Hi

My only bit of advice for now is that there is nowhere that is just 'within an hour to Cairo' - as the traffic is so unpredictable and bad!

I used to live in Cairo and travel to 6th October to work.
On a good day (and they seldom happened) the trip was an hour.
Usual travelling time day in day out - I would leave home at 7am every morning - and I could arrive into work any time between 8:30 and noon.
And I was travelling against most of the traffic - so can you imagine how bad it is the other way!!

Thankyou Are you still in Egypt?

I think you must live in ( zamalek , Maadi , Helioplies or Rehab )
- Zamalek & Maadi (Specially Degla & New Maadi) are so classy areas and you would find many embassies there, it is safe area and first choices for the expats beside many cafes & available outing places suitable for all tastes.

Pros & Cons:

A- Maadi :

1) Metro Service & Taxi still an option.
2) green areas
3) Remote area from Cairo
4) first choice for Expats
5) CSA is there "Community Social Association special for Expats & foreigners"
6) only 1 hour far by metro from most Cairo districts.
7) many supermarkets & hypermarkets around offering imported goods
8) after 6-10 months living in Maadi many expats find it boring if they didn't get involved in any activities .


B-Zamalek:

1) you would depend on Taxi in your transportation.
2) 10-15 min far from downtown.
3) many restaurants & cafes suits all needs and most of them are so close to each other.
4) Zamalek is an island in the river Nile that somehow have a  special taste & atmosphere.. so quite from outside look but life full from inside all the day..
5) you can consider yourself in the good heart of Cairo as location is one of the best.
6) Lack the good store variates found in Maadi.
7) uper class & high class level

C-Heliopolis

1) you would depend on Taxi in your transportation.
2) 45 min far from downtown.
3) good places are not so close - it is disturbed all around the district.
4) The most crowded between the 4 options
5) mix between low class, medium class & high class as it is surrounded by many local districts so it is not isolated at all.

D-Rehab

1- You would depend on Taxi (most people there have cars so even taxi there would take time till you find one) or Rehab public bus service

2- Very remote from Cairo so you would feel isolated from the rest of Cairo - at least 50 min up to 2 hours depending on traffic to reach Zamalek for example




I wish you would find this post helpful and if you need any further clarification or inquiries never hesitate to drop me a line any time ;

Cheer,
Mostafa