Egypt: Once in the Country

Means of Transport Recommended in Town

Recommendation

In Cairo, the two best means of transport are the metro and the taxis. The metro has only two lines but a third is being constructed. Using metro would allow commuters to avoid heavy traffic of the metropolis. There are a huge number of taxis and they are convenient. However be careful, for at times the taxi meters are only for decorative purposes and also, taxi drivers have the tendancy of exaggerating the tariff. Moreover, the drivers do not speak English and do not always know the schedules. Since 2006, there is a metered yellow taxi service, the Cairo City Cab. In Alexandria, there are tramway lines and taxis. Buses and urban minibuses are not recommended.

Maps of Urban Networks

Cairo Metro map.

Find an Itinerary

Cairo subway map

Taxi Companies

Taxis Egypt
Cairotaxi
Cairo Airport transfers

Transportation From Airport to City Centre:

Airport	Distance	Taxi	Bus	Train	Car Rental
Cairo Intl (CAI)	19 km / 12 miles	EGP 70-80 / 30-60 min	Available	Available	Available
Alexandria - Borg el Arab Intl (HBE)	60 km / 38 miles	EGP 80-100 / 40-45 min	EGP 6	Not available	Not available

Means of Transport Recommended in the Rest of the Country

Recommendation

There is a good railway network which serves all the cities along the Nile. There are also many buses stopping at the primary destinations of the country and notably Sinai. It is advised against taking the minibuses criss-crossing the country since they are very dangerous. Finally, there are domestic flights serving among others Sharm El Sheikh, Luxor, Alexandria, Aswan, Taba, Marsa Matrouh, etc.

Rail Companies

Egyptian National Railways

Airlines

You Can Consult the List of Airlines Banned Within the EU. Look Also at the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Traveling By Yourself

Recommendation

The major roads are convenient. It is better to avoid night driving outside the towns. There are very few gas stations. In the event of an accident, help is almost nonexistent. Hence you must rely on the help from other drivers. Only third party insurance, cheap but not of high value, is compulsory. It is advised to take additional insurance once you are in the country.

Driver's License

An international driver's license is required.

Conditions For Renting a Vehicle

Minimum age: 25 years, an international driver's license is required. Rental prices are high in the country: between USD 50 and 100 per day for a small car and between USD 100 and 200 per day for a 4x4.

Rental Agencies

Smartlimo car rental
SIXT car rental

Road Maps

Egypt Maps

Find an Itinerary

Via Michelin

Rules of the Road

Minimum Driving Age

Minimum age for driving is 18 years.

Side of the Road For Driving

Right

Speed Limits

Car and motobikes: 60km/h in built-up areas, 90km/h outside built-up areas, 100km/h on the desert roads. 50km/h when towing a trailer.

Safety Belts

Compulsory for all seats.

Permitted Amount of Alcohol in the Blood

Zero tolerance.

Categories of Restaurant

 

• Basic restaurants

Simple dishes: kebabs, chicken, mouloukhya, good value for money. Sometimes it is self-service.

• Medium restaurants

With proper service and a more varied menu of good Egyptian cuisine.

• High-end restaurants

Impeccable service and good quality cuisine, often international, the decoration and the profile of the place are distinguished.

Rules For Eating Out

Restaurants are generally open from noon to the end of the evening.  Payment is after the meal except in the fast food restaurants.  For medium and high-end restaurants, a 25% tax is generally added to the final bill.  If satisfied, the tip should be between 10 and 15%.

Price Indications

Food Specialties

The main specialties are:
The fuul: a beans puree usually served in a piece of shami (bread similar to the pita).
The ta'amiya or falafel
The koshari: a platter of noodles, rice, black lentils, fried onions and tomato sauce.
The molokhia: stew of minced molokhia (Jew's mallow) leaves served in sauce with rice or bread.

Drinks

Black tea is the national drink par excellence. It is easy to buy alcohol in various local stalls or in hotels. During the month of Ramadan, it is more difficult to find alcohol. You have to be careful with the locally brewed alcohol since it could be adulterated. Egypt has several labels of local beer such as Stella or Saqqara and several wines like Omar Khayyam or Obelisque.

Dietary Restrictions

Pork is forbidden for Muslims. However, because of the presence of a strong Christian community, it is possible to buy pork in some grocery stores or even get it served in some restaurants.

Table Manners

Meals are taken at the table in restaurants.  At home, and especially in rural areas, meals are taken seated on the floor.  Eating with hands is not impolite and is common outside medium and high-end restaurants.  Looking at the neighbor's plate is impolite. Leaving food on the plate and on the table is a sign of politeness and communicates to the host that he/she has been sufficiently generous.

Quality of Communications

The cost of telephone communication varies significantly depending on where one is calling from.  Attention has to be paid especially in hotels. Communication is less expensive from the telephone call center or from a public pay phone with a calling card.  It cost approximately EGP 25 for 5 minutes of communication.  The quality of the communication is generally quite good.

Telephone Codes

To Make a Call From Egypt, Dial 00
To Make a Call to in Egypt, Dial +20

Number of Digits of National Telephone Numbers

Regional codes (1 or 2 digits) + number (7 or 8 digits).

Mobile Telephone Standards

GSM

National Mobile Phone Operators

ECMS Mobilnil - Vodafone Egy[t - Etisalat Egypt.

Availability of Internet

Internet Suffix

.eg

National Internet Access Providers

Internet Egypt - Link Dot Net Egypt - EgyNile - Egypt Network ISP - Soficom Communications - Data Express - In Touch - ArkaNet.net DSL - Alex Net - Yalla Online - Infinity

Access in Public Places

Widespread in restaurants and cafes.

Access in Hotels

Access to the internet is fairly common in hotels in the big cities, even budget, and systematic in the luxury hotels.