To/From Airport, Cairo

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We always used to use the Limousine service from the airport because it is cleaner, though more expensive. When we arrived at 2am in January 2011 we were offered the usual mercedes but because a friend was with us and we had quite a lot of luggage , the company suggested a minibus instead. This cost us 120 EG Pounds.
Our return to the airport during the troubles was different, we used our old reliable black taxi driver to transport 3 adults and 2 children and 11 pieces of luggage.

Other alternatives are the white cabs, see previous tip, or the Cairo cabs which are yellow.
There is also the Airport Shuttle Bus. I don't know the price for these.

Hi, I toured through Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said and Suez with a private tour guide who owns his own car. He was a real asset to the logistics and he arranged accommodation and sight seeing perfectly.

I have his contact details for you here:
Abdo El Lahamy e:mail abdo_eljoker@yahoo.com celphone:002-012-198-4431

He was an all-in-one package and I would recommend him always!

New Terminal 3 airport is great. Very few problems with it. I flew in from New York and transited to Athens. At first i was afraid of missing my transfer flight (2 hours later), however, upon arrival into the terminal 3, when i went to the international transfers desk they took care of me completely. They strangely asked for my passport and wanted to take it away, which i promptly refused (Never part with your passport unless you're completely sure what they're doing with it, and unless you have a name!). So they explained to me they needed it to get my boarding pass and to get me through immigration (for some reason, although i'm transferring, i would be going through Egypt land, and hence need immigration authorisation...silly if you ask me, but that's how it is!). So i took down the person's name who took my passport, and kept my eye on him as much as possible. Anyway, all went well and he did in fact do what he said he would. He also made sure my checked baggage got onto the flight, and he gave me new baggage receipts. Top guy...he wouldnt even take my 'tea money'. The whole process took slightly under one hour, and i was never stressed (except when he first took my passport away). The new terminal 3 is fabulous. No problems about going through there again for a transit.

It is not simple at all to transfer from the domestic terminal to the international terminal at Cairo. There are actually two domestic terminals now--one of which is not even remotely within walking distance of any of the other terminals at CAI--and two international terminals. It is extremely confusing as to which one you will arrive at and which one you need to catch your next flight from. There is a free bus, but using it is challenging to say the least. The inter-terminal bus is not marked; nor is the bus stop; and you may have to change buses halfway through the ten-minute trip!!

My latest experience at transferring between domestic (Sharm el Sheikh-Cairo) and international flights (in from London on BMI, out to Dubai on Emirates) was in March 2009. I am an extremely experienced traveler and even I thought the whole thing was deeply confusing. The easy, but expensive, way to get between terminals is to pay for a cab. I find this an outrageous rip-off, so I made the effort to figure out the free bus, which does exist, but is not made clear in any way by the airport. The most helpful people were the guys running the pickups for tour groups--they could tell me where to go, whereas the information desk in the airport could not. After about 25 minutes of wandering around outside the terminal and asking four different people for help, I got on the bus and ended up at the right place--by sheer luck I think.

In terms of transportation from the airport, we recently used the Cairo Airport Shuttle and highly recommend it. New, comfortable, air-conditioned, seven-seater vans - total cost 80LE. Call +20 22 265 3937 to make a reservation and upon arrival go to the shuttle desk. You will be escorted to your van and driver.

For the return trip, the driver was prompt - to the minute! - and got us to the airport in record time. Best 80LE ($14) +tip I ever spent.

NP

First obtain a visa for entry into Egypt the window is located directly to the side of the checkpoint windows to enter. The cost is about 15.00 USD There is also a window to exchange currency. Once you are on the other side of the checkpoint you will get your bags off the carousel that have probably going round and round because most times I have gone to Egypt, my bags were there before I cleared customs! If your visit includes a tour guide, don't worry about finding your guide, your guide will find you! Hey, these guys are good! They are usually holding up signs. And they have no problem approaching you asking who you are. You may get asked a few times before you find the right guide but he will be there waiting for you.

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I landed at Cairo’s international airport in the early hours of the morning when I visited the city in November 2007.

I had booked a hotel in the Zamalek region of the city and, having not pre-booked an airport pick-up, decided that a taxi would be the most feasible way of getting there.

So, at 3 o’clock in the morning, I made my way through the arrivals hall and caught the eye of one of the waiting taxi drivers. At least I thought he was a taxi driver, but when I followed him out into the car park he directed me to a waiting taxi that already had a driver in it. It turned out that I had to pay the first guy before the journey, rather than paying the driver at the end of the journey.

Clearly, this had both positive and negative implications. On the one hand, by paying up front I knew how much the journey would cost and I wouldn’t be hit with a surprisingly large fare when I reached my destination. On the other hand, I was parting with my money before I reached my intended destination – what was to stop the driver dumping me in the middle of nowhere?

I weighed up the alternatives and, mainly due to the fact that there wasn’t really any alternative!, decided that I’d take a chance with this taxi.

I did a bit of research before my trip, so I knew a ball park figure for a taxi fare from the airport to Zamalek, and I suspected that I was being slightly overcharged when I was asked for 75 EGP (7.50 GBP), but I was too tired to bother haggling over a few pounds.

I handed over the cash and in return I was given a receipt. At least I now had some form of evidence if this taxi journey went awry.

After pulling out of the airport car park, the taxi driver pulled in at a security check point. The security guard asked me to sign my name in his official looking book and asked to see my receipt – I handed it over and he kept it. There goes my evidence! The guard also asked for a tip, but after I shrugged my shoulders and pretended not to understand, he soon gave up and the driver was allowed to move on. Welcome to Egypt!

The journey to my hotel took around 25 minutes and, as with every taxi journey that I took in Cairo, involved a lot of near misses, harsh braking and me clinging onto the seat in front for dear life. I don’t mind admitting that the traffic in Cairo is the most frightening thing that I have ever experienced during my travels – I am just thankful that I survived in one piece!

The taxi driver dropped me off outside the hotel and I gave him a reasonable tip. He clearly wanted a much bigger tip, and tried to make me feel guilty by telling me that he would see very little of the money that I had paid to the other guy at the airport.

OK, as of October 7,2007,,,,,,,,a entry visa for Cairo,Egypt is a sticker of sort not the stamp as I was informed,,still $15 USD,,check out the photo I have for this.
So,don't waste your money,on getting a visa service,,your about assured on getting one there(at the airport)before you leave the terminal,,its right behind you,,,somewhat in the corner,,,they will show you where its at,,not a problem,,,,,and you can get money exchanged there,also.