Africa > 🇪🇬  Egypt > Sharm El Sheikh (SSH)

TL;DR: Car useful but tours and taxis dominate
car v no car
car v no car
The Car or no Car advice for  Sharm El Sheikh can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Sharm El Sheikh ;  is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).

🚆 🚌⛴️ Do you need to rent a car in Sharm El Sheikh ?

These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t strictly need to rent a car.

🇪🇬 Mode

Score

🚆 Trains - includes all types of inter-city rail based transport: No rail services operate. trains score 0
🚌 Bus & Metro - includes bus rapid transit, trams, suburban rail and metro / subway: Hotel shuttles and taxis dominate. buses score 4
👀 Guided Tours - includes bus or car based private tours and guided walking tours: Diving and resort tours dominate. walking score 9
🚶‍♂️ Walking - includes both urban walking and rural hiking: Walking limited to resorts. walking score 4
🚴 Cycling - includes urban cycling and bike share + rural cycling. Considers safety and hire availability: Limited cycling infrastructure. cycling score 2
⛴️ Ferries & Cruises - includes river crossings, dinner cruises, lake steamers etc (not long duration cruise packages): Boats and dive excursions operate. ferries score 8
  • For all transport modes, a score of 0 = very poor or none available; 10 = outstandingly good.

💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Sharm El Sheikh?

These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.

🇪🇬 Factor

Score

🚗 Car Availability & Cost - is there a wide choice of self-drive rental cars at decent prices? Tourist market with limited local competition. car rental availability score 5
⛽ Fuel & Toll Costs - Fuel cheap with no toll roads. Typical: $5.5/gal | 1.45 €/l fuel and tolls score 7
🛣️ Road Quality - Road quality adequate. road quality score 5
⚠️ Road Safety - Low traffic improves safety. road safety score 6
🅿️ Parking Availability & Cost - Parking generally easy. parking score 7
  • For all factors, a score of 0 = very poor; 10 = outstandingly good


Sharm El Sheikh Car Rental Costs

J F M A M J J A S O N D
3 3 3 3 3 4 5 5 4 3 3 3
Price bands:
  • From 1 ($0-10 per day) to 10 ($90-100 per day);
  • For typical cheapest available economy hire car;
  • Jan - Mar 2027 / Apr - Dec 2026.
  • Prices correct as of Feb 2026 - estimates only, not a guarantee.
🚗Do we need a car in Sharm El Sheikh? Is it worth it? Should we rent one? | Comment
Sharm El Sheikh is a destination where the car-or-no-car question is shaped less by urban transport and more by the nature of the resort itself. It isn’t a traditional city with a walkable centre or a public transport network designed for visitors. So, should you rent a car in Sharm El Sheikh? For most travellers, the answer is no — and very comfortably so.


📍 Getting Around Sharm El Sheikh — the Reality

Sharm El Sheikh is spread out and resort-based.

  • Hotels and resorts are arranged along long coastal strips

  • Distances between areas are significant

  • There is no true city centre in the European sense

  • Movement is designed around taxis and hotel transfers

This isn’t a place where you casually hop on a bus or tram.


🚕 Taxis and Transfers Do the Job

For visitors, taxis and organised transfers cover almost all needs.

  • Hotels routinely arrange airport transfers

  • Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive by international standards

  • Journeys are short and direct

For resort-to-resort or hotel-to-beach movement, this system works efficiently.


🚶‍♂️ Walking Is Limited to Resorts

Walking works within individual resorts or promenades.

  • Resort complexes are self-contained

  • Pedestrian infrastructure between areas is limited

  • Heat discourages longer walks

Exploring on foot beyond your immediate area is rarely practical.


🚗 Why Renting a Car Rarely Makes Sense

For most visitors, a rental car adds complexity without much benefit.

  • Driving offers little time advantage

  • Parking is not always straightforward

  • Navigation can be unfamiliar

  • Security checkpoints and local driving norms can be stressful

Very few travellers gain value from having their own car.


🏜️ When a Car Might Be Considered

There are limited scenarios where renting a car could make sense:

  • Independent exploration beyond resort areas

  • Visiting more remote desert locations

  • Travelling on a tight, self-managed schedule

Even then, many travellers prefer guided tours or private drivers.


Conclusion: should you rent a car in Sharm El Sheikh?

No — in almost all cases.

Sharm El Sheikh is designed around resorts, transfers, and taxis, not self-drive exploration. Renting a car rarely improves the experience and often complicates it.

💡 Rule of thumb:
Transfer in, taxi locally, relax — skip the rental car. 🚕🌴


Search for Car Rental in Sharm El Sheikh with Economy Bookings .com

🚗Do we need a car in Sharm El Sheikh? Is it worth it? Should we? | Comment

🚗 ✅ ❌ Summary Table

This summary score brings together how much you really need a car, whether it’s worth it, and an overall recommendation.

🇪🇬 Factor

Score

Road Trips - Is Sharm El Sheikh a good place to start a road trip? Road trips limited by resort focused layout road trip score 4
Road Trip Length - How long might a typical road trip last? | In a loop / out and back / one way? 1 day - Short local desert drives

↔️

Structures - Are there loads of impressive bridges and tunnels around Sharm El Sheikh? Resort highways with limited structural variety structures score 5
🚦 Overall Need for a Car - Is it necessary to hire a car in Sharm El Sheikh? (high score = yes). need score 7
💶 Is It Worth It? - High score = good value worth score 6
Partial car rental doodle Partial Rental: Is it worth renting a car in Sharm El Sheikh for some of the time, rather than all or nothing (e.g. for a 7 day trip)?

3/7

Do most people visiting Sharm El Sheikh rent a car? (From 0 to 10). worth score 6
🚗Should You Rent a Car in Sharm El Sheikh?
overall should you rent a car score 8

Frequently Asked Questions

Visited? – Have we visited Sharm El Sheikh in person (year)? N/A
  • How do we define "road trips" and suggest their duration?
Updates – When was this page last updated:
  • Automatic*: Feb-26
  • Manual*: Oct-25
  • Automatic = update of table data; Manual = update of page text | How do we update pages ?
What are the general advantages and disadvantages of renting a car in any location?
  • Pros include – time freedom, wider access, often best value for groups of 4–7.
  • Cons include – hassle of driving on unfamiliar roads and parking, often expensive for solo travellers and couples, less environmentally friendly than public transport.
I'm still not sure whether or not to rent a car in Sharm El Sheikh – can you offer more advice?
  • We always welcome comments using the form below.
  • Unfortunately we can’t take phone calls or answer individual emails.
Can you advise us on how to get the best car rental deal in Sharm El Sheikh?
  • Our most useful advice is not to rent a car you don’t need!
  • After that, our advice is similar to what you would expect anywhere else – book well ahead, use your own CDW insurance, watch out for fuel contracts, avoid fines and shop around.

👍🏾 / 👎🏻 Will You Rent a Car in Sharm El Sheikh?

Will you rent a car?Would you rent a car in Sharm El Sheikh, or would you rely on tours or public transport instead? Everyone travels differently, and the right choice often depends on where you’re going, how long you’re staying, and what kind of trip you’re planning.

Hopefully this page has given you a quick, practical overview of the pros and cons of renting a car in Sharm El Sheikh, and whether it’s really necessary or not. Maybe it’s helped you make up your mind — or maybe you’ve already visited and have insights to share.

We always welcome comments, questions, and comparisons with other cities.

All feedback is read, and any questions or clarifications are usually replied to within 24 hours.  

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *