"Hiring a taxi" Taxis Tip by sswagner

Public transportation is rarely a good option to tour Cairo and its surroundings. Buses are filled to capacity and make several stops. There is a nice Metro, but it does not serve many of the tourist areas. Renting a car is highly inadvisable unless you have seen this place and know how to handle it. That leaves a taxi as the most likely choice for independant travelers not within walking distance of the place. Like everything else, the price of the ride must be negotiated. Taxis do have meters, but no one uses them. It is advisable to agree on a price before beginning the journey.

Be careful of drivers wanting to make extra stops other than what you asked for. They may try to take you to their friend's shop or somewhere else where they receive some type of benefit for reeling you in. Upon entering the taxi, make it very clear that you want to go DIRECTLY to the place where you instrructed the driver to take you.

It is unfortunate that not everyone can be honest. One driver tried to claim that he received a ticket from the police and he had to pay for parking while waiting to pick us up at the Khan al-Khalili. We had hired him from the hotel for the day. Needless to say, he had no reciepts to back up his claim, and that "paid parking lot" resembled the side of a street. If you have any problems, mentioning the tourist police might help. If you continue to have problems, approaching the tourist police might help.

Mode: AROUND
Type: Car/Motor Home