Egypt

Getting around

Egypt has a very extensive public and private transport system, and you can travel just about anywhere in Egypt relatively cheaply. However, it’s worth mentioning that most of Egypt lacks street names, which can make navigating on your own difficult. Fortunately, locals – when they do speak English – are usually more than willing to help you find your way (for a little baksheesh, of course!).

In recent years there have been a number of highly publicised bus crashes and ferry disasters that have claimed local and foreign lives alike. Although there is no cause for alarm, it’s worth keeping this in mind, particularly when debating the merits of questionable transport options, such as night buses or dodgy-looking taxis.

Boat

No trip to Egypt is complete without a trip down the Nile River. Egyptians have been plying these muddy waters for countless generations, and you can still take the trip on a felucca (a traditional sailing vessel) or opt for a modern steamer or cruise ship.

Travellers heading to the Sinai can bypass hours of bumpy roads and frustrating police checkpoints by taking the speedboat from Hurghada to Sharm el-Sheikh. Although you may have to deal with a bit of sea sickness on this route, the journey is safe and reasonably affordable. It’s also one of the few chances you have to boat from Africa to Asia!

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Hitching

Hitching is never entirely safe in any country in the world, and it is not recommended. Travellers who decide to hitch should understand that they are taking a small but potentially serious risk. People who do choose to hitch will be safer if they travel in pairs and let someone know where they are planning to go. Women must never hitch on their own in Egypt, as the general assumption about such behaviour is that only prostitutes would do such a thing.

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Bus & tram

Bus

Buses service just about every city, town and village in Egypt. Ticket prices are generally comparable with the cost of 2nd-class train tickets. Intercity buses, especially on shorter runs and in Upper Egypt, tend to become crowded, and even if you’re lucky enough to get a seat in the first place, you’ll probably end up with something or somebody on your lap. The prices of tickets for buses on the same route will usually vary according to whether or not they have air-con and video, how old the bus is and how long it takes to make the journey – the more you pay, the more comfortable you travel and the quicker you get to your destination.

Relatively comfortable, air-con ‘deluxe’ buses travel between Cairo, Alexandria, Ismailia, Port Said, Suez, St Katherine’s Monastery, Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada and Luxor. Tickets cost a bit more than those for standard buses but they’re still cheap. The best of the deluxe bus companies is Superjet – try to travel with them whenever possible.

The bulk of buses servicing other routes are uncomfortable, dirty and noisy. Arabic videos, pop music or Quranic dirges are played at ear-splittingly loud levels – it’s a good idea to take earplugs. You might also find a sweater or scarf handy on overnight buses as the air-con brings the temperature way down.

Today most buses have a strict no-smoking rule. On some trips passengers are offered water (no charge, but remember that it’s from the tap) and on the deluxe or VIP services snacks and tea are sometimes offered (beware: these are not included in the price of the ticket). These buses also sometimes have toilets on board, but they are often filthy – you’re usually better off waiting for the designated toilet stop en route.

Tickets can be bought at bus stations or often on the bus. Hang on to your ticket until you get off, as inspectors almost always board to check fares. You should also always carry your passport, as buses are often stopped at military checkpoints for random identity checks. This is particularly common on the bus between Aswan and Abu Simbel, and on all Sinai buses.

It is advisable to book tickets in advance, at least on very popular routes (such as from Cairo to Sinai) and those with few buses running (from Cairo to the Western Desert). An International Student Identification Card (ISIC) now enables passengers to get discounts on some bus routes, so always remember to ask. Where you are allowed to buy tickets on the bus, you generally end up standing if you don’t have an assigned seat with a booked ticket. On short runs there are no bookings and it’s a case of first on, best seated.

Bus & minibus

Cairo and Alexandria are the only cities with their own bus systems. Taking a bus in either place is an experience far beyond simply getting from A to B. Firstly there’s getting on board. Egyptians stampede buses, charging the entrance before the thing has even slowed. Hand-to-hand combat ensues as they run alongside trying to leap aboard. If you wait for the bus to stop, the pushing and shoving to get on is worse. Often several passengers don’t quite manage to get on and they make their journey hanging off the back doorway, clinging perilously to the frame or to someone with a firmer hold.

The scene inside the bus in this case usually resembles a Guinness World Record attempt on the greatest number of people in a fixed space. At some point during the trip, a man will somehow manage to squeeze his way through to sell you your ticket.

The buses rarely completely stop to let you off. You stand in the doorway, wait for the opportune moment and launch yourself onto the road.

Taking a minibus is an easier option. Passengers are not allowed to stand (although this rule is frequently overlooked), and each minibus leaves as soon as every seat is taken.

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Car & motorcycle

Driving in Cairo is a crazy affair, so think seriously before you decide to hire a car there. Driving in other parts of the country, at least in daylight, isn’t so bad, though you should avoid intercity driving at night. And having a car – or better still a 4WD – opens up entire areas of the country where public transport is nonexistent.

A motorcycle would be an ideal way to travel around Egypt. The only snag is that you have to bring your own, and the red tape involved is extensive. Ask your country’s ­automobile association and Egyptian embassy about regulations.

Petrol and diesel are readily available and very cheap, though unleaded petrol is only available at a handful of pumps in Cairo (mainly in Mohandiseen, Zamalek and Ma’adi) and Alexandria. When travelling out of Cairo, remember that petrol stations are not always that plentiful – as a rule, when you see one, fill up.

Bringing your own vehicle

If you’re bringing a car or motorcycle into the country, you’ll need the vehicle’s registration papers, liability insurance and an International Driving Permit in addition to your domestic driving licence. You will also need multiple copies of a carnet de passage en douane, which is effectively a passport for the vehicle, and acts as a temporary waiver of import duty. The carnet may also need to list any expensive spare parts that you’re planning to carry with you, such as a gearbox. If you’re driving a car, you’ll also need a fire extinguisher. Contact your local automobile association for details about all documentation.

At the Egyptian border, you’ll be issued with a licence valid for three months (less if your visa is valid for less time). You can renew the licence every three months for a maximum of two years, but you’ll have to pay a varying fee each time. There is a customs charge of approximately US$200, and you must pay another US$50 for number-plate insurance.

If you plan to take your own vehicle, check in advance which spares are likely to be available. You may have trouble finding some parts for your car.

Hire

Several international car-hire agencies have offices in Egypt, including Avis, Hertz, Thrifty, Europcar and Budget. Their rates match international charges and finding a cheap deal with local agencies is virtually impossible. No matter which company you go with, make sure you read the fine print. If you choose to hire a car, rates are around US$50 to US$100 a day for a small Toyota to US$100 to US$200 a day for a 4WD.

An International Driving Permit is required and you can be hit with a heavy fine if you’re caught hiring a car without one. Drivers should be over the age of 25.

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Train

Although trains travel along more than 5000km of track to almost every major city and town in Egypt, the system is badly in need of modernisation (it’s a relic of the British occupation). Most services are grimy and battered and are a poor second option to the deluxe bus. The exceptions are the Turbini and Espani services from Cairo to Alexandria and the tourist and sleeping trains from Cairo down to Luxor and Aswan – on these routes the train is the preferred option over the bus.

If you have an International Student Identification Card (ISIC), discounts are granted on all fares, except those for the sleeping-car services.

Classes & services

Trains with sleeping cars are the most comfortable and among the fastest in Egypt. The cars, which are run by Abela Egypt, are the same as those used by trains in Europe. At least one sleeping train travels between Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor and Aswan daily.

The Abela sleeping trains are 1st class only and reservations must be made in advance. Compartments come with a seat that converts into a bed, a fold-down bunk (with clean linen, pillows and blankets) and a small basin with running water. Beds are quite short, and tall people may spend an uncomfortable night as a result. It is worth requesting a middle compartment, as those at the ends of the carriages are located near the toilets and can sometimes be noisy. Shared toilets are generally clean and have toilet paper. Aircraft-style dinners and breakfasts are served in the compartments, but you should not expect a gourmet eating experience. Drinks (including alcohol) are served by the steward.

Regular night trains with and without sleeper compartments and meals included leave for Luxor and Aswan daily and cost much less than the sleeping trains. Reservations must be made in advance at Ramses Station in Cairo. Unless you specify otherwise, you’ll be issued with a ticket that includes meals on board. You may want to flout the rules and bring your own food. Both 1st- and 2nd-class compartments have air-con and they can get chilly at night; bring something warm to wear.

Trains without air-conditioning are next down the scale. Classes are divided into 2nd-class ordinary, which generally has padded seats, and 3rd class, where seating is of the wooden bench variety. These trains are generally filthy, tend to spend a lot of time at a lot of stations and can be subject to interminable delays.

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Local transport

As well as the local transport services described here, some cities and towns have their own options – most are variations on the pony-and-trap theme.

Microbus

Privately owned and usually unmarked microbuses shuttle around all the larger cities. For the average traveller they can be difficult to use, as it is unclear where most of them go. However, quite often there’s a small boy hanging out of the doorway yelling the destination. In Cairo, you might have occasion to use a microbus to get out to the Pyramids, while in Alexandria they shuttle the length of Tariq al-Horreyya and the Corniche to Montazah, and in Sharm el-Sheikh they carry passengers between Old Sharm, Na’ama Bay and Shark’s Bay. Most of the smaller cities and towns have similar microbuses doing set runs around town.

Pick-up

As well as servicing routes between smaller towns, covered pick-up trucks are sometimes used within towns as local taxis. This is especially so in some of the oases towns, on Luxor’s West Bank and in smaller places along the Nile. Should you end up in one of these, there are a couple of ways you can indicate to the driver that you want to get out: if you are lucky enough to have a seat, pound on the floor with your foot; alternatively, ask one of the front passengers to hammer on the window behind the driver; or, lastly, use the buzzer that you’ll occasionally find rigged up.

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Air

EgyptAir is the main domestic carrier, and flights – however dodgy they may be – are a surprisingly cheap and convenient means of bypassing countless hours on buses or trains. Fares vary considerably depending on season and availability, but sometimes it’s possible to snag domestic one-way fares for as low as US$35. Keep in mind, however, that prices can increase dramatically during the high season (October to April), and high-demand means that it’s wise to book as far in advance as possible.

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Bicycle

You meet very few cyclists touring Egypt – long distances combined with intense heat is the main deterrent. The blazing sun is at its worst from June to August, and even from May to mid-June and September to October, it’s necessary to make an early morning start and finish by early afternoon.

Carrying a full kit with you is recommended, as spares are hard to come by, although in a pinch, Egyptians are generally excellent ‘bush mechanics’.

Members of Cairo Cyclists (02-519 6078) reckon the best place in Cairo for repairs is Ghoukho Trading & Supplies near St Mark’s Cathedral, 800m south of Midan Ramses. It’s quite hard to find, so be prepared to ask for directions.

If you are considering cycling Egypt but have a few pressing questions that first need answering, check the Thorn Tree on Lonely Planet’s website (www.lonelyplanet.com). Post your query on the Activities branch and there’s a strong likelihood that somebody will respond with the information you’re looking for.

Alternatively, you could contact the Cyclists’ Touring Club (CTC; 01483-417 217; www.ctc.org.uk), a UK-based organisation that, among other things, produces information sheets on cycling in different parts of the world. At the time of research it had a dossier on Egypt. The club also publishes a good, glossy bimonthly magazine that always carries one or two travel-type cycling pieces.

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