DIRECTIONS
By plane
Cairo International Airport (IATA: CAI), is well served by Egypt-Air, the national carrier, and others such as British Airways, Air France, KLM, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa, as well as budget carriers TUI-fly and Jet-Air-Fly. Go ahead and exchange some money in the airport - best to do this before going through customs.
The airport has three terminals, the latest of which was opened in 2009. Egypt-Air now operates all flights from the new Terminal 3, but there is little rhyme or reason to other airlines, especially as T2 will be partly closed in 2009-2010 for renovation works, so double-check your terminal before departure. A free shuttle bus runs between the three every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day. Taxi drivers trying to lure you at the airport will try to tell you otherwise regarding the shuttle bus, but go outside the terminal and you will find the free shuttle bus.
The airport is located on the north-eastern outskirts of the city at Heliopolis. If you want to spend the night near the airport, the Novotel Cairo Airport hotel is located next to the airport, and there are other lodging options in nearby Heliopolis. Getting to downtown Cairo can be a pain. LE 40 is a good price by taxi, although it can be quite difficult to negotiate this price if you are not an Arabic speaker. Refuse to pay the "ticket" (airport parking fee) for the driver. If you are going to downtown Cairo, you may be able to share a taxi with other tourists or backpackers. Another option is to use transportation arranged by your hotel or hostel, though this service is often not complimentary.
For the adventurous, catch a public bus to Midan Tahrir or Midan Ramses from the big underground bus station 5 minutes outside Terminal 1. Ask a local if unsure, but don't catch the notorious (non-A.C) green buses. In some cases, the bus destination and, or number will be in Arabic. If this is the case, be prepared to ask a driver or passengers if the bus stops at your destination. Buses run every 30 minutes, take 60-90 minutes and cost LE 2. At least on the non-A.C bus, you may be charged an additional LE 1 if you bring aboard large or bulky items. To get from downtown to the airport, board an A.C bus at the bus terminal just north of the Egyptian Museum (under the highway bridge). Finally, there are also direct express buses from the airport to Alexandria every 30-60 minutes; however, the buses operate only during daylight hours (4 AM - 7:30 PM).
When returning to the airport for departure, allow plenty of time (2-3 hours to be safe) to get to the airport, as the roads can be very congested. If you depart on Friday morning or mid-day, the trip to the airport will be quick, as roads are deserted while people go to the mosque for Friday prayers. Upon arriving, you need to pass through a security checkpoint before you can get to the ticket counter/check-in area. You must bring a print-out with you of your itinerary or ticket to show the security staff, in order to pass through the checkpoint. For Egypt-Air, there is a separate, usually shorter, check-in line for European destinations. You will pass through a second security checkpoint just before boarding your aircraft. Allow plenty of time for getting through the security checkpoints and checking in, as lines can be long. Note that there is no baggage room at the airport.
By train
Cairo's main railway station - Ramses Station (Mahattat Ramses) - is located on Midan Ramses, which is also the location of the Mubarak Metro Station. Trains run to Cairo from most other regions and cities within Egypt. Trains in Egypt don’t generally run on schedule, as a matter of fact they run consistently at least 15 minutes late, if not later. Train service is available from Ramses Station to Alexandria, while service to Luxor and Aswan is available at the Giza Railway Station. Visitors wishing to connect with trains to Luxor , Aswan , and the rest of upper Egypt should take the Metro from Midan Ramses Mubarak Metro Station , on line one to Giza Metro-Train Station which should take approximately twenty minutes. Trains also depart to the canal cities, but buses are much faster.
It is best to purchase tickets in advance to be assured of a seat. It is also important for travelers to ensure with the ticket office that the train is not a local train used by Egyptians to visit all of the small destinations south wards in the Nile Valley , but only the major cities. For comfort visitors should also preferably insist on a first class seat but nothing less than a second class . Online ticket purchases are not available, so you need to either go to the train station and buy your ticket there or go through a travel agency who can arrange this for you ahead of time. Especially in the summer months, trains running between Cairo and Alexandria do sell out, so advance purchase is advised. Sometimes it is possible to buy train tickets in the morning, for a train later the same day or if not busy, you might get on the next train. There are multiple windows for different classes and destinations, so check that you are in the correct line.
There is a luggage room in the station, situated on your right of the entrance. The price of one box is 2.5 pounds/24 hours.
Alexandria is served by a large number of departures through the day. Among the best trains are El-Espani (Spanish) which has a morning service from Cairo at 9am. El-Espani and Turbine (Turbo) are the best services, going non-stop to Alexandria and taking 2 hours and 40 min. The next best service is Al-Fransawi (French), which stops at the major Delta cities on the road. The Express (French) and Turbo trains to Alexandria have first and second class, all air conditioned. Refreshments are available for purchase on the train. First class is recommended, but second class is also reasonably comfortable.
Trains heading to Luxor, Aswan, and other Upper Egypt destinations also depart from the rail station in Giza. The Sleeping Trains (Abela Egypt) leave Cairo 8 pm and arriving in Luxor 5.05 am and Aswan 8.15 am. There also is a 9:10 PM departure from Cairo. Check the website for more departures, including one three days a week from Alexandria. It's relatively expensive at 60 USD for a bed in a double-person cabin one way. Tickets are bought at the office to your left as you enter the train station from the Metro and taxi station. The tickets are payable in US dollars, Euros, or British Pounds only. There are no exchange offices at the train station itself. It is also possible to make reservations in advance, by calling or faxing your request to Abela, and then pay for and pick up your tickets at the station. Since these trains are designated for tourists, you will stay in special cars guarded by armed plain-clothes policemen.
Going to Upper Egypt, the alternative to the expensive sleeper (or flying) is the ordinary trains. One of these departs at 00.30 to Luxor and Aswan and is supposed to take 10 hours to Luxor and 13 hours to Aswan.
Ramsis Station Tel. +202 25753555
By bus
Buses arrive to Cairo from virtually all over the country. The two main destinations are Midan Ramsis and Cairo Gateway, formerly known as Turgoman, but vehicles also sometimes stop at other destinations, notably Abbasiya. From Midan Ramses and Cairo Gateway it's a quick 5 LE taxi cab ride to downtown, 7-10 LE to Zamalek. Cairo Gateway is a new, modern indoor station located approximately 500m from the Orabi Metro Station, within the new Cairo Gateway Plaza.
Destinations:
- Port Said, Ismailiya, and Suez - hourly services from Cairo Gateway (2 hrs; 20-30 LE)
- Sharm el-Sheikh - East Delta buses take approximately 8 hrs (80 LE) while Super-jet buses take 6 hrs. Some East Delta services continue to Dahab. When taking the bus to Sharm, keep your bus ticket and passport handy, as you will pass through a number of checkpoints, which require passengers to present identification and ticket. A cheaper option to get to Sharm by bus is to take a bus, a train, or a minibus to Suez (10LE) and from the main bus station there, take the 11AM or the 13:20 bus to Sharm for only 31 LE.
- Taba and Nuweiba - Buses leave Cairo Gateway three times daily (06.00 hrs, 09.30 hrs & 22.15 hrs) with prices comparable with the services to Sharm. It takes around 6 hrs to get to Nuweiba.
- Siwa - Direct buses leave Cairo Gateway Sunday and Wednesday nights at 7:45PM (60 LE)
Uncomfortable, but cheap, micro-buses leave from Cairo to a large number of destinations. The main garages are Midan Ramsis and Al-Marg metro station (for the north-east and Sinai). They are faster and might as such be an option for shorter trips, but have a terrible toll of accidents. There are also other places these buses leave from depending on your destination, ask locals. Be aware that at least for the Sinai, foreigners are prohibited to use the micro-bus system.
Super-jet bus to Alexandria, Hurghada and Sinai TEL. +202 2266-0212.
East Delta bus to Sharm El-Sheikh , Arish and Rafah Tel. +202 2576-2293.
By car
Driving in Cairo is not recommended, nor necessary. The traffic is, at the least, overwhelming for the common traveler. The driving has a consistency, but not in any official way. Road signs, lanes, right-of-ways, etc. are not adhered to, and there are a large number of junctions and flyovers. Traffic signals exist in only a few locations and are routinely ignored. Though, sometimes police officers are directing traffic at busy intersections. In downtown Cairo, drivers will sometimes bump other cars that are blocking their way. And, don't be upset if your side-view mirror gets hit. At night, many drivers do not use headlights, so use extra caution or avoid driving at night. In Egypt, vehicles travel on the right side of the road. Instead of making a left turn, you will often need to make a u-turn and backtrack, or you can make three right turns.
Parking houses or official parking spots are rare. Cars may be parked two or three deep on the side of the road, and will often be left unlocked, and out-of-gear, so they can be moved. In many places, people work to look after parked cars. A small tip is expected for this service. Or, you can use valet parking.
If planning to hire a car at the airport and drive directly out of Cairo do not assume that this will be easy, due to the chaotic conditions.
Getting in and out of Cairo.
To get to Alexandria , The North Coast , The Delta and The Western Desert drivers should take the Cairo - Alexandria Desert Road from The Mewhwar Road- 26th July corridor from Down Town Cairo.
To get to Beni Sueif, Fayoum, Assyut, Luxor, and Aswan, drivers from Downtown should take the The Sixth Of October-Fayoum exit at the Remaya Roundabout beside The Giza Pyramids at Le Meridian Hotel,to the Fayoum turn off at the Fayoum - Sixth Of October junction, 6 KM from Remaya Roundabout.
To get to Suez, Port Said, and Ismailia, drivers from Downtown should take the Ring Road to the Suez Road junction for Suez, and The Ismailia junction off the Ring Road for Ismailia and Port Said.
To get to Hurghada, and Ain Sukhna, drivers from Downtown, should take the Ring Road to the New Ain Sukhna Toll Road at Kattamaya.
To get to Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, Ras Sidr, Al-Arish, and Rafah on the Sinai Peninsula, drivers from Downtown, should take the Ring Road to the Suez Road junction at the J.W. Marriot Hotel, through the Ahmed Hamdy Tunnel, on to the Sinai Peninsula.