# Advice concerning moving to Paphos from the UK



## sat41 (Mar 2, 2013)

Hello everyone! 

I am looking to move to Paphos in April/May of this year and I've come across this site, so I thought I would join and get to know some other Expats.

I have never been to Cyprus before, but I have looked at the different regions, and think that Paphos would probably suit me the best. I do, however, have a few concerns and so I thought that I would ask for everyone's advice.

I know that, compared with the UK, Cyprus is a very safe country, but as I am a woman and will be moving by myself, I wondered whether there were any areas in Paphos which I should steer clear of. I am not someone who goes out clubbing or who goes out late, but I had a bad experience at University, which has made me hyper-sensitive in terms of living in a safe area (or, at least, to avoid areas where there are lots of nightclubs/alcohol, especially as my modern Greek is somewhat limited currently!). I have had a look at some properties, which are on the rental market, and was wondering what people had heard about the Tomb of the Kings/Chorakas area? I would like somewhere fairly close to Paphos Town/Kato Paphos, because I am doing some part-time work there. 

Thank you all for your time, and any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## expatmat (Feb 12, 2013)

Paphos is a nice area - we've been twice, once in summer and once again in winter on a recce mission to find places to live. 

One thing about Tomb of Kings area given the context of your post - you could find a really nice place only for it to be either in the middle of or next to a wasteland so use Google Maps streetview to check out where it's located. It may look central but may be in the middle of a dirty field.


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## Bedu1 (Oct 22, 2012)

expatmat said:


> Paphos is a nice area - we've been twice, once in summer and once again in winter on a recce mission to find places to live.
> 
> One thing about Tomb of Kings area given the context of your post - you could find a really nice place only for it to be either in the middle of or next to a wasteland so use Google Maps streetview to check out where it's located. It may look central but may be in the middle of a dirty field.


Very sound advice. My mother retired to Kato Pafos 8 years ago and bought an apartment "off plan". A Google Earth check (if it existed then) or a physical recce would have shown the wasteland adjacent to the apartments. 8 years later, it is still wasteland!


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

It depends on what people prefer though. Some would rather have a piece of open ground next to them rather than looking at another apartment building.
However you could buy an apartment with a piece of open ground next to it and a year later someone could start building a huge block on it despite having been assured by the agent who sold you your apartment that it is green belt and will never be built.
Nothing can ever be guaranteed in Cyprus


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## meteorstorm (Mar 3, 2013)

Welcome to Cyprus - a perfectly safe place. 
You could walk down the street daytime, night time, whenever and wherever and 99.9% nobody will bother you. You might get few odd guys pressing a horn while passing by or stopping to ask questions / asking for a date but they will drive away as soon as realize you are not interested.

Lower Chlorakas and Tombs of the Kings are connected with Pafos by public transport. There are lots of properties on the market now and you could rent a nice spacious 1 bedrooom for 300e or even less.


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## Guest (Mar 3, 2013)

meteorstorm said:


> Welcome to Cyprus - a perfectly safe place.
> You could walk down the street daytime, night time, whenever and wherever and 99.9% nobody will bother you. You might get few odd guys pressing a horn while passing by or stopping to ask questions / asking for a date but they will drive away as soon as realize you are not interested.
> 
> Lower Chlorakas and Tombs of the Kings are connected with Pafos by public transport. There are lots of properties on the market now and you could rent a nice spacious 1 bedrooom for 300e or even less.[/QUOTE
> ...


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## sat41 (Mar 2, 2013)

Hello everyone!

Thank you all so much for your replies and sorry for taking so long to get back to you (I thought I'd set up the account to get e-mail notifications if there were any posts, but I hadn't got any emails, and so thought I'd not got any replies).

I'm currently considering three properties, one in Tala, another in Lasa and the final in Kallepia. The main reason for those areas is because the properties I've found all have gardens, and I'm adopting/fostering some dogs when I come over. From what I've read (judging by basic Google search results), there seem to be more Brits in Tala, so I might move there (on the grounds that my Greek is somewhat limited currently!). Also, whilst I'm really not a nightclub kind of girl, I am in my mid-twenties, and I think I'd like to live somewhere where there's a little bit going on! (In terms of ease of getting to the shops, and a few cafes etc.) I have to say that the welcome site for Kallepia is so friendly, that it's a really tough decision!

Thank you all for your messages- you've put my mind at ease!


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

If you want to be within easy reach of shops and life in general you really DO NOT want to be in Kallepia.


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## sat41 (Mar 2, 2013)

Veronica said:


> If you want to be within easy reach of shops and life in general you really DO NOT want to be in Kallepia.


Hi Veronica 

Thanks for telling me- a friend of mine (who admittedly lives in Limassol, so not too close) said that the shops were only a 2/3 min drive away, so I thought that it'd still be totally manageable. I will have a car, but I'd like to think I could walk the dogs around a fair bit- the weather's too good to pass that up! I think that Tala is looking increasingly likely!


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Your friend was probably thinking of Kissonerga.


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## sat41 (Mar 2, 2013)

Veronica said:


> Your friend was probably thinking of Kissonerga.


Quite possibly- geography has never been her strong point!


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## Kalimera (Oct 19, 2011)

Why are you moving to a country you have never been to? I would never even think about moving to another town in the UK with visiting, would you??


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## sat41 (Mar 2, 2013)

SWJ said:


> Why are you moving to a country you have never been to? I would never even think about moving to another town in the UK with visiting, would you??


It's because I studied Ancient Greek at University, and wanted to learn Modern Greek- I think I'm in a much stronger position to speak fluently if I live amongst native speakers. In addition, I have several Greek Cypriot friends from University, whereas I don't actually know any Greeks!


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## Kalimera (Oct 19, 2011)

sat41 said:


> It's because I studied Ancient Greek at University, and wanted to learn Modern Greek- I think I'm in a much stronger position to speak fluently if I live amongst native speakers. In addition, I have several Greek Cypriot friends from University, whereas I don't actually know any Greeks!


Go there and enjoy a holiday first


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## sat41 (Mar 2, 2013)

SWJ said:


> Go there and enjoy a holiday first


I'm prepared to take a gamble. Worst case scenario, I fly back to the UK after a couple of months, but hopefully with greater proficiency in the language, and a renewed interest in Stasinus :clap2:


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## kimonas (Jul 19, 2008)

The origins of _Cypria_, as you probably know, are far from clear which can also be said of the issue of the ‘greekness’ of Cyprus (see the flags thread). The modern political ties of Cyprus to Greece are pretty much a modern construct, the ancient ties being propagandized. Greek as a language was spread over most of the known world by Alexander in the 4th century BC and later adopted as an official language of the eastern Roman Empire – in this way versions of Greek were being spoken widely across the middle east and into Asia, north Africa (and like Phoenician from which it originated) spread further still via extensive trade networks which reached as far as trade emporia such as Hengistbury Head near Bournemouth in the UK. Over the millennia (in Cyprus) borrow words and linguistic flavours have been added via the cultural mixing of Arabs, Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, French, Italians, Ottomans and of course the British. As a result the Cypriot dialect is a fascinating and rich language which is quite a few degrees removed from modern Greek – enough for a native speaker from Athens not being able to understand or at least follow fully a conversation between two Cypriot villagers. Concessions of course are made and many will switch to their best modern Greek on formal occasions and will make an effort, just as someone from the UK with a very broad Geordie accent who peppers their conversation with dialect words from the North east of the UK would put on their BBC accent and avoid colloquialisms if they wanted to communicate with someone from London. I tried to learn modern Greek (and have a diploma) but the vast majority of locals will switch to English once they realise that that is your native language.

The big advantage of knowing ancient Greek is that there are far more words of ancient origin retained in the Cypriot dialect so at the very least it will be a fascinating exercise – but you’ll really need to move onto Greece to pick up modern Greek with any fluency. My Greek teacher in Cyprus is from Athens and is always making snide and derogatory comments about the ‘village’ greek spoken in Cyprus (and pretty much about the Cypriots too, even though [or perhaps because!] her husband is Cypriot).

Good luck with your adventure!


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## sat41 (Mar 2, 2013)

kimonas said:


> The origins of _Cypria_, as you probably know, are far from clear which can also be said of the issue of the ‘greekness’ of Cyprus (see the flags thread). The modern political ties of Cyprus to Greece are pretty much a modern construct, the ancient ties being propagandized. Greek as a language was spread over most of the known world by Alexander in the 4th century BC and later adopted as an official language of the eastern Roman Empire – in this way versions of Greek were being spoken widely across the middle east and into Asia, north Africa (and like Phoenician from which it originated) spread further still via extensive trade networks which reached as far as trade emporia such as Hengistbury Head near Bournemouth in the UK. Over the millennia (in Cyprus) borrow words and linguistic flavours have been added via the cultural mixing of Arabs, Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, French, Italians, Ottomans and of course the British. As a result the Cypriot dialect is a fascinating and rich language which is quite a few degrees removed from modern Greek – enough for a native speaker from Athens not being able to understand or at least follow fully a conversation between two Cypriot villagers. Concessions of course are made and many will switch to their best modern Greek on formal occasions and will make an effort, just as someone from the UK with a very broad Geordie accent who peppers their conversation with dialect words from the North east of the UK would put on their BBC accent and avoid colloquialisms if they wanted to communicate with someone from London. I tried to learn modern Greek (and have a diploma) but the vast majority of locals will switch to English once they realise that that is your native language.
> 
> The big advantage of knowing ancient Greek is that there are far more words of ancient origin retained in the Cypriot dialect so at the very least it will be a fascinating exercise – but you’ll really need to move onto Greece to pick up modern Greek with any fluency. My Greek teacher in Cyprus is from Athens and is always making snide and derogatory comments about the ‘village’ greek spoken in Cyprus (and pretty much about the Cypriots too, even though [or perhaps because!] her husband is Cypriot).
> 
> Good luck with your adventure!


Hello and thanks for your message! You raise some very good points. There are so many different dialects, even from Greek island to island, that I know that it's quite a minefield. I did do a little Modern Greek at University (though only for a year, and that was about four years ago now), so I'm hoping that I'll be able to make myself understood, but it's good to know that I can rely on some English initially. There always seems to be a fair bit of snobbery about accents and dialects, doesn't there? I remember from my days at school learning French that the southern accent is looked down upon (my French teacher being from the south and pronouncing 'enfant' as 'enfang'). It is, however, the differences in dialect, and colloquialisms, which makes a language so interesting. I think I might enrol for some formal Greek classes in Cyprus, and perhaps speak English in the villages (at least initially)!


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## Vasoulla (Mar 15, 2013)

Paphos is a lovely place to live very tranquil and the crime rate is extremely low compared to UK one of the main reasons for me moving here. I am a woman alone also and often walk alone. Night life is very low key here I live on Emba but know all villages very well and Tomb Of The Kings is very quiet compared to any UK town.


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## sat41 (Mar 2, 2013)

Vasoulla said:


> Paphos is a lovely place to live very tranquil and the crime rate is extremely low compared to UK one of the main reasons for me moving here. I am a woman alone also and often walk alone. Night life is very low key here I live on Emba but know all villages very well and Tomb Of The Kings is very quiet compared to any UK town.


That's really putting my mind at rest, thanks  I've always lived in the UK, and it's so easy to think that all places are like here, or worse.


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## Kalimera (Oct 19, 2011)

I wouldn't want to live in Tomb of the Kings if you paid me! Paphos town during main season can get noisy and a single woman wouldn't want walk alone!


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## sat41 (Mar 2, 2013)

SWJ said:


> I wouldn't want to live in Tomb of the Kings if you paid me! Paphos town during main season can get noisy and a single woman wouldn't want walk alone!


Ahh, ok. It's good to get a different opinion  I've been looking at a property in Chloraka, but it says that it's just off the Tomb of the Kings road. I don't really go out in the evenings, but it's nice to know that it's a safe area, just in case I had to go out. I studied in Oxford, so I'm used to quite safe areas, and I'm not very streetwise as a result!

Thanks for all of your help and advice- I really appreciate it


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## sat41 (Mar 2, 2013)

Vasoulla said:


> Well I have been walking alone for years and felt safe it is busier in the summer But that is all the British lager louts!


Yes, I can well believe that it's the British who cause a lot of the trouble! There are so many places in London which I avoid for that reason. I'm sure that Cyprus isn't as bad as the UK, though, so I'm happy!


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## Patg (Jul 19, 2012)

*Peyia/Pegia*

My wife and I had never visited Cyprus when we came to stay in September last year from Spain (2 years), Australia (1 year) and South America (1 year). Cyprus is grand!

May I suggest that you book into an Apart-Hotel for your first week? The cost is around 50 Euros per day and hire a car (25 Euros a day), both for a week. Have a look around, find somewhere that you like and start looking for a copy of the Paphos Post, a free English language newspaper with many rental property ad's. There are many estate agents advertising on the internet, use them.

We now live in the Sea Caves area of Peyia, 20 minutes North and West of Paphos Town and 5 minutes past Coral Bay with its shops and tourist area which I would highly recommend. Tala we found was too crowded as are many of the other places mentioned.

You give no indication of the price you are aiming for but a small multi tenancy apartment can be had for 300 euros a month or a villa with private swimming pool from 600/650 but you will, normally, be looking at a 1 year lease with 1 month deposit, the shorter the term the higher the rent! I suggest not buying anything until you have been here for several months (if that was your intention).

In terms of safety, after many years of travelling we have found that it is a matter of common sense, don't put yourself in danger, simple as that, end of lecture!

Using Greek, classic or modern, could be a problem unless you are working, most people you will deal with speak English (all shops and restaurants), you can live in a small village in the mountains with few ex-pats but even there.....

You will need a local bank account but wait until you get here to see which are still operating, this assumes that you are following Cyprus's current problems with the ECB, at the moment no banks are allowed to open until next Tuesday, at the earliest. This should be sorted one way or the other if and when you arrive.

All in all? You pay your rent, electricity and water and that is it, no Council Tax, car tax of 60 euros a year (1300 CC) , MOT 40 euros every two years, car insurance 300/400 euros a year, no TV licence fees, hot water when the sun is shining is free, internet (unless included in rent) around 50 euros a month (plus 200 set up) but there are plenty of free connections around.

Between us our pensions generate enough for us to live comfortably in Cyprus whereas in the UK we would be living from hand to mouth, come and join us!!

Forgot to mention the weather, January and February, many days suitable for sitting in the sun, March, start getting tan back, April, hope we can start using the pool again until December!


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## sat41 (Mar 2, 2013)

Patg said:


> My wife and I had never visited Cyprus when we came to stay in September last year from Spain (2 years), Australia (1 year) and South America (1 year). Cyprus is grand!
> 
> May I suggest that you book into an Apart-Hotel for your first week? The cost is around 50 Euros per day and hire a car (25 Euros a day), both for a week. Have a look around, find somewhere that you like and start looking for a copy of the Paphos Post, a free English language newspaper with many rental property ad's. There are many estate agents advertising on the internet, use them.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for your reply- I've found it really helpful, especially all of the information you gave me about living costs 

I've been sent a bit of information about properties in Peyia and it seems like a really nice place. I'm really thinking about it, because I have dogs, and a lot of the properties there have really nice gardens, and it looks like a nice area to walk dogs. I know that it is a little way from Paphos town, but I'm going to have a car, and a 20 minute drive really isn't much when compared with UK travel times.

The weather in the UK is so cold at the moment that I'm definitely looking forward to my move! lane:

Again, thank you for your message. It really has been a great help :clap2:


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## martinsouthern (Sep 26, 2012)

*Tomb of kings*

The tomb of the kings is relatively isolated, I would look at Pegia, Paphos or Coral Bay, these are only a few km either side and are bigger population areas.

We have a villa in Peyia and its a wonderful place in the season but like Tomb of the kings its very quiet off season. You might want to look at Paphos town centre initially then consider that things are different in the off season.

In general its a lovely place, though i would be concerned about finding work in the current very challenging conditions.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

martinsouthern said:


> The tomb of the kings is relatively isolated,.


???????????????Are you talking about tombs of the kings road in Paphos?
How can you say it is isolated?
It couldn't be more central.


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## Geraldine (Jan 3, 2009)

I have never driven through T of the K and found it empty!! Even out of season it's lively enough.


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## PeteandSylv (Sep 24, 2008)

I completely agree that TOTK road is central and one of the busier places. Unfortunately I find it also has some of the worst places to eat on the island. I have yet to come away from the few places I have eaten there and thought it was really good.

Pete


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## davidogden (Oct 9, 2012)

Everyone has different ideas of where the best place to live is, sometime its good to be out in the hills where summers are cooler and winters cold but you need to have a car. Some peole like nite life and entertainment . Its horses for courses.

I lived in Tsada for 4 years and it was great, beautifull views no noise good neightbours.

This time when I move not sure need to see how things have changed and developed


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