Travel to Egypt
On this page we bring you information about how to travel to Egypt and also in it – gradually plane to Egypt, Egypt by plane, car, after Egypt, after Egypt bus, boat in Egypt, Egypt by train and then travel by taxi.
Travel to Egypt
Here it will be very short – the only sensible option in terms of time and financial, air transport. On the Internet, sometimes you will find references to direct or offer alternative means of transport, but except perhaps a romantic boat trip (but the unromantic price) is no problem – although Egypt for Europe, as the crow flies is relatively close, it was geographically close to the overseas and therefore travel by car or by train around the Mediterranean, you can forget.
For most tourists (except for individual tourism) is not providing any transportation activity more – Shipping is always part of a trip organized by travel agencies.
In Egypt, few airports with international traffic routes, which serve a specific tourist destination. The biggest is of course in Cairo – will be transferred to it and those who are facing the center of Ain Soukhna. More then in Hurghada (+ area Safaga, El Gouna, Makadi Bay), in Sharm El Sheikh (+ Dahab), Luxor, Alexandria, in Taba and Marsa Alam.
At this airport is now headed flights scheduled international flights or charter flight organized by the tour participants travel agencies.
Travel around the Egypt
Such information is important for everyone who is not enough to spend your vacation behind the walls of the hotel sector, for someone who does not intend to go on tours organized by travel agencies and, of course, for individual tourists. (And vice versa – if you are a participant in an organized trip, and entrust the course of exploring travel agent, you do not have to worry about anything else – you go to visit air-conditioned bus / boat / train, it’s taxes but a higher price and the need to comply with the time course of such planned events).
Back to the variations of transport in Egypt.
National Air Transport
In the first place is to be mentioned again after the movement of aircraft in Egypt, especially Cairo and among the various tourist destinations. It’s the fastest, safest and most convenient, prices are also very affordable.
Domestic air transport in Egypt is provided by EgyptAir, a member of Star Alliance, which gives itself a guarantee of high service levels.
The outstanding argument for years, air travel is, of course, saves time – for example a flight from Cairo to Hurghada takes approximately 1 hour flight attendants do not have time nor the training normal – just shows you where the emergency exits and the rest of you have read the manual :-). Flights are daily dispatched with sufficient frequency, so no problem getting tickets the next day (sometimes even on the same day). A return ticket Hurghada – Cairo will pay about 900 EL. Beware – if you book online tickets, will cost about 10% higher! For further information, we recommend that you read again the contribution of individual travel Egypt.
Car in Egypt
Option hire vehicles from rental car is tempting at first glance, the low rents and, in particular fuel should also be an argument, but there are some limitations to the use of a car when not directly excluded, then the strong limit.
The main one in this case is controlled traffic on several national highways, particularly on foreigners. This is a security measure, which was introduced to protect tourists. In some areas of Egypt as a driver-foreigner ever not get elsewhere – and this applies particularly to long crossing the desert – it is necessary to wait for a convoy, which then goes together, accompanied by security forces.
The quality of the roads in Egypt are diverse – in addition to the new highways leading there with long torn road verges, which now and then disappearing under a layer of sand.
In short, to borrow a car in Egypt is no great scoop, it’s worth to you if you want to enjoy an adrenaline ride without any rules in the streets of Cairo, :-)…
To rent a car you must be over 25 years and have a valid international driving license. Traffic regulations in Egypt in Egypt, of course, there are relatively similar to those in Europe, compliance is now another thing – as a foreigner but not risk, what passes locally, she would not pass you.
Buses in Egypt
In Egypt there are many good quality – mostly state-owned – by bus, if you meet with a range of companies under the banner with the names of Pullman, West Delta, Golden Arrow, Super Jet, East Delta, El Gouna or Upper Egypt Bus Co.. You may not have afraid to use their services. These companies operate mostly long-haul flights linking Cairo with other resorts, if necessary. center between them, on the most frequent connections are dispatched even more of them.
Coach of these companies are mostly new, air conditioned, you can buy tickets in advance to reserve a specific date and time, or (less frequently) directly on the bus, depending on vacancies. Definitely buy but only in stone booking in advance and not from some dealers at bus stations, who will say that you sell a ticket to a beautiful coach standing nearby at a discount, and when the time comes for departure, you will find that you are getting a ticket to the dilapidated bus with the used tires, held together only by force of will …
Ride the new bus is indeed convenient and highly cost-effective, but it must be remembered voices of critics of this way of transportation – those are particularly poor quality of Egyptian roads and lack of discipline of drivers, the annual number of fatal road accidents in Egypt is very high indeed.
In Cairo operate buses as part of the urban public transport – the way they can endure, even though most of the buses is an older production date. But they are by far the cheapest move after Cairo, with a precise timetable but do not count.
In Cairo, even in resort areas then act as the local transport minibuses yet. Path one is usually more convenient, cost is still very convenient. Most minibuses are all in decent condition. Beware – if it is empty and the minibus driver and his assistant will yell at bus-bus, you must clear before starting to verify that they are indeed on the bus’ movement and also the price, you can be sure of is that when you to know whether the van from becoming a taxi fare increase, including an appropriate :-).
Boat trip in Egypt
Here we are, of course, referring to the actual shipments, which will serve as a means of transport ship. Such a connection is run between the resorts such as Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh – a joint goes 4 times a week, the trip takes about an hour and a half, and add you to about 250/450 EL for one / both directions.
Otherwise, of course, you can cruise along the Red Sea ride on numerous trips from the individual resorts or on the full registration pass sail on the Nile – both options are further described on the website or trips. seeing tours.
By Train in Egypt
The vast majority of train lines in Egypt operates a publicly owned Egyptian National Railways. Quantity dispatched connections, of course, demand-driven, so for example, between Cairo and Alexandria trains several times a day on the road against the Nile to the south (and back) are then dispatched mostly nocturnal joints.
Traveling by train is passable levels – coaches are not quite new, but they are regularly cleaned. Advertised solid level of travel is provided but only if you travel first class (more so than the other) – only in those cases you have the right to a seat and the car is equipped with air conditioning.
Prices are very favorable, as a ticket from Cairo to Luxor - 90 EL in the first class (46 in the second) to Aswan EL 109 first class. With the exception of weekends and public holidays is not usually a problem getting a ticket the next day, in the mentioned exceptions, the situation is worse, so prefer to book / buy sooner, definitely worth it, unlike the fourth-class travel without air conditioning …
Ticket book service / purchase, either directly to the individual train stations (be careful – you never get anything on connections other than not read in Arabic, therefore, prefer to ask twice) or with a surcharge at many travel agencies or hotels. For information about routes and prices on the web page, check the Egyptian National Railways.
Trains in Egypt are the highest quality services running a private company Abela Egypt between Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, called Sleeping Trains. It is a luxurious night expression, Pendolino against which looks like a poor relative. On the photos, timetables eventually. prices and booking possibilities, see pages Sleeping Trains, for illustration – the price per ticket Cairo – Luxor – Aswan you will be released in two-digit cab 60 USD including breakfast and dinner, you have to pay in convertible currency (ie USD, EURO … no Egyptian pounds).
Taxis in Egypt
Visually it looks like taxi driving around Egyptian cities as much as is all other cars combined. Given that your driver will drive exactly at the desired location, it is also the surest means of transportation, because there is no need to solve the call sign of another type of transport in Arabic, or to hunt for someone who is able to explain our system of transport in English (possibly . another language which you control).
Taxi drivers usually know the location – of course they can not know by heart the whole Cairo, but with regard to such monuments, it is always without problems. If you leave the drive as a taxi from the airport to the hotel, it is better to print at home with a map location, then do not risk long riding around blocks in Cairo “Downtown”, which would not confess in the maze of unmarked streets and hundreds of hotels is not even Chuck Norris … In some resorts, of course, knowledge of local taxi drivers almost perfect (even though – last year we went to Hurghada, known as the driver and the life of me could not understand that we do not want to drive to any hotel, but unknown to him at the intersection of Sherry and Madares streets :-)) .
Technical condition of vehicles is directly proportional to their age. Cairo is full of old black car, which was the best way for me thirty years ago, instead of conditioning work the windows open and your belongings are always located on the roof. We almost forgot the other cognitive signs – always have the front dashboard of sheep skin. Interestingly, the price for a ride in a car is exactly the same taxi with modern production in great condition with air conditioning. Fortunately, there is actually plenty of taxis, so you can choose who you go. At the airport in Cairo is also regulated entry. (The worst, the most moving between Giza and the closest subway stops Cairo, where he probably never checked for anything, including taxi licenses).
The seaside resorts of the taxi ride mostly new, as the taxi works here sometimes minibuses (about possible confusion, we wrote above for bus transportation).
Prices for Services on the course, the distance over which the transports and it is good to advance (from friends, from the hotel staff) to inform, at least roughly how much you should pay up. Then arrange a price with the driver before entering, it is good to emphasize a number between two and watch her repeat (confusion type 18 and 80, :-)), then pay up after the performance of the car, preferably the exact amount. Definitely do not forward the money crumpled in his hand, every dollar bill first stretch – some drivers are, in addition to taxi driver very adept in the retail legerdemain, a matter of milliseconds and will replace the money you claim that you give them a little.
The resorts are the price range a little higher, but there is no example in Hurghada rebuke prices – the normal distance of the tax is 10 EL (in fact, according to 5-15 km). Get on-off-handing and EL 10 are in place.
