Communication in Egypt
An airplane is the fastest means of transport, which allows you to get to the main tourist centers (Cairo airport, Alexandria, Luxorze, Aswan, Hurghadzie, Sharm al-Shaikh, Tabie, Saint Catherine, Borg al-Arab, Asjut). Intercity buses and trains are cheap. In cities, taxis and minibuses allow you to easily move from place to place, and there is a subway in Cairo.
Train
Trains work well on long journeys – e.g.. Kair-Luksor, Cairo-Aswan or Aswan-Cairo. There are air-conditioned 1st and 2nd class carriages with Pulman seats, and in special sets there are very expensive sleeping cars, only tourists can drive (sleeping cars). Usually, travel agencies buy first class tickets for organized groups. Local trains do not have air conditioning and move at a snail's pace. Due to safety reasons, tourists can only ride in designated trains, and sometimes they do, that railroad workers do not want to sell them other tickets. The ISIC card entitles you to a 30% discount (except sleeping cars).
Bus
Buses are by far the fastest and cheapest way to travel, and they get there, where trains don't run. However, this solution has one disadvantage: no more than four foreigners should travel in the vehicle, otherwise the police may force them to travel by taxi in a convoy.
There are three shipping lines in Egypt, with headquarters in Cairo. The Upper Egypt Bus Company serves the Nile Valley and the Fayoum oasis, Inner oases and the Red Sea coast. East Delta Bus Company buses run to the north, and in Alexandria and on the north coast – West Delta Bud Company. Vehicles with air conditioning run on main lines, and without air conditioning for the less important. Between Cairo and Alexandria, Sharm Ash-Sheikh and Hurghada can be traveled by a luxury coach (barek, video, w.c.) firmy Superjet.
Worth knowing, that there is actually no pre-sale of tickets, only for long-distance vehicles it is possible to purchase a ticket with one day in advance. There are no seat reservations on local buses: who's first, the better one.
Taxis
So far, multi-passenger taxis (busikami) driving foreigners is not allowed.
In Cairo, black and white taxis, and in Alexandria, black and yellow sometimes pick passengers along the way. Drivers rarely turn on taximeters, so it's better to know in advance, how much is the bill, but usually you don't have to haggle, because the sums are not high. Note the slightly larger special taxis, whose drivers demand exorbitant sums for the ride (they are often ordered by hotel receptions): here you have to ask about the price immediately and bargain a little.
Plane
Prices on internal lines are not too high and people, who can afford it, they should choose an airplane for convenience. Linie EgyptAir (tel.02/24830888, www.egyptair.com) they are a clear monopolist, so no discount can be counted on.
Car, motorcycle, rower, autostop
Only people with steel nerves and great drivers should drive a car in Egypt.
If you want to get to specific places relatively quickly, you can rent a car: with or without a driver. The local MisrTravel office will help you with this. Before picking up the vehicle, you should carefully review the documents (also this, what in small print), and also check the spare equipment. You will need to take out liability insurance. In the event of an accident, a protocol drawn up by the police and a doctor must be stopped, because it will come in handy when applying for compensation.
Tourists often rent a bike or motorbike, with which they move over a vast area (e.g.. Western Thebes). Riding a bike on a crowded road is not a good idea.
Security and Police
Persons, who come to Egypt for the first time, the number of policemen is astonishing – it is the result of troubles with terrorists, and at the same time, what to hide, way to reduce unemployment. Work in the police and military is well paid, and the number of jobs is not decreasing, and it grows.
The city police deals with combating crime, and maintains law and order in small centers. The officers wear khaki uniforms (winter) or light brown / white (in the summer); they are similar to the uniforms of the traffic police (stripes on the cuffs). If the tourist has any problems, should report to the tourist police. The policemen wear khaki uniforms with a distinctive armband and the words "Tourist Police". Officers in winter wear black uniforms, white in summer. They know foreign languages (mostly English), and their task is to help tourists. If you can choose between two policemen, it is better to turn to the older person. The security service is dressed in black uniforms and wears a Kalashnikov. Bank protection, hotele, embassies and major roads. River police keep an eye on ships and feluk going between Luxor and Aswan. There are at least two such policemen armed with Kalashnikovs on every cruise ship.
Only a few tourists will meet the military intelligence, going to remote areas of the Western Desert and south of Marsa Allam, where a special permit is needed. Intelligence offices are located in Marsa Matruh and in the oases. In Sinai, officers are stationed in Dahab, Nuwajbie, Na'ama Bay and Sharm al-Sheikh. All services have secret agents, who roam the streets dressed as sellers or peasants (the so-called. police inalabia).