Transport in Egypt

There are four types of transport in Egypt: land, underground, water and air. Most of the options for moving are presented in the capital of the state - Cairo.

Underground transport   

There is a metro only in Cairo. The construction of the subway was planned since the 1930s, but work really began only in the 1980s. The first branch line was laid from Helwan, a balneological resort south of the city, to El Marga, a district in the northeast.

Today, the Cairo metro has 3 branches and 92 stations throughout the city. The third line is more developed and comfortable than the first and second. The fourth metro network will open soon and is actively expanding.

Metro is a fast and affordable way to get to your destination, saving yourself from the costs of terrible traffic. But it should be borne in mind that during rush hours, trains and stations can be very crowded!

Ground transport

There are many highways in Egypt leading to Africa and Asia. There is a developed highway network that connects Cairo with other cities. For example, on the Alexandria desert road (Cairo–Alexandria desert road) you can get from Giza to Alexandria (the length of the path is 220 km). There are good toll roads: Cairo – Ismailia – Port Said (a city on the Mediterranean Sea east of Alexandria), Cairo – Ain Sukhna (a city near the Gulf of Suez), as well as the Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel, which runs under the Suez Canal. This way Egyptians and tourists get from the capital to the province of South Sinai, for example, to the popular resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. A ring road runs around Kira.   

Usually the roads in Egypt are not wide, but smooth and of high quality. Right-hand traffic.

Foreigners are shocked by the local traffic practice - drivers do not follow the rules, abuse the horn and manage to communicate with each other using signs. However, we must pay tribute, the situation is gradually changing for the better - at least motorists began to observe the speed limit. Radars are installed everywhere, and violators have to pay fines.   

Some visitors who have been living in Egypt for some time and understand the behavior on the local roads, decide to get behind the wheel themselves. According to the new legislation, foreigners with international rights can buy a car and register it in their name for a period of three years. You can also rent a car, but you should think carefully about the feasibility.

Consider public ground transport.

Buses

There are many buses in Egypt that run between cities. One of the well-known transport companies – Go Bus. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or directly at the station. Buses vary in comfort and cost of travel. If you have to travel for many hours, for example, from Hurghada to Cairo, Giza or Luxor, it makes sense to overpay and enjoy the journey in a cabin with air conditioning, toilet and Wi-Fi.

City buses are an inexpensive way to travel, but there are nuances. They are often crowded and go slowly due to frequent stops and traffic jams.

The numbers and destinations are indicated on buses only in Arabic.

Bus stops are provided, but often drivers stop arbitrarily in those places on the route where waiting people gather. The bus may stop, or it may easily pass by, and you will have to wait for the next one.

The fare is accepted by drivers. They will issue a ticket that should be saved before leaving the salon. 

There are a couple of places in Cairo from where it is easy to go to almost any area of the city. These are Ramses Square and Abdul-Munim-Riad Square.

Important! A foreigner must always have documents with him! On the way, buses stop at one or several (depending on the route) checkpoints. If the passenger does not have an identity card, he can be dropped off.    

Minibuses

Minibuses are fast. It is more comfortable to ride in them, because only seating is provided.

However, there is also an unpleasant feature – there are no markings of the route number and destination on the cars. Where the bus is going, it is necessary to find out directly from the driver before the trip.

Often a foreigner can be taken to the wrong place, but, say, to impose a transfer to another minibus. The passenger needs to be careful.

Note that minibuses go not only inside cities, but also to the suburbs. For example, this way you can get from Hurghada to El Gouna, located 20 km away. 

Taxi

Taxi is one of the preferred means of transportation in Egypt, as it is relatively fast and calm, although more expensive. It's no secret that foreigners often become a target for petty fraud – drivers inflate the cost of a trip for them. Therefore, it is worth discussing the tariff in advance, as well as asking to turn on the meter. As such, there are no taxi stands, but you can stop any taxi on the road.

Separately, it is worth mentioning that Uber and Careem services operate in Egypt (except Sharm el-Sheikh). If you have a local mobile connection, there are no obstacles to use them. It is more convenient to order a taxi through the same Uber, since the cost of the trip will be known in advance, and it is fair, since it is calculated according to a certain algorithm. Moreover, machines connected to these applications are usually more convenient. Another plus – drivers use GPS to choose the fastest way.

Note that Uber and Careem do not work in Sharm el-Sheikh, but there is an InDrive service.

Trams

This type of transport is developed exclusively in Alexandria, but it is worthy of mention due to its venerable age. Trams began running in this city in 1863 on horse-drawn cars, and 40 years later they were electrified.

Today in Alexandria there are two separate lines – western and eastern. The high-speed eastern line is especially in demand. The rolling stock is different. There are both old trams (some of them with a double-decker car) and new modern ones.

Trains

Trains are mostly sedentary. First and second class carriages are usually air-conditioned. Sleeping trains run only in two directions: Cairo – Luxor – Aswan and the Cairo – Marsa-Matruh express (a city near the border with Libya on the Mediterranean coast).

Since 2018, the country has been building high-speed railways. The project is being implemented by an international team. The first line will connect the city of Ain Sukhna on the Red Sea coast with the city of Marsa Matruh on the Mediterranean coast. The second branch will run along the Nile and connect the City named after October 6 with Abu Simbel and then Sharq el-Owainat. The third line will make it easy to travel from Safaga and Hurghada to Luxor. It will be a real gift to tourists! Today, for the sake of visiting the Valley of the Kings, vacationers on the Red Sea have to endure an exhausting many-hour bus ride. 

Water transport

River buses

Probably not the fastest, but one of the most enjoyable ways to get around in Cairo is the river bus. Even under the Pharaohs, people rafted down the Nile themselves and transported goods, so water transport in Egypt is probably older than land-based chariots appeared and came into use much later.    

If your destination is on the river bank, you should ask if there is a bus going there. Along the Nile, for example, you can get to the historic Coptic district of Old Cairo (Misr al-Kadima).

River taxi

A river taxi has recently appeared. It will not only give pleasure from a short trip along the Nile, but also save time. There are three types of water taxi. The first – analog «minibus », you sit down and wait until the boat is filled with a sufficient number of passengers and departs. The second option is a personal taxi, which you need to book in advance. And the third type is recreational tourist boats.

Air transport

The plane is the best choice to get from Cairo to remote provinces such as Sharm el-Sheikh. Although this is an expensive mode of transport, it is considered the fastest and safest.