Despite the fact that Cyprus is an island, sailing there on scheduled ferry services (as opposed to a short cruise) is not a popular option. Only the North receives passenger services, and since only Turkey recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, these leave from one of three Turkish ports: Tasucu, Mersin and Alanya. Fares, currently subsidized by the Turkish government, are relatively reasonable. This may change, of course, in the wake of any peace settlement, with unrestricted movement to the South for foreigners and a sharp hike in ferry tariffs equally likely. Sample figures below are converted from the Turkish lira and are intended only as guidelines.
Mersin-Famagusta is the most reliable and weather-proof crossing owing to the large size of the ships on line, and is favoured by many local residents even though it's longer and more expensive than the trip via Kyrenia (see below). The only company on this route is the Turkish state-run TML, represented by KTDI in Famagusta; departures from Mersin take place on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings, returning from Famagusta the next day after a ten-hour journey.
There's only one class of passenger fare, at around £36 equivalent each way in pullman seats; transporting a car costs much the same. Tasucu-Kyrenia looks temptingly short on a map but the standard of car ferries in particuiar can be pretty poor (they've historically been demoted from more profitable lines in western Turkey). Nominal crossing time for conventional boats is claimed to be four hours, but effectively five hours, sometimes stretching to six or seven owing to storms in the straits, Turkish navy manoeuvres, malfunctioning engines and the working hours of the Kyrenia customs (captains are fined for docking before opening time). The more attractive alternative for the carless is a catamaran (deniz otobusu in Turkish), whose reported two-hour crossing time is more realistically three hours.
There are currently just two companies serving this route, each with a conventional ferryboat carrying vehicles, and a catamaran or two. Fergun's ferry leaves Tasucu daily at midnight, arriving in Kyrenia the next morning, returning at noon. During low season, the Friday and Saturday crossing from Tasucu may be missed out. By contrast, their "Express. catamaran (foot passengers only) leaves Tasucu every day at the nominal time of 11.30am, having first crossed from Kyrenia at 9.30am, plus there are two weekly midday departures from Alanya. Akfer's ferry sails daily at midnight from Tasucu, returning at 11 am from Kyrenia; their catamaran follows much the same schedule as the competition, and additionally there are three weekly noon departures from Alanya (3hr claimed, best allow 4hr). Prices charged by each company, including taxes, are virtually identicai for each class of craft. One-way passenger fares on car-ferries run to about £22, though there are significant discounts for return trips or student status. A medium-sized car costs £37 to ferry, campers £45, again with a substantial return discount. Express catamarans from Tasucu cost £24 one way, £34 return, full fare; from Alanya, £22/£33.
