Egypt car hire

Driving in Egypt, and particularly Cairo, requires nerves of steel and immense concentration. Roads are poorly maintained and badly signposted, drivers may not obey the rules of the road, and vehicles are not always roadworthy. Traffic lights in Cairo may not always work; if police officers are present, follow their hand signals.

In addition, you’ll need to watch out for pedestrians, street vendors and carts, plus livestock and donkeys that may wander out in front of you. Motorbikes weave around larger vehicles, and minibuses stop unexpectedly to pick up or let off passengers – and all this to a soundtrack of constantly blaring horns.

Outside Cairo, the advantages of car hire become more obvious. If you’re visiting Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast, a popular day-trip option is to the World War Two battle site of El Alamein, and Siwa Oasis – it takes some effort to get there, but you’ll be rewarded with ancient ruins, temples and a uniquely preserved local culture.

Most visitors to the Nile River take a cruise that stops at awe-inspiring sights such as Karnak Temple, the Philae temple complex and the Valley of the Kings, the legendary burial site of King Tutankhamun. If you get seasick, skip the cruise and hire a car to drive along the Nile Delta instead. There are several checkpoints along the way but the police are generally friendly to tourists.

There’s an advantage to having your own car in the resort areas of Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm el-Sheikh along the Sinai coastline: you can drive independently to various dive sites and beaches, including the relaxed resort of Dahab, and to Mount Sinai, the holy site where it’s believed Moses received the Ten Commandments.

It can be a good idea to hire a car and a driver who speaks decent English. There are local rental companies providing this service, or you can arrange things through your hotel.

1.    Foreign nationals can drive in Egypt on an international driving permit for up to six months. Always have both your licence and the permit on your person.

2.    Wearing a seatbelt is compulsory in Egypt and it’s best to comply with this at all times, even if other drivers aren’t.

3.    If you’re involved in an accident, call the emergency services and don’t leave the scene. Take photographs, and don’t sign anything not in your language or you may find you’ve taken responsibility for something that’s not your fault.