Libya Egypt
Libya 
EgyptLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
Libya and Egypt share a land border you can cross by car. Keep your passport, national driving licence and International Driving Permit together, and check opening hours and any toll or vignette requirements before you travel.
Driving rules in Egypt
- Dense, assertive urban traffic.
- Headlights used sparingly at night by locals — drive defensively.
- Checkpoints common between cities.
- Carry passport, licence and IDP.
What to see when you arrive in Egypt
- the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
- the temples of Luxor and Karnak
- the Valley of the Kings
- Abu Simbel
- a Nile cruise
Once you're driving in Egypt
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
Tourists may drive on a foreign licence, but rental firms and police require an International Driving Permit (or certified Arabic/English translation) carried alongside the home licence; an IDP cannot be obtained inside Egypt, so secure one before arrival.
Tolls & road charges
Major intercity roads (Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road, Cairo-Suez, Cairo-Ain Sokhna, the Regional Ring Road) are tolled via overhead ANPR cameras and a smart electronic system, with cash booths still in use; tourists in rentals normally just pay the small cash toll at the gate.
Parking in the cities
In central Cairo parking is chaotic and largely informal, with 'sayes' (freelance attendants) directing cars and expecting a few pounds; illegally parked or obstructing vehicles can be ticketed or have plates removed by traffic police.
Fines & camera enforcement
Under the 2025/26 tightened traffic law, speeding and lane violations carry fines of roughly EGP 2,000-10,000; seatbelt and handheld-phone offences are enforced, and radar cameras issue plate-based fines that rental companies later charge to your card.
If you have an accident
Call 122 for police or 128 for the traffic police, and 123 for an ambulance; do not move the vehicles unless they block traffic dangerously, as a police report ('mahdar') is mandatory for any insurance claim.
Driving in the capital
Cairo's Ring Road and downtown corridors are gridlocked with lane markings widely ignored; expect aggressive merging, constant horn use and pedestrians crossing motorways.
Sources: rac.co.uk · sixt.co.uk · tollguru.com · dailynewsegypt.com