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Does anyone know of a ferry service (boat) from Lebanon to Cyprus? Or a cheap way to get there? Cheaper than MEA's $225 round trip... Cyprus is so close!
As you may guess I'm not interested in luxury cruises :) but a cheap way to get there (and without taking a bus through Syria, just in case...)
rolf wroteDoes anyone know of a ferry service (boat) from Lebanon to Cyprus? Or a cheap way to get there? Cheaper than MEA's $225 round trip... Cyprus is so close!
As you may guess I'm not interested in luxury cruises :) but a cheap way to get there (and without taking a bus through Syria, just in case...)
I don't think there is a ferry between Lebanon and Cyprus.
Honestly, yesterday I was discussing the same issue with my friend. That there should be a daily ferry to Cyprus.
Seriously, Easyjet goes to Cyprus. You can get a Larnaca-London round-trip ticket on Easyjet for $185... If only there was a reasonable way of getting there...
I think it's a "security problem", but frankly it sucks big time, whatever the reason, and even more if that's the reason.

I found a ferry service that goes to Turkey then to the Turkish part of Cyprus. I don't think it's of much use, and it's not that cheap anyway.

There still is some hope, there seems to be good demand, and when there is demand, something may appear.
There is one between Tripoli and the Turkish side (northern) of Cyprus. I'll see if I can dig up a link.

EDIT: Yup, got it from ginosblog. But apparently it's not direct to cyprus.

Do tell if you find something better.

Cheers
eurybaric wroteThere is one between Tripoli and the Turkish side (northern) of Cyprus. I'll see if I can dig up a link.

EDIT: Yup, got it from ginosblog. But apparently it's not direct to cyprus.

Do tell if you find something better.

Cheers
Thanks, yeah that's the one I had found...
I wonder how feasible it is to get from the Turkish side to Larnaca on the other side, just in case...
I heard there is no problem for tourists to circulate between both sides as long as they had the proper documents.
4 months later
Larnaca - London 2 way ticket in February, on Easyjet: $200. Duration of flight: about 4:30 - 5 hours if I remember well.
Beirut - Larnaca, 2 way: about $250 (as always). Duration of flight: about 15 minutes.

I bet MEA and Cyprus Airways are making lots of money on that itinerary.
rolf wroteLarnaca - London 2 way ticket in February, on Easyjet: $200. Duration of flight: about 4:30 - 5 hours if I remember well.
Beirut - Larnaca, 2 way: about $250 (as always). Duration of flight: about 15 minutes.

I bet MEA and Cyprus Airways are making lots of money on that itinerary.
lol. It's only because MEA is considered luxurious compared to EasyJet.

Too bad we don't have a cheap alternative. And if anyone tried to do one, they'd probably shut him/her down.
Obviously wrote Too bad we don't have a cheap alternative. And if anyone tried to do one, they'd probably shut him/her down.
Exactly what I was trying to say. I don't think it's a coincidence if Cyprus airways and MEA (the only 2 carriers with direct flights) sell at the almost exact same price, and that does not change through the year. These are not market prices.
MEA has a monopoly over the Lebanese sky, as opposed to European "Open Sky" policy, well, from what i understand, it means than they control the prices, no matter what.

Recently the ex-minister of tourism was very aggressive over their pricing policy and said that it's in part because of them if Lebanon has so few tourists (lol), and threaten to apply an old decree voted by an old cabinet of ministers were an open sky would be applied, something like that anyway.

Here is the article in french, it resumes everything.
I thought open sky was applied back in the days of Hariri (the father). I guess that was just one of these projects...
Yeah cheaper flights would help. Most tourists coming from the North would not want to stay too long in Lebanon, and enjoy the good weather a little. With such prices it makes more sense to go to Cyprus (or Egypt, as the article said, with the pyramids and other great things as a bonus) or other alternatives. Less car bombs and such would help too. But I guess that is not within MEA's business model.
That would also result in a return on investment for buildings and facilities that were renovated in the nineties, and generally more business.
Obviously wroteToo bad we don't have a cheap alternative. And if anyone tried to do one, they'd probably shut him/her down.
We do have one: PegasusAirlines. There are no direct flights (except for Istanbul), but you can fly to Europe for $150-200 during low season.
I remember flying to France for 300-400 $ (2 ways - Cyprus airways) had to stop in Larnaca. 250$ Beirut -Larnaca is too much..
samer wrote
Obviously wroteToo bad we don't have a cheap alternative. And if anyone tried to do one, they'd probably shut him/her down.
We do have one: PegasusAirlines. There are no direct flights (except for Istanbul), but you can fly to Europe for $150-200 during low season.
I've had a very bad experience with Pegasus, and I've never seen prices like what you describe... to me it seems that they're about $75 cheaper than "normal" carriers (British Airways, Turkish Airways, etc.). Personally I'd rather pay the difference (especially when the alternative is nonstop flight) than flying on old planes, bad customer service, not being even served water on the flight, and risking being stranded for 1/2 day in Turkey again.
samer wrote
Obviously wroteToo bad we don't have a cheap alternative. And if anyone tried to do one, they'd probably shut him/her down.
We do have one: PegasusAirlines. There are no direct flights (except for Istanbul), but you can fly to Europe for $150-200 during low season.
I meant as in a Lebanese airlines. Pegasus is Turkish.