Alright, let’s talk about my trip through Paphos Airport. Flew out of there not too long ago.
Got dropped off right near the entrance. Wasn’t too crazy outside, which was a decent start. Walked straight in. The check-in hall isn’t massive, you can pretty much see everything once you’re inside. Had to find my airline’s desk – flying with Ryanair, as usual. There was already a bit of a line, mostly folks sorting out bags.
Check-in and Bag Drop
The queue moved, slowly but surely. Staff at the desk were alright, got the bag weighed and tagged, boarding pass checked. Pretty standard stuff, no real dramas there. Just took a bit of patience standing around. It wasn’t super quick, but I’ve seen much worse.
Heading Through Security
Next up was security. This part can be a pain anywhere. Here, it was… okay. Followed the signs upstairs. The line looked long but it actually shuffled along reasonably well. Had to do the usual dance:
- Laptops out of bags.
- Liquids in the clear plastic bag, out on the tray.
- Belts off, pockets empty.
The staff were doing their job, maybe a bit serious-faced, but they kept things moving. Trays went through the scanner, I walked through the metal detector. No beeps, thankfully. Grabbed my stuff on the other side, put myself back together.
Passport Control
After security, it was straight on to passport control. For EU passports, it was pretty quick using the electronic gates. Just scanned my passport, looked at the camera, and the gate popped open. Didn’t really interact with anyone. Saw a queue for the manned booths for non-EU folks, looked a bit longer there.
Inside the Departure Lounge
Once you’re properly through, you land right in the duty-free shop. Had to walk through it to get anywhere else. Typical airport setup – booze, perfume, chocolate, the usual suspects. Prices were what you’d expect at an airport.
The main departure area isn’t huge. There are some shops, a few places to grab food or a drink. Found a Costa Coffee, grabbed something there. Seating can be a bit limited when it gets busy, had to scout around for a free chair near my gate. It’s clean enough, though. Found the toilets, they were okay.
Finding the Gate and Boarding
Finding the gate was easy. Screens everywhere showing flight info, clearly signed. Gates are split into Schengen and non-Schengen areas, just followed the signs for mine. Waited near the gate area. It definitely got more crowded as boarding time approached.
When they called the flight, everyone jumped up. Usual queue formed, split into priority and non-priority. Got my boarding pass scanned again at the gate. Then it was either onto a bus or walking straight out to the plane, depending on where it was parked. This time it was a short walk on the tarmac. Climbed the steps, found my seat. Done.
Overall? Paphos Airport is functional. It’s not massive or fancy, but it mostly works. Gets you from check-in to the plane without too much fuss, which is really all you need. Just give yourself enough time, especially during peak season, because those queues can build up. It did the job.
