Egypt Transportation

The busiest and biggest international airport in Egypt is Cairo International Airport, which is 15 kilometers (9 miles) from downtown and it has 3 terminals in total. There are direct flights from major cities in the world such as Beijing, Bangkok, London, Paris, Frankfurt, New York, Dubai, Rome, Toronto, Istanbul, Johannesburg and so on.

How to transfer between Cairo International Airport and downtown?

Bus	Bus 356 runs from airport to Tahrir Square at the cost of EGP 2; it departs from 6am to midnight every single hour. Bus 400 runs 24 hours each day at the cost of EGP 1 per ticket. Other buses are Bus 27 from airport to Tahrir Square and bus 949 from airport to Giza Square.
Taxi	The estimate cost from airport to downtown is about EGP 70-100. Better to confirm the cost before taking it.

 

The domestic flights in Egypt cover almost all the hot tourist cities such as Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan, Luxor and so on. There are two main domestic airline companies in Egypt, namely EgyptAir and Air Sinai. During travel peak seasons, the domestic flight tickets cost is almost the same as international ones.
 

If you want to travel between different cities in Egypt, train is not a bad choice. Visitors can buy train tickets from the train stations; in Caior, they can also buy one from the ticket offices in the subway stations. There are various discounts on the train ticket depending on the travel distance, tourism season or date for returning trip.
 

The main long-distance bus stop in Cairo is the Cairo Gateway, also known as the Turgoman Bus Station. Visitor can take the subway and get off at Orabi. After buying the ticket, passengers can get to almost all Egypt cities from here. Of course, due to the dense road network, it is easy to travel between most cities in Egypt by coach. However, the coach is usually crowd.
 

In Egypt, the bus route number is generally written in Arabic. Unlike ordinary Arabic digits, it is more difficult for visitors to identify so please well prepared in advance. When you take the bus, be sure to show the driver gestures or tell the driver when you want to get off the bus because there is no such thing as bus stops. In addition, don't expect too much towards the punctuality of departure or arrival and the congestion may disrupt your whole day's schedule.
 

The blue-and-white minibus is a more common tool for travelling in Cairo. Generally, the drivers operates the minibus on their own and the fee varies according to the length of the distance. Without signs, the passenger needs to give gesture to the driver to hail the bus when the minibus is passing by, which is difficult for foreign tourists. The main routes cover the city center, the pyramid, the south suburbs, etc.
 

Cairo is the only city having subway lines in Egypt. No need to worry about traffic jams, it is a good choice to travel by subway in Cairo. Currently, there are three lines that have been opened. Tickets can be purchased from the ticket windows inside subway stations. No subway card for multiple uses is available. Operating hours are from 7 am to 11 pm. There are English signs inside subway stations. Usually, there are two women-only compartments in the middle of the subway trains. Female tourists are suggested to take these two carriages. Some carriages do not have air conditioning system, and windows will be open during the move. Although it will not be too crowded in the subway cars, the air is sultry and uncomfortable.
 

The public transport system in Egypt is not ideal. The best way to efficiently visit various attractions is to take a taxi. The price is not expensive. The taxi drivers charge either by meter or at fixed price. For tourists, it is better to choose to pay by meter. Double confirm the billing method before getting on the taxi.
 

Visitors can also take a sightseeing horse cart to travel around the train station and the tourist spot with the cost starting from EGP5. Sometimes the driver asks for an unreasonable price or a high tip.