Alexandria Transportation Tips by MalenaN

'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: Cairo - Alexandria
Arriving to Cairo in the morning with the night train from Luxor I and Rebecka from England, who travelled the same way as me, did not stay but went on to Alexandria. The 1st class tickets for Alexandria were finished so we got seats in 2nd class and the train was leaving in about an hour. The ticket was 16 pounds. In 2nd class the seats are made of a plastic material and they can be turned around to always face the direction of the train. A man walked through the train with a small carriage selling tea, coffee and snacks. I don’t remember the price of the tea but it was more expensive than in 3rd class. It takes about 3 hours to go from Cairo to Alexandria by train. In Alexandria the train first stops at Sidi Gaber Station were a lot of people will get off. We continued to the main station Masr station.

Alexandria - Cairo
We were five foreigners coming with the bus to Alexandria from Siwa and we were all going on to Cairo. Luckily the bus station is near to Sidi Gaber Station. Arriving to the station we asked a guard for the next train to Cairo and he said it was leaving next hour. But we guessed there was one going within a few minutes and hurried to the platform were we found a train to Cairo and jumped on. We came into 3rd class and were all lucky to get seats. The ticket could be bought on the train and was 10 pounds. The seats were not uncomfortable at all but better than 2nd class in my opinion (because the material they were not made of). Two men walked around selling tea, and it was cheaper than 2nd class. In Cairo the train stops at Ramses Station.

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'Mode': TO
Category: Bus
Getting TO/AROUND: Buses from Alexandria to Siwa leave from the bus station close to Sidi Gaber. But you can buy tickets from the office downtown (in the south western corner of Midan Saad Zaghloul) and it is good to do so at least a day before. A ticket is 27 pounds (August 2005) and the bus journey takes about 9 hours. There are a few buses going every day. Along the way the bus stops three times. First at a cafeteria, then in Marsa Matruh where it stays a bit longer, and finally at another cafeteria (close to where the road takes off to Qara Oasis).

Going back from Siwa to Alexandria (there are no direct buses to Cairo) it was not possible to buy the ticket until the evening before, after 8 pm. If you are going to go to Cairo it could be quicker to change buses in Marsa Matruh rather than in Alexandria (as those direct buses take the desert road to Cairo and not the agricultural road). But be sure first there are seats available on the buses as many people from Cairo go to Marsa Matruh for holiday. The bus I travelled with left Siwa at 7 in the morning. To change to a train for Cairo in Alexandria was quick and before it got dark I had found a hotel room (after trying two other hotels first). From Siwa there is also a night bus to Alexandria.

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: There are blue and yellow trams in Alexandria. I never travelled with the yellow line, which goes west from Mahattat Ramla. But I travelled with the blue line east from Mahattat Ramla to San Stefano, and later back the same way. The tram is slow and stops very often and it probably took more than 40 minutes to San Stefano.
The fare was 25 piasters.

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: I always walk a lot and I think it is a good way to see more of a place.
Going to the catacombs I was thinking of taking a taxi, but finally decided to walk, and I’m happy for that. The residential area near the catacombs is completely different than the area closer to the Cornish and I now feel I have seen more sides of Alexandria.

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