There are no automated ticket machines, so you must buy your ticket from the ticket man behind a glass panel. Be assertive as people in Cairo normally cut in front of lines.
To get through to the platform, you must slide your paper ticket through a turnstile. As you go through, your ticket will pop out on the other side of the turnstile. Take it from the machine and retain it in a safe place.
Depending on which direction you are going, you will either climb stairs over the tracks to the other side or just wait on the platform just outside the turnstiles.
Once the train comes and stops to unload and load passengers, the doors will not stay open for long, and people don't wait for passengers to alight first.
Once aboard, make sure you keep track of how many stations you stop at as to not miss your destination. The trains are often crowded and it is difficult to see the signs at stations from them. There are maps of the metro system inside the train to refer to.
Once you reach your desired station, push to get off the train before the doors close. Beware of the drop from the train and the platform, as well as the space between the two.
Depending on which side you want to exit, you may have to climb the stairs over the tracks to get to the other side.
Retrieve the ticket you used to get on the train and slide through the turnstile to exit. The turnstile will retain the ticket as it is void after one complete ride.
