ARRIVING BY AIR

ARRIVING BY CAR

ARRIVING BY TRAIN

ARRIVING BY BUS

GETTING AROUND BUS

ARRIVING BY AIR
Cairo International Airport, located in the Heliopolis section of town, is divided into two terminals about 10 minutes away from each other by taxi (there's no shuttle service between the two). It's about 15 mi/24 km from downtown, which can be reached in about 40 minutes during normal traffic conditions. (Allow more time if your flight is during working hours or at night when Cairenes are on the move.)

Hotel Courtesy Vans Other than those serving hotels directly across from Terminal 1, courtesy vans are rare. When available, you find them as a result of a representative holding up a sign saying, for example, "Hilton guests, Welcome!" Unless you make certain that such arrangements are part of your travel package before you arrive, don't expect a courtesy van.

Taxis There aren't any stands, but there are plenty of cabs available. Don't worry about finding them -- the cabdrivers will rush over to you. The fare to downtown from the airport is £E 30-£E 35. Be prepared to haggle.

Airport Bus Only city buses pass through the airport as part of their routes. The No. 27 minibus, which only diehard travelers take, departs from Terminal 1 and proceeds to Tahrir Square, the heart of city center. Cost is less than a U.S. quarter. It runs 24 hours.

Rental Cars Avis, Budget, Euro Dollar and Hertz have rental offices at the airport. Most are based at Terminal 2.

Note Cairo traffic is unbelievably undisciplined. Rather than drive yourself, engage a driver. The cost is slight when you consider how much aggravation you'll save.

ARRIVING BY CAR
Cars are driven on the right side. Signs on the road appear in kilometers. The speed limit in Cairo is 60 kph (about 40 mph). The major highways out of town are reached via the Pyramids Road (for northern destinations) and the Heliopolis-Helwan Motorway (for southern destinations). The speed limit is 100 kph (about 60 mph) on the highways.

ARRIVING BY TRAIN
There is one intercity railroad, the Egyptian State Railway. It connects Cairo to Alexandria (in northern Egypt) and Aswan (to the south) and has several daily departures, depending on the direction. It runs out of the Ramsis Station. Midan Ramsis, 575-3555.

ARRIVING BY BUS
These days it's relatively easy to enter Egypt by bus from Israel. The crossing from Eliat to Taba in Egypt's northern Sinai is particularly fast and takes no more than 15 minutes -- unless a large tourist group is arriving. Formalities at the northern border of Rafah, however, can be extremely time consuming because of the sensitive situation on the West Bank.

If you're arriving from locations within Egypt, the bus companies (in Cairo) are these: West Delta Bus Company, Abdel Moneim Riyad Square, phone 765-582; Super Jet Bus Co., Tahrir Square, phone 772-663; Upper Egyptian Bus Co., Ahmed/Ramsis Helmy Square, phone 574-6658; and East Delta Bus Co., Ramsis Square, phone 574-2814 or 261-1886. The bus terminals are Al Azhar Station, 45 Al Azhar, phone 390-8635, and Ramsis Station, Ramsis Square, phone 574-6658.

GETTING AROUND BUS
Buses -- Although they're not recommended because of the difficult boarding procedures, here's some information, in case you brave the city buses. Cairo has two types: the red-and-white or blue-and-white buses and the minibuses. Both types cost only 25p-50p per journey. You pay once you're on board and exact change is not necessary.

The buses run every few minutes from 6 am to around midnight to various locations within the city. They operate out of two main locations: Midan Tahrir for the red-and-white or blue-and-white ones, and in front of the Mogamma Building, in the Tahrir Square section, for the minibuses. Good luck in finding any printed schedules: It's best to ask an English-speaking local about bus info.

Subways Here's excellent transportation: Called the Metro, the subway is run by the government and -- unlike most of Cairo -- it's super clean. French built, it features (as in Paris) art at major stations. The first car of each train is reserved exclusively for women. The Metro takes Cairenes from the industrial town of Helwan, south of Cairo, to the residential area of Heliopolis in northern Cairo. The only segment visitors to Cairo are likely to use is the short run between Tahrir Square (to get to the National Antiquities Museum) and Ramsis Station, the main train station. However, a major expansion is under way to run a subway line under the Nile and down to the Pyramids area. At each station there's a booth that sells tickets for 25p-50p, depending on the destination. Hours of operation are from 6 am to midnight, and schedule information is available at the booths.

Taxis Taxis usually don't operate out of companies in Cairo. Independent owners drive the taxis, which are easily recognizable (always painted black and white) and available at all hours of the day and night. Often the driver will pick up other passengers who are going in the same direction. Although most taxis have meters, they seldom work, so you have to negotiate the price. If the meter does work, at the start of the trip it should read 60p. Typical fares are as follows: from downtown to Mohandiseen, £E 3 to £E 5; from downtown to the Pyramids, £E 10 to £E 15; from downtown to the airport, £E 10 to £E 15. Avoid taking the taxis parked outside your hotel because their drivers will insist on more  fares. Hail a taxi from the street instead.