Taxi or car hire in Sharm El Sheikh: which is better for your trip
Short answer: if you move between areas or leave the resort more than a couple of times, a rental car usually wins; if you mostly stay in one area, taxis and a pre-booked transfer are simpler. This guide compares four ways to get around Sharm El Sheikh: self-drive rental, street taxis and apps, a pre-booked transfer, and a car with a driver by the hour. We give no prices for Charm Rental here, because they depend on your dates and the car: compare the live prices on the pages linked below.
The four options at a glance
A self-drive rental gives you one car for all your days, at your own timing, and you pay for fuel, parking and a deposit. A street taxi or an app ride is paid per trip, with no commitment. A pre-booked airport transfer is a fixed price per vehicle agreed in advance, with a driver. A car with a driver by the hour is a private car and driver for a number of hours, useful for a sightseeing day or a day trip.
Sharm El Sheikh is spread out along the coast. By road without traffic, the airport is about 11 to 14 km from Naama Bay, about 8 km from Nabq Bay, and about 20 km from the Old Market. The distances between the areas are the reason the choice matters: a ride is short, but you may need many of them.
Street taxis and apps: fares, Careem, inDrive, Uber
Street taxis in Sharm El Sheikh have no meter that you can rely on, so you agree the fare before you get in. Wikivoyage advises not to bother with the meter, to note the driver's ID number and to pay only when you arrive, in Egyptian pounds. Published figures for a short ride from the airport to Naama Bay differ widely: about 50 to 100 Egyptian pounds for a local taxi in a 2025 guide, and 100 to 150 for a short taxi or app ride in a tour operator's February 2026 guide, with tourists often quoted more. Treat these as indications, not prices. Checked 15 October 2026; check before you travel.
According to our local partner companies in Sharm (October 2026), Careem and inDrive work in Sharm El Sheikh, while Uber does not: Uber works only in mainland Egyptian cities such as Cairo and Hurghada, and Uber's own site has no Sharm El Sheikh city page. With inDrive you propose your own fare and pay cash; inDrive has its own Sharm El Sheikh page. Availability of drivers at the airport or late at night can vary, so do not count on an app alone for a fixed arrival time.
Local blue and white microbuses run a fixed route through the resort and cost roughly 10 to 20 Egyptian pounds for a short ride in a February 2026 guide, but they are harder for first-time visitors. The UK Foreign Office advises women travelling alone to avoid taxis at night where possible and to share the driver's details and live location with a friend.
A rental car: when it wins and what you pay besides the rental
A car wins when you go to several areas, when you go to beaches and viewpoints outside your hotel, when you take day trips to Ras Mohammed or Dahab, or when you travel as a family with luggage and children. You pay one price for all the days, shown for your dates on each car's page, and you choose your own time.
Plan for the other costs. Fuel: since 10 March 2026, 95-octane costs 24.00 Egyptian pounds per litre and 92-octane 22.25, and the same prices still applied on 9 October 2026. Parking at your hotel. A deposit, set by the company that owns the car and shown on the car's page; according to our partners it is typically 300 to 500 US dollars or euros, and some companies accept your passport instead. A national driving licence is enough to rent with our partner companies; the UK Foreign Office and motoring clubs advise carrying an International Driving Permit for police checks. Also be ready for checkpoints and unmarked speed bumps; our guide to driving rules, fuel and checkpoints covers them.
A pre-booked transfer and a car with a driver by the hour
A pre-booked transfer fits the airport run when you do not want to drive after a flight, when you land late, or when you are tired: the price is fixed per vehicle in advance, a driver comes with the car, and you need no deposit and no licence. The price on the transfer page is per vehicle, driver included, and shows the current lowest price.
A car with a driver by the hour fits a day when you want to see several places without parking or navigation: Ras Mohammed, an evening in the Old Market, or a day trip. A driver comes with every transfer and car-with-driver booking. Ask in your request what the hours include and where the driver will wait; do not assume.
Both work well in combination with a rental: some visitors take a transfer from the airport on arrival day, and pick up a rental car the next morning when they are rested.
Which one for which trip
One or two people, one resort, a few evenings out: taxis and an airport transfer are usually enough, and you avoid parking, fuel and a deposit. Two to four people who want to explore: the car's cost is shared and a taxi per trip adds up quickly, because a taxi is paid per car, not per person. A family with children and a lot of luggage: a car gives space and a child seat on request, and a transfer gives the airport run without the first drive. A day to Dahab, St Catherine or Ras Mohammed: a car with a driver if you do not want to drive, a rental if you do.
The honest way to decide is to count your journeys. Write down how many times you will move between areas and compare the live prices on the pages: the rental car page for your dates, the transfer page, and the car with driver page. Prices change with the season and the car.