Mersa Matruh is well connected to other towns and cities like Alexandria and Cairo by road and rail. The town enjoys a lively, relaxed, night life and atmosphere boosted by the fact that its becoming popular as a get-away for residents of Cairo escaping the capital citys sweltering summer months, During World War II, Marsa Matruh was the terminus for the British 8th Armys single-track railway which shipped men and material to El Alamein, where Rommels eastward offensive against the allied forces in the western desert ultimately ground to a halt. Rommel's Cave, which the Desert Fox used as his staff headquarters, is also close to the town and has been converted into a museum.