PFO · Report · November 2026
Paphos Airport car hire report
Key numbers for the 11 car rental desks we rate at Paphos International Airport (PFO), computed from our published data.
Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology
- Desks rated
- 11
- 2,024 reviews analysed
- Average score
- 7.2/10
- median 7.3
- Median starting deposit
- €145
- 2 of 11 deposits known
- No credit card needed
- 0%
- 0 of 11 desks, 4 not confirmed
Key findings
- Counterwise rates 11 car rental desks at Paphos International Airport (PFO): 2 Great (8 or more out of 10), 8 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 1 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 7.2/10.
- The best-rated desk at Paphos Airport is Petsas Rent a Car (8.6/10); the lowest-rated is Aercar (5.2/10).
- Where the deposit is known (2 of 11 desks), the typical starting deposit at Paphos Airport is €145 (median), from €0 at Goldcar up to €1,000 at Enterprise.
- No desk at Paphos Airport is confirmed to accept a debit card instead of a credit card; the card rule is not confirmed yet for 4 desks.
- 6 desks at Paphos Airport are in the terminal (average score 7.5) and 5 are off-site, reached by shuttle (average 7.0).
- The most common traveller complaints at Paphos Airport are pressure to buy insurance or extras (6 of 11 desks), car condition problems (5 of 11 desks) and car refused over card, licence or flight rules (4 of 11 desks).
Score distribution
How the 11 desks split across our score bands.
- Great (8 to 10)2 of 11 desks · 18%
- Mixed (6 to 7.9)8 of 11 desks · 73%
Sixt, Autounion, Green Motion, AutoRent Cyprus, Goldcar, Enterprise, Hertz, Europcar
- Poor (below 6)1 of 11 desks · 9%
Best and worst desks
Best rated
- 1. Petsas Rent a CarFuel deposit is reported as returned quickly, usually the same day or within 1-2 days, when the car comes back with a full tank (about 22 reviews).8.6 · Great
- 2. BudgetDeposit refunds are reported as fast: about two dozen reviews describe release within a few hours to the next working day, including after returns at night.8.3 · Great
- 3. SixtPick-up and return are usually described as quick and easy, often about 10 minutes at pick-up and a few minutes at return, with little or no queue. This is mentioned in a large share of the written reviews.7.8 · Mixed
Lowest rated
- 11. AercarRoughly 20 recent reviews describe strong pressure at the desk to buy the desk's own cover, including cases where broker cover was said to be worthless and a few where a roadside-assistance fee was described as compulsory. Review-site coverage reports similar upselling experiences.5.2 · Poor
- 10. EuropcarMany reviews report strong pressure at the counter to buy the desk's own extra cover, including from travellers who already held broker or full-cover insurance and were told it would not count, sometimes with scary talk of large charges or cover being required to get the car. About 7 of these reports are from the last 12 months.6.1 · Mixed
- 9. HertzThree reviews since May 2026 involve tyres: two disputed repair charges of roughly 120 to 210 euros after a tyre was damaged, and one traveller who found a puncture only after leaving the car park.6.6 · Mixed
Deposits and card rules
Deposits
- Lowest starting deposit
- €0 (Goldcar)
- Highest amount
- €1,000 (Enterprise)
- Median starting deposit
- €145
- Deposit known
- 2 of 11 desks
Not confirmed yet for 9 desks: left out of these figures.
All deposits, lowest first →Credit card or debit card
- No credit card needed (debit accepted)
- 0 of 11 · 0%
- Credit card required
- 7 of 11 · 64%
- Not confirmed yet
- 4 of 11 · 36%
In the terminal or by shuttle
- In the terminal
- 6
- avg score 7.5
- Short walk
- 0
- none
- Shuttle
- 5
- avg score 7.0
Desks reached without a shuttle average 7.5/10; shuttle desks average 7.0/10.
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 extras6 of 11 · 55%
Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: Sixt, Green Motion, Goldcar, Enterprise, Europcar, Aercar.
- Car condition problems5 of 11 · 45%
Dirty cars, warning lights, worn tyres or breakdowns. Desks: Sixt, Green Motion, AutoRent Cyprus, Hertz, Aercar.
- Car refused over card, licence or flight rules4 of 11 · 36%
Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: Sixt, AutoRent Cyprus, Enterprise, Aercar.
- Damage charges after return3 of 11 · 27%
Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: Budget, AutoRent Cyprus, Aercar.
- Booking not honoured or price changed3 of 11 · 27%
Booked car not available, a smaller or different car, a higher price at the desk, or fees not clear at booking. Desks: Sixt, Hertz, Europcar.
- Deposit or refund held back2 of 11 · 18%
Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: Sixt, AutoRent Cyprus.
- Long queues or waits2 of 11 · 18%
Long waits at the desk, for the keys or for the shuttle. Desks: Enterprise, Aercar.
- Rude or unhelpful staff2 of 11 · 18%
Curt, dismissive or aggressive staff at the desk, at return or on the shuttle. Desks: Green Motion, AutoRent Cyprus.
- Fuel charges or fuel policy1 of 11 · 9%
Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: Sixt.
- Other fees after the rental1 of 11 · 9%
Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: AutoRent Cyprus.
The data behind this report
- 2,024 traveller reviews analysed across 11 desks.
- 2,104 recent reviews read; 80 (4%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 53; duplicates: 11; other reasons: 9). 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). Paphos Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/pfo/report (data updated 13 November 2026).
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