| As Luxor is in
the Nile basin the surrounding landscape is mainly flat and this makes it
ideal territory for riding bicycles. Wherever you go in town and our, you
will see men and boys riding about ignoring traffic laws to get to their
destination by the shortest route possible. It is unusual to see an Egyptian
woman riding bicycles although they are sometimes seen sitting side-saddle
on the back of a motorcycle.
It is easy to rent a bike on either side
of the river. There are bike rental shops spread about the town and they
are clearly labelled in many languages. The charge for renting a bike
is somewhere around 10 LE for the day. The bikes lock to keep them safe
and it is very rare to have a bicycle stolen.
Motorcycles can also be rented but beware as there can be problems with
insurance and as most drivers in Luxor are not insured at all, the risks
are quite high. The charge varies between 30 LE and 50 LE per hour depending
on the shop you rent from and the type of bike.
Cars can also be rented but again because of insurance problems a large
deposit against damage is often requited. The cost of rental is around
150 LE to 200 LE per day. There are car rental shops in Tayeb Street and
in several other streets off Television Street in central Luxor..
For around the same amount you can hire a vehicle with a driver so it
does not really seem worthwhile to rent a car, unless you want the freedom
(and worry) of driving yourself. Remember that if you wish to leave Luxor
in a private car then you have to travel with one of the convoys.
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