3/50.- Cairo, khan el Khalili, sweet potatoes

The best way to get around is the taxi. The only problem is that you need to know the price of the ride before stopping the cab. I cannot recommend asking your hotel for the price of the ride, because they will try to earn a commission. In most travel guides you will find the price of the common rides (most of them between 3 and 5 Egyptian pounds).

When you know the price, you should go out the street and stop a taxi (do not get one of the taxis at the entrance of your hotel if you are staying in a 5 star hotel, because they will charge you the double), and negotiate the price before getting in. Once you get to your destination you should pay exactly what you negotiated. The driver will usually ask for a baksheesh (=tip), in my opinion you shouldn't give it, unless there is an exceptional reason to increase the initial price. It is even more recommended to stop a taxi, say your destination, get off once there, and pay the price you think is fair, and leave. If you do this, the taxi driver usually will protest (you are a tourist and you are supposed to pay more, after all). But if you paid the right price, forget about him. If you think you underpaid him, pay him half pound more.

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