Travel Tips

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Travel Tips

Alexandria is located in north central Egypt along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Alexandria is located 225 km (140 miles) northeast of Cairo, taking about 2.5 to 3.5 hours to drive from one city to the other depending on route and traffic.

Getting to Alexandria

By Plane

There are direct flights from outside Egypt to Alexandria; they land at Alexandria Borg El-Arab International Airport (HBE). It would be better if you could handle your trip so that to arrive at HBE, as it is located about 40km southwest of Alexandria.

The other option will be Cairo International Airport (CAI), but transportation is more complicated, noting that it is some hours from Alexandria.

To reach your hotel from CAI or HBE, NAMES Secretariat Office recommends booking a limousine car to drive you to your hotel at Alexandria. Should you have any queries, please feel free to contact NAMES Secretariat Office through the following email address: <namesnetwork@bibalex.org>.

By Train

Alexandria has two train stations; the first one you may stop at is Sidi Gaber Station, which serves the eastern part of the city. As NAMES 2018 Participant, you will probably want to get off at the second train station in Alexandria, Misr Station, which is about a mile south of the city center.

Transportation

  • It is recommended to download Careem or Uber Applications to use them when you need transportation, or you can use Taxis;
  • It is not recommended to use public buses or other modes of public transportation.

Tipping

Tipping is generally accepted and welcomed in Egypt.

For hotel services—valets, bellboys, etc.—EGP 20 is reasonable. For other hospitality services—busboys, waiters, etc.—the tip depends on the check’s amount; 10% is reasonable.

For prepaid/fixed transportation service, a driver will expect a tip, which is left to your discretion, depending on the duration and length of the trip.

Mobile Phone Services

GSM mobiles may be used in Egypt if you have a roaming service set to your mobile prior to travel from your home country. The 4 mobile networks in Egypt are:

  • Etisalat
  • Orange
  • Vodafone
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