercuts every alternative by an order of magnitude. The catch is capacity: one logged report in June 2026 found it already full outside arrivals and faced an hour’s wait, so landing at a busy bank of flights argues for a plan B.
For the upper town, take 613. Same EUR 2 fare, direct to Karavella station, and the first bus leaves the airport at 05:50. The trade-off is frequency: a transit guide that tested both routes logged midday gaps of up to three hours on the 613.
After the last bus, or with a group, the taxi rank wins. The fare is not a negotiation: the government gazette fixes it at EUR 20 by day and EUR 25 at night to Kato Paphos, luggage and VAT included, with zones covering Coral Bay at EUR 35 to 40. Several guides still quote metered rates or retired fares, which is exactly what the fixed tariff was designed to kill.
Timing and tickets
Buy the bus ticket from the driver in cash: EUR 2 by day, EUR 3 after 21:00, under-5s free. The operator’s live route pages are the source of truth, since older guides still show the pre-overhaul 610 numbering. For Coral Bay, ride the 612 to its terminus and change to the 615. For Limassol or Nicosia, the Limassol Airport Express and the Kapnos shuttle leave from the terminal itself.
Book or check times
Pafos Buses route 612 timetablePafos Buses route 613 timetablePafos Buses fares and ticketsOfficial airport taxi fixed fares, gazette K.D.P. 79/2021Limassol Airport Express timetable
We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict. How this works
See fixed transfer pricespartner siteCompare rental carspartner site
Questions
Does the bus run late at night?
The last airport departures are about 01:00 on the 612 and midnight on the 613, and the first morning bus is 05:50. Between roughly 01:00 and 05:50 the 24-hour taxi rank is the only way in.
How much is a taxi from Paphos airport to town?
The fare is fixed by government gazette rather than a meter: EUR 20 by day and EUR 25 at night (20:30 to 06:00) to Kato Paphos up to Tombs of the Kings, for up to four passengers with luggage and VAT included.
Can I use a ride-hailing app?
Uber does not operate in Cyprus. Bolt works in Paphos, but one logged report saw a EUR 31 quote against the EUR 20 fixed taxi fare, so check the app against the tariff before booking.
Is there a bus to Coral Bay?
No direct airport bus serves Coral Bay. Take the 612 to its Tombs of the Kings terminus and change to the 615, or take a taxi at the fixed EUR 35 day or EUR 40 night zone fare.
Where do I buy the bus ticket?
From the driver, in cash. The single fare is EUR 2 by day and EUR 3 at night, and luggage rides free.
How do I get to Limassol or Nicosia?
The Limassol Airport Express coach leaves the terminal for Limassol at EUR 10, and the Kapnos shuttle runs to Nicosia and Larnaca; check the operators' timetables for your day.
Pack for it
Gear verdicts from our sister site, Real Buyer Experiences: