Cairo – Communication
The best way to get around Cairo is by taxi. The main transportation hub is the excavated Midan Tahrir (Freedom Square) and several stations in the center. The metro is a good option, if you follow the stations carefully.
Cairo buses are so rundown, that they only miraculously move through the streets. They run daily from 5.30 do 24.30 (ramadan 6.30-18.30 i 19.30-2.00). It is pleasant to travel by river taxi (e.g.. to Old Cairo). The river bus stop is at the television headquarters (Maspero harbor), half a kilometer from the Egyptian Museum. Buses run to the island of Roda. There are courses to the Qanatir dam on Fridays and Sundays.
Metro
The Cairo Metro is the oldest in the Arab world and is distinguished by its cleanliness and efficiency. It runs between 6.00 a 24,00, and it is crowded only during rush hours. The initial wagons in the train set are usually for women and should not be entered in a mixed group. Stops are marked with capital letters "M”. Tickets are purchased before entering the platforms, and you can enter the platform after validating the ticket. For now, there are two lines that intersect in the center.
Communication
Arriving in Cairo is remembered by many tourists as a nightmare: traffic jams, detours, taxi drivers carrying passengers not there, where they wanted to go. There are no seizures here, however, like in other big cities, and the beaters stop disturbing after a while.
Tourists arrive from the international airport located northeast of the city center (information tel.02/2914255, www.cairo-airport.com) in the Heliopolis district. The airport consists of two terminals: no 1 (the so-called. the old one), where Arab planes land, African and from Eastern Europe, and no 2 (the so-called. new), for large western aircraft. The airport was modernized in 2003 r., and the next phase of modernization began in 2004 r. There are 24/7 exchange offices at both terminals, ATMs, duty free shops, tourist information points, tourist police station, etc.. The easiest way to get to the city is by taxi (ok. 30 EGP, but many taxi drivers demand and 60 EGP). Near terminal no 1 there is a stop for buses and minibuses going towards the center. A free EgyptAir coach runs between the terminals.
People coming by rail (Alexandria, Aswan) they usually get off at the Ramsis or Giza station (less).
The city consists of two parts: Cairo to the East, right bank of the Nile, and Giza (formerly a separate city, today district) on the west bank. Two large islands lie in the middle of the river: Gezira and Roda, connected to the banks by bridges. There are quays along the Nile (Corniche). The strict center lies at the height of the islands and stretches from the river to the east. Śródmieście and Garden City have an almost European character. In the northern part is the Ramsis station, the main railway station of the city. To the east of the center is the Muslim Cairo with the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, al-Azhar mosque, Fatimid and Mamluk temples and defensive walls from Bab Zuwajla. On its edge there are two necropolises of the City of the Dead that were recently inaccessible to tourists: North Cemetery and South Cemetery. The latter is bordered by the ruins of al-Fustat and the Coptic quarter of Old Cairo, Further districts stretch further south: Maadi and industrial Heluan. On the west side of the Nile lies Giza, and to the north of it Doqqi, Aguza's bedroom district and elegant Zamalik and Muhandisin. Imbaba is slowly losing its suburban character.
Tourist information offices operate in the city center.
You have to remember, that the transcription of Arabic names often differs depending on the language and spelling (English, French, even German). Some of the less important streets have only Arabic names.