Getting To Cairo

The city of Cairo is situated on the banks of the River Nile. It is 25 miles from north to south and Africa’s largest city. There are highways linking Cairo to Alexandria, Port Said, Luxor and Aswan. There is also an extensive transportation network and a busy international airport. It is possible to travel by ferry to Saudi Arabia, but services are not regular, nor are they recommended.

By car

Foreign drivers must be over 25 years old to drive in Egypt and they must possess an International Driving licence. With the exception of the main highways, the majority of roads are of a very poor standard, filled with potholes and bumps. Egyptian drivers overtake in dangerous situations and headlights at night appear to be optional.

The main routes into Cairo are the Delta Highway and Highway 1. If you are travelling from Alexandria in the northwest, you can reach Cairo via the Desert Highway and Highway 11. If you are travelling from Luxor in the south, you need to travel along Highway 2 for Cairo. To travel to Cairo from Port Said, you need to take Highway 3 and Highway 33, which comes in from the east at Suez. From Alexandria and Port Said, driving time is 3 hours, while from Luxor, it is a 10-hour journey and from Aswan a 16-hour journey.

By rail

Egyptian State Railway operates Egypt’s railway service. The network is efficient, though somewhat limited. Regular services run to Alexandria, Luxor and Aswan, with first-class or second-class superior being the most comfortable. First-class sleeper trains run to Luxor and Aswan. If you are travelling south from Cairo through the Nile Valley, you are advised to use the guarded trains for security.
Foreign students are entitled to a 50 per cent discount if they are in possession of a valid student card.

By bus

It is possible to travel to Cairo on buses or coaches. There is a regular and inexpensive coach service that runs to Cairo from the other major Egyptian cities. Many of the coaches are air conditioned and comfortable. However, older buses can be uncomfortable and a long journey on one of them can be a fairly unpleasant experience. Generally, the comfort of the journey is reflected in the price of the ticket. There are five long-distance coach stations throughout Cairo, which although they can get very congested, they do have reasonable facilities.

By air

Cairo International Airport is situated 14 miles northeast of the centre of Cairo and is the main international entry point into Egypt. It receives flights from Egypt and destinations around the world.

The Cairo Airport Shuttle Bus operates services to the city. Public buses also run to and from the city. A more convenient option is to take an official taxi from outside the terminals. You can also find a limousine-taxi service that has fixed fares.

By ferry

There are ferry services to Cairo from Suakin, near Port Sudan, from Massawa and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and from the Suez in Egypt. These services are very irregular and not very reliable. There are no services in operation during the pilgrimage season of Haj. 

Cairo: Cairo International Airport

Cairo International Airport is located 14 miles northeast of the city centre. It is without doubt the major gateway into Egypt. The airport is fairly confusing, as it has two buildings called terminals 1 and 2. The old Terminal 1 building contains four terminal buildings, three of which are mainly used by the national airline, Egypt Air, for both international and domestic flights, while the fourth services private flights. The newer Terminal 2 has two terminal buildings and is used by other international airlines. The buildings are situated about two miles apart, but are linked by a 24-hour shuttle bus service, run by Egypt Air; buses run every 30 minutes. Bureaux de change facilities and ATM machines are available at both terminals, as are information desks (tel: +20 2634 8566).

Cairo International Airport transportation

An airport shuttle service takes passengers to destinations throughout Cairo city centre and on to Giza. Public buses and air-conditioned coaches also run to and from the airport, departing from Terminal 1.

You will find taxis located outside the main Arrivals Hall. The journey time from the airport to the centre of Cairo is approximately 45 minutes. Official taxis have a fixed fare to Cairo. For those wanting to indulge, an official limousine-taxi service is also available to take passengers to the city centre; these also have a fixed fare. Even more luxurious and convenient are limousine transfers. These are offered by top hotels and cost over twice as much as regular and limousine taxis.