Travel Tips

Egypt is located in the northeast angle of the African continent and encroaches on Asia in the Sinai Peninsula. It has an area of 1,002,000 km, the greatest distance north to south be 1,025 km, and from east to west, 1,240 km. The population is 62 million utilize only 6 % of the land mainly along the banks of the River Nile, which flows in a south-north direction and is the longest river [6,67 km] in the world.

• TIME

Two hours in advance of Greenwich Mean Time and three hours for summer time, which is from, last Thursday in April to last Thursday in September.

• LANGUAGE

Arabic is the official language. English and French are widely understood.

• CLIMATE

The Mediterranean climatic zone affects the North Coast and part of the Delta, while subtropical reigns over the rest of Egypt.

Throughout the year, days are commonly warm or hot, and nights are cool. Egypt & Middle East has only two seasons: a mild winter from November to April and a hot summer from May Rainfall is confined to few days in the year all through Egypt. If you are traveling between March and May you might encounter the wind which blows from the south and carries dust particles that cause temperature to raise to 100°F (38°C) in the desert. Temperature averages between 80 and 90°F (27 – 32°C) in summer and between 55 and 70°F (13 to 21°C) in winter. However, on the Red sea coast and southern Egypt temperature is a little higher to reach 109°F (42°C) in summer.

• ELECTRIC CURRENT

Round, two prong European type wall plugs at 220 volts – 50 cycles.

• CLOTHING

In summer, light cotton garments, and in winter, woolens. Respectively, in the evenings, a sweater and an overcoat may be needed.

In all seasons, light walking shoes and a hat are essential, and avoid very brief clothing [shorts] as the norm is semi-conservative attire.

Handy items: – sunglasses, sun oil, a pocket-torch and binoculars.

• WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

The metric system is used.

• Currency of Egypt

Egypt’s currency is Egyptian pound (referred by LE – Livre Egyptienne) and one LE is equal to 100 piasters, or genaeh in Arabic.

In Egypt, most of the banks are open from Sunday to Thursday, from 0830 to 1400, though banks at major entry points, like airports, are open 24 hours daily.

Note: Most of the major credit/debit cards, such as American Express, MasterCard, Visa, all Euro cards and JCB, are widely accepted in various hotels and shops.

Another important point is that Scottish pounds and Irish punts are not accepted by Egypt Banks! You will find plenty of banks at the airport and several foreign currency exchange offices. Your duty-free goods must be purchased within 48 hours after arrival.

If at any point during your tour, you run out of money, and your credit cards are not accepted, you can still have money wired to you from abroad. In Egypt, there are many Western Union branches, and it takes mere moments to have money sent to you.

• PASSPORT AND VISA

Most tourists and visitors come to Egypt can obtain an entry visa at any of the major airports or ports of entry. All foreigners arriving in Egypt should have a valid passport (with at least 6 months left, before expiry) to get an entry visa. Citizens of Europe, USA and North America, Latin America can obtain their visas upon arrival, Most Citizens of Asia and all African countries should have a pre-arrival visa.

For up to date information, it is prudent to enquire prior to travel