Egypt Guide
Getting around
By service taxi
Collective servicetaxis (known as servees) are one of the best features of Egyptian transport. They operate on a wide variety of routes and are generally quicker than buses and trains. On the downside, maniacal driving on congested roads calls for strong nerves; accidents are not uncommon. Note also that tourists aren't allowed to use service taxis in the Nile Villey.
The taxis are usually big Peugeot saloons carrying seven passengers, or microbuses (sometimes called meecros) seating a dozen people. Most business is along specific routes, with departures more or less throughout the day on the main ones, while cross-desert traffic is restricted to early morning and late afternoon. You just show up at the terminal and ask for a service taxi to your destination (or listen out for drivers shouting out their destinations). As soon as the requisite number of people (or less, if you're willing to pay extra) are assembled, the taxi sets off. Fewer people travel after dark in winter or on Friday, when you might have to wait a while for a ride to a distant town; catching a service taxi to somewhere nearer, and then another one to your final destination, could be quicker.