Although Ismailiya can be reached by train (6 daily; 3-5hr), buses or taxis are a quicker way of getting there from Cairo . Buses (every 30min 6.30am-6.30pm; £E6.50) and service taxis (£E6) both leave from the Koulali Terminal and take two to three hours. East Delta buses leave the Al Mazah terminal in Heliopolis (every 40min 7am-7.30pm; £E6.50). The 120-kilometre desert road runs through two places worth noting. Khanka contains Egypt's main asylum for the criminally insane, which has made its name a popular synonym for "totally crazy". Further out, a spate of country clubs presages Medinet Ashara Ramadan (10th of Ramadan City), a satellite city for the new breed of Cairene commuters, complete with quasi-American suburban homes and steak houses.

 

All buses and service taxis wind up at the new bus station on the ring road outside Ismailiya, opposite the massive Suez Canal University building. From here take a taxi (£E2) or microbus (50pt) into the town centre.

The old town's grid-plan and clearly named streets make orientation a doddle. The tourist office is inside the new Governorate Building on El-Togari Street, in the north of the city 2km from downtown (daily except Fri 9am-2pm; tel 064/321-072 or 321-076); it's an inconvenient location and does little other than supply a booklet with some information and a map. Hotel staff are likely to prove more informative and helpful.