Introduction about the country

Egypt is one of the very few countries that have a big haul of history amidst historical controversies.  People like the Jewish hero Moses, Queen Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, King Tut and others have donned the land.  Egypt showcases much of man’s history, his achievements and the glorious monuments that stand to tell a tale for our future generations.

Egypt is located in the north eastern tip of Africa and is bounded by Israel to the East, the Mediterranean Sea to the North, Libya to the West and Sudan to the South.  Officially, Egypt is known as the Arab Republic of Egypt. The region is home to some of the finest hotels in the world.

Cairo, which happens to be the largest city in Africa and the Middle East, is Egypt’s capital.  Egyptian Pounds is the official national currency and is divided into 100 Piasters (currently, one US Dollar gets you about 18 Egyptian Pounds).

The main religion in Egypt is Sunni Moslem (about 90%) with the rest of the population being predominantly of Christian (Coptic) faith.  The main language is Arabic, with English and French also commonly spoken amongst the more educated classes or amongst people who work in tourism.

Is it your first time in Cairo, Sharm el-Sheikh, Luxor, Hurghada or any Egyptian location and you aren’t sure what to expect? Pick your intended vacation spot from the list below to find some information that might come in handy. You’ll feel welcome in each and every Egyptian town or city you’ll visit. Nonetheless, each destination has its own special spirit which you might want to know about before going there.

Wherever you choose to go, you will easily stay connected with family and friends back home through:

Mobile phones:

When you arrive and once you meet our tour coordinator in Luxor or Aswan he will give you an Egyptian line to use it during your stay in Egypt for free and at the end of our service easily bring it back to our rep.

We do provide this service to make our guests in touch with our customer service team in case any problem may happen.

Also

You can choose to roam with your international number by registering on any of the three mobile phone operator networks in Egypt.

Land-lines: In addition to their availability in all hotels, payphones are also available in some cities.
Internet: Wireless internet is available in a large number of restaurants, hotels and coffee shops throughout the country. Some may provide the service for free while others may charge you for it. Hotels offer wired and wireless access in the comfort of your own room. Some cities, like Sharm El Sheikh, are fully connected using wireless internet connectivity.

Airports

Cairo, Luxor, Alexandria and Hurghada are the International airports in Egypt with Cairo International airport being the biggest and the busiest. Many international and regional airlines fly into Egypt.

Visas

For most travelers, visas can be obtained after landing at Egypt

Railways

Air-conditioned passenger trains usually have 1st and 2nd class service; Cairo-Luxor-Aswan link is served daily in both directions by air-conditioned sleeper trains. This service is especially attractive to tourists who can spend the night on the train as it covers the stretch between Cairo and Luxor.

Travel during summer

Hats or head covering, sun block lotion, sunglasses are important and it is very easy to get when you come from any shop in all touristic cities.

Weather

Days are commonly warm and hot while the nights are cool.  Egypt has two seasons; mild winter and hot summer.  Winter season is between November and April and the summer season is between May and October.

Food

Price of food is reasonable in Egypt.  Bigger cities have fast food chains like McDonalds and KFC. Also Egyptian food restaurants are highly recommended,

Clothing

Wear loose clothing made of cotton in summer.  During winters, layers of clothing should be sufficient.

Electricity:

220 V, 50 Hz

Country code: +20

Time Zone: UTC +2

Domestic Travel

Railways connect major cities and the frequency of trains is high.  Buses ply to all the cities within Egypt.  Cairo and Alexandria have metro rail system which is the main form of transportation for the locals.

Common Arabic Words

Here are a few Arabic words that would definitely help during a trip to Egypt:

• Thank You : Shukran
• Welcome : Marhaba
• Egypt : Masr
• My name is : Ana Esmi
• Yes : Naam, Aywa
• Sorry : Assef
• Please : Men Fadlak
• I Speak English : Ana Batkalem Englizi
• What Time Is It? : E SaKam
• Good Morning : Sabah Al Kheir
• Good Evening : Masah Al Khier
• Goodbye : Salaam