Public Transport

Train

Cairo's main railway station - Ramses Station (Mahattat Ramses) is located on Midan Ramses. Trains run to Cairo from most other regions and cities within Egypt.

Car

For those unfamiliar with Cairo traffic, one shouldn't expect to drive. The traffic is, at the least, overwhelming for the common traveller. Road signs, lanes, right-of-ways, etc. are not adhered to. The driving has a constancy, but not in any official way.

Metro

Cairo has the only metro system on the African continent. While its two lines are all too limited in scope, they're a major boon in the areas they do go to and the flat fare of 75 piasters per trip is a steal. The key interchanges are Mubarak, at Midan Ramses, and Sadat, below Midan Tahrir. Note that in each train, the first car is reserved for women.

Taxi

The fleet of black-and-white taxis that ply Cairo's streets are convenient but a hassle. Communication can be an issue and, since cabbies systematically refuse to use their meters (understandably, since the official rates are completely unrealistic), prices certainly will be. Try to get a taxi on the fly instead of those loitering outside 5-star hotels and restaurants to minimize price inflation. Using a big hotel as your destination may also inflate the price.

Always choose the taxi, don't let the taxi choose you. There are two basic tactics, #1 State a price beforehand, which may prevent ripoffs but will require you to quote slightly above the local price. Or #2 get in, state your destination, and pay an approximation of the local fare once you get there. Avoid negotiations - it takes lots of time and you end up at a price you won't like. Instead, use the "walk-away"-technique if they don't agree to your (reasonable) price. A rule of thumb is 3 LE for short trips, 10 LE for longer ones, where length is measured in distance or time. As an example, the cost from Zamalek to Midan Tahrir should be 3-4 LE, from Zamalek to Midan Hussein (Islamic Cairo) is 8-10 LE. From the airport to downtown Cairo is about LE 25. Cabbies usually expect more money (1 or 2 LE) for ferrying more people. If you decide not to negotiate the price beforehand (this is the better method) be ready to jump ship and/or bargain hard if the cabby brings up the fare after you are in the car. They rarely accept more than 4 people to a taxi.

In March 2006 a new fleet of 500 bright yellow taxies hit the road. They run on natural gas, and will soon add up to a total of 1500 cars. All the cars are equipped with air-condition, meters that actually work, and credit card readers. The meter starts at 3.50 LE, and then 1 LE for every additional kilometre. The drivers are not allowed to smoke in the cars. They are reffered to as 'City Cabs' or Cairo Cabs'. They can be a bit more expensive (and less of an adventure) than the black-and-white cabs for short hops. However, for longer distances they are the way to go for price and comfort.

Bus

The large red, white and blue public buses cover the entire city and are much cheaper, but are usually crowded. However, there are the similar air-conditioned buses that charge 2 L.E. for the trip and prohibit standing on the bus. They can be found in the main squares in Cairo. Also found in main squares are the smaller mini-buses that are usually orange and white or red, white and blue.