Information about Egypt
Often there are smaller or bigger questions before the holiday. We would like to answer the most common questions here, so that you can start your holiday relaxed. We would also like to give you some small tips and other things worth knowing.
Entry and visa
The first thing that comes up is probably the question of the visa for Egypt.
When you arrive at the airport, there are a lot of tour operators who want to offer you the visa. However, you can get the visa at the travel bank for about 5-10 euros less per person. The travel bank is signposted. Currently, the visa costs 25 USD. However, it can also be paid in €.
You can then go to the border control, where you can enter Egypt by presenting your passport incl. visa and the completed card. If you are entering with an identity card, you will also need two biometric passport photos, as a special entry card will be issued. Then it’s off to the luggage conveyor belt.
The passport or identity card should both be valid for 6 months after leaving Egypt, otherwise it may happen that the check-in in Germany is prohibited.
Medication
You have to take prescription medication to Egypt ?
Special caution is required when importing medicines. You can get explanations here:
United States CDC: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/travel-abroad-with-medicine United Kingdom Department of Health: https://www.gov.uk/travelling-controlled-drugs
Special preparation is required if you are dependent on the use of narcotics (BTM). First of all, you need a certificate from your doctor. This must then be certified by the public health department. In the case of other medicines, it makes sense to have your doctor issue a prescription.
You have the option of taking your medication with you into the cabin as medical hand luggage. To do so, it must be registered as such with your airline in advance.
Internet in Egypt
You would like to keep in touch with your loved ones at home during your holiday ?
Then it is recommended to buy a SIM card.
Since W-LAN is often sold expensively in the hotel or, if it is free of charge, is usually only available in the lobby and also in extremely poor quality, it is advisable to buy a SIM card for little money. Since this is quite cheap and you have good reception everywhere, you can also send some nice photos home.
Here, the offer consists on the providers Vodafone, Etisalat and Orange. The network coverage is location dependent. Please contact us for more information.
With Orange, you don’t get the full data volume on your mobile immediately, but in individual packages. This makes it seem as if you have been cheated and have only received a smaller quota. However, you will receive instructions on site that describe exactly how to get the full volume. If you choose Orange, it also makes sense to download the app “My Orange” beforehand. Here you have full cost control and can also see all the details of the booked package, including the data volume.
We will also be happy to bring you a sim card. We currently have the best experience with the provider WE.
Private transfer
How do you get from the airport to the hotel ?
With most package tours the transfer is included in the price. Nevertheless it is worth thinking about a private transfer in an air-conditioned car.
The transfer via the tour operator has the disadvantage that guests from different hotels come together and therefore have to be delivered to different hotels. Even if guests arrive with different flights, they often have to wait for them to arrive, so that the transfer is worthwhile for the tour operator. The driver has to wait until all the guests are together, this can of course be delayed (by the purchase of a SIM card, by guests who did not start the journey at all or by guests who chose another transfer and did not inform the tour operator).
Even if the hotels are located in Hurghada, you can easily lose 2 hours here. The road traffic in Egypt is not comparable with the road traffic in Europe. Accordingly, a bus ride, especially at night, is sometimes an adventure in itself. So to start your holiday relaxed and above all safe, let us pick you up in one of our modern, air-conditioned and insured cars and bring you to your hotel in comfort. Our driver will be happy to help you cancel the booked transfer with your tour operator.
Health
How do I behave with regard to the tap water in Egypt ?
Never drink tap water and never brush your teeth with it. Also watch out for salad. Always add a little lemon to the salad, this kills the bacteria, should have been washed with normal water. Also ice cubes and too cold drinks are not recommended. On the other hand, you can drink a warm tea more often. The stomach and intestines otherwise react very strongly to cold drinks in this heat.
If you are sensitive to it, you can empty a bag of black tea and chew the powder briefly, then wash it down with liquid - a little Egyptian home remedy that has often helped. In general, you should drink lots of unsweetened black tea if you get it. And if there is no other way, Antinal or Diaxnol, which you can get in any pharmacy there, will help.
This medicine is also available in Germany, but it is much more expensive here. The name is Pentofuryl.
It is also very important to have foreign health insurance. Please check that you and your family are sufficiently covered before taking out insurance. Due to the current situation, corona protection should also be clarified in advance. Not all insurances are valid worldwide. If you need medical assistance, you will very often have a doctor on site at the hotel.
Swimming shoes
And now it’s off to the water - do I need swimming shoes?
In general it is to be said that it is recommended not to go into the sea without swimming shoes. Often stones make it difficult to enter the sea or it is only accessible via a wooden jetty. There are also beautiful sandy beaches, but even here sometimes poisonous animals hide in the shallow waters, such as the lion fish. This fish has red spines and is highly poisonous. Unfortunately, there are always holidaymakers who have stepped on it and have reacted highly allergic to the poison (swelling of the affected limbs and pain).
Unfortunately, one can also not exclude that there are broken glass, dead corals, shells, sea urchins etc. on the beach and in the sea. Especially in summer the sand can become very hot in places. All in all, swimming shoes are therefore a very good companion on your holiday.
The Red Sea also offers a wonderful underwater world. It is also recommended to bring snorkeling mask and fins to explore it. We are happy to provide these free of charge on our excursions if required.
Clothing
Do I have to pay attention to something in Egypt with my clothing?
Egypt is a muslim country and you should respect the religion by following some rules for your clothing style.
In the hotel you can feel free, but also here you should refrain from sunbathing without a bikini top, for the sake of the employees. When you leave the hotel, you should first check the region where you want to go. In Hurghada for example you can feel completely free. (Unless you want to go to the big mosque in Hurghada. Here women should cover their arms and legs out of respect. You can rent a suitable robe on site for a small fee). However, if you are going on an excursion and visit a temple, for example, it is recommended to cover your shoulders and knees to maintain etiquette. Please feel free to contact us at any time. We will gladly answer your questions.
Tip
How do I behave regarding the tip ?
Very satisfied with your waiter, the roomboy, the driver or any other service in Egypt ?
Since the wage level in Egypt is very low, tipping is a very important source of income. At the end of the holiday you can exchange your change (Euro) for notes at the hotel to help the staff.
It is recommended to tip in dollar notes or directly in Egyptian pounds. (Egyptians cannot exchange small change under 1 € and from 1 € only at a great loss). At present, approx. 33 Egyptian pounds = 1.00 €.
You should also consider not only the waiter and the room boy, but also the service people, who you don’t always notice. For example, the gardener has a very hard job and is regularly not noticed at all.
Status: 03.02.2023
