Mail in Cairo

The quality of the mail service in Egypt improved dramatically in the late 1990s. Egypt's 1,470 postal offices nationwide are open from 8:30 AM-3 PM. The larger post offices in Cairo—Muhammad Farid (Downtown), Ataba Square (next to the Postal Museum), and the Maadi offices—are open until 6 PM daily. All post offices are closed on public holidays and the first days of the Eid al-Fitr and the Eid al-Adha feasts.

Postcards to countries outside the Middle East cost £e1.25 and take a minimum of seven days to reach their destination. A letter mailed within Egypt costs a mere 20 piasters and take two days to reach its destination. A more costly express-mail service is also available: same-day service within the country is £e5; within the Arab world next-day service costs £e30; anywhere else in the world costs £e45 and arrives within 48 hours. Note that these are expected delivery times, as advised by the postal service; they don't reflect how long mail actually takes to arrive. If in doubt, double these times.