Destination: Cairo, Egypt
Time of travel: End of December 2009
Duration: 7 days
Travel plan: 6 days in Sharm El Sheikh, 1 day in Cairo
So you have decided to take on a little adventure and hop on a bus to see the pyramids. You're all set. You're ready! Bring it on! ..and while you're at it, bring some snacks, a sweater and water, too, it's going to take some time, a bit of nerves and require a little bit of preparation, too.
Cairo is definitely worth the visit. Smog that literally makes your teeth hurt, constant haggling and insane traffic are few of the main things that you'll experience after those painful 8 hours on a bus. The incredible tastes of Egyptian cuisine, warm and friendly locals (those who are not trying to sell anything) and all the history make the trip worth all the stress. Yes, there is also a plane flying between these two destinations but do you really want to miss the adventure?
From Sharm to Cairo on a local bus
Sharm el Sheikh's bus station is about 15-minute taxi drive away from the Naama Bay. Buy the tickets in advance because it will get crowded. We don't have the names or the addresses of the stations but you'll get the info from your hotel or a taxi driver. We asked the cab driver to take us to the station where we can buy bus tickets for the night bus to Cairo (note that there are two bus stations in Sharm el Sheikh!). We got tickets for the next day. The bus left at 1AM.
There are two bus stations in Sharm. One sells tickets but the other one is just for picking up passangers. The station selling tickets also has a transfer service for passangers to the other station. Confusing, huh? We bought the tickets, took a nap and when it was time to leave we just took a taxi and drove straight to the departures station. The road to the station feels long in the middle of the night and it basically runs right in the middle of desert. There's no street lights, not even that many buildings. You arrive to a parking lot near a big warehouse look-alike. That's the station. Soon you'll see other people and buses, too. There's a little cafe and waiting room in case you need to kill time.
We don't really know what's the difference between the 1st and 2nd class tickets. Except that in 1st class you'll get lunch boxes. Are they worth it? No, not really. Would we buy them again? Of course! The content was a bottle of water, some local crackers and a baguette like bread filled with some sort of a paste.
One ticket cost about 20€ in 2009/2010. The journey takes about 8 hours.
DON'T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT! There are two border controls near the Suez canal. The armed border guards will check your passport and visa. You don't want to get in trouble with those guys and be left alone in Egyptian desert.
On the way to Cairo the bus was quiet and the ride was peaceful. Also the scenery was very beautiful. Just imagine a looong road in between the mountains, full moon, black sky.
Cairo was a big shock. We arrived there before 8AM. As soon as we stepped out of the bus the haggling began. It was dirty, loud and a little intimidating. We didn't even have a map because we thought we can get it at the station. Get a map in advance! You can't buy one at the station. We asked for a local traffic police to help us with the map. They were very friendly and lead us to a hotel nearby. They even got us a (legal) cab.
Take a (legal and metered) taxi to the pyramids of Giza. The illegal ones will definitely rip you off, drive like complete maniacs and treat you like dirt. Also, you'll most likely end up arguing with them about the final price even though you thought you already settled it before. Don't put your bags in the back of the car.
The journey back to Sharm was a little restless. The TV and radio were shouting all night long and it was very, very cold. Don't forget to take some warm clothes and earplugs.
Top things to remember:
1. Buy the bus tickets in advance
2. Make sure you have reliable transportation to the station - on time!
3. Don't forget your passport!
A piece of our experience:
As soon as we arrived to Cairo we attracted lots of attention at the station. I guess there are certain people waiting for tourists to arrive. They started following us, offering taxi, accommodation - you name it. One of the men literally followed us for a good half an hour. We asked him to leave, in a friendly manner, told him we would like to walk on our own, yet, in a friendly manner he refused to leave. While we walked, and he followed, he talked to other men in his language (probably arabic) and continued to follow us. It was a little scary, to be honest. Finally we ended up near a hostel. He told us he will help us to book a room because he knows the owner. He said he'll be back in two minutes. As soon as he was out of sight, we ran. We literally ran. Where? To McDonald's. It felt like the embassy.
Aftermath:
Cairo was very interesting to see. It wasn't what we expected at all but we are glad we took the trip. It goes without saying that you should definitely visit the pyramids, also the national museum is beautiful. Looking back, we were horribly unprepared for this trip, thus didn't even find a good restaurant (I'm embarrassed to admit that we actually went to McDonalds to eat). Shopping was so-so. We visited a local mall which was just like any high brand mall anywhere in the world.
Good luck!
Ps. Please beware of the political turmoils. During our trip it was peaceful when it came to politics. We probably wouldn't take the trip now (as of May 2015). Also, if you're departing from Sharm, be aware that Cairo is much different and way more religious which does show around the city. Ladies, the more you cover the better.
Time of travel: End of December 2009
Duration: 7 days
Travel plan: 6 days in Sharm El Sheikh, 1 day in Cairo
Behind the pyramids
So you have decided to take on a little adventure and hop on a bus to see the pyramids. You're all set. You're ready! Bring it on! ..and while you're at it, bring some snacks, a sweater and water, too, it's going to take some time, a bit of nerves and require a little bit of preparation, too.
Cairo is definitely worth the visit. Smog that literally makes your teeth hurt, constant haggling and insane traffic are few of the main things that you'll experience after those painful 8 hours on a bus. The incredible tastes of Egyptian cuisine, warm and friendly locals (those who are not trying to sell anything) and all the history make the trip worth all the stress. Yes, there is also a plane flying between these two destinations but do you really want to miss the adventure?
From Sharm to Cairo on a local bus
Sharm el Sheikh's bus station is about 15-minute taxi drive away from the Naama Bay. Buy the tickets in advance because it will get crowded. We don't have the names or the addresses of the stations but you'll get the info from your hotel or a taxi driver. We asked the cab driver to take us to the station where we can buy bus tickets for the night bus to Cairo (note that there are two bus stations in Sharm el Sheikh!). We got tickets for the next day. The bus left at 1AM.
Note written by hotel staff in arabic, explaining our destination (to the taxi driver)
There are two bus stations in Sharm. One sells tickets but the other one is just for picking up passangers. The station selling tickets also has a transfer service for passangers to the other station. Confusing, huh? We bought the tickets, took a nap and when it was time to leave we just took a taxi and drove straight to the departures station. The road to the station feels long in the middle of the night and it basically runs right in the middle of desert. There's no street lights, not even that many buildings. You arrive to a parking lot near a big warehouse look-alike. That's the station. Soon you'll see other people and buses, too. There's a little cafe and waiting room in case you need to kill time.
We don't really know what's the difference between the 1st and 2nd class tickets. Except that in 1st class you'll get lunch boxes. Are they worth it? No, not really. Would we buy them again? Of course! The content was a bottle of water, some local crackers and a baguette like bread filled with some sort of a paste.
One ticket cost about 20€ in 2009/2010. The journey takes about 8 hours.
DON'T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT! There are two border controls near the Suez canal. The armed border guards will check your passport and visa. You don't want to get in trouble with those guys and be left alone in Egyptian desert.
On the way to Cairo the bus was quiet and the ride was peaceful. Also the scenery was very beautiful. Just imagine a looong road in between the mountains, full moon, black sky.
Cairo was a big shock. We arrived there before 8AM. As soon as we stepped out of the bus the haggling began. It was dirty, loud and a little intimidating. We didn't even have a map because we thought we can get it at the station. Get a map in advance! You can't buy one at the station. We asked for a local traffic police to help us with the map. They were very friendly and lead us to a hotel nearby. They even got us a (legal) cab.Take a (legal and metered) taxi to the pyramids of Giza. The illegal ones will definitely rip you off, drive like complete maniacs and treat you like dirt. Also, you'll most likely end up arguing with them about the final price even though you thought you already settled it before. Don't put your bags in the back of the car.
The journey back to Sharm was a little restless. The TV and radio were shouting all night long and it was very, very cold. Don't forget to take some warm clothes and earplugs.
Top things to remember:
1. Buy the bus tickets in advance
2. Make sure you have reliable transportation to the station - on time!
3. Don't forget your passport!
A piece of our experience:
As soon as we arrived to Cairo we attracted lots of attention at the station. I guess there are certain people waiting for tourists to arrive. They started following us, offering taxi, accommodation - you name it. One of the men literally followed us for a good half an hour. We asked him to leave, in a friendly manner, told him we would like to walk on our own, yet, in a friendly manner he refused to leave. While we walked, and he followed, he talked to other men in his language (probably arabic) and continued to follow us. It was a little scary, to be honest. Finally we ended up near a hostel. He told us he will help us to book a room because he knows the owner. He said he'll be back in two minutes. As soon as he was out of sight, we ran. We literally ran. Where? To McDonald's. It felt like the embassy.
Aftermath:
Cairo was very interesting to see. It wasn't what we expected at all but we are glad we took the trip. It goes without saying that you should definitely visit the pyramids, also the national museum is beautiful. Looking back, we were horribly unprepared for this trip, thus didn't even find a good restaurant (I'm embarrassed to admit that we actually went to McDonalds to eat). Shopping was so-so. We visited a local mall which was just like any high brand mall anywhere in the world.
Good luck!
Ps. Please beware of the political turmoils. During our trip it was peaceful when it came to politics. We probably wouldn't take the trip now (as of May 2015). Also, if you're departing from Sharm, be aware that Cairo is much different and way more religious which does show around the city. Ladies, the more you cover the better.
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