Meters have been installed in all Cairo taxis, but drivers rarely use them, since passengers jump in and out-haggling only implies that you don’t know what you owe. Cairenes simply hail a cab, hop in, and pay what they think is adequate upon arrival. Usually, the most comfortable way to handle the situation is to open the door as you are paying the folded bills and leave the taxi without looking to the driver for apjwoval.

There is a hidden logic of fares. Any ride in the downtown area (from Ramses Sq. to Garden City and Zamalek to Islamic Cairo) should cost about LE2. Further afield (the Northern or Southern Cemeteries, Mohandiseen) LE3, and the Pyramids or Imbaba LE4-6. You will be expected to pay a little extra for additional passengers, suitcases, and waiting. A taxi to or from the airport should cost no more than LE20 all told-but they have you at their mercy!

Avoid the taxis that park in front of major hotels-the drivers are experts at exploiting tourists. Do not expect a taxi driver to speak English, or to know the location of every address or street. Try to identify a major landmark or thoroughfare near your destination and learn to pronounce it in Arabic. Alternatively, have someone write out the address and directions in Arabic. They’ll do this for you at the tourist office. Communication is generally neither traumatic nor problematic at most downtown and tourist destinations.