The Currency in Egypt is the Egyptian pound  and it is divided into 100 piaster. Egyptian pound is referred as LE.

The Egyptian pound is called Genaeh in Arabic. Here you will find  25 and 50 piaster notes and various sized coins down to the 5 piasters. At present  1 $ dollars is equivalent to 6.2 Egyptian pounds

Currency conversion :

• 1 $ is 6 Egyptian pounds

• 1 sterling is 11 Egyptian pounds

• 1 Euro is 7.30 Egyptian pounds

In Egypt most of the banks open from Sunday to Thursday, working hours are 8:30 to 2 PM. however  banks at the airport and the majors entry ports are open 24 hours daily.

Note : that  most the the major credit card names such as American express, master card ,  all euro cards and JCB  are widely accepted in various hotels and shops To use  an ATM  machine , they mostly accept visa master and cirrus cards, if you don't find an ATM machine in your vicinity,  you  can still obtain cash if you go to  any of  Misr bank braches. Banks are unwillingly to accept US$100 notes issued before 1992. You can use US$ and  English sterling or Euros  to exchange, as they are  accepted in many places and banks.

Don't bring Scottish pounds, Irish punts, new Zealand dollars.. etc.  they will not be accepted or changed !

If you at any point during your tour, you run out of money and  your credit cards  are not accepted anymore ! you  still can get money wired to you from abroad, in Egypt there are plenty of western union branches, it is few minutes to get any sum of money sent you from abroad.

Bus Services :

There are three main  bus operators based in Cairo that mostly form a network  which covers all of Egypt. They are  as  follows

• The upper Egypt bus Co  that covers all points along the Nile valley and the  Fayoum and Inner Oasis,  The Red Seas Coast such as  Hurghada and Safaga, and Marsa Alam
• East delta bus company , it covers the the Sinai peninsula and the canal zone.
• West delta bus CO , they serve Alexandria , north coast, Siwa oasis ,and the Nile delta towns.
• if you want to check bus service schedule click here

Electricity:

The electricity current is 220 volts, 50 MHz, north American travelers are advised to bring a converter, sockets are designed for round pronged plugs, if you are coming from the UK, you will need an adaptor for your plugs.

The power plugs used in Egypt are 220 volts , if you are coming from a country using 110 please don't forget to bring you converter,  the socket pins in the wall are the two holes type !

Cairo Airport:

Cairo airport is located 22 KM to the south east of the city , you  trip should takes around 30 to 45 Minutes. , make sure to leave  your hotel at least three hours before departure.

There are two terminals in Cairo airport. All Egypt-air flights and domestic flight depart from terminal one, while all other airlines depart from terminal two.

There is no departure tax levied at the moment,  however starting from next October, the new tax will be implemented.

Confirm flights at least 48 hours before departure, it is very important to do that, if you are staying in a  5 star hotel, the guest relation should be able to do this  for you if you wish.

If you are an individual traveler  and wish to confirm you flight, call Egypt Air office directly.

As it is not allowed for visitors  to import or export  more than 1000 Egyptian pounds. The limit is 1000 p in cash money.

You will find plenty of banks at the airport, and several foreign currency exchange offices every where. Your duty free goods must be purchased within 48 hours after arrival.

Customs at the airport :

You are allowed to bring 250 grams of tobacco two cartoon of cigarettes  One liter of alcohol and personal stuff.  if you are planning to bring your own pet make sure  you have a veterinary health certificate and it should include a valid rabies certificate.

Making a phone call :

To call any countries outside Egypt , dial your country code and then  your city code and number.

To call Egypt dial * country code  dial 002.

If you have friends calling you from the united states, Australia  tell them to dial 011 before they put the country code and the city code.

List of some of the local  codes :

The best and the cheapest time to place your call is after 8:00 PM.  If you wish to make an international call simply buy a Mena-tel card, ( will Cost you about 20LE) It should give you around 3 minutes to any place in the world, there are plenty of cabin in the streets  around your hotel  where you will find that  yellow  phone box where you can use to dial your call.

Weather:

During the summer time, sun protection is the most important single consideration for an Egypt trip specially for the fair-skinned. putting  sun- hat is essential. Cheap and pure cotton Sun hats  are made locally and available everywhere. travel clothing should be light and comfortable, 100% cotton clothing is the best. Robust shoes are a must. The climate of Egypt is characterized by a hot season from May to September and a cool season from November to March. Extreme temperatures during both seasons are moderated by the prevailing northern winds.

Winter weather is fairly cold than most people anticipate and cold winds blew over the desert at sunrise and sunset. Even when it is worm outside in winter, it can be surprisingly cold inside the massive stone temples. In winter showers fall everywhere between October and April, so bring a few items of light but warm clothing, so that  to cope with  the early mornings and the occasional and unseasonable winter cold snap.

The following table for you as a guide so that you know  what to expect and what to bring:

Visa :

-Visitors entering Egypt at the overland border post to Taba to visit Gulf of Aqaba coast and St. Catherine can be exempted from visa and granted a free residence permit for fourteen days to visit the area.

Citizens of the following countries are should have  a pre-arrival visa:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chechnya, Croatia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Lebanon, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, The Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Sri-Lanka, Tadzhikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and all African countries.

Those in possession of a residence permit in Egypt are not required to obtain an entry visa if they leave the country and return to it within the validity of their residence permit or within six months, whichever period is less.

Tipping:

Tipping is way of life in Egypt , if someone does something you would consider as an extra effort,  he is expecting to be tipped.  You only tip if you feel you want to do it, there is no pressure but, of course it would leave a good impression, and many people are surviving on very little.  Don't give small amounts of notes or coins as tip to people who helped you all the way throughout your trip such as drivers, tour leaders, tour escorts) it would be an insult for them, tip appropriately. And please, do not offer tips to professionals, businessmen, or others who would consider themselves your equals. You may seriously offend them by your act.

Travel time to Egypt :

Peak travel season in Egypt runs from mid October to May.  After May for the rest of the year it is fairly hot, especially at Luxor and further south, yet the best thing about the heat, is that is a dry heat.  On the other hand there is plenty of room everywhere at this time of the year.  Although certain Cairo hotels fill up with Arab visitors at summer rather than put up with a hotter weather their countries.  Advance bookings are rarely required and a variety of discounts are offered as incentives to brave the heat.

Temperatures during the summer time is fairly high, but yet summer offers a time to see Egypt in relative peace and quite.   It is an advantage to see the tourist sites without hassle from the little school children or from the crowds of tourists.