Egypt  - Information

Airport
Most international flights come into Cairo, though some charters also serve Luxor, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh. Domestic flights also serve Aswan and Abu Simbel and Hurghada.
Banks
Open Sunday to Thursday 8.30 a.m.–2 p.m. All banks are closed on Fridays and Saturdays except in tourist locations such as hotels.

Climate
Most hotels, tourist coaches and cruise boats provide good air conditioning, but for outdoor sightseeing choose your season carefully. Though summer is a sizzler—up around 32°C (90°F)—Egypt's predominantly dry heat makes it easier to bear. Cairo is more humid than Luxor and Aswan. The most comfortable time for Europeans to go is in October and November--around 24°C (75°F). April and May are also mild, but have some really hot spells. The popular winter holidays from December to February alternate between balmy and cool, averaging 15°C (60°F). The only rain you are likely to run into then is on the Mediterranean coast. And the one place it is always downright cold is before dawn in the desert.

Clothing
Clothing should be light—cottons are less sticky than synthetics. Add a sweater for cool evening. Good walking shoes are vital and easy-to-kick-off sandals or moccasins for visiting Muslim homes or mosques.

Credit Cards
Increasingly, shops and restaurants accept credit cards and often prefer them to cash. On a Nile cruise, credit cards are accepted however a cover charge is often made (from 1-3%)

Currency
The Egyptian pound (L.E.) is divided into 100 piastres (pt). Prices are written in various ways: L.E. 1.50, L.E. 1.500 and 150 pt all represent one and a half pounds. Banknotes are issued in denominations from 25 piastres to 100 pounds. Coins from 5 to 20 piastres.

Customs Allowance
Customs controls are minimal at point of entry, with an official import allowance (irrespective of age) of 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 200 g of tobacco, 1 litre of wine or spirits, a reasonable quantity of perfume and 1 litre eau de cologne. Import and export of foreign currencies is unlimited, but you can not bring in or take out more than 1,000 Egyptian pounds.

Electricity
Count on 220-volt, 50-cycle AC with European-style sockets for two round pins.

Essentials
Pack very little. Remember you carry your own bags between hotel, bus and cruise boat. If you need prescribed medicines, take your own, as Egyptian equivalents may be hard to find. Include insect-repellent and a pocket torch (flashlight)—invaluable for the pharaohs' tombs and desert nights.

Health
Health facilities, hygiene and disease risk vary worldwide. You should take health advice about your specific needs as early as possible through either your GP or a specialist clinic. In the hot months, sunburn, sunstroke and dehydration are constant dangers. Wear a hat and wear protective creams. Keep insect repellent handy. The waters of the Nile are infested with the deadly bilharzia parasite. Do not drink unpurified Nile water, don't swim in the Nile or walk barefoot near it. Beware of salads and raw vegetables; and peel fruit yourself.

Holidays
Secular holidays are fixed; religious holidays wander around the year according to the Muslim lunar calendar. Secular holidays:
January 1: New Year (banks only)
April 25: Sinai Day
May 1: Labour Day
July 23: Revolution Day
October 6: Armed Forces Day
Of the religious holidays, all as moveable as Christian Easter, the most important is the fasting month of Ramadan. The Islamic day starts at sundown, so that a religious holiday marked for a particular date in the standard calendar in fact begins on the previous evening.

Language
English is the most commonly spoken language after Arabic.

Passport
For British passport holders, your passport must be valid for 6 months upon your return to the UK.   Egypt requires a tourist visa for a period of one month, which can be obtained upon arrival for British and EU passport holders.  For non-British passport holders and for British passports endorsed in any way, requirements should be checked with the nearest relevant embassy.

Photography
Film for video or still-camera is readily available in Egypt but expensive. If you buy supplies in advance, choose film-speed for the dazzling desert light. Most museums charge a fee for photography, more expensive for video, and it's often forbidden altogether inside ancient tombs. Photography is also forbidden around airports, bridges and government offices.

Safety
Egyptians are fundamentally honest. Merchants in the bazaar are not seeking to cheat you, just trying like businessmen anywhere to get the best bargain and keep the customer happy. Pickpockets are much commoner in Europe than in the crowded streets of Egypt. Without undue paranoia, don't tempt the few that do exist anywhere with an open handbag or a wallet in the hip pocket. Leave your valuables in the hotel safe. Lock your luggage before leaving it with porters at the station or airport.

Tipping
For waiters and hotel staff, 10–12 % will be automatically added to your bill, and it is customary to add another 5 %. Taxi drivers should receive 10 %. Have some small notes handy for caretakers at mosques and temples or beach attendants.  Whilst on a Nile cruise, your Guide will take approximately £7 per person to cover tips for the coach driver and the  Temple /Tomb attendants.   At the end of the cruise, tipping for the crew members and staff onboard is at your own discretion as well as your Tour Guide.  

Tourist Information
Egypt's Tourist Information Offices provide maps, brochures and up-to-date information on opening hours. If your programme allows it, they can even help you with a personal guide for some place not covered in your itinerary. They have counters at the airports and main railway stations as well as in all the major towns.
www.touregypt.net

Water
Bottled mineral water is recommended.