Guide to Driving In Egypt - Drive Safe in Egypt

With our Drive Smart guide you're fully prepared to hire a car in Egypt and stay safe on unfamiliar roads.

URBAN SPEED LIMIT

50 kph

urban
More info  

RURAL SPEED LIMIT

90 kph

rural
More info  

motorway speed limit

100 kph

speed limit
More info  

Drink Drive Limit

 50mg

drink and drive limit
More info  
urban
You drive in Egypt on the Right side  
urban
The currency in Egypt is EGP
urban
To rent a car is  25 years and to drive is 18 years of age
urban
Current fuel price in Egypt 0.38 €/Ltr

Driving Laws in Egypt

Driving in Egypt
Pocket guide to driving in Egypt
Profile:
Egypt
Cairo
EGP
Driving in Egypt
SPEED: (kph)
50
90
100
Speed limit in Egypt
Holiday:
Rush hour in Egypt
Cameras:
YES
YES
Speed cameras in Egypt
FUEL:
0.38
0.25
EUR/Litre
Fuel prices in Egypt
See World Fuel Prices for full statistics
MIN AGE:
18
25
Min driving age in Egypt
DRINK:
50mg
Blood alcohol content
Drink driving in Egypt
EMERGENCY:
122
Emergency phone number in Egypt
DOCUMENT:
Driving documents in Egypt
PHONES:
Yes
Hands free only
Mobile phone driving in Egypt
SEATBELTS:
Yes
No
Seat belt in Egypt
See here for current child seats law in Egypt

Are there any special requirements for driving or hiring a car in Egypt?

Cairo is one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world with more than 9 million inhabitants. Roads in the centre of the city can have up to 8 ‘lanes’, although the lack of actual marked lanes is what makes driving here quite difficult. Not only do you have to deal with unruly drivers but you can often see livestock and donkeys in the middle of the road. That said, driving in Egypt is an unforgettable experience. You may also prefer to be in control of your own trip as local taxi drivers take a lot of risks and most of their cars are very old with no working seatbelts. After travelling to Egypt, the sound that will stay with you is that of the car horn. Drivers use their horn constantly and often honk just to greet each other. Because of the chaotic traffic, traffic police are often found working at busy intersections.

Get out of the big cities like Cairo and Alexandria and you'll find driving is a much more pleasurable experience along the attractive country roads. Due to the heat, water should be carried with you at all times. You should also have anti-dehydration medication. If you get stuck in the sand don't spin the wheels as this will make a car sink deeper. You should avoid driving at night at all costs as there are many hazards in the form of pedestrians and carts.

Driving is on the right hand side of the road in Egypt. If you plan to rent a car then car rental agencies are located in all the central city locations as well as at most major hotels. You will definitely need a good map here, even locals get lost!

Rules of the road

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Emergency Services Numbers

Police Police: 122

Police Fire: 180

Police Ambulance: 123

Notes:

DieselUnleaded
Mar , 2024

€ 0.16

€ 0.23

Feb , 2024

€ 0.25

€ 0.38

Jan , 2024

€ 0.24

€ 0.37

Dec , 2023

€ 0.25

€ 0.37

Parking Information

Parking regulations

Parking regulations
 
There seems to be no formal parking regulations in Egypt. Commonly, people leave the handbrakes off their cars on flat ground to allow others to push their cars to and fro to be able to park. 
 
Paid parking
 
Paid parking consists of paying a local to find you a parking spot, some will even park the car for you before handing over the key – anything to earn a tip!
 
Enforcement
 
Rarely will a car get towed and even then it has to be seriously obstructing a road or entrance. 
 
Disabled parking
 
Disabled parking is non-existent in Egypt and the best you'll manage is to rely on a kindly local to assist in return for a few coins. Most parking is ad hoc and if you find a space that is convenient and close to where you want to go, most would just park there.

Emergency Information

Emergency Information

Police Police: 122

Police Fire: 180

Police Ambulance: 123

The emergency number is 112 for all emergency services and 126 for the tourist police. 

Egypt British Embassy











British Embassy, 7 Ahmed Ragheb Street, Garden City, Cairo, Egypt,
Tel: (002) (02) 2791-6000 
Website: http://ukinegypt.fco.gov.uk/en/

Embassy of the U.S. of America, 5 Tawfik Diab Street, Garden City, Cairo, Egypt
Tel: [002] [02] 2797-3300
https://eg.usembassy.gov/
 

What to do in an emergency

You can quite easily find yourself caught up in an emergency or an accident in Egypt as the driving there is so erratic. If you are unfortunate enough to find yourself in such a situation, call the emergency services and await their arrival. Take photographs of the scene and details of witnesses and avoid signing anything that is not in your language as this is a common ruse to get foreign drivers to admit responsibility. Ask for a report in your language for your insurers or the hire car company.

Handy Guides

World Driving Guides

Road Signs

Handy Phrases

Peace be with you - Salaam alekum
Thank you – Shokran
No thank you – La Shokran
How much is this? - Da bkam 
90 octane super fuel - Tisa'iin
Regular fuel - Tamaniin

Egypt Fuel Price History

DieselUnleaded
Mar , 2024

€ 0.16

€ 0.23

Feb , 2024

€ 0.25

€ 0.38

Jan , 2024

€ 0.24

€ 0.37

Dec , 2023

€ 0.25

€ 0.37

Nov , 2023

€ 0.24

€ 0.37

Oct , 2023

€ 0.26

€ 0.36

Sep , 2023

€ 0.25

€ 0.35

Aug , 2023

€ 0.24

€ 0.34

Jul , 2023

€ 0.24

€ 0.34

Jun , 2023

€ 0.25

€ 0.35

May , 2023

€ 0.25

€ 0.34

Apr , 2023

€ 0.21

€ 0.34

Month, YearDiesel €/ltrUnleaded €/ltr
Mar , 2024 0.16 0.23
Feb , 2024 0.25 0.38
Jan , 2024 0.24 0.37
Dec , 2023 0.25 0.37
Nov , 2023 0.24 0.37
Oct , 2023 0.26 0.36
Sep , 2023 0.25 0.35
Aug , 2023 0.24 0.34
Jul , 2023 0.24 0.34
Jun , 2023 0.25 0.35
May , 2023 0.25 0.34
Apr , 2023 0.21 0.34

Hiring a Car

With our Drive Smart guide you're fully prepared to hire a car in Egypt and stay safe on unfamiliar roads.
Kellie Hodge
Posted by Kellie Hodge
About the Author -

Travel writer, customer service guru, Kellie knows the ins and outs of car rental and always happy to share her knowledge on our blog. Favourite country to visit: Spain.

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