From the airport to the city centre Egypt
The country has five main airports serving the major tourist regions: Cairo, Luxor, Borg el-Arab (Alexandria), Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. The most popular means of getting to your hotel is by cab: make sure the driver turns on his timetable, and if he doesn't have one, negotiate the price before the journey. Check with your hotel, too, as many offer airport transfers.
Arrival by train Egypt
This is the safest and most economical way to travel the Nile Valley between Alexandria and Aswan. Whenever possible, and given the price differential, it's best to travel first class, especially for long journeys. In busy periods, you need to book very early (at least two or three days in advance). If you decide to travel second class, make sure that the carriages are air-conditioned, although nowadays all carriages reserved for tourists are air-conditioned (note that some timetables are for Egyptians only, and there is no police surveillance). Given the length of the journey (over 12 hours), couchettes are available on the Cairo-Louxor or Cairo-Assouan routes. Dinner and breakfast, frugal and tasteless, are included in the price. The carriages are often dilapidated, even in first class.
Arrival by boat Egypt
There are two ways to travel on the Nile: by sailing boat (dahabeya, sandal or felucca) or by cruise ship. Not very fast, sailing is a pleasant way to spend three to six days on the river with a few selected friends. It usually allows you to make a few stops between Aswan and Luxor. At night, we camp in the boat or at the water's edge.
Cruises are naturally faster and more comfortable. Ask at the travel agencies. Most of them have year-round places on different boats. Cruises have long been available only from Luxor-Assouan and Lake Nasser; regular flights connect Cairo to complete the stay with the pyramids. It is possible, if you wish to sail between Luxor and Aswan, one way or the other, to look for places directly on board the boats at the quay. There are some, especially in low season, but you have to discuss prices. It is best to go to the agencies that will always find good deals and take care of everything.
Public transport Egypt
Buses go everywhere and are remarkably efficient, beating the train in terms of speed. However, this time saving is often accompanied by an excess of fatigue due to the drivers' sporty, slightly stressful driving. Most connections are provided by two kinds of buses: the baladi, a kind of omnibus that transports premises from one point to another (dilapidated, in the state of a walking wreck, which at least protects you from speeding), and tourist buses, which are more expensive and equipped with the infernal video puzzle and air conditioning. If they are rarely full, try to book the day before for long journeys, if only to get confirmation of the schedule. Prices for the same destination vary greatly depending on the timetables, the company and the comfort of the bus. Count on average 20 LE to cover 100 km. Once again, be on your guard: some ticket offices will ask you, as a tourist, three times the price of the Egyptian passenger for the same bus. This is not always the case, but beware. If this eventuality arises, you will not be able to do anything unless you prefer a microbus if one exists in that direction (less comfortable but exotic!). The microbus, also called "Serviss", is extremely flexible and inexpensive. Vehicles wait at specific meeting points. As soon as one of them is full, it leaves! On routes such as Cairo-Alexandria or Cairo-Suez, departures follow one another without interruption. On the less busy oasis route, there is sometimes only one microbus a day, which leaves early in the morning.
The collective taxi is practical for short distances and is not recommended for journeys of more than 300 or 400 km. In Upper Egypt, such transport is sometimes forbidden to foreigners for security reasons. In principle, a trip by collective taxi is not negotiated. The price is set by the government. However, if the vehicle is not complete, you have to pay for the empty seats.
Bike, scooters & co Egypt
More and more adventurers are cycling through the Nile Valley, sharing their enthusiastic photos on social networks. However, the police are suspicious of this mode of locomotion, and will certainly slow down your journey. Some people also report being shot at by groups of idle children. Until recently, Sinai and the delta were the safest and most pleasant places for cyclists, but with the security situation having deteriorated considerably, there's hardly anything left but the Red Sea coast for cycling enthusiasts to explore.
With a driver Egypt
In the city, it's quite simple, taxis are as crowded as the police. They're everywhere. Don't look for them, they'll find you. Depending on the place, they come in different colors. One thing never changes: they don't know the names of the streets and don't always know which way to go. Take care to find a landmark on a map, ask for the place and you'll end up on foot. It's the easiest way. In Cairo, for example, use the main squares, mosques or large hotels as a rallying point.
The drivers stutter a few words of English. French is rarely spoken. Above all, don't show them a map, because maps and plans are not part of Egyptian culture, everyone is asking everyone for directions. Once you know a city well, no problem; with your hands, you will arrive at the right place, or with "alatoul" (straight ahead), "yemin" (right), "shemel" (left) and "hena" (here), everything will be perfect. In Cairo, most taxis are equipped with meters, so don't hesitate to tell the driver to turn it on. In other cities, you pay more for a flat rate than the actual fare.
By car Egypt
Driving in Egypt may seem a bit reckless. Nevertheless, an international driving license is theoretically compulsory if you plan to try your luck in Egypt. Make sure you get one before you leave. It's now free of charge (you'll need your French driving license, two photos, your passport and proof of address at all the good prefectures in France and Navarre, as no administration is able to issue one on the spot). In practice, you'll find that in 90% of cases, the police won't give you any trouble, even if you only have a national license.
Driving can be confusing. The reflexes of Egyptian drivers are nothing like ours. In Egypt, it's good to know, you normally drive on the right. The main rule is that priority is given to the strongest or fastest, a rule slightly tempered at certain crossroads by the presence of police officers. Above all, don't rely on traffic lights (they always work, but few respect them, unless a policeman is nearby), nor on your European conception of the rules of coexistence on the road.
Certain practices are bound to disturb you, such as the curious practice of turning off your headlights before passing another vehicle, in complete darkness!
Drive your own vehicle with extreme caution. Above all, don't drive at night - it's too risky! If you really want to try it, do so at your own risk! Don't forget that there are bicycles in every direction on the road, donkeys with or without carts, even in the middle of the city (even in Cairo!), pedestrians - they don't like sidewalks that are too high - cabs that zigzag constantly to save time and, last but not least, buses from which a flock of people sometimes get on or off in the middle of the street. Let off steam and honk your horn. It's strictly forbidden, but everyone does it. There's even a specific code for honking, with different combinations signifying different, more or less flowery insults! No one's around: you honk to let them know you're there. You meet someone: you honk to say hello or apostrophize. If you stop, honk before turning off the engine, lest it seize up while you're resting.
The road network is very uneven. Country roads are more relaxing. However, keep your wits about you, as anything can happen at any moment. When the road looks good, it's dangerous to lose control of your speed. You never know what you might run into: a rut, a herd of camels, a truck in the way..
The main roads are well maintained, all the more reason to be careful. Accustomed to doing a lot with a little, Egyptians are unrivalled at inventing a third lane where road signs indicate only two. Cars arriving in both directions squeeze tightly to the right to leave a wide space in the middle for another car to overtake. Some of these cars don't just overtake, but remain in this third lane until another car arrives opposite.
Some roads are tolled, and checks are frequent. Measures to protect tourists have made long journeys complicated. Before renting a vehicle, it's a good idea to find out what you can use in the area. If you have to travel in convoy, it's best to take public transport! Fuel is cheap in Egypt (around LE 3.65 per liter).
