Middle East - Taxi from Cairo airport to Marriott

Mainly OT (though I am flying BA). Has anyone recently used a taxi service from Cairo airport to the centre which they could recommend? My last trip was the week before the revolution and I'd be interested in hearing recommendations from anyone who's done this in the past two or three months.

I cant help but our resident Cairo expert Phil the Flyer will answer it

I recommend that you ask your marriott hotel to arrange the transportation from the airport to the hotel especially the way might let you go through some of the disturbance area in cairo. Cairo marriott in Zamalek the other side of the river shore in cairo and to reach there you have a cross a bridge that might have protesters there.

I recommend that you avoid that trip if you can and opt for the IC in city star center

Last month, I used the taxi from the airport counter to Zamalek, going to a small street 2 minutes from the Marriott. You have to negotiate with them, but IIRC it was EGP80.

You can reach the Marriott over the July26 bridge, which never has any protestors. The protests are generally on Fridays and certainly not at the time the BA flight gets in.

I recommend that you avoid that trip if you can and opt for the IC in city star center

That's a little bit drastic, no? As BoSoxinBkk points out, there's hardly likely to be massive protests going on at midnight (the flight arrives at 23:00). Secondly, even if there were, any taxi or limousine driver worth his salt would know how to get around them (even if it means, for example, taking a detour via University Bridge, Giza, Mohandessein, and into Zamalek over the May 26 Bridge). Thirdly, even if you run into some protests, the direst consequences are hardly likely to be more than a perhaps unwelcome delay in getting to your hotel + some local colour.

I remember the thread back in late January and February about ex-pats wanting to leave Egypt at the height of the revolution with many posters contributing, which I frankly found a little over the top: Drive to Taba and cross over to Israel! Go across the Libyan border! Go south, young man: Wadi Halfa and into the Sudan! Sail boat to Crete! (I made the last two up -- I think :D) -- breathless Scarlet Pimpernel planning escape from Mme Guillotine sort of stuff :D. Get a grip guys ;).

I have no information on taxis but you need to watch this new story on a possible end to visas on arrival for independent travellers that may take effect very soon.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/20702/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-requiring-tourists-to-get-visas-in-advance.aspx

I have no information on taxis but you need to watch this new story on a possible end to visas on arrival for independent travellers that may take effect very soon.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/20702/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-requiring-tourists-to-get-visas-in-advance.aspx

Wow -- what a perfectly stupid decision. Now *that's* something worth getting concerned about.

I recommend that you ask your marriott hotel to arrange the transportation from the airport to the hotel

Indeed.

Hopefully Phil the Flyer can recommend a reliable firm which you can either pre-book or has a booth inside the airport. CAI is a bloody nightmare for taxi touts. An armed policeman had to scare a crowd of them away from us as we exited the terminal.....and we weren't even going anywhere.

On my last visit to Cairo I stayed at the Conrad hotel and asked them to arrange for me airport transportation and it was an amazing experience.

The Conrad hotel rep was waiting for me prior to the passport control and escorted me through the passport control and customs and onward to the MB E limo

Thanks for the very helpful comments. Yesterday's events bring my question into rather more focus (especially as I am travelling next Friday). Sounds like the premium fare for the Marriott's own limo might be worth paying this time.

+ 1 for arranging transport through the hotel.

I have only used a taxi once, when the airport Novotel did not send a car as arranged (:mad:)

The process of negotiating at midnight after a few glasses of champagne was a little bit of a hassle and no doubt we were over changed, although the absolute cost, which I have forgotten, was not too large.

Just found it in the news:

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20110909/LIFE04/109090038/Egypt-changes-rules-requires-tourists-get-visas-advance?odyssey=nav|head

Quite bizarre, if you ask me... Can Egypt really afford to lose tourists?

There are limo counters on arrival - Rawas IIRC - who are perfectly reliable. However a hotel pick up can fast track you through immigration which is a nice extra.

[mod hat on]
Now over to the relevant Travel section
[hat off]

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/20943/Egypt/Politics-/Changes-to-visa-regulations-suspended-due-to-possi.aspx

http://bikyamasr.com/41695/no-visas-on-arrival-in-egypt-says-government/