EGYPT TRAVEL TIPS AND IDEAS
Traveling can be a daunting thing to plan for, even if you’re only leaving for the weekend! When it comes to traveling to a whole different country located in a distinct area of the globe with a unique culture can be a scary thing, and very difficult to prepare for. How do I go ahead and pack for the trip? What will the weather be like? What should I wear? What kind of food will we be eating? How do I make my reservations and where should I stay? Do I need a visa, and if so, how do I arrange for one? What if I get sick while on vacation? What are the things I absolutely must see while on vacation? These are just some of the many questions that will be running through your mind while preparing yourself, especially for the trip of a lifetime to Egypt. Oftentimes the stress of this planning can ruin the excitement that should be felt before departure.
While this is a natural thing to go through, any assistance would be surely welcome. That’s why we’ve tried to address these concerns, and more, on our website. Planning a trip to Egypt has now never been easier with the links below (and above). Browse the pages below to get all the information you’ll need to organize your trip, and even book your tour with us, so that you have one less thing to worry about!
See also our "Budget and Independent Travel to Egypt, Part I, II & III" independent travel or packaged tours to Egypt and article from Tour Egypt Monthly. This will give you many ideas even if you are not traveling on a budget or independently. Also from our magazine, see our growing list ofhotels we have reviewed. Also, see the new magazine article on doing business in Egypt. Finally, find out which is best for you, independent travel or packaged tours to Egypt, holidays to Egypt.
Money in Egypt
One of the secrets to budget travel in Egypt is to carry plenty of small Egyptian notes, such as one pound and 50 piaster (half pound) notes. Actually, small bills sometimes seem hard to find, but many hotels, particularly the five star variety, have banks where one may load up on these.
In many instances, taxi drivers and merchants who sell tourist items will claim to be unable to make change for larger bills, so being able to pay the exact amount is important. Also, as noted below, small bills will be very handy for tipping. Keep in mind that the exchange rate in Egypt has widened in recent years. One may, today, exchange US dollars for just about twice as many Egyptian pounds as they could several years ago.
Local Transport
In addition to this, one may also wish to refer to our "Getting Around in Egypt" section and our "Getting Around in Cairo" feature article.
Most people who travel independently to Egypt will still be better off arranging day or half day tours to most sight seeing areas. Such tours can be arranged from most hotels, or the hundreds of travel agencies scattered about downtown Cairo. Larger hotels will frequently have more then one tour operator available. While one may visit areas such as the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, or the Citadel within Cairo very inexpensively by Taxi, the same does not hold true for tours of Saqqara and Memphis, for example, outside of Cairo. For this, companies such as Misr Travel offer half and full day tours, including guides at very reasonable prices. For example, Misr Travel Company's half day tour of Memphis and Saqqara is about $40.00, while a full day trip into the Fayoum and Lake Qarun is $65.00, and can be arranged from most hotels.
Travel Within Egypt
Independent travelers in Egypt have any number of ways to get around the country. Most major, and even many minor destinations have airports, and even though the airlines available in Egypt are sparse, airfare is nevertheless not outrageous.
Currently, one way tickets from Cairo (reverse destinations are the same price) are priced as follows from EgyptAir (all prices are in US Dollars):
- Luxor $121.00
- Aswan $167.00
- Alexandria $72.00
- Hurghada $131.00
- Sharm el-Sheikh $138.00
There seem to be number of other small airlines in Egypt that come and go. Most do not have a web site at this time, and those that do have no on-line reservation systems. However, Orca Air seems to be one of the more aggressive of the small internal airlines. They have a web address at www.orca-air.com. In general, their prices for internal Egyptian destinations are from 20 to 25% less then EgyptAir, the national carrier.
Trains in Egypt, in general, are comfortable, particularly the first class variety. They are usually not the cheapest fare between destinations. That distinction appears to go bus travel. While the sleeper trains seem expensive, this may be somewhat deceptive. Traveling at night, one makes the trip, misses no real "Tour Time", and avoids the cost of a hotel room. All pricing and other information is far departure from Cairo, and are for one way only. Prices are in US Dollars and may change.Luckily, these days one can reserve a train fare on-line through the Arab Travel Agency.
Trains to Alexandria leave almost hourly. The duration of the trip is approximately two hours. Tickets cost $8.64 for first class and or $6.34 for second class.
Regular trains to Luxor (non sleeper trains) leave usually in the morning or late evening, as do trains to Aswan. The duration of this trip is anywhere from about 8 1/2 to 11 hours depending on the train. Tickets to Luxor are $17.27 for first class and $10.37 for second class. The regular trains to Aswan are $21.00 for first class and $12.09 for second class. This trip can take from 14 1/2 to 18 hours, depending on the speed of the train.
Sleeper trains can vary. The Abelaegypt sleeper train costs anywhere from $89.50 per person for a double occupied sleeper all the way up to $241.00 for a single person cabin for a trip to Luxor or Aswan.
All trains depart from Ramsis Station (Mahattit Ramsis). It is a very good idea to make advanced reservations. For information, call 202 57 53 555 in Egypt.
Buses are the most economical way for a tourist to travel in Egypt. Buses available to tourists are air conditioned, fairly comfortable and generally in good condition. Again, all pricing and other information is for departure from Cairo, and are for one way only. Prices are in US Dollars.
Buses to Luxor and Aswan depart daily from Mahattit Aboud (Aboud Station) in Cairo-Shubra at 8:30 p.m. The trip takes 9 hours. From the same station, buses to Aswan depart at 5:30 p.m. This trip takes about 12 hours. For either, the cost is $14.39. It is best to get reservations a day ahead of time, though we are told that one need only make such arrangements within an hour and a half of departure. For more information, call 202 43 16 723 in Egypt.
Buses to Alexandria depart from a different terminal in Cairo, the Mahattit Tourguman (Tourguman Station) in Downtown, behind the building of the publishing house Al-Ahram. Buses to Alexandria depart at least once an hour, and sometimes more frequently. Reservations should be made at least one day in advance, though one may be able to arrange tickets as little as an hour prior to departure. One way tickets cost between $4.32 and $7.20 depending on the bus. Some buses are more comfortable then others. For additional information, call 202 75 60 261 in Egypt.
We should also mention El-Gouna Transport Company, which provides modern air-conditioned busses from Cairo to El-Gouna and Hurghada. These depart and arrive from in front of the Maspero Mall, very near the Ramesses Hilton Hotel. The tickets currently cost about 50 Egyptian Pounds, and include coffee or tea while on board.
