Regulus K Airport Bus (KIBHAS) from Nicosia (Lefkosa) to Ercan Airport is cheap at 250 TL per person. The bus is available daily around the clock with frequency at 00:30, 02:30, 05:00, 06:30, 07:30, 09:00, 10:30, 12:00, 14:00, 15:30, 17:30, 18:50, 19:30 and 22:00.
This is the cheapest and easiest way for airport transport as compared to Taxi for around 40 EUR.
Ercan Airport is the one located in Northern Cyprus (Turkey-occupied area). If you are taking Turkish Airlines for your next destination. Then likely Ercan is the airport you will be going to.
PS: You will need to cross the border between Cyprus and Northern Cyprus to get to the airport and the airport bus terminal is after you cross the border.
A public official website is available for the bus information. However, it is relatively unclear for tourists like us. In that, I write this step-by-step guide based on my last usage of the bus to Ercan Airport.
For example, it is hard to locate the bus stop online. I only discovered that the bus stop is at the corner of the large bus terminal where the buses are outside the KIBHAS office. You can search for the location by typing “Kibhas Havalimani Otobus Servisi” on Google Map.
Step 1 Book Your Ticket KIBHAS App
The easiest way to book the bus ticket is via the KIBHAS app. It is available on the Apple Store and Google Play. The app is by default in Turkish but you can change to English in the top right corner and you can complete the booking as a guest without registration.
The only difference is if you registered as a member you can suspend the purchased ticket and use it later. Either way, the purchased ticket cannot be refunded. Additionally, you will need a local number for registration, so I recommend you book as a guest.
After changing to the English interface, you will need to pick Nicosia as “From” and Ercan Airport as “To” with the departure stop as KIBHAS Terminal. Then you select the departure date and number of seats you are booking.
On the next page, you will find the available time for the airport bus on the date you selected. After clicking buy ticket, it will take you to the payment page. The official bus ride is 50 minutes from the KIBHAS terminal to the airport but based on my personal experience the ride is around 30 minutes. Ideally, you should get on the bus at least 2 hours before your departure time.
Step 2 Making The Payment
You can your bus fee with a credit card. It costs 250 TL (~ 7 USD) for each bus ride. During my last visit, to Nicosia, I got a 10% discount by booking on the apps. On the same page, you will need to input your name (only one name regardless number of passengers), telephone number, and email. If you don’t have a local phone number like me, you could just input a random telephone number. Instead, you need to ensure your email is correct for receiving the ticket.
Usually, the ticket shall arrive after payment within 30 minutes. If you are unsure, you can also go to KIBHAS Terminal in advance. The staff will print out the ticket for you for free. I would recommend you to do so if time allows to ensure that everything is secured.
The same walkthrough works for buses from Nicosia to Ercan and from Ercan to Nicosia; or even other major cities in Northern Cyprus.
Step 3 Get On The Bus
Finally, you will need to get to the bus stop at least 10 minutes before departure. If you have yet to get the physical ticket printed on step 2, you will need to do so at the KIBHAS office. The KIBHAS office is easily noticeable at the terminal and the buses are just outside.
The bus is a large mini-van with enough storage space. You will need the physical ticket to check on the bus.
For around 30 minutes, you shall safely arrive at the Ercan airport.
KIBHAS is a surprisingly easy-to-use airport shuttle bus service to Ercan Airport in Northern Cyprus. Unfortunately, there isn’t much information online and I hope my article will help you to smoothen your journey.
