Go Bus Egypt Review | Getting Around Egypt
Popular attractions and destinations in Egypt are quite scattered. There are many different options you can choose to get yourself from point A to B and taking a bus is definitely the cheapest alternative. At first, we were quite reluctant to travel around with bus when we were planning our trip to Egypt because we came across more bad online reviews than good ones about Egypt’s bus operators. Finally, we decided to use Go Bus for our travels from Luxor to Hurghada, and Hurghada back to Cairo.
If you are finding a comprehensive review about Go Bus Egypt, this is the right place. In this post, we will reveal our honest travel experience with Go Bus, the pros, the cons and useful tips.
| Summary 1. About Go Bus & Routes 2. Go Bus Classes 3. Price 4. Reservation 5. Stops between Destinations 6. Language Barrier 7. Go Bus Stations 8. Tips & Recommendations |
About Go Bus & Routes
Go Bus is an Egyptian shareholding company which is the first private sector company operating in the field of public transportation. Its network of routes covers northern Egypt, down the Red Sea coast, to Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab, and also between Luxor and Hurghada.
Go Bus operate in 26 routes across Egypt. Their destinations include Cairo – Hurghada – Sharm El Sheikh – Alexandria – El Gouna – Marsa Matrouh – Al Sokhana – Dahab – Marsa Alam – Nowiba – Assiut – Luxor – Porto South Beach – Porto El Sokhna – El Koser – North Coast – Safaga – Cancoun – Makadi and more.
More information in Go Bus Egypt Official Website or Go Bus Egypt Facebook Page
Go Bus Classes
Standard Economic Coach
This is the least expensive coaches operating on long routes but mostly on shorter routes. It is said to be the least comfortable one, has more passenger on board and it stops frequently.
Deluxe Coach
Deluxe buses connect main destinations throughout Egypt. All of them are equipped with air-conditioning, toilet, Wi-Fi and practice non smoking rule. Wi-Fi works fine but not that high speed. Generally mobile phones can’t receive signals across deserts or some mountainous areas. Hollywood movies (in Arabic) are played to keep passengers entertained. We were kinda relieved to know that Go Bus is equipped with toilet but almost fainted when we opened the door. The bulb was faulty. Water in toilet bowl almost reached the brim. Dirty toilet is a big no-no for us. Floors and seats are clean, which is good. Legroom is small. We are 5’6” and 5’9” respectively – It was quite compact for us. We had a few Europeans on board with us and we wonder how they survived the whole journey.
Elite and Aero Coach (Selected routes only)
Go Bus Elite and Aero classes are in the highest category and they are the most comfortable buses. In addition to meals and drinks, it also comes with a personal on board entertainment system where tons of movies, games, and music for you to select. Passengers can also enjoy the Wi-Fi and charge mobile phone at their seats.
Price
The journey between Luxor and Hurghada is 5 hours, while Hurghada and Cairo is 7 to 8 hours, subject to traffic condition. If you are going to or from Cairo, your journey will always get delayed as it is normal to spend at least an hour in the traffic. Go Bus (or any other bus company) is an affordable option to travel from one city to another in Egypt.
Economy starting from EGP 100 (USD 7)
Deluxe starting from EGP 180 (USD 12)
Elite/Aero starting from EGP 165 (USD 10)
Reservation
Go Bus Stations
They have 26 branches (Stations with office) across Egypt. You can walk in to any of them to enquire.
Call Centre
Go Bus customer service is available 24/7. Dial 19567 and their agents will assist you.
Website
Go Bus website is well managed. The booking process is easy and passengers can make payment using credit card. Simply choose your preferred seats, time and coach classes. When booking online, it is quick and hassle-free without the need to go to stations to make a reservation plus it does not cost you more. It is also not necessary to have a printout ticket. However, passengers need to have reservation with the their names in mobile devices to board the bus.
More information in Go Bus Egypt Official Website
Go Bus Phone Application
We were quite impressed to know that Go Bus has their own application! Simply download their app and board Go Bus using e-ticket. It is convenient and good for those who want to secure last minute seats. Please note that payment has to be done 4 hours before departure time.
Stops between Destinations
Bus will have one or two stops before reaching your destination, where you can get down from the bus to take a coffee break or stretch a little. Most of the times, we realised locals don’t have to pay for using the toilets and they just walked straight in! Whilst foreigners need to pay EGP 5 or EGP 10.
The rest area between Hurghada to Cairo is pretty decent, with many food stalls, convenience store and clean toilets.
Language Barrier
Most drivers can understand simple English. Sometimes, they will make some announcements for toilet breaks or stops in Arabic. Just ask around and get locals to translate for you. Egyptians are very helpful and friendly.
Go Bus Stations
In some cities like Hurghada they will stop at bus station. The place where they pick up and drop off passengers in Luxor is in front of their sales office (on the roadside, not a proper bus station). Please note that in Cairo, there are a few places where they can drop you off (Tahrir, Giza, Nasr City, Kolaly, Almaza, El-Tagamou El-Khames, Alex Gate). Try to ask around which stop is the nearest to your hotel or final destination.
Tips & Recommendations
Opt For Higher Classes Coach
Go Bus is good for those who want the cheapest transportation and the convenience of making reservation. We would advise everyone to pay a little more for a better comfort such as better legroom and services in higher classes. Especially if you have long legs (we are considered as above average for Asians) or you are tall, you will thank us for recommending higher coach classes!
Earplugs
Especially for overnight bus journey, this is probably a life saver item if you want to get some good rest and sleep.
Scarf and Jacket
Some buses can be cold, especially those overnight ones. Keep yourself warm.
Tips for Luggage Porter
They always ask for tips from foreigners only. Normally locals will not bother them because we can always place our luggage into the compartment ourselves.
Make Reservations In Advance
Although you can make bookings as latest as 4 hours prior to departure, but it will be good to plan your trips in advance to avoid disappointment. You also get to select your seats on board in advance too!
Our experience with Go Bus was just average. If you want to have better experience while still saving money, we would recommend you to try higher coach classes or try Blue Bus, which is another bus operator in Egypt. Otherwise, flight is always a better choice.
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