LCA · Report · November 2026
Larnaca Airport car hire report
Key numbers for the 13 car rental desks we rate at Larnaca International Airport (LCA), computed from our published data.
Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology
- Desks rated
- 13
- 2,745 reviews analysed
- Average score
- 7.0/10
- median 7.3
- Median starting deposit
- €300
- 3 of 13 deposits known
- No credit card needed
- 15%
- 2 of 13 desks, 3 not confirmed
Key findings
- Counterwise rates 13 car rental desks at Larnaca International Airport (LCA): 4 Great (8 or more out of 10), 5 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 4 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 7.0/10.
- The best-rated desk at Larnaca Airport is AIDA Car Rentals (8.6/10); the lowest-rated is Autounion (4.2/10).
- Where the deposit is known (3 of 13 desks), the typical starting deposit at Larnaca Airport is €300 (median), from €290 at Enterprise up to €2,000 at AutoRent Cyprus.
- 2 of 13 desks at Larnaca Airport (15%) do not require a credit card (debit cards accepted); the card rule is not confirmed yet for 3 desks.
- 6 desks at Larnaca Airport are in the terminal (average score 7.2) and 7 are off-site, reached by shuttle (average 6.8).
- The most common traveller complaints at Larnaca Airport are pressure to buy insurance or extras (7 of 13 desks), damage charges after return (6 of 13 desks) and long queues or waits (6 of 13 desks).
Score distribution
How the 13 desks split across our score bands.
- Great (8 to 10)4 of 13 desks · 31%
- Mixed (6 to 7.9)5 of 13 desks · 38%
- Poor (below 6)4 of 13 desks · 31%
Best and worst desks
Best rated
- 1. AIDA Car RentalsFree airport pickup and drop-off by the company's staff is praised in a large share of reviews, with quick paperwork and handover, often within minutes.8.6 · Great
- 2. Petsas Car RentalsDeposit is small, usually a refundable fuel hold, and travellers repeatedly report getting it back on return or within days.8.5 · Great
- 3. BudgetPick-up and return are consistently described as fast, often 5 to 20 minutes, with little or no queue; the desk is in the terminal and the cars are a short walk away.8.2 · Great
Lowest rated
- 13. AutounionSeveral recent reviews report waits of 30 to 60 minutes at the airport for the shuttle, sometimes only resolved after phoning the office, and an unstaffed office at return.4.2 · Poor
- 12. EuropcarAbout a dozen reviews from the last 12 months describe pressure at the desk to buy extra insurance or road assistance, sometimes after the customer showed existing broker or third-party cover.5.5 · Poor
- 11. AercarAround 28 kept reviews, many from the last 3 months, say the desk pushed its own extra insurance (roughly €80-280) on customers who had already bought cover through a broker. Some say they were told the broker policy was not valid or that the booking would be lost without it.5.6 · Poor
Deposits and card rules
Deposits
- Lowest starting deposit
- €290 (Enterprise)
- Highest amount
- €2,000 (AutoRent Cyprus)
- Median starting deposit
- €300
- Deposit known
- 3 of 13 desks
Not confirmed yet for 10 desks: left out of these figures.
All deposits, lowest first →Credit card or debit card
- No credit card needed (debit accepted)
- 2 of 13 · 15%
- Credit card required
- 8 of 13 · 62%
- Not confirmed yet
- 3 of 13 · 23%
Debit cards accepted at: Petsas Car Rentals, AutoRent Cyprus.
Desks without a credit card →In the terminal or by shuttle
- In the terminal
- 6
- avg score 7.2
- Short walk
- 0
- none
- Shuttle
- 7
- avg score 6.8
Desks reached without a shuttle average 7.2/10; shuttle desks average 6.8/10.
In-terminal vs shuttle, compared →Most common traveller complaints
Number of desks whose published red flags mention each problem. A desk counts once per theme; one red flag can touch several themes.
- Pressure to buy insurance or extras7 of 13 · 54%
Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: Enterprise, Green Motion, Sixt, Hertz, Aercar, Europcar, Autounion.
- Damage charges after return6 of 13 · 46%
Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: AIDA Car Rentals, Enterprise, Sixt, AutoRent Cyprus, Hertz, Aercar.
- Long queues or waits6 of 13 · 46%
Long waits at the desk, for the keys or for the shuttle. Desks: Enterprise, Green Motion, AutoRent Cyprus, Hertz, Europcar, Autounion.
- Booking not honoured or price changed6 of 13 · 46%
Booked car not available, a smaller or different car, a higher price at the desk, or fees not clear at booking. Desks: Green Motion, Sixt, AutoRent Cyprus, Hertz, Aercar, Autounion.
- Fuel charges or fuel policy5 of 13 · 38%
Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: Budget, Green Motion, Sixt, Hertz, Europcar.
- Car condition problems4 of 13 · 31%
Dirty cars, warning lights, worn tyres or breakdowns. Desks: Budget, Green Motion, AutoRent Cyprus, Aercar.
- Hard-to-reach customer service3 of 13 · 23%
Phone lines, emails or complaints unanswered for weeks after the rental. Desks: AutoRent Cyprus, Hertz, Aercar.
- Deposit or refund held back2 of 13 · 15%
Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: Budget, Sixt.
- Other fees after the rental2 of 13 · 15%
Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: Budget, Sixt.
- Desk, shuttle stop or return hard to find2 of 13 · 15%
Poor signs or directions to the desk, the shuttle pickup point or the car return area. Desks: Enterprise, Green Motion.
- Car refused over card, licence or flight rules1 of 13 · 8%
Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: Aercar.
- Rude or unhelpful staff1 of 13 · 8%
Curt, dismissive or aggressive staff at the desk, at return or on the shuttle. Desks: Autounion.
The data behind this report
- 2,745 traveller reviews analysed across 13 desks.
- 2,974 recent reviews read; 229 (8%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 191; duplicates: 13; about another location: 13). How reviews are cleaned
- Data collected on 13 November 2026; scores last updated 13 November 2026.
- Summaries and red flags reviewed by our editor on 14 November 2026.
- Complaint themes are counted with a fixed keyword list applied to each desk’s published red flags (no AI), so the same data always gives the same counts.
- Unknown facts (“Not confirmed yet”) are left out of averages, medians and ranges, never guessed. Full methodology
How to cite this report
You are welcome to quote these figures. Please name Counterwise and link to this page. The numbers update with each data refresh, so mention the date.
Suggested citation
Counterwise (2026). Larnaca Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/lca/report (data updated 13 November 2026).
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