Hello. We will be going on a Roads Scholar tour to Egypt in December. As we arrive late (11:15 pm) and booking at the hotel in Giza where our tour will begin the following afternoon wasn’t going smoothly, we decided to book a Marriott for that first night, that is located in Terminal 3. We arrive in Terminal 2 and have read mixed messages as to how to get from one terminal to the other. We may have checked luggage, so that would complicate things a bit. Has anyone done this recently?
Thank you!
Posted by
Edmond, OK
221 posts
My sister and I flew into Cairo airport in November 2023 for a Road Scholar tour. We were in a similar situation where our flight was arriving around 12:30 a.m. so we reserved a room at the Le Meridien Marriott for our arrival night. We had to go from our arrival terminal to Terminal 3 which had a walkway to the hotel. After asking for directions from many, many people we bravely walked outside and began the walk. We were approached by at least a dozen men wanting to drive us but we refused them. The hotel and terminal 3 were not visible and somewhat difficult to find. Of course we were jet lagged which didn’t help. We finally could see the walkway but the entrance to Terminal 3 had a guarded entrance. We finally were admitted and found the walkway. All this to say I’m not sure what the most efficient way is to get to the hotel. While planning the trip I never found a good map of the Cairo airport and that might have helped, but we made it safely and had a fantastic trip
Posted by
OP
Albuquerque, NM, US
57 posts
Thank you, Carole, for your reply. Excuse my late thank you- no email came saying I had a response. Your experience validates pretty much what we have been learning through our research. I read somewhere that the hotel had shuttle, but they haven’t answered our emails. It appears that to use the automated people mover that connects the terminals, we would have to go back through security, Do you know anything about that?
Posted by
9522 posts
https://www.airportmaps.com/CAI
Cairo International Airport Terminals and Gates Map
Cairo International Airport consists of three main terminals, conveniently named terminal 1, terminal 2, and terminal 3, and an extra small terminal operating seasonal flights. While terminals 2 and 3 are adjacent, terminal 1 is in a different location. During the daytime, an automated people mover transports people between terminals, stopping at the Air Mall and Car Park.
Terminal 1: This is the oldest terminal at Cairo International Airport. It is mainly used for Domestic flights as well as destinations in North Africa and the Middle East.
Terminal 2: Similar to terminal 1, terminal 2 operates flights to Arab destinations, with some exceptions for some European countries.
Terminal 3: Terminal 3 is the newest and largest among all terminals. It features two concourses and operates international flights to Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and some Middle Eastern countries. At times, domestic flights also depart from this terminal.
Seasonal Flight Terminal: this terminal is located west of terminal 3. As the name suggests, this building only operates a few seasonal flights.
Hotels at Cairo International Airport
Unfortunately, there are no hotels or sleeping pods inside Cairo International Airport. However, there are a few accommodations within walking distance of all terminals. Le Méridien Cairo Airport is ideal for those traveling to terminals 2, 3, and the seasonal flight terminal. Le Passage Cairo Hotel & Casino and Novotel Cairo Airport are close to terminal 1. These hotels also offer an airport shuttle.
Posted by
Portland, OR, USA
11 posts
I am also interested in this question because we will be staying at the Meridian airport hotel in early January after arriving at Terminal 2 on BA from Heathrow at about 10:30pm, a couple of days before joining a Road Scholar tour.
From a thread from 1-2 years ago at the Hong Kong TripAdvisor forum I read:
"We walked from T2 to the Meridien last year! To get to the walkway, we had to go up one level to the Arrivals floor, since security don't allow entry at the Departures level"
So going up to the Arrivals level at T3 may work.
On other threads I read about a free hotel shuttle from T2 but all I saw at the hotel web site was a $25 fee for greeting and shuttle service.
Sheila - If you have a chance, I would appreciate a report on what worked for you. Thank-you and enjoy your trip!