Another day, another taxi ride.
Taxi is something not so common in Italy. So expensive, and so hard to find.
But Cairo, oh Cairo is another story.
You can’t stay 1 minute on the side of the street without hearing a taxi honking at you “beep beeeeep (=need a ride?)” – and then you also have the choice:
- Black taxi: the “traditional” Cairo taxi. No meter (or a fake and/or not working one) and usually a very old car, with few exceptions. Because there is no meter you can either haggle the price in advance (before getting on the taxi) or take the risk and handle the amount of money you believe it’s fair at the end of the ride. It might involve some arguing.
A black taxi parked in El Manial, Cairo
Pros: sometimes cheaper, and if you haggle the price you know how much you’re going to spend in advance.
Cons: old cars are not that comfy and often lack a/c. And if you’re lazy or don’t speak the language, haggle can be a hassle.
- White taxi: newest option, they have a meter and cars are newer. The fare starts at 2,50EGP. I found that on long rides in the end I spend the same as with black taxi, so I often opt for this solution.
A white taxi approaching Tahrir Square in Cairo
Pros: more comfy cars, and meter (=no risk of rip off), relaxing as there’s no hassle for haggling/arguing about the price.
Very good for lazy people (like me, ehm).
Cons: sometimes “retouched” meters can go up to way too high fares. So you have to pay attention and argue again if it’s the case:)
In case of traffic (very likely) the fare will obviously be higher, while with black taxi you fix the price in advance and you know exactly how much you will spend.
- Yellow taxi: the ones you book in advance, calling a toll free number (19730).
[nope, I don’t have a picture for this… ]
Pros: reliable.
Cons: you have to call in advance to have one so it’s not a very popular choice but it’s good if you want to go to the airport for instance, or if you have luggage and need a cab right outside your building. Another con is that they are generally more expensive.
Me and a black taxi when I first arrived in Cairo (in 2009) - suitcases on the roof!
So here I am on a black taxi, I just stopped him and told him my destination. He said 40, I said 30, we agreed on 35. In other words, some 5$ for a 45 minutes ride (without traffic) – not a bad deal!
His car is very loud, all the windows are open (no handle to close anyway) and my hair is moving around like crazy.
The speakers are crackly broadcasting the Koran. Oh, I’m going to miss this.
This road has 5 lanes, and we are zig-zagging around them as everyone else. It looks like an anthill. But a fast moving one – a bit scary but I’m confident in the driver’s driving skills. He must have been doing this for ages. So he knows what he’s doing …right?! (Hope so)
Ordinary traffic jam in Tahrir Square
Honking honking honking from everywhere. Driving in my hometown is such a quiet experience. Here, it’s definitely not.
It’s very hot. No a/c (black taxi…). You know when you feel like air is not air anymore, but some sort of fluid? Yes that’s what I’m feeling. But I’m kind of enjoying it. After the cold winter and all the rain, it finally feels 100% Cairo again!
Cairo, May 2nd 2011, 5pm
You might also like
Follow me on Instagram at 
8 Comments
great piece sis! I’ve heard how har to use taxi fom a friend who went to Cairo. When you have to know beforehand. That can be hassle but it will be fun some time after. :)
I love your photo at the end. I can see the excitement in your eyes!!
yep, the problem with taxis in Cairo is that if you look unprepared they will try and charge you a crazy price! So u have to look confident and it won’t happen. Anyway it’s a fun experience and I love riding taxis even just to look outside of the window to see the city :)
That pic is sooo old, it was in 2009, just arrived to Cairo :)
I never took a cab in Cairo, but it looks like an interesting experience! I tend to stick to public transportation, even in NY. $5 for a 45 min ride sounds pretty cheap, though.
Public transportation in Cairo is not for newcomers : p
Bus routes are not clear, there are no bus stops, you just jump on buses like that and the writings are in Arabic so if you don’t know the language you don’t know where the bus is going.
Taxis are way less stressful and they are always available. Plus they’re very cheap! I also enjoyed riding the metro (super cheap: 1EGP per ride regardless the distance) but unfortunately it doesn’t cover the whole city for now!
I would just like to emphasize the fact concerning “retouched” taxi meters in white cabs. Be very weary of these hacked meters because they can really jack up the price; you might end up paying three times the normal price. If you’re just visiting Cairo for tourism this might not mean the end of the world as prices are relatively cheap anyways. However, if you live in Cairo and are getting ripped off every time it might start to get on your nerves. I still recommend white cabs above any other because they are safer and more comfortable. My point is that it is always best to tell the driver beforehand that you’re not willing to pay more than what you know to be the normal fare for that specific trip. It’s mych more unpleasant having to deal with the driver having arrived to your destination than before getting in the cab. It’s particularly unpleasant after the revolution as people are getting even more frustrated with regards to their salaries. Al the best and enjoy Cairo.
Hey John, thanks for stopping by. Well, yes I know how irritating it is to be ripped off but I never had such problem. I give you an example: I took a taxi from Mohandessin to Tahrir without traffic. Usually it was always 8/10 pounds max, but that day it was like 15 or more. There was obviously something wrong. So I just told the driver that it couldn’t be, and that I take the taxi every day and bla bla. So he didn’t complain. And even if he did, I would have given him 10 pounds anyway.
Of course speaking some Arabic works! And anyway, if we think in Euros/Dollars, it’s not too much of a big deal :)
Awww, I’m definitely going to keep this in mind if I ever visit Cairo. :) I hate those moments when you’re in a taxi, you always know roughly how much it’s going to be and suddenly you hit a traffic jam and you can see the metre running up and up and up. AgghhH! It’s crazy! :P
Hehe right! But in Cairo anyway it will always stay cheap.
The most I spent for a taxi ride was about 90 Egyptian Pounds (about 11 Euros) for a loooong ride of almost 2 hours due to traffic. So for 2 hours it’s not that much if you think about it. Sure it would be the half without traffic, but again, if you think in Euros/Dollars it’s ok for once. :)