Review Go Bus: Cairo to Hurghada and Hurghada to Cairo (4.0 stars)

Summary: Gobus from Cairo to Hurghada will take between 5-6 hours depending on traffic and the number of stops. The buses are clean, it has good entertainment and the drive is very smooth with the new roads.

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Review Categories

Website (www.go-bus.com) – 4.0
Very informative and easy to navigate, but uses (google) translate rather than a native English website, so some grammar issues, but you will not get lost. You can book on line with credit card up to 4 hours before your trip or buy ticket at the station. There is an app, but did not try it.

Tip: Non-peak season now, but always good to check availability beforehand on the website, especially at feast times

Call Centre – 4.5
Waiting time (1-3 mins),English language, politeness and helpfulness (information) very good (5.0)

Info slightly wrong, was told Aero bus (the most expensive bus type) is direct to Hurghada with no stops , part of paying extra, but stopped to drop a passenger in Gouna, which added 20 mins to the journey (4.0)

Bus station

Cairo Nasr City Main Bus Station

Hurghada Nasr Road Main Bus Station
Caught my bus 5 minutes before my trip, so did not have time to look round the station, but looked functional if abit dated. (3.5)

Walkway from station to the bus not great, as some unpaved area, so if you have a heavy bag on wheels you may need to carry for part of the way.

Bus and Journey

Cairo > Hurghada (5am bus)	Hurghada > Cairo (1.30pm bus)
Tiime – 6 hours	Tiime – 5 hours
Bus – Aero	Bus – Elite DD
Fare – LE545 (£27)	Fare – LE405 (£20) (upstairs)        – LE305 (£15) (downstairs – no entertainment screen)
Comfort – Bus reasonably new and clean.  Reclining seats, comfy (Plane business class imitation). (5.0)	Comfort – Bus older now, but clean.  Reclining seats, comfy (Plane economy class imitation, but felt more spacious than Aero seats). (5.0)
Punctuality – Left about 20 mins late to allow people to pray Fajr (early morning) prayer.  Then 5 min stop in New Cairo Go Bus Station and drop off passenger in El Gouna. (4.0)	Punctuality – Left dead on time and arrived in 5 hours (5.0)
Driver – Polite, drive very smooth and felt very safe (5.0)	Driver – Drive very smooth and felt very safe (5.0)
Service – Steward very polite and attentive, speaks English. Given juice, blanket pillow headphones at the beginning of the trip. Offers of tea or juice through out the journey. (5.0)	Service – Steward polite. Given headphones at the beginning of the trip. Offers of tea or juice through out the journey. (5.0)
Breakfast –  Food platter offer of cheese roll, water and something else made with cheese. Had only the water and left the rest, could be better (3.0)	Lunch –  Food box offer cheese roll, water and cake. Did not have anything, could be better (3.0)
Toilet – Clean but no toilet paper (outside toilet on serving tray) or paper towels.  Sink tap slightly loose (4.0) Tip: Make sure use the toilet at the bus station before trip, especially if you have to do a number 2!	Toilet – Looked clean, used tissue to clean toilet seat and a bit grimy. No toilet paper and do not drop toilet paper in toilet sign above toilet. Will definitely  not be a great experience for the ladies.  Sink tap slightly loose (3.0) Tip: Same again!
Entertainment – Screen on the back of seat in front of you.  Looked like a good selection of films, but as my first time, decided to look out of the window.	Entertainment – Screen on the back of seat in front of you.  Looked like a good selection of films, decided to watch Black Panther and Death Wish to pass the time. (5.0)
WiFi –There is supposed to be free WiFi subject to signal.  Could not connect for whatever reason. There is a USB for charging your devices which is very useful. (1.0) Tip: Make sure you have some mobile data before your trip.	WiFi  – Did not try the WiFi on the way back has had more than enough mobile data and decided to watch a couple of films.

BLOG

Planning trip
I was planning a trip from Cairo to Hurghada and did some research on the internet to check how to get there and where to stay.

Travel Options
You can fly from Cairo Airport to Hurghada with Egypt Air and a return ticket will cost about £150 return.  You can also take a taxi/uber which will cost about LE2,000 (£100) one way (only economical if you are going with friends/group or your family).  Then there is the bus. I think there are a few services, but Go Bus appears to be the most popular, certainly in terms of internet search in the English language and has reasonably good reviews.  So decided to use Go Bus.

Go Bus Website (www.go-bus.com)
The website is informative and the fare will cost from LE180 (£9) for Classic Bus to £525 (£26) for an Areo Bus seat one way. More information on the different bus types, schedule, destinations and timetables is easily accessible on their website.

Go Bus Call Centre (Tel: 19567 from Egypt)
After looking at the Go Bus website, I called their call centre (number available on their website) which has an option for Arabic or English.  I asked about the difference between the bus types and was told Go Aero (the most expensive) was the fastest.  Having booked Go Aero, this was not the case, the buses take about the same time and depend on the number of stops, which also depends on the bookings.  For instance if no one books to get off in El Gouna on a particular bus, it will not stop and the journey time will be reduced by about half an hour.

I called again to ask if I could buy my ticket at the station. The adviser said that you can book online up to 4 hours before your trip or buy your ticket at the station. He said that the bus I was planning to travel with had 28 seats left, so should be fine if I wanted to buy my ticket at the station.

My bus was at 5am and I chose to buy my ticket at the bus station in case I overslept and was late.

I tried a different bus type (Elite DD) on my way back.

Getting to the bus station
You can check the time table for the various stations near you. There are a few in Cairo.  Not that not all stations go to all destinations.

I chose to go from Nasr City Bus Station on the 5am Aero Bus and checked the travel time on Uber to allow myself enough time.

Bus Station
I think this is one of the main bus stations. Good sized hall, clean and well lit. It is served by a convenience store for your travel essentials and snacks. I did not buy anything as reasonably well stocked from home. Toilets clean and had a steward.

I got to the station at 4.45am, the due departure time was 4.56am. I bought the ticket with my credit card. The bus left about 5.20am to allow people time to pray the Fajr (dawn) prayer.

Journey

Seating and Comfort

I got on the bus and sat at the front to get a good view from the front window. The seats are comfortable and adjustable and look like business class seats, not that I fly business class haha!  

Both the Bus Driver and Steward were very nice throughout the trip.  I engaged in conversation with them from time to time.

Disadvange – abit of vibration sitting on top of the front wheel. Glare from front windscreen if you want to watch some films.

Entertainment

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There is a screen in front of you which seems to have a good selection of music, movies, games and e-books.

Must admit, I did not try it as preferred to look out the window and use my phone. How addicted we have become!

I did try it on the trip back and it was fine.

Service
There is a Steward on board who gives a pack containing a blanket, pillow and some headphones.

My headphones 🎧 fell between the seat and the hand rest, perhaps another reason why I did not watch any movies. Was a bit shy to ask for another set. The Brit in me I guess.

He serves a drink at the beginning of the journey, option of juices. I had mango. It was nice.

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Then a breakfast pack consisting of two cheese rolls and a bottle of water. Not keen on cheese, so did not eat them and gave them back. Good thing I brought some grilled chicken from home which I ate with some crisps (or chipsies as they say in Egypt) also from home.

Later the steward brought some tea with a chocolate roll. Very kind of him since I said that I was not keen on cheese.

Throughout the journey from time to time, he asks if you want a drink. After one trip to the toilet, I think best to hold my water!

Similar on the way back, you get an uneventful lunch box with a cheese roll and one of those long life cakes.

WiFi
Errr…what WiFi?! They say there is WiFi subject to reception. But either no WiFi or steward gave me the wrong password.

Toilet

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The toilet is in the middle of the bus. Very basic, but clean. No toilet paper or hand towels. There is toilet paper outside on the tray table. Not sure how clean it would be if you after a few kids have had to use it.

On the way back, toilet is located on the lower deck. Layout very similar.

Scenery

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Part of the journey is through New Cairo, so you see the new houses and development.

Then Sokhna, which is hilly (mountainous), then fairly flat along the Red Sea on your left and mountains in the distance on your right.

Tip : Sit on the left of the bus (facing front) if you want a sea view! (Well sort of anyway), but no magnificent views and visa vursa on the way back.

Journey
What can I say, new roads and perfect driver both going and coming! Journey smooth and uneventful with a couple of checkpoints along the way. Bu stopped to drop a passenger in Gouna, which added 20 mins to the journey. Arrived Hurghada about 11.30am. On the way back, no stops, left at 1.30pm and arrived at 6.30pm.

Journey back from Hurghada to Cairo (Difference)
Arrived at the bus station 5 mins before my trip to catch the 1.30pm Bus.  Bought my ticket and straight onto the bus.  The attendant gave me a ticket for LE305 which is for downstairs of the Elite DD Bus.  When I got on I saw there was no entertainment screen so paid an extra LE100 to the driver to upgrade to the upper deck. As going back wanted to pass the time watching some films. Older bus, but just as comfortable. 

That’s me done, any questions, just ask.