Hello! I am planning on making a trip to Egypt and then Israel. What is the best way to go from Cairo? I was hoping to do a flight just for time's sake but know that there are not any direct flights. Has anyone ever taken the bus? How long does it take? Where can tickets be purchased? I'd like to know how the trip was too, as I'm trying to guage how the bus experience will be for that amount of time. Plus, I'm a female travelling alone... I've travelled alone a lot in some Muslim countries but I haven't taken long road trips before. Is it best to sit in the front and by a male if there are no females? Are there female only busses? What kind of delays/security issues should I expect at the Egypt/Israel border?
I would love details from anyone who's taken this trip...
Thanks!!!
Are you sure there are no direct flights between Cairo and Tel Aviv ? Normally Tel Al does operates such flights.
As for the bus, you take it in Turgoman bus station (just behind downtown Cairo, but it takes quite a time to reach it due to heavy traffic and maze-like streets) to Taba. If you take the 10pm bus you arrive around 4am in Taba. Once there, either the bus driver leaves you in front of the border, or he is a bit lazy and he leaves you at the bus station, which is 5/10 mn walk.
Crossing the border usually takes one or two hours but it can be longer of the Egyptian border guards are in a bad mood. They like to make people wait when you ask them not to stamp your passport. It's always useful to politely ask them to go faster. On the Israeli side, if you are randomly picked up for an interview it can take long. All of it is a matter of (bad) luck...
Once you are on the other side of the border, take the bus or a taxi to Eilat (it's a bit too far to walk). There is a bus departing for Jerusalem at 7am and arriving at noon. Or you can take the plane, it's rather cheap. Beware : do NOT listent to the taxi drivers who tell you the planes/buses are on strike. Many of the taxi drivers in Eilat and Jerusalem are horrible crooks. Do not believe whatever they tell you. Always insist loudly you want them to out the meter on or they'll ask for extravagant prices. It's always wise to tell them you are living in the country or they'll try to ripp you off in quite imaginative ways.
Travelling alone as a woman is no problem. There are always quite a number of tourists taking the bus to Taba. You can always ask to sit just behind the driver if you wish to but there should be no problem. Egyptian people will not let a woman be hassled in a bus, and all buses travelling to Sinai have a policeman in civilian clothes on board.
Thank you very much for your input! You are both right... for some reason the sites I looked at did not have flight information for that route. I found it upon more investigation. If the ride is only about 5 hours, I think that would work... I also wanted to see the rest of the country, even if I'd be stuck in a bus. If the walk across the border is not that long, I could do that as well. I have a lot to consider here.
Again, I appreciate your input! You've both helped quite a bit.
When I saw your heading I thought, "that's going to take you 40 years"!
Thanks for the laugh, though unintended.
I have been advised repeatedly by longterm Israeli posters on board to take a flight between Cairo and Israel rather than the bus. Yes, there are direct flights (or is it from Jerusalem?). Also another resource in addition to the knowledgeable posters above is to check for advice from a poster named Barry, and tell him Yazmeen said to ask him.
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