BlaakLane.com provides chauffeur service in Alexandria for Borg El Arab (HBE) airport pickups, cruise passengers at Alexandria Port, business travel along the Corniche and private runs to Cairo and the north coast. Every booking shows a fixed fare before you confirm, with no meter and no surge. A vetted local affiliate drives the trip; your confirmation names the operator and chauffeur.
How to book a car in Alexandria
Enter your pickup in the engine above or at book: a flight into HBE, a ship name at the port, a hotel on the Corniche or an office in Smouha. Add the destination, the time and a vehicle class. The engine gives one price for the whole trip. Our Toronto desk dispatches around the clock. Included waiting is 60 minutes after an international landing, 30 minutes after a domestic flight and 15 minutes elsewhere, then 15-minute blocks. For indicative prices by class, see rates.
Borg El Arab International Airport (HBE)
Alexandria's airport is at Borg El Arab, about 45 to 50 km southwest of the city centre. The original city airport at El Nouzha has been closed since 2011 for redevelopment and has no confirmed reopening date, so ignore older guides that mention it. At HBE, flights moved into a new, larger terminal on 1 January 2025, and further expansion is planned. Pickup is at the airport's designated pre-arranged transport area outside arrivals; the chauffeur tracks your flight and messages the meeting details. A meet and greet inside the hall is an add-on, and add-ons are only available in selected locations. More on the airport's history is on Wikipedia.
| HBE to | Distance (approx.) | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown and Raml Station | 45-50 km | 45-70 min |
| Smouha and Sidi Gaber | 45 km | 45-65 min |
| San Stefano and Stanley | 50-55 km | 55-80 min |
| Montaza | 60 km | 60-90 min |
| New Alamein | 90-100 km | 70-90 min |
| Cairo (Giza side) | 200 km | 2.5-3 h |
Meeting a ship at the Alexandria cruise terminal
Cruise ships berth at the passenger terminal inside Alexandria Port, in the Western Harbour near Ras El Tin. Port security controls who may enter, so the standard meeting point is the terminal's permitted pickup area once passengers clear the building. Put the ship name and date in the booking notes; the chauffeur times the pickup to the actual release, not the scheduled arrival. The most requested shore day is the run to Cairo: roughly 220 km on the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road, usually two and a half to three and a half hours each way to the Giza plateau and the Grand Egyptian Museum. Build in a safe margin for the all-aboard time. Cruise lines arranging many cars at once use cruise lines and ports, and multi-vehicle shore programmes are planned by a coordinator and confirmed in writing.
The Cairo runs: road or rail?
Alexandria to Cairo is Egypt's busiest intercity corridor. By road, the Desert Road is the normal route for a private car. Expect two and a half to three and a half hours to central Cairo, depending on where you start and the traffic on the Ring Road at the Cairo end. By rail, Egyptian National Railways trains run from Misr Station and Sidi Gaber to Ramses Station in Cairo in roughly two and a half to three and a half hours; we can collect you at either end. Timetables are published by Egyptian National Railways. For the capital itself, see our Cairo chauffeur service and Cairo International Airport; longer trips are covered by intercity transfers.
Where business happens in Alexandria
The city runs along roughly 20 km of Corniche. Downtown around Saad Zaghloul Square and Raml Station holds the older hotels, including the Steigenberger Cecil. Smouha and Sidi Gaber are the modern commercial districts, with offices, clinics and the main shopping centres. San Stefano and Stanley, with the Four Seasons at San Stefano and the Stanley Bridge, are the upscale residential stretch, and Montaza in the east has the palace gardens and beach hotels. Industrial clients visit the free zone and the port at Dekheila and the plants around Borg El Arab and Ameriya. A day moving between these sites suits an hourly chauffeur service, and shipping agents arranging seafarer moves can use shipping crew change.
Landmarks worth a private half day
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the modern library on the Eastern Harbour, has museums and exhibition halls under one roof; see the official site for hours. Nearby are the Citadel of Qaitbay on the site of the ancient lighthouse, Pompey's Pillar, the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa and the Roman Amphitheatre at Kom El Dikka. A chauffeur can link them in a half-day city tour, waiting at each stop.
Summer on the north coast: New Alamein and El Alamein
From June to September, much of Egypt's social calendar moves west to the Mediterranean coast. New Alamein, about 100 km from central Alexandria, has become a summer city of hotels, towers and beach clubs, and it hosts a summer festival of concerts and events, usually in July and August. The El Alamein war cemeteries and museum lie a little further on. Travel times on the International Coastal Road are typically 75 to 100 minutes, longer on Thursday evenings and Saturday nights in summer.
Arrival formalities in Egypt
Many nationalities can buy a tourist visa on arrival at HBE, or apply in advance on the official Egypt e-visa portal. The Sinai-only stamp does not apply in Alexandria. Cruise passengers usually go ashore on arrangements made by the ship; confirm with your line whether you need a visa for a day in Cairo. Rules change, so check them for your passport before you travel.
Traffic, checkpoints and security
Egypt drives on the right. The Corniche is the fastest and slowest road in the city at once: clear at 7 am, gridlocked on summer evenings and at weekends. Police checkpoints are routine on the Desert Road and near the port, and hotel entrances often screen vehicles and bags. None of this is unusual; keep your passport with you. Travellers who need a higher protective level can book secure transportation, with armoured vehicles from partners on request after a risk assessment.
Vehicles for Alexandria
A Standard Sedan is the default for one or two passengers. An executive SUV suits the desert highway with luggage. Cruise families take a Standard Black SUV, and groups a Sprinter Van, minicoach or motorcoach. See the fleet.
Cancellation terms
More than 72 hours before pickup: free. 72 hours or less: 10%. 48 hours or less: 50%. 24 hours or less, or no-show: 100%.
