The currency of Egypt is the Egyptian pound which is divided into 100 piasters. Cash is generally easily obtained from ATMs, which can be found in larger townsand cities. Most of the hotels, stores accept credit cards such as Visa ans Mastercard along with travellers’ chequesand certain foreign currencies like euro, sterling and dollar. If venturing off the beaten track you will find thatgenerally only the Egyptian pound in cash will be accepted.

Voltage

Egypt’s electricity works on 220 v with sockets being of the two-pin European mainland variety. It’s advisable to take an adaptor if planning to use personal items like mobile phone chargers.

Health

There are no vaccinations needed to visit Egypt, sunburn and dehytdration can be avoided by using plenty of sun cream, wearing light cotton clothing and a hat, and drinking lots of water. The health care facilities in Egypt are generally good and it’s advisable to have health insurance.

Transportation

As Egypt is a vast country, the best way for travelling for the visitors who have limited time to explore is to travel from one city to another by air. There are long distance buses and trains available which are cheaper but of course take much longer to reach desired destination. Travelling within cities is probably best done by taxi or minibus, hit is an option as well. Hiring a car with a guide is a good idea if you have a tight schedule and want to see all the sights. If plainning to go to the desert, it’s a must to take a guide to avoid being disorientated. Cairo also has an underground rail system which is a good way to travel around the city.

Food

Most tourists have health concerns when they are travelling. They have concerns about potential illnesses, how healthy foods and how clean tap water is.
In Egypt, we advise you to drink bottled water as tap water is highly chlorinated. Most hotels and nile boats serve intercontinental meals but if you want to try some local tastes, you can eat outside at a nice restaurant.

Words/Phrases

The official language of Egypt is Arabic and other languages are widely spoken too, especially in touristic areas.

Visa Requirements

Visitors will need sa single visit visa to enter Egypt.  The visa is valid for 90 days. If the planned trip involves travel in and out of Egypt over the same period, best option will be multiple visit visa. Obtaining a visa is pretty straightforward.  It can simply be arranged in advance through one of the Egypt consulates located around the world or purchased on entry at Cairo or Luxor airports. All visitors will need to have a passport which must have at least 6 months remaining of its validity on the date of entry. Egypt, like all other countries apply strict customs rules about bringing items such as alcohol and cigarettes into the country, so to avoid any misunderstandings, it’s advisable to buy items at an airport shop.

Customs

Egypt, like all other countries apply strict customs rules about bringing items such as alcohol and cigarettes into the country, so to avoid any misunderstandings, it’s advisable to buy items at an airport shop

Communication/Internet

Egypt has embraced internet services and now it’s easy to go online at hotels and internet cafes. The country has Wi-fi, Wimax wireless internet that enables you to access the internet in most of the popular places. , particularly around Luxor. The telephone system is efficient and visitors should should have no problems in finding public phones that accept cards.  You can buy visitor mobile cards that enable you to use your mobile. The bright yellow and green half booths favaured by one of the leading telecom providers. Menatel, are usually easy to spot. Cards are available from most newspaper srtalls and shops showing the Menatel sign and come in 10 and 30 denominations for local and international use. You can post your lettes from post offices or from your hotel. Please note that post offices are closed on Fridays as it’s official holiday in Egypt.