Originally Posted by The Lev
Are there any viable alternatives from CAI - SSH?
The Lev - I'm sorry, the short answer is no. I haven't driven the route for over 20 years, but it's got to be at least a 6-8 hour drive; not to mention the massively increased chance of having an accident while travelling by car on Egypt's roads.
Given the length of your layover in CAI you could do worse than jump in a taxi and go to the Sheraton Heliopolis (about 7-8 minutes from the airport), or even the Movenpick (much closer to the airport) and either take a day room or at least enjoy a leisurely lunch away from the hustle and bustle of the terminals.
Upon your arrival from SSH you'll have to transfer between terminals anyway; right now LH is using the (relatively old - i.e. 20 years) T2. A new T3 is under construction and there is a new T1 which is actually half-decent. For the afternoon LH flight ex-CAI, T2 is generally quiet at that time, so crowds shouldn't be too much of an issue.
For domestic flights MS is perfectly accceptable; my comments were intended more towards international flights where - if you have a choice - an alternative might be more to one's liking.