Alexandria Transportation Tips by Tijavi

'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: From Cairo, I took the fastest train to Alex, on Turbini - the Italian-made fast-train that was supposed to be non-stop. However, the train does not seem to have its dedicated line (if anybody could confirm this), so it had to slow down as it approaches populated centers (which are quite many on the Nile Delta). So what was supposed to be a 2 1/2-hour trip took about 3 hours.

There are several (about 5?) Turbini trips from/to Cairo to/from Alex. I took the 8 AM trip, on which the first class section was already fully booked when I got my ticket about an hour and a half before the trip. 2nd class wasn't bad, although the seats and the overall condition of the coaches leave much to be desired.

Booking a seat on the Turbini at Cairo's Ramses Station is confusing. First class tickets are purchased from the booths inside the terminal (opposite the main entrance across the main terminal hall), while 2nd class tickets are sold at another window outside the terminal (to your left from the 1st class ticket booths. For non-Arabic speaking first timers, this is a bit confusing, since the person at information booth is virtually useless. To add to the confusion, the tickets are printed in Arabic only, so you need a local's help to decode that oh so necessary the information in your ticket. One-way 2nd class ticket to Alex costs EGP 25 (~USD 4.50) as of May 2007.

Once reaching Alex, the first main station is Sidi Gaber, an equally busy station at Alex's eastern suburb. The train proceeds to the last stop - Alex's main station - Masr Station, a few minutes later. Unlike Ramses, I found Masr to be less confusing as tickets for the Turbini (for both classes) could be bought from a single location.

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Website: www.egyptrail.gov.eg

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: I love trams, and wherever I go, if there is one, I will always make it a point to use them. Alex was no exception - so with some friends, we took the tram from the Eastern Harbor near Sidi Gaber back to downtown. It was a sloooow ride, alright, but I enjoyed the sights along the way, and the local flavor that went with them. It was cheap, too, 25 piastres (their equivalent of cents) per person.

If you're not in a hurry, trams are a great way to see the sights from downtown area to the eastern side of the city such as the Mahmoud Said Museum and the Royal Jewellery Museum.

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