Public Transport

• You will probably be able to walk to most places in you dive resort town. If not there will be local taxis available.
• For inter city travel Egypt Air has a near monopoly on domestic flights.
• Trains are also an option for long trips but are slow and hot for short trips.
• Intercity buses are faster for shorter trips around Egypt and cover a wider network than the trains. They are also very cheap. Most towns have a bus terminal and bigger towns have more than one. Tickets can be bought 24 hours in advance. Schedules change often and unless you can read Arabic you won’t be able to read them anyway.
• Another option is to take a serviced taxi which is like a shared cab or minibus that departs from a fixed point in town as soon as they have enough passengers. If you are a nervous back seat driver this option may not be for you.
• The famous Nile River cruises are always popular and there are hundreds of boats to choose from. Standards and prices vary hugely from extreme luxury to real tubs. Book through a reputable agent not a street tout.
• City transport includes buses, minibuses and trams. Some cities like Cairo and Alexandra have river taxis and metros. Local taxis rarely use the meter so try to find out the price before you hail one to avoid the haggling. Larger Peugeot’s and Mercedes special taxis prey on tourists and cost more, some hard bargaining is required before you get inside. Caleches or Hantours are horse drawn buggies and are also mainly touted to tourists these days, especially in Luxor. Some owners really do not take care of their horses – don’t support them.

Food and Drink

• One of the greatest pleasures of travelling is trying the local specialties and Egypt has a lot to offer.  The tastes vary from region to region with the south having spicier food than the north.
• Of course Cairo has every type of food thinkable and tourist resorts have the full range of Burgers, Chips, Pizzas and fry ups for those missing home cooking.
• Egyptian food is always cooked with fresh ingredients.
• Restaurants will have menus but small local cafes will not. Restaurants add a service charge and tax to the bill and tips are expected. Local cafes usually have a small plate by the door where you can leave some coins on your way out.

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