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Getting Around in Cairo
by Jimmy Dunn
With special thanks to Cam
McGrath for his contributions to this article.
Ah, to be rich. Simply step outside the five star hotel, and
take the taxi which awaits me at the doorstep anywhere I want to
go in Cairo.
Unfortunately, there is perhaps no more expensive way to get
about in this great city. Common taxis are much more affordable,
and better yet, take the longer trips on the metro and leave the
taxis for short hops.
Taxis in Cairo
Cairo’s city streets teem with black-and-white taxis (usually Fiats
or Ladas) so hailing a cab is never a problem. Simply stand at the
side of the road and at the sight of an approaching taxi point one
hand towards the road. The taxi driver will slowly cruise past you.
As he does, yell out a district or landmark near your destination
(eg. “Al-Azhar”) and if the driver is inclined to head there he will
stop for you.
Solo males should sit in the front seat next to the
driver. It is customary for solo females to sit in the back seat. Once inside, name your
specific destination. Only tourists discuss price at this point, as to
do so ensures that the driver will spend the entire trip haggling for
a high fare. If the driver insists on knowing how much you will pay, name your price. If he, or in the rare case, she,
doesn’t like it you can get out and find another cab.
Meters are usually turned off or “broken.” The meter rate is
admittedly a real disadvantage for taxi drivers as it is unrealistically low, having been set years ago and not adjusted to
reflect rising costs of operation. Thus Cairenes ignore the meter and instead pay whatever the going market rate is for the distance
covered.
It seems many cab drivers spend the entire trip assessing their
passenger’s appearance, age, sex, nationality and Arabic skills to
calculate an expected fare. Thus it is important to have an idea of
what is a fair price (see below). To avoid any hassles, pay the driver the fare upon exiting the taxi and then walk away in the
opposite direction. Make sure you always keep plenty of 1-pound and 50-piaster notes (aka. “amm fare”) so as not to have to ask
the driver for change. Showing any hesitancy or requesting change during this process will encourage the driver to
demand more.
If you follow these instructions and the driver protests vehemently,
he is either exceptionally determined to gouge you, or you have genuinely underpaid him (usually a matter of 50 piastres or so). If
you are certain he is trying to gouge you, threaten to take the matter to the tourist police, something all cabbies fear, and he will
usually back down. Keep in mind that many factors affect rates such as traffic, number of
passengers, luggage, time of day, remoteness of destination.
However, please note that the majority of taxi drivers are
polite, shy and satisfied with what they get, providing the fair
offered is close to reasonable.
It is common for taxis to pick up extra passengers heading in the
same direction, so don’t be alarmed if you soon find yourself sharing the ride.
Problems with taxi drivers are extremely rare, but if one
should occur, note the
vehicle’s number on the side doors that is written
in Arabic and Latin numerals. While anyone can drive a taxi (and many cabbies let their cousins and friends play driver for a day),
the number can help police track down the cab, and in turn its driver.
Where you hail your cab does make a difference. The myriad of
taxi drivers relaxing on their hoods in front of Cairo’s five-star
hotels can afford to rest. They usually charge double, sometimes triple, the going rate and even Egyptians are made
to pay this rate. Walk 100 yards from the hotel and stand by a busy
street and the prices plummet. Other notorious places include fancy restaurants, high-class malls, theatres and sporting clubs.
The airport is a special case.
While LE20 is a reasonable fair from the airport to downtown, only those with exceptionally good bargaining skills will
ever get a cabbie to agree to less than LE25. Drivers often start the haggling at LE50, depending on the time of day and number of
tourists present. Note that upon leaving the airport your taxi driver
should pay the nominal parking fare, though foreign passengers are required to sign out.
Beware of the big Peugeot 504 ‘service’ taxis. While these extra roomy cabs
are great if you have a large group or lots of luggage, they also charge twice the going rate and adamantly demand LE10 for short
hops.
Lastly, treat your driver with a bit of respect. Cairo’s streets are
known for their maniacal drivers (and not just the taxi drivers), whimsical traffic rules and chronic congestion. Imagine driving
these streets eight hours a day, plus holding a second job as many cab drivers do. Given all this, the city’s cabbies are
incredibly well tempered.
Typical Cairo taxi fares (vary according to time and traffic.
Note that Tahrir Square is central downtown, location of the Nile
Hilton and the Egyptian Antiquities Museum):
- Tahrir Square to the Citadel - 7 to 10 LE
- Citadel to the Khan el-Khalili - 4 to 5 LE
- Tahrir Square to Al-Hussein (Khan al-Khalili) - 4 to 5 LE
- Tahrir Square to Mohandiseen - 5 to 7 LE
- Tahrir Square to Ramses Station - 4 to 7 LE
- Tahrir Square to Maadi (Grand Mall) - 12 to 15 LE
- Tahrir Square to Giza Pyramids - 12 to 20 LE
- Tahrir Square to Old (Coptic) Cairo) - 10 to 12 LE
- Tahrir Square to Zamalek - 4 to 5 LE
- Tahrir Square to Heliopolis - 12 to 15 LE
- Tahrir Square to Airport with bag handling - 25 LE
- Dokki to Zamalek - 3 to 5 LE
- Dokki to Manyal Palace - 3 to 5 LE
- Ramses Station to Nasr City (Ginena Mall)
- 12 to 15 LE
- Ramses Station to Heliopolis (Horreya Mall) - 10 to 12 LE
- Garden City to Giza Zoo - 3 to 5 LE
- Garden City to Zamalek - 4 to 6 LE
The reason for the difference in fares depends on traffic and traffic jams.
For example, if the taxi trip is taken during rush hour and takes twice the
normal amount of time, then the taxi driver should be paid more. Also, these
rates are for one passenger. The amount should be increased by a modest
amount for additional passengers. For example, a trip which would cost 5
L.E. for one person should probably be increased to 7 L.E. for two, or
perhaps 8 or 9 L.E. for three people.
Keep in mind the exchange rate. For example, a trip which costs 10
Egyptian pounds (L.E.) is about $2.89 USD. You should consider a lower
limit for short trips. For example, a trip from the Nile Hilton to Garden City,
while a short trip, should still run three to four pounds. Below this amount, it
is hardly worth the taxi driver's time. Most of these prices are above that
which an Egyptian will pay for good reasons. The average Egyptian income
is less then that of most tourists, and it should not be the aim of tourists to pay the Egyptian rate. Taxi drivers do not get rich, few own their own cabs,
and most must pay a daily fee to the owner which is the same regardless of
how good a day the driver had.
Basic taxi talk:
- I want to go to ... = ana ayiz aruuh ...
- Do you know ...? = inta arif ...?
- Straight = ala tuul
- Turn/go left = khosh shemalak
- Turn/go right = khosh yemeenak
- Stop here (here is fine) = hena kwayyis
- Please = minfadlak
- Thank-you = shukran
- To the Airport = lil mataar
- OK = Meshi
It is really not recommended to attempt to hire a taxi for a day, or even for
several hours. Taxis are plentiful in Cairo, and it is much better usually to
simply take a taxi to a destination, and then find another taxi when you are
ready to leave. However, if you decide to hire a taxi to tour outlying areas
such as Sakkara and Dahshur rather then taking a more economical organized day tour, expect to pay between 120 and 150 L.E.
The Cairo Metro
 Cairo’s underground metro system, the first of its kind in Africa
and the Middle East, is a blessing to this city of 16 million people.
Every day, the metro funnels an estimated 2.5 million commuters off the crowded streets (you’d hardly notice the difference) below
ground and moving from station to station.
There are two metro lines in operation. One runs from
El-Marg southward to Helwan, an industrial enclave 30km south of Cairo,
while the other runs from populous Shoubra el-Kheima southwest to Cairo University, and will soon continue on to Giza.
Construction is currently underway on a third line from Imbaba to
Al-Azhar, and the government has given the green light to extending existing lines to reach Moneib and the airport. When all
lines are complete, Cairo’s metro project will be at par with other
world-class metro systems. Really, I’m not making that up.
No graffiti, no litter, no smoking- New York subway users visiting
Cairo are in for a big treat. The metro system runs efficiently. It is without doubt the quickest and
cheapest way to transverse the city, costing just 50 piasters (15 cents) for up to 9 stations, and less than a pound (35 cents) from
one end to the other. There are also nominal discounts for reusable tickets for 10 journeys or more. The front car of every train is reserved for
women.
Metro tickets can be purchased at any of the kiosks in the
station.. The kiosks are one of the best places in Cairo to make change, but some of the employees are a little uptight about
accepting torn or taped banknotes. Even a 25-piaster note with a barely discernible tear in one corner will be turned away.
Assuming you get a ticket, feed it into the turnstyle upon entering,
and hang onto it until exiting.
The metro operates daily from about 5:30 am to half past
midnight. Intervals between trains varies throughout the day, but waits are never more than 15 minutes. Breakdowns are infrequent,
but trains sometimes linger at stations for no apparent reason. Delays are also caused by riders holding the doors open for
friends behind them, sometimes far far behind them.
The two metro lines vary slightly. The older French-built line
running from El-Marg to Helwan has 32 stops, its downtown stations being underground while the rest are on the surface. The
underground platforms are comfortably warm in the winter and stuffy, humid and hot in the summer when the only breezes come
from passing trains.
The newer Shoubra-Cairo University line is better.
Consider yourself lucky if your daily commute uses
this line.
Key metro stops. Also, see
map:
Sadat
Ground zero downtown, this station is under Midan Tahrir and just minutes from the Egyptian Museum, Nile Hilton,
American University and Nile Corniche. Its tunnels double as a pedestrian underpass.
This is where the two metro lines meet.
French-Built Line
Sayeda Zeinab
This station further south is a useful departure point because it is within walking distance of the ninth century Mosque of
Ibn Tulun, one of the oldest Islamic structure preserved in Cairo, and a further walk will take
energetic tourists to the Citadel, Al-Refa'i Mosque.
Mar Girgis
This stop for the Coptic Museum, the churches and monasteries of Old
(Coptic) Cairo and the Synagogue of Ben Ezra.
El-Maadi
Good for visits to this affluent suburb, but most of the district requires a car.
However, the fifth century Chruch of the Holy Virgin is only a 15
minute walk from the station.
Helwan
This is the last stop. Once a health resort of some renown with
curative sulphur springs the suburb has now become an industrial area.
Japanese built Shoubra
Mubarak Station
Cairo Railway Station itself is worth a visit. The building is of historical interest being the first terminal in the Middle East; it was built in the
reign of Khedive Ismail in 1851. Round the corner is the little-known Railway Museum. It is a
two-story building that dates back to 1933 and covers transportation in Egypt from ancient to modern
times.
Mohamed Naguib Station
Exit here for Abdin Palace which was built in the reign of Khedive Ismail between 1863 and 1879, taken over by the
government after the 1952 Revolution and recently converted into a national museum.
Opera (Gezira) station
Exit this station for the Opera House. There is an Opera ticket counter in the subway and one exit leads directly into the Opera House garden which
is adorned with statues of Egyptian celebrities in the field of culture.
Dokki
The station to exit for the newly-opened Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum in Giza
Street
For more information on Cam
McGrath
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