Alexandria

Alexandria is covered by the standard Egyptian visa: an e-Visa bought online, or a visa on arrival for eligible nationalities at major airports such as Cairo. Visitors who entered at Sharm El Sheikh on the free South Sinai stamp need a full visa before travelling here. Visitors flying straight to Sharm El Sheikh and other South Sinai resorts can enter on a free stamp valid only for that area for up to 15 days.

Apply online

visa2egypt.gov.eg (official)

Passport validity

At least 6 months

Most visitors come from Cairo on the Special trains from Ramses station, about 2.5 to 3 hours, or by the desert road. Borg El Arab Airport (HBE), about 45 km south-west, has flights to the Gulf and Europe but no public transport, so allow 60 to 90 minutes by taxi.

By train

Cairo Ramses station to Alexandria Misr station

Airport

Borg El Arab (HBE)

Keep small notes in Alexandria for trams, microbuses and taxis, whose drivers refuse to use meters, and for tips. Larger hotels, restaurants and the main ticket offices take cards, but street food stalls, ice cream shops and ahwa coffee houses work in cash. Tipping (baksheesh) is part of daily life, so carry small notes.

• Many major sites accept only card payments for tickets.
• Agree prices for camel and horse rides before you start.

Drink bottled water in Alexandria and pick busy seafood restaurants where the catch turns over fast. Summer humidity makes July and August's 30°C feel heavier, and the city beaches can have stray plastic in the water, so choose a swimming spot with care.

Hospitals

Good private hospitals in Cairo and resort towns

Alexandria is generally safe, and most visits pass without trouble. Street hassle usually stops after a firm la (no), and emshi means go away; check the seat before leaving a taxi, since lost items are rarely returned, and read your government's advice on Egypt's border areas. Expect persistent touts at major sites. Check your government's advice, as several restrict travel to parts of Sinai and border areas.

Tourist police

126

• Be firm and polite with touts; use licensed guides.

Most Alexandria hotels line the seafront Corniche, from the historic centre east to Montaza. Outside the summer peak, budget travellers rarely need to book ahead: several cheap hotels cluster near the Triomphe Hotel downtown, and walking in to compare usually beats reserving online.

Downtown / Raml

Historic hotels and cafés

Montaza / San Stefano

Larger resort hotels

Ride Alexandria's trams, or take taxis and ride-hailing cars. Blue Ramleh trams run east to the suburbs on their own tracks, yellow City trams head west and south, and both meet at Raml Station; agree taxi fares first, and note that Careem only works with an Egyptian phone number.

Ride-hailing

Uber and Careem operate

• Alexandria stretches along a 30 km Corniche, with most sights a few blocks inland.
• Trains from Cairo stop at Misr Station downtown, Borg el Arab Airport is 45 km away with no public transport, and the 1860 tram network, the oldest still running in Africa, is slow but cheap; yellow tram 25 reaches Fort Qaitbay.
• Trains from Cairo arrive at Misr Station downtown, a 15-minute walk up Nabi Daniel Street to the sea.
• Many "non-stop" services pause first at Sidi Gaber, 3 km east, where many passengers get off; stay seated unless you are bound for the eastern districts such as San Stefano.
• Trams run until 1AM every 10 to 30 minutes, and on the blue trams the first of the three cars is for women only.
• Yellow-and-black taxis are cheap, but drivers refuse to use meters, so fix the fare first.
• Check the seat before you leave a taxi, as lost items are almost never returned.
• For trips out of town, Moharam Bek is the main bus station for neighbouring cities and governorates.

Get an Egyptian SIM from Vodafone, Orange, Etisalat (e&) or WE with your passport, ideally on arrival. In Alexandria a local number matters more than usual, because Careem only works with an Egyptian phone number and the city's taxi drivers refuse to use meters.

Networks

Vodafone, Orange, e& (Etisalat), WE

Alexandrians dress conservatively: women should cover shoulders, midriff and legs, and everyone should cover their head in places of worship. Traditional ahwa coffee shops, with tea, backgammon and shisha, remain largely male, and beer and wine are mostly limited to hotels. Dress modestly away from resorts.