h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I live and work in Cairo - a suburb called Maadi, actually. The current exchange rate is 5.7 LE (Egyptian pounds) to one US dollar. Or about $0.17 = 1 LE.

Concerning taxis, always know what it should cost to go where you want to go. If you ask for the price before you start, you label yourself a foreigner and the price will be higher. Know what you should pay, get in the taxi, tell 'em where you want to go and pay what you think is right. Sometimes they will try to get more from you but not very often. As the original article said, if you're sure, walk away. If not ... well give him an extra fiver and see what happens. This is how the locals do it so if you do it that way, you get treated like a local on the price.

Trust me this wasn't easy for me to get used to. I've lived and worked in over a dozen countries and, if they aren't using a meter, you determine the fare ahead of time. But NOT HERE!

By the way, one local person told me a fair price is about LE1 per minute in the taxi. Considering the heavy traffic, this usually works out pretty well.

Also, the Egyptians suffer just like the rest of the world with inflation and recently experienced a 30% rise in the government-controlled price of fuel. So, those suggested fares? You're probably going to need to at least double them. That is four year old information. Time marches on. In fact, you should be checking the date of this post.

I love Egypt after 8 months here. But it's a hard place to figure out sometimes. Makes it kind of fun.

Thanks for that, CairoDoc. I'll see can I incorporate what you've suggested into the Entry.

So, would you agree that all the advice in the Entry is correct except for the table of typical prices?

And would you agree that all the prices in the table should be doubled?

Yes, at least double those prices and the rest of the information was pretty much spot on. Last night I had the new opportunity to ride in a yellow, metered taxi. There aren't very many of them around but there are a couple of companies trying it out. My suggestion of a pound per minute of travel worked out very closely as I was in the car for 37 minutes (the meter kindly ticking off the minutes and seconds) and the fare was 34 pounds. I gave him 40 pounds as he is an employee rather than an owner. 6 pounds = just over one US$. Anyplace else, that would be a lousy tip! I was even handed a printed receipt without asking for it! These metered taxis are generally bigger (though still compact cars), clean and well-maintained. Though the weather is quite cool here right now, they do have air conditioning and there is no additional cost for that. Most important to me, the drivers do not smoke in the cab. In most of the black and white taxis you'll probably have to inhale the second-hand smoke from the cheapest tobacco products available. As for driving skills, he was still an Egyptian driver but he did seem to be more careful than his black and white brethren. Where's the fun in that?

Thanks, CairoDoc!
I've doubled all the prices in the table, put in the new value of 0.17 USD per LE, and I've added a credit to you under the heading of "Additional Research". I've also put January 2007 as the date for all the prices.

Didn't need credit. But thanks. My reward is getting to live in this strange and wonderful country.

I spent 6 weeks working in Cairo in 1986, and did a four-day trip to Luxor. As a result, I wrote the Cairo Entry A2082818 and the Luxor Entry A2082845.

I loved Egypt when I was there and hope it is still as crazy as ever.

I can't say if it's crazier or saner. Hard to believe it might be more sane now! I've been working in developing countries for the last two decades or so and it's one of the most insane places I've ever worked. And possibly the most wonderful. I still get a mystical tingle when I walk along the Nile or touch a pyramid.

Luxor and Karnack were amazing. Everywhere I go, I'm continually amazed at how pleasant the people are, how happy they are and how easy it is for them to get more money from me than I had planned. I've just been here a few months but, with each new word of Arabic I learn, they seem to get happier and happier... to take my money. I love it here. Early next month, I'm heading to Luxor again and then cruise south (ie UP the Nile) to Aswan and Abu Simbel and all the temples and monuments in between.

Thanks for the tip. I didn't see your article on Luxor. I'll check it out.