The Cairo International Airport is a complete and total shitshow that leaves a lot to be desired for the Egyptian travel industry.
I consider myself an efficient and knowledgeable frequent flyer who has an above-average grasp of process and procedure. Those two words were (apparently) banned in Egypt; the Cairo International Airport is a total disorganized mess with absolutely no fucks given by any employees.
International Arrivals
You’d better put on sneakers before you land. As soon as you land, passengers stampede towards passport control. If you’re lucky, there will be one or two stations opened and a plane full of people with no queues. The complete and total disregard for order was appalling and borderline dangerous.
Once you fight your way to the passport control agent, you’ll likely be told to “go see that guy” to get a visa on arrival. It is something that’s sold separately from A GUY.
Once you have your visa, guess what? BACK TO THE STAMPEDE!
Departures
If you’re using a taxi/ride share to get to the airport, make sure you’re at the right terminal BEFORE you leave the taxi/ride share. No fucks are given by drivers there, and they want to get you out of their car as quickly as possible, even if it’s no the right destination.
The airport terminals are miles apart, and you’ll need to hail another ride to transfer between terminals. THERE IS NO SHUTTLE!