How Does Public Transport Work in Egypt?
Last verified: 2025-06 · Middle East
1The Quick Answer
Use the Cairo Metro for cheap city travel, and Uber or Careem for safe, fairly-priced taxis.
2What You Need to Know
Cairo's Metro has three lines, runs cheaply and frequently, but gets extremely crowded during peak hours — there are women-only carriages for comfort and safety. Uber and Careem (the dominant ride-hailing app in the Middle East) are far preferable to hailing local black-and-white taxis, which rarely use meters. For intercity travel, sleeper trains connect Cairo to Luxor and Aswan overnight; domestic EgyptAir flights cover longer distances quickly. Microbuses are used by locals but routes are confusing for tourists.
3Practical Tips
Practical Tips
- 1Download both Uber and Careem before arriving — prices are fixed in-app and drivers cannot haggle
- 2Book sleeper train cabins on the Cairo–Luxor–Aswan route as far ahead as possible through Egyptian National Railways or a licensed agency
- 3Use women-only Metro carriages (marked in pink) during rush hour to avoid crowding and harassment
Important Warning
Local Cairo taxis without meters will often quote wildly inflated fares to tourists — always use a ride-hailing app or agree on the price firmly before getting in.
How does this compare?
Public Transport rules in nearby and similar countries:
Dubai has an excellent metro and buses. Buy a Nol Card for all public transport in Dubai. Abu Dhabi has buses but no metro yet.
ONCF trains connect major cities reliably, while petit taxis serve city travel and CTM buses cover intercity routes not on the rail network.
Riyadh has a modern 6-line metro (opened 2024), Uber and Careem operate widely, and the Haramain High Speed Railway connects Jeddah and Mecca.
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