Ins and outs
Getting there
Port Said is 225 km from Cairo and 85 km north of Ismailia. Most visitors arrive either at the new bus terminal/service taxi depot 3 km west of town or at the railway station near the Arsenal Basin. The city’s main streets are Sharia Filistine (Palestine) along the waterfront, and the parallel Sharia El-Gumhoriyya. From the train station, it’s a short walk to the Corniche and centre; from the bus station, a taxi to the waterfront costs E£5, or you can negotiate the microbuses, one change, into the centre. Note As this is still a duty-free zone, have passports ready to enter and leave as they are sometimes requested. Do not be perturbed by the mayhem you might witness on exiting Port Said when the customs checks root out would-be smugglers; it’s not uncommon for half your fellow passengers to be thrown out of the vehicle with accompanying beatings.
Port Said
Bus
East Delta buses, T066-372 9883, depart hourly from the bus station to Cairo (2½ hrs, E£16.50) from 0600-2200; Superjet go to Cairo at 0700, 0900, 1100, 1630 and 2000 (E£22). There are also regular service to Alexandria (7 per day, 3½-4 hrs, E£22-25). To get to El-Arish, head to Ismailia or Qantara. From Suez, there’s no shortage of Sinai- bound buses and service taxis. A bus leaves at 1700 daily to Luxor (E£60, 20 hrs), via Hurgharda (E£45, 6 hrs) and Safaga (E£50, 7 hrs). It’s wise to book your tickets in advance.
Ferry
A free ferry crosses to Port Fouad, which is a smarter suburb of Port Said that was founded in 1920s. It leaves every 10-15 mins – and returns immediately.
Taxi
Regular and frighteningly quick service taxis run to Cairo and Alexandria from the depot on Sharia El-Sbah, near the railway station. Service taxis also offer frequent service to other destinations in the Delta, the Canal Zone, and across the canal to El-Arish.
Train
There are 5 slow and dirty trains a day to and from Cairo via Ismailia (4-5 hrs, E£5-18 depending on class). Buses and service taxis are a faster and more frequent option.
more Port Said photos
