Driving in Egypt
 

Does anyone recommend renting a car and driving in Egypt.

No way; my husband has lived in Egypt for 3 years and even though he drives when we go on holidays to Lebanon he does not drive in Egypt.
There are no traffic signals, no lanes and total chaos. Sometimes the taxi drivers have trouble manouvering lanes!

Even if you go outside of Cairo the drivers are still eratic and you can't take your eyes off of the road for even a second.

Taxi's are cheap in Egypt (by North American standards) and easy to hail.

Bizapta kidda! Lisa is exactly right. Only the very brave or insane would rent a car to drive in Cairo any day but on Friday morning.

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry - gut reaction!

Driving is not for the faint of heart! I drove in our little suburb and my DH drove all over the country - but it is not something I recommend to anyone!

I was reading a blog another Forum member sent me. She would say no way in hell should you drive in cairo. She posted a pic and the car in front was driving in the middle of two lanes, right over the white line on the road. She said they were not changing lanes, they were just driving there. I am planning to go to Egypt and I would never drive there, Apparently it is cheap to hire a driver and even a guide.

<<She posted a pic and the car in front was driving in the middle of two lanes, right over the white line on the road. She said they were not changing lanes, they were just driving there.>>

Yup - that's about right. Taxis are cheap and abundant.

What we obviously see as a two-lane road, in Cairo easily becomes a four with no regard for white lines... they just drive where you wish. Go with a guide/vehicle; prices are quite reasonable.

Driving in Egypt? LOL!! It's dangerous enough to cross the street, I can't think of anything worse than driving in Egypt.

I agree with Grcxx3, NOOOOOO!!!! =-O

PS I commend you for asking. It would be awful if you got there and realized too late you had made a mistake. Great question.

<<PS I commend you for asking. It would be awful if you got there and realized too late you had made a mistake. Great question.>>

Good point, P_M!!!!! Some might assume it's like driving anywhere...........(NOT!)! :)

Here are some photos......and this is NORMAL!!!!!!!!!!

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/image.../Cairo_Jam.jpg

http://www.crisscrossed.net/wp-conte...9/08/Cairo.jpg

oops....I think we scared off Rgupta!!!! :(

Great pics G, especially the second one. I remember the chaos and cars going in every direction.

Does anyone remember ever seeing stop lights or stop signs in Cairo? I don't recall seeing any of those. Not that it would matter, they would be completely disregarded.

Rgupta, please come back. I hope we have helped you.

There are stop lights, but usually there are police around to direct the traffic at major intersections. Stop signs? A few, but not many.

There really IS a method to the madness - but it takes a while to get used to! DH used to say "Never make eye contact with another driver"....because that's like giving them the "OK" to cut in front of you.

Geez.....driving there was an experience..........

Hi All,

still laughing at the photos, and thought yeah thats Cairo!! on a good day! lol

so RGupta - if you are out there, please take the great advice given above and unless you are driving a bumper car or a hovercraft - forget it

Lol

Scotsgirl

Great photos... I will probably be a nervous wreck as a PASSENGER... I cannot imagine ever driving! Change of underpants me thinks!!!

I have repeated this many times since we were in Egypt in August of '08 -- a former poster on here said, to cross the street safely in Cairo, attach yourself to the nearest old person. It's not because people treat them with respect, it's because they didn't get old by being stupid!

Seriously, you know how motorcycles go in-between lanes of cars in the US (legally)? In Egypt, CARS do that, and at 60 miles per hour! We were in a taxi on the ring road going at a fair clip when a van in front of us started BACKING UP to pick up people on the side of the road!

It's absolutely unreal, and probably my most vivid memory of Cairo!