General Questions and Answers (Q&A)
It is not easy to answer this question; Egypt has a variety of places, products and goods that belongs to different price ranges. The cost of your trip usually starts with your flight and hotel booking. To travel on first class and stay in a 5-star resort of course would cost more than travelling in economy class. However, Egypt is not considered an expensive country. Food and transportation are not really expensive. And there are always cheaper alternatives to every single thing here.
In Egypt, banknotes are divided into 200EGP, 100EGP, 50EGP, 20EGP, 10EGP, 5EGP, and 1EGP in paper form. However, 1EGP and quarters exist in form of coins. Always, always keep your coins in a separate pocket because you are going to need them.
Local agencies are usually more aware of the country they work in; therefore, they offer better quality for more affordable prices.
Egypt is a warm and sunny country. However, some places, like Upper Egypt, are warmer than others. Some cities, the ones on coasts and seas, have milder and colder weather.
November-March: If you love colder weathers, these are the best months to visit Egypt. The Weather is a little bit cold and still somehow sunny. It doesn’t rain often in Egypt. However, Alexandria and Mediterranean Sea cities tend to be cold with a chance of raining. These are the ideal months to visit Luxor and Aswan, or the cities on The Red Sea.
April – May / September – October: These are the best months to visit
Egypt in general, especially if you want to go everywhere and don’t want to choose between the North and the South. The weather is mild and nice, sometimes a little bit warm but nothing close to dog days! Visiting Egypt in these months can offer you the complete trip and complete activities: between water sports and sand boarding and camps in the desert.
June – August: If the heat won’t get you peeved, you can stay all day long on the sand, enjoying the amazing beaches of Egypt. It’s usually very hot in Luxor and Aswan. However, Mediterranean Sea cities and Red Sea cities will give you the perfect summer trip!
Credit cards can be used anywhere in Egypt, especially in big cities. You can pay by credit card at your hotel, some restaurants and some shops. However, make sure to always have cash on you. And if not, there are a lot of ATM machines all over the streets in Egypt. The credit cards used in Egypt are Visa, Master Card, and American Express.
Egypt is as safe as any travel destination, especially in touristic places. However, if you are a solo female traveler, you may need to dress modestly is a way of respecting the local culture, the metro in Cairo has separate cars for women that might be more comfortable, and trust your instincts: if something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.
The Egyptian railway network connects the Nile Valley, the Delta, and the Suez Canal. The standard of the service is very good and the trains are quite cheap. It takes around 2 or 3 hours to go to Alexandria from Cairo, and you can always take the sleeper trains from Cairo to Aswan and Luxor. These trains are comfortable and the guests will have a private cabin with a face wash basin and a hot dinner.
The allowance for cigarettes or alcohol brought to Egypt from another other country is 3 liters of alcohol and 200 cigarettes.
Sure! Egyptian Mosques welcome people from different religions to visit. However, you need to know that you must take off your shoes and women should cover their heads.
Churches are the same as mosques. Everyone is allowed to enter churches. Except during Lent.
Not even. Egypt enjoys a huge variety of restaurants that serves different cuisines. Italian, Indian, American, Asian (Korean, Chinese, Japanese), etc.
Egypt is known for its new food inventions and for being creative in their cuisines. Never worry! Even we know that you’ll fall in love with the Egyptian food; Try (Fool), Egyptian beans, and (Koshary) a traditional Egyptian pasta dish, try (Kebab and Kofta) the Egyptian traditional meat dish, and there are different things you can try!
In a restaurant, it is good to give between 5 and 10% tip directly to the waiter. For a small favor, like carrying luggage or parking a car, a few Egyptian pounds would be appropriate. Not more than five. Often times in Egypt you will find someone tending to the bathroom to keep it clean. Giving them one Egyptian pound is an appropriate amount. Tipping your tour guide and vehicle driver is completely optional but should be considered if you're provided with great service. If you decide to tip feel free to give what you think your experience was worth.
