Sinai checkpoints, fuel prices and road rules: what to know before you drive
Short answer: on the roads of South Sinai you will pass police and army checkpoints, you slow down, you keep your passport and the car papers within reach, and in almost every case you are waved through. This guide covers Sinai checkpoints, the basic road rules, fuel prices and the main distances from Sharm El Sheikh. Rules and prices change, and a few points are reported differently by different sources; we mark those and show when we checked.
Sinai checkpoints: what they are and what officers ask
The UK Foreign Office writes that security forces carry out routine checks on vehicles in the Red Sea tourist areas of southern Sinai, and that police check ID regularly and will ask to see your passport. You can be detained if you cannot show your ID and your visa or entry stamp, a digital or paper copy included. Operators and travel agencies describe the same thing for the coastal highways: many organised checkpoints, and more of them on inland routes such as the road to St Catherine.
In practice, slow down well before the barrier, switch off loud music, keep your hands visible and follow the officer's signals. Officers may ask for your passport or a copy of it, your driving licence, the vehicle papers and sometimes the hotel booking. Keep these in one folder on the front seat, not in the boot. The rental company gives you the car's registration papers and the rental contract at pickup; ask where they are in the car before you leave.
One older rule is worth knowing about but not relying on: in 2017 the South Sinai authorities asked travellers for proof of a hotel booking at checkpoints. We found no source confirming that this is enforced today, so treat a hotel confirmation as a useful extra rather than a requirement. Checked 15 October 2026; check before you travel.
Where you can drive, and how far it is
We found no official source that bans tourists from driving themselves on the Sharm El Sheikh to Dahab road or along the coast to Nuweiba and Taba. The same sources are cautious about the interior: the Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the northern part of South Sinai beyond the St Catherine to Nuweiba road, except for the coastal areas, and advises against all travel to North Sinai. A German motoring club discourages unaccompanied individual overland trips in the south of the peninsula. Off-road driving needs a permit and a qualified guide. So stay on the main coastal roads unless you have checked the current advice, and ask your rental company whether the agreement covers every place you plan to visit.
Road estimates without traffic and checkpoint delays: Ras Mohammed gate about 20 to 30 km and 15 to 25 minutes from the airport or Naama Bay; Dahab about 90 to 95 km and 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30; Nuweiba about 150 km and 2 hours; Taba about 220 km and 2 hours 45 to 3 hours 15; St Catherine about 205 km and 2 hours 45 to 3 hours 30; Cairo about 500 km and 6 to 7 hours. Real journeys are usually longer.
Carry your passport on the Sharm to Dahab road. The free Sinai entry stamp covers Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba; for Cairo, Hurghada or Luxor you need a full visa. Whether Ras Mohammed and St Catherine are covered by the stamp is reported differently, so check with the park or your tour provider.
Road rules: right-hand traffic, belts, speed and alcohol
Egypt drives on the right. The Foreign Office states that drivers and front-seat passengers must wear seat belts. An Austrian motoring club says children up to seven years old must not sit in the front seat and lists a warning triangle, a fire extinguisher and a first-aid kit as the compulsory equipment; ask the rental company to show you where they are.
Speed limits are reported differently. The two motoring clubs give 30 km per hour in built-up areas and 60 outside them, with 90 or 100 on expressways and motorways, but they swap the 90 and 100 between road types; Wikipedia gives 60 in towns and 90 to 120 on faster roads. We cannot give you one reliable number. The posted sign is the rule, and speed bumps are frequent and often unmarked, so brake early. Since May 2024 the Public Prosecutor has told prosecutors to prioritise speeding cases, and extreme speeding can lead to criminal charges. Travellers report speed cameras on some roads and fines billed by the rental company afterwards.
On alcohol, the two motoring clubs both quote zero tolerance, and the Foreign Office calls driving under the influence a serious offence that can bring a fine and imprisonment. Treat the limit as zero.
Driving licence and International Driving Permit
Renting and checkpoints are two different questions. According to our local partner companies in Sharm (October 2026), they accept national driving licences from any country, for example Ukrainian, Russian or Saudi, so a valid national licence is enough to rent a car with them.
Official advice is stricter. The UK Foreign Office says you need both the 1949-type International Driving Permit and your UK licence in the car, and Austrian and German motoring clubs also recommend the permit together with the national licence. The permit is mainly useful if police at a checkpoint ask about it. If you can get one before you travel, take it; the UK permit cannot be bought outside the UK. Minimum age and driving experience are set by each rental company and shown on the car's page.
Fuel prices and night driving
Egyptian pump prices are set by the state. Since 10 March 2026, according to the Ministry of Petroleum as reported by the press, and still the same on 9 October 2026, a litre costs 24.00 Egyptian pounds for 95-octane, 22.25 for 92-octane, 20.75 for 80-octane and 20.50 for diesel. A new decision can be announced at any time, so check the current price at the station. Ask the rental company which fuel your car takes and what fuel level you must return it with; note the level at pickup.
On night driving, the Foreign Office advises not to drive outside main cities and resorts at night, because accidents are common, lighting is poor and traffic law enforcement is weak. There is no legal ban for tourists, but plan long legs such as Dahab or St Catherine for daylight.