Do not even think about renting a car to drive in Cairo!  Taxis are cheap and plentiful and one should leave the driving to Cairenes. Cairo traffic is erratic, heavy, bizarre, and can be downright scary.  It is best to try to stay calm in  the backseat of a taxi and hope on a wing and a prayer that you make it to your destination.  Ironically, Cairenes seem to have some method to the madness of Cairo traffic, but sadly, accidents do happen.

Taxis are typically old cars, in poor condition and with an open window (or widows) as the only means of ventillation.  If you are taking a taxi for more than 5 mins then just make sure that is it not leaking fumes into the seating area. Just stick your head into the cabin, if it smells of fumes walk away.  If you want something better than this, work with a local Limosin agency and get a chauffered car for about $25 a day more or less, depending on where  you would like to go, or for how many hours.   Local travel agencies, can provide a touristic car, it may cost more as they usually provide small  vans (Hyundai or Toyota) and for a Full day (6 or 7 hours use more or less) it can cost an average of 50 USD.

Taxis in Al-Azhar Street

                        Al-Azhar Street full of Cairo Taxi's

Hiring  a taxi for the day independent of a travel agent will often be a waste of money, as usually taxi drivers try to over charge tourists, this happens all over the world - not only in Egypt, so you just have to get guidelines for prices, and the following examples may be of help :

- Airport to Downtown  :   50 to 60 LE

- Airport to hotel in Pyramids area  :   70 to 80 LE

- Downtown to Pyramids area (or vice versa)  :  30 LE

- Downtown to Khalili Bazaar  :  10 to 15 LE

- Downtown to the Citadel  :  15 LE

- Downtown to Ibn Touloun Mosque  :   20 to 25 pounds

- Pyramids area to Khalili Bazaar  :   30 to max 35 LE

- Pyramids area to Citadel or Ibn Touloun Mosque  :  35 LE

Or, if you want to have peace of mind and use a metered taxi (bit higher in price - but cars are very nice and airconditioned),  you can try "Cairo Cab" or "City Cab" .  You can reserve them in advance by phone, and they come to pick you up to your destination, meters work, the drivers speak some english, airconditioned cars, which are yellow .  Their meter system is that its starts at 3 LE (from most places except out of city areas) and each kilometer costs you 1 LE.   The contact phone nos.  for these companies are :

19155 / 19730  / 16516  you can call from any  phone in the street or at your hotel.

Another option is the blue cab company, they have a website: www.thebluecab.com which gives full details including their prices.

If you still want to take a regular taxi, the best way for tourists, is to agree the price before you start or ride, this avoids being overcharged at the destination.  If  the taxi driver still wants extra money on arrival,  just get out and pass the original amount to him through the window, and walk away - this is how it is done here in Cairo.