Transportation in Egypt
Overseas travel to Egypt does not pose any particular difficulties. Getting around within the country is also relatively easy. Following directions can be quite a learning experience, though, thanks to the geographical features of the land. You will be comfortable if you bear in mind that the Nile River flows through the country in a south-to-north direction, thanks to the land sloping downhill to the Mediterranean in the north. This means that Lower Egypt lies to the north, while Upper Egypt is actually the south. If you’re going upriver, your destination is southwards to Luxor and Aswan, while sailing “down” the Nile means going towards Cairo and Alexandria.
Egypt lies in the north-eastern corner of Africa and is a travel destination famed worldwide for its rich, ancient cultural heritage.
This Egypt Transportation Guide tells you how to both get to and from Egypt, as well as the best ways of getting around the country. A great to see this wonderful country is by taking one of the many interesting locally run Egypt tours available. We also have some useful information on Egypt so you can learn more about the country. We currently have local transportation information for:
- Cairo
- Alexandria
- Aswan & Luxor
- Hurgada
- Dahab
- El Gouna
- Marsa Alam
- Sharm El Sheikh
Egypt Transportation Guide
Getting to Egypt
By plane
Several international airports make access to Egypt easy and convenient, besides facilitating travel within Egypt as well.
Cairo International Airport is the main entry point for most overseas visitors and the national airline, Egypt Air’s hub. Alexandria Nozha is another international terminal. Luxor International Airport is now growing in significance, with an increasing number of European carriers landing here. Luxor also caters to several chartered flights. Chartered flights also land at Hurghada and Sharm-el-Sheikh airports. There are smaller international terminals at Burg Al-Arab and Aswan.
For transport from the airport to the city (or from the city to the airport), we recommend Green Path Transfers, who offer eco-friendly airport transfers in hundreds of destinations around the world, including Alexandria, Cairo, Hurghada, Luxor-Aswan, Marsa Alam, Sharm el Sheikh and Taba.
By boat
You can reach Egypt by boat if you take the car ferry that operates between Aqaba in Jordan and Nuweiba in the Sinai. Tickets are priced at $ 70. There’s a weekly ferry service between neighbouring Sudan and Aswan. Ferries also operate between the Red Sea coastal region and Saudi and Jordanian ports.
By bus
Bus services run to Egypt from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in Israel. Take a bus to Eilat, cross the international border into Taba and then change to a bus going to Cairo or into the Sinai. Jordan’s state transport company, JETT, has a direct bus service between Amman and Cairo, which leaves Amman at 03:00. From here, it’s a 19-hour journey to Cairo.
Getting Around Egypt
Several convenient means of public transport are available to get around Egypt.
By train
Virtually all trains are run by the state-owned Egyptian National Railways. The Cairo-Alexandria sector draws heavy passenger traffic and the frequency of services is high. A private company, Abela Egypt, operates overnight trains from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan in the south.
By bus
Towns are well connected with a good network of long-distance buses. These are generally operated by government-owned Egypt transport companies, some of which are West Delta, Pullman, super Jet, Golden arrow, East Delta, El Gouna and Upper Egypt Bus Co. The more crowded routes are serviced by more than one transport company.
By taxi
Getting around Egypt by taxis in cities is easy and inexpensive. Erratic driving is the norm everywhere, particularly in Cairo. Taxis are generally safe, but their driving is not very much different from other car drivers. Cairo taxis are black with their front and rear fenders picked out in white; Luxor and Alexandria’s taxis sport blue-and-white and yellow-and-black respectively.
In recent times, a pilot project has been introduced in Cairo, of privately owned taxis, which is of particular interest to tourists. The vehicles are spick and span, and air-conditioned too. Their drivers wear formal clothes and can speak at least one foreign language. Usually, this is English. It’s easy to spot these new taxis thanks to their bright yellow colour. Vacant taxis can be hailed down on the street; alternately, they can be hired from their stops. One prominent stop in the centre of downtown Cairo is Tahrir Square. If you cannot find any, call 16516 in Cairo to hire one.
Fares in these new taxis are charged according to meters. Currently, fares start at LE 3.50 per kilometre, a shade higher than the regular taxis.
By boat
A ferry service operates between the Red Sea resorts of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh for LE 400. The travel time for this trip is 90 minutes.
By plane
Egypt’s domestic flight network is reasonably good and covers most important towns. It’s best to look up Egypt Air’s schedules, since the national carrier has the most number of flights. From Cairo, the airline flies to several places of tourist interest, of which the most popular are Luxor, Abu Simbel, Aswan, Sharm el-Sheikh, Alexandria and the Kharga oasis.
