Best Winter Trips from Cyprus: Direct Flights for December to February

Winter is the best time to leave Cyprus for a few days: flights are cheaper outside the Christmas peak, and the cities that are unbearably hot in August are at their most atmospheric under lights or snow. Here are the best direct-flight trips from Larnaca and Paphos for December 2026 to February 2027, grouped by what you want from the break.

Routes checked on 20 October 2026 against airline and airport schedules; schedules can change, so check before you book.

Quick facts before you book

• Two airports: Larnaca has the widest choice of winter routes; from Paphos, most of the trips below are Ryanair flights.
• Peak dates: fares are highest around Christmas and New Year. Our Christmas flights guide explains the peak dates and the cheapest days to fly.
• Long weekends: Christmas (Friday 25 and Saturday 26 December), New Year's Day (Friday 1 January 2027) and Epiphany (Wednesday 6 January) are public holidays. Green Monday falls on 15 March 2027, after the winter season.
• Seasonal gaps: some routes pause in mid-winter. Always check the date you want, not just the route.

Which cities are best for Christmas markets?

Central European capitals are a three-to-four-hour hop from Cyprus and are at their best in December. Their 2026 market dates had not all been published when we checked, so look at the official city tourism sites, such as wien.info for Vienna and prague.eu for Prague, before you book.

Vienna is the classic choice, with Ryanair flights from both airports. Budapest and Kraków are usually cheaper once you are there, and both can be reached from Larnaca and Paphos. Munich is the new option this winter, with Cyprus Airways joining Discover on the route. Prague and Bratislava also have Wizz Air flights from Larnaca from December to February.

Where can you go skiing with a direct flight?

There is skiing at home on Mount Olympus, but the slopes are short and depend on snow. For a proper ski week, these are the direct gateways for winter 2026-27:

Bulgaria is the budget favourite, and Sofia is the shortest flight of the group. The 2026-27 opening dates of the Bulgarian and Georgian resorts had not been published when we checked, so wait for confirmation before booking an early-December trip. Zurich and Munich usually cost more; Munich has the most flights, with Discover and Cyprus Airways. Add ski or snowboard carriage when you buy the ticket, as adding it later usually costs more.

Where can you find winter sun?

If you came to Cyprus for the sun, a winter trip might as well be warmer than home.

• Dubai: Emirates flies daily (Dubai–Larnaca–Malta), with an A350 planned from 1 January 2027, and Cyprus Airways also flies to Dubai this winter.
• Malta: Emirates' daily flight continues from Larnaca to Malta, leaving Larnaca at 11:10 and arriving at 13:00, a rare direct link in winter.
• Rome: Cyprus Airways starts Larnaca–Rome Fiumicino on 11 December 2026, on Mondays and Fridays, and Wizz Air also flies the route this winter.
• Madrid: Wizz Air's new Larnaca–Madrid route has run three times a week since 24 September 2026.
• Athens and Thessaloniki: Aegean and Cyprus Airways fly to Athens through the winter, Wizz Air up to 14 times a week, and Wizz Air also flies to Thessaloniki in December and January.

Further east: the Caucasus

Armenia and Georgia are short, cheap and very different from anything in Cyprus. Wizz Air flies Larnaca–Yerevan (about 2.5–3h; Armenia is two hours ahead) through the winter, Larnaca–Gyumri in December and January, and Larnaca–Kutaisi in western Georgia. Expect a proper winter there, so pack warm clothes.

Which routes do not run this winter?

Plan around these gaps (as of 20 October 2026):

• Lapland: Finavia's winter 2026-27 route list shows no direct flight from Cyprus to Rovaniemi or other Lapland airports. A Santa trip means a connection.
• Paphos–Warsaw Modlin (Wizz Air): no flights shown from December 2026 to March 2027; the last flights before the break are in late November.
• Abu Dhabi (Wizz Air from Larnaca): no fares shown for December to February; flights appear again from March 2027.
• easyJet Bristol and Edinburgh to Paphos: Bristol is paused from 7 January to 12 February 2027 and Edinburgh from 7 January to 5 February 2027.

Documents, insurance and the EES

• Passport or ID card: Cyprus is not in the Schengen area, so there are passport checks even on flights to Greece. EU citizens can travel on a valid national ID card within the EU; everyone else needs a passport.
• Entry/Exit System: if you hold a non-EU passport, including a British one, you are registered (fingerprints and photo) at your first Schengen border, for example on arrival in Vienna or Munich. The European Commission says the system has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. Allow extra time at passport control.
• Health cover: the EHIC covers necessary state healthcare in other EU countries but not repatriation. Take travel insurance as well, with winter-sports cover for a ski trip, and make sure you have it for countries outside the EU such as Georgia, Armenia and the UAE.
• Getting to the airport: for parking and bus options, see our guide to public transport in Cyprus.

What to do next

• Staying on the island? See winter in Cyprus: the best plans from December to February.
• Plan the month with our December and January guides.
• Flying home for the holidays: read cheap Christmas flights from Cyprus.