Getting into Cairo without wasting money
So I landed at CAI airport feeling tired but determined not to get ripped off. Saw tons of “official taxi” counters quoting crazy prices in euros or dollars. Ignored them completely. Dragged my backpack past all the touts shouting “taxi! best price!” near arrivals exit. Walked straight through parking lot searching for shuttle bus signs. Almost gave up when finally spotted tiny white bus stop beside Terminal 1. Driver looked confused when I asked “to Downtown? How much Egyptian pounds?”. He shrugged “E£25 maybe”. Threw my bag inside before he changed mind.
Bus crawled through insane evening traffic for two hours. Shared bench with chatty grandma carrying live chickens in basket. Driver dropped me randomly near Ramsis train station after dark. Pro tip: Bus runs 24 hours but daytime easier for navigating. Download offline Google Maps for Cairo before landing – absolute lifesaver when lost.
Surviving Cairo’s chaotic transport
Next morning tried using metro. Bought paper ticket for E£10 at Attaba station. Platform felt like mosh pit when train arrived. Got crushed between students and workers until squeezing inside. Massive problem: Only three metro lines exist and they avoid touristy Giza/Nile areas completely. Got off wrong stop three times before giving up.
Switched to white microbus vans crowding every intersection. Yelled “Tahrir Square!” at driver while hopping into moving vehicle. He nodded while swerving around donkey cart. Passed E£3 to guy hanging off doorway who magically passed exact change back. Vans have no route maps or stops – just shout destination loud enough.
Beating tourist price traps
At Pyramids entrance, guys offering camel rides charged $60 upfront. Walked past main gate toward local shops instead. Found weathered guy resting with sad-looking camel near dirt path. Asked “How much one hour?”. He pretended not understand English. Said “kam geneh?” (how much money) while waving E£100 note. His eyes lit up. Paid E£150 total after fake walk-away negotiation act. Still felt suspiciously cheap until camel started sneezing on me.
- Food trick: Never eat near attractions. Walked few blocks into neighborhood streets. Got koshary bowl for E£25 instead of E£120 tourist price
- Uber hack: Use ride-share apps – but choose cash payment! Drivers cancel credit card trips constantly
- Water hustle: Bought giant 5L bottle from supermarket for price of tiny tourist shop bottle
Truth bomb: They charge ten times more if you look like confused foreigner. Counted every coin loudly when paying. Acted like broke student even though not really. Got prices nearly as low as locals after few days practice. Still got scammed sometimes but hey – lost about $30 total instead of hundreds. Anyway I lived to tell the story.
