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Walking:
Walking is the most fun, and for sure is the fastest - obviously
over walkable distances. Do consider it once you have recovered
from the biological alarm that bursts off at the chaotic traffic
of Cairo, but consider making sure that you know your way back,
otherwise memorize the pronunciation of the are where you are
staying.
The Metro:
Fifty-five piasters (around $0.15 maybe less) would take you up
to nine stations; there are now two lines, one running north-east-south
on the east of the Nile with 32 stops between Helwan and Al-Marg,
the other runs north-south-west from Shoubra via Midan Al-Tahrir
to Giza. The Metro usually starts at six o'clock in the morning
and closes at midnight.
Buses:
Buses travel through almost all parts of Cairo. Even though buses
were not meant for tourists, it has been denoted that, just to
provide themselves with a sense of excitement, tourists have attempted
to use the Cairo buses. Getting aboard a Cairo bus which is either
white and red or white and blue, is quite a struggle, as the bus
never stops in a station unless an elderly person is about to
get on/off the bus, otherwise people can find a way of jumping
on/off the bus which usually requires a world class athlete as
bus drivers generally drive at full speed. Consider waving to
the bus driver before attempting to get aboard, as here he might
slow down a bit or stop if you are lucky.
Some useful Cairo bus routes are the Tahrir to Cairo Airport #400
(terminal 1), Tahrir to Pyramids/Mena House #900 or 913 (terminal
2), Tahrir to Citadel/ Ibn Tulun #174. There are air-conditioned
coaches from Cairo Airport to the Pyramids #355 and #357, from
Midan Abdul Mun'im Riad to Heliopolis #356.
Mini- and Micro-buses:
Minibuses are a government-owned service; they have definite routes,
fares, and stops. Microbuses are privatized and usually cost higher,
microbuses sometimes have definite routes, sometimes not, while
their fares are a bit higher than the government owned transportation
vehicles.
Taxis:
Since most foreign visitors and residents depend exclusively on
taxis, a bit of an exposition is required. First off, hotel taxis
generally charge a lot more than any taxi that you hail on the
street. Here's an example, getting on a hotel taxi and moving
one kilometer ahead costs LE10, getting to the airport costs LE60,
getting a Saqqara trip costs LE100.
Now, knowing what to pay does not necessarily depend on the distance,
there is always, the time of day, the number of passengers, luggage,
and the state of traffic. Roughly, most Dokki-Mohandiseen-Zamalek-Downtown
fall in the range of LE3-5.
Downtown-Heliopolis or Maadi normally falls between LE5-18, where
getting from Downtown to the Airport can vary from LE20-30. Consider
sharing a taxi especially in rush hours and remember one thing,
even though meters are available in taxis, they are never used.
Limos:
Limousines sound like glamorous and very expensive alternatives,
yet they are neither. Limousine Misr, for instance, charge LE55
for half a day's running in Cairo, Cairo Limousines are good cars
with English-speaking-parrots (drivers).
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