Last Updated: May 21, 2023
Egypt is a pretty large country at over 1m square km of land mass to cover. So on paper might seem like it could be a logistically challenging country to negotiate with kids.
But with the majority of the population clustered up and down the Nile, with a handful of places you might want to head to on the coast or to the west, it’s actually a pretty straightforward country to get around.
And as the country has so much to offer, it’s certainly worthy going from place to place when you visit Egypt as a family.
But as always, a little bit of prep is always advised before you set off around this Arabian gem. So if you’re after some advice on how to travel around Egypt with kids in tow, this post is for you.
National Transport
As the main areas are dotted up and down the Nile in a straight line the infrastructure is a pretty simple one. With a main road, rail line and the river itself all running pretty much parallel with each other from the top of the country to the bottom.
To get out to the coastal areas there are a couple of main roads that head out east from the Nile.
Because of this simplicity it’s very easy to get about. Although some of the journeys can be looooooong and the process does require some patience.
Train
Train is a very pleasant way to get up and down the country. With the choice of either day trains or overnight sleeper trains.
The trains are generally pretty comfortable, but very slow. The journey’s can get quite long and there are regular delays. So a 10 hour train can sometimes become a 14 hour train if you’re unlucky.
But if you can accept this at the start of your trip the it’s still a great way to travel. Take plenty of snacks, drinks and entertainment for the kids and you can just make it part of the adventure.
The day trains are much cheaper than the overnight sleepers, but the journey can drag a bit when you’re doing a long journey as you’ll be awake. Where as, a bit of shut eye on the sleepers can help the time pass. But the disadvantage is that you will miss the scenery as you travel.
So decide what is right for you and your family before you decide on which style is best. Maybe mix it up a bit to experience both.
The day trains are further split into two types of Express Trains and ‘Ordinary Trains’.
Most tourists take the ‘express’ trains (the word express should be taken lightly!) as these offer reserved seats and can be booked online, unlike the ‘ordinary’ trains. They offer first and second class air conditioned carriages and are a pretty comfortable way to go.
The ‘ordinary’ trains stop at more stops and are even slower than the express. They are usually without any reserved seats so can get very busy. So for families we would recommend the express trains.
The express trains have two main categories with the ‘Special’ and ‘Spanish Speed’ trains available. The Special trains are slightly more modern trains so what a lot of tourists take. However, they are more expensive and usually slower (although this is variable due to the common delays).
We thought the difference in standards was pretty minimal between the two types. So just take whichever train fits your itinerary better.
The express trains are then split into 1st and 2nd classes. You’ll see them marked on the outside of the carriages with roman numerals. This isn’t to be confused with the Cart Number which will be displayed smaller by the door, usually with a yellow plaque in both English and Arabic characters.
1st class offers slightly larger seats and is just a bit nicer, they usually have a 2-1 seat layout across.
2nd class has slightly smaller seats with a 2-2 layout across the carriage.
Second class is fine and comfortable so if you want to save on the cost it’s a very reasonable choice.
The toilets can be a little grim on some trains, but meh, you don’t have to eat in there. So just get your business done and get out! And ensure you take your own toilet paper if you want to use it as they are not always stocked!
You also get various people hopping on the trains and selling things as you go. Selling anything from snacks to socks. They will come along the carriage, drop the product in your lap to have a look at, the walk back up and collect them if you’re not interested or discuss cost if you are!
This doesn’t seem to happen in 1st class as they seem to only be allowed into second to do this. So if you want your own personal market on the way this can be a fun addition.
You used to be able to book the Express trains easily online at the Egyptian National Railways website, however, currently the international tourist booing system is under construction and is not avilable. So it may be you need to use an online agent, which do charge more than when you were able to do it directly through the ENR website, so hopefully his will be back up running soon!
Alternatively you can head down to any station to get tickets in advance for your journeys. Some stations offer autoatic machines with English or you can head to the staffed booth.
For night trains, these are privatised, so you need to buy at the Watania website to book these. You can book either a single cabin or a double. But the singles are the same cabins, just with one bed set up. So will cost double the price as if you’re booking out the whole cabin.
Coach
The train mainly runs from top to bottom of country. There are a few branches off the main line that head out East and West. But road is also a good option for travel when going sideways.
There are a few good coach companies and by far the most popular with tourists is Go Bus. They do all the main routes plus some other les popular ones. They’re usually efficient, comfortable and clean.
Bookings can easily be made online through the website or at the offices dotted around the various cities and areas where they operate.
Accommodation and agencies can also sometimes sell you tickets as well. But be careful here, as sometimes they may sell you a ticket that is not the company you are looking to use. And then when you get to the actual coach on the day, you may be refused entry (I saw this happen a couple of times). So be sure which companies tickets you are buying and that it is the one you are after.
Finding the stops in the cities is usually pretty easy. Go Bus stops are usually on Google maps. Most of the other companies operate from the same area, so you will likely see the the alternative coaches there also.
Most of the coaches have a toilet on board and will also make some stops (depending on the length of your journey) for you to stretch your legs and stock up on snacks.
You can even head up to coach stations or coaches themselves and buy tickets. This is a little more challenging and takes some local knowledge and maybe some broken Arabic to achieve, but still doable.
Sleeper coaches are also available for the longer journeys which can be an alternative to sleeper trains. They’re unlikely to be more comfy. But if you’re looking to save some money they can be a good alternative.
Boat
With the Nile running down the country, taking a boat is also a very doable way of travelling up and down Egypt. But obviously the slowest.
But if you want to travel in style then you can maybe incorporate a cruise for part or even all of your trip.
There are loooaaaddsss of companies offering Nile Cruises online. So take your time and choose accordingly.
You will even find people along the Nile just offering you their motor boat of felucca for a trip to various places. This can be a good way to do it on the fly. But ensue you discuss all aspects of the trip with the captain such as food, cost, stops etc. and get a good look at the boat before you do so you can see the sleeping options.
Car
Hiring a car and driving yourself is possible, but also challenging. One of the annoying protective measures is the Egyptian authorities don’t like tourists driving around themselves. And with all the check points you will encounter you can run into difficulties.
So if you want to go by private transport your best bet is to hire a private driver or tour. Again lots of companies and self employed people offer up this service. You can go the whole hog and get a driver who is also a tour guide and even an Egyptologist or just go for the basic driver and sort your tours as you go with other companies.
If you don’t want the whole trip to be by private driver you will also be able to find drivers on the fly to do single long distance journeys. This can be sorted by accommodation hosts sometimes or if you happen to get to know a local that you trust you can negotiate a price for a single long distance trip.
Plane
Domestic flights are in ready supply if this is your preferred method. Flying isn’t our favourite mode of transport for various reasons. But sometimes it’s the only reasonable choice in certain situations.
Egypt Air and Fly Egypt are the two big domestic players. They cover most city to city routes and are what you would expect from a budget airline, no frills, but they get you from A to B.
Local Transport
Once you’ve mastered getting around the country it’s time to think about how you are going to get around the local areas.
Different regions have various methods, but most have the same sort of options when it comes to local navigation. And for most, it will be pretty cheap.
Taxi
Taxis are pretty much everywhere. And everyone seems to be a taxi driver if you’re comfortable just getting into anyone’s car then you will never struggle. But there are official taxis that are fairly obvious and have different colours depending on where you are (blue and white in Luxor, Blue and Orange in Hurghada…).
You will also find tuk-tuks in some places. These can be a good way to get around the quieter areas as they can nip down the smaller roads that you find in the more rural areas.
Most taxis and tuk-tuks don’t use metres. So it’s usually a case of haggling and agreeing a price up front.
If you get tired of haggling then Uber is also available in some of the big areas, but not all. For example it’s available in Cairo and Hurghada, but not in Luxor.
Microbus
If you really want to travel for cheap like an Egyptian, the Egyptian minibuses aka microbuses are a great way to get about.
They seem to have different ways of flagging them in different areas. But if you just wave frantically and then shout your destination to the driver they will either nod or move on if it’s not on their route.
They cost as little as 2 EGP per person. When you get on just pass the money forward to the driver. You can do this by passing the money to the person in front of you if you are not at the front and they will pass it along, just say the number of passengers you are paying for and they will relay the message (you might have to do this in Arabic, so learn some numbers before you get on). Then if you have change this will be passed back the same way.
Remember this if you are in front of someone and they pass you money, they’re not just being kind, pass it forward to the next person or the driver.
Microbuses generally do set routes, so don’t just shout your house when you get on as they might not know where it is. Shout a well known stop like the ‘ferry port’ etc.
Ferries/Motorboats
Speaking of ferries, you will need to take boats fairly regularly, with the Nile splitting most areas.
There is no shortage of boats and people willing to take you across the river wherever you are on their motor boat. For this you will need to agree a price upfront.
Most areas will also have an official passenger ferry that the locals will use. You will normally pay per person and they usually leave when the boat is full. So decide which method is best and most economical for your family when crossing the river.
Metros
There is also the option of the Metro in Cairo. It’s the only place in Egypt with a Metro and this can be a good alternative to avoid the crazy traffic. It’s got a reasonable reach although doesn’t go everywhere and it can get crowded so only use if you’re ok with this.
To buy tickets head up to the ticket counter and state your destination and you will receive your ticket. Journey’s are charged by number of stations you’ll go through. Once you have your ticket head to the turnstile and insert your ticket and make sure you grab it as you pass through as you need to insert it again at the turnstile when you exit.
The metro has English and Arabic letter so you should be able to use the maps and signs as you go around the stations.