The easiest way to get to Cairo from abroad is to fly. The nearest international airport is Cairo International Airport located 30 km to the northwest of AUC’s New Cairo Campus.

Tips for navigating Cairo Airport on arrival

• If you have not already gotten your visa, go to one of the bank counters in the passport control arrivals hall to purchase it.
• Get in line for the passport control officer desks, and they will process your passport.
• A few steps later, a police officer will look through your passport for the exit stamp. They should not ask for money or do anything except look at your passport.
• You may be approached at this point with offers for limousine service, but as hotel transport is arranged for you, you should politely decline.
• At baggage claim, you may be approached, by a staff member offering you a luggage cart. The carts are free but they will expect a tip if you let them retrieve your luggage from the belt and push the cart, so if you do not want these services politely decline; use of the luggage carts is free of charge.
• After retrieving your luggage you will go through customs where an official will look at your passport and you may have to put your bags through an X-ray machine, and possibly have to open your bag for inspection (usually this happens for people bringing in boxes with electronic appliances, too many bottles of alcohol, etc.).
• Leaving the external arrivals hall, proceed to the exit doors (unless a visit to the duty free shop is desired). In the arrivals hall you may be approached at this point with offers for limousine service or a taxi, but as hotel transport is arranged for you, you should politely decline.
• Once outside where you should look for someone holding the sign for the hotel transfer; decline anyone offering you a taxi.
• Throughout this entire process you are not expected to tip anyone.

Transportation from the airport to the hotel

Airport pick-up

Airport transfer from the airport is included for attendees staying at the conference hotel, the Renaissance Cairo Mirage City Hotel.

Other options

Upon arrival, if you don’t use the complimentary (and recommended) pick-up service, you may travel from the airport to the conference hotel in New Cairo near AUC by using the car services with desks at arrivals, or whose English-speaking representatives will approach you (the appropriate price should be around 200 to 300 Egyptian pounds, the equivalent of USD $11 to 17).

Services like Cairo Airport Travel Shuttle are also available. The ride should take about half an hour to 45 minutes. You may also be approached by white meter taxi drivers outside the arrivals door, but they usually do not speak English and their meters may (inconveniently) not function once you get into the car.

Transportation from the hotel to the airport

Airport transfer from the hotel to the airport is included for attendees staying at the conference hotel, the Renaissance Cairo Mirage City Hotel. For attendees staying in other lodging, hotels can make airport transfer arrangements, and taxi and Uber are alternative options.

From hotel to campus (and back)

A conference bus will be available every day to carry attendees from Renaissance Cairo Mirage City Hotel to the AUC campus and back. The bus schedule will be available online. Any updates to the schedule will be communicated onsite to attendees and posted immediately online. Attendees not staying at the conference hotel are responsible for ensuring their own transportation.