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There is a variety of good options for getting to Egypt, and there are good connections between Cairo and many European cities. Super-cheap holiday packages including hotel vouchers can work out cheaper than booking a flight independently, and you can just chuck the vouchers away if resorts aren't your style. Flights from elsewhere can be expensive and it's worth looking into flying to Europe first and then making your way to Egypt from there, as this is often a cheaper option than flying direct.

Egypt's national air carrier is EgyptAir, and Air Sinai also has good connections in Egypt. Most travellers come into Egypt through Cairo, although people are increasingly disembarking at Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada (Al-Ghardaka) and Sharm el-Shiekh. These airports are serviced by a number of smaller carriers and charter companies with direct connections to Europe.

Other connections from elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East include the bus from Israel via the Gulf of Aqaba or the southern edge of the Gaza Strip and ferries from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Money & Costs

Currency: Egyptian Pound

Meals


• Budget: US$2-4

• Mid-range: US$6-8

• Top-end: US$8 and upwards
  
  Lodging
  

• Budget: US$3-8

• Mid-range: US$8-40

• Top-end: US$40 and upwards

Egypt is terrific value. It is possible to spend as little as US$10-15 a day if you're prepared to stay in the cheapest hotels and hostels, eat local vendors' food, limit yourself to one historic site a day and travel on packed third-class trains. The major expense for the traveller in Egypt is transport and site entry - the latter has taken some severe jumps in recent years. Entry to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo will cost you around US$7 and the recently opened Tomb of Nefertari near Luxor is a hefty US$60.

Be aware that pickpockets operate around tourist sites, so avoid carrying money in your back pocket. Well-known brands of travellers' cheques will be honoured everywhere, although having travellers' cheques in US dollars, UK pounds or in Deutschmarks will prove the most hassle-free. American Express, Visa, MasterCard, JCB and Eurocards are accepted at various stores and hotels displaying the appropriate signage. Visa and MasterCard can be used to obtain cash advances at Banque Misr and Bank of Egypt branches.

A service charge of 12% applies in restaurants and hotels, and a sales tax of 5-7% is also levied. Additionally, you might find yourself paying a further 1-4% tax on upper-end accommodation, so it is possible to find that a 23% tax has been added to the price you've been quoted for a mid-range or top-end hotel room.

Bargaining is a part of life in Egypt and virtually everything is open to negotiation. This includes your room for the night, your lunchtime roadside snack and the felucca you ride down the Nile in. The few rules to observe in the bazars are these: never offer a price that you're not prepared to pay, get a feel for the real price before you begin haggling, take your time and enjoy the friendly sport of it (which might include a cup of tea from the vendor), and remember that you're never obliged to buy anything - you won't offend anyone.