VISA’S:  Visas are required for all nationalities.  Many country's citizens can obtain one upon entry however citizens of some countries are required to obtain their visa from a consulate before arriving. Although most airlines can tell you whether one is required for your entry prior to arrival, it would be best to check with the closest Egyptian consulate or Embassy to be certain.

Passport Note: Passports must be valid for at least six months beyond the period of visit. Example: If you plan to enter Egypt on January 01 and depart on January 15 your passport must not expire before July 16.

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: Normally no immunizations are required or needed. If you have recently been traveling in an area known to be experiencing problems you should obtain a health certificate before arrival.  While in Egypt drink the filtered bottle water or the mineral water.  Also be sure to bring any prescriptions you might need.  And don’t forget to prepare for the “Pharaoh’s curse” with a bottle of Imodium or similar. Be careful of fresh fruit juices as they may be diluted with local non-filtered water.

CURRENCY: The local currency is the Egyptian pound (LE). 1 LE = 100 piasters. Banks are opened in major hotels for 24 hrs. Credit cards are widely used in major hotels & restaurants. Charges will be in Egyptian pounds. The exchange rate floats and changes daily.  You can check the current rate on-line at http://www.xe.com/ 
You do not need to change money prior to arrival as most currencies are accepted, especially US dollars, by all establishments EXCEPT you must use Egyptian pounds for antiquity site entry fees.

CLIMATE: The best season is from October through May when the temperature is Cairo is comfortable in the daytime, and cool or even cold at night. Weather in Upper Egypt, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel is comfortably warm. During the summer months in Cairo is hot and dry, upper Egypt is extremely hot, sightseeing is done early in the morning. Average temperatures can be:

	Cairo	Aswan
Jan	45/67 F 7/19 C	52/76 F 11/24 C
March	55/79 F 13/26 C	59/89 F 15/32 C
May	65/95 F 18/35 C	72/101 F 22/38 C
July	73/99 F 23/37 C	80/110 F 27/43 C
Sept	70/95 F 21/35 C	76/105 F 24/41 C
Nov	55/80 F 13/27 C	60/89 F 16/32 C

 
Weather Trip Planner: Find out how the weather will be during your tour.
Put in the city in Egypt + Egypt then the dates you will travel and see what you can expect. Example: Luxor, Egypt.
 

CLOTHING: Winter months: Bring sweaters, a light coat or jacket for the cool Cairo evenings. Women should bring slacks and one evening dress for nightclub visits. Men should bring at least one warm jacket. Pack a bathing suit if visiting Luxor and Aswan if taking a Nile cruise. Summer months: light weight cotton clothing. A sweater for cool Cairo evenings.

AT ALL TIMES: Modesty in clothing should be observed.  Women should cover their arms when visiting mosques. Bring comfortable walking shoes for sightseeing and walking on desert sand. Sneakers are needed and no open sandals as it is sandy. Sunglasses as well as hats and scarves are recommended as protection against the strong sun. No shorts in the cities and women should never wear sleeveless blouses or shorts at any time.  Beaches are like beaches all over the world, much more casual and laid back so shorts can be worn.  While at hotels wear a cover wrap to/from the pool if you have to go through the hotel to reach it.

ELECTRICITY: 220 volts, 50 cycles AC in Cairo. Wall plugs are the round two pronged European type. No adapters or transformers are provided bring your own.

HOLIDAYS: The weekly day of rest is Friday. Islam is the principal religion of Egypt. So the “weekend” is generally Friday and Saturday. Sunday is a normal business day although a good percentage of the population is Eastern Orthodox Christian.  Islamic Holidays are based on the lunar calendar and change annually.   The Eastern Christian holidays are generally different than the western Christian ones.  For instance Christmas is on January 06.  Tourist attractions (antiquity sites) are open every day except New Years day.  Some sites that are of an active religious type (monasteries, mosques, etc.)  close for their appropriate sabbath.

TIPPING: Tips should always be considered for good service. Here’s an overall idea of who and what to tip:
Luggage handlers (airports and hotels): 50 cents per bag
Bathroom attendants: 1LE (about 15 cents) but only if the bathroom is CLEAN.
Maids: 50 cents per person a day or $1 for a single room
Guides: $5 per person, per day
Drivers: transfers 50 cents a person, tours $1 a day per person.
long distance transfers (Cairo to Alexandria or Aswan to Luxor or similar): $2-$5 per person
Tour Leaders: (these are NOT guides. These are the people who help with airport and hotel transfers) $1 per person, per transfer.
These are the concierges' who work to get you hotel and cruise cabin upgrades, keep your tour in order, assist with requests, etc.
Waiters: 50 cents per person at buffets, add 5%-10% for other meals when you get excellent service (a service charge of 12% is already included)
Cruise Staff: (including maids, porters, waiters, front desk, sailors, bartenders, everyone BUT tour guide): Many people leave an envelope at the front desk with their cabin number on it at the end of the cruise. Basically we suggest $5 per night, per cabin on the Standard and Deluxe boats or $10 per night, per cabin on the Premier boats. (i.e. 4 day/3 night cruise $5 X 3 = $15 per cabin, or $7.50 a person in a double)
Visit our website at www.travelegypt.com, click on your tour name, scroll to the “NOT included” below the tour outline and then click on “tipping guidelines” for a print friendly version of the day to day tipping suggestions.

LAUNDRY: All hotels and the cruises have laundry/dry cleaning available. Sample laundry prices IN EGYPTIAN POUNDS (LE) are:
Men:
Shirts (collared, short or long sleeve): 9 to 17 LE
Trousers: 12 to 20 LE
Under shorts: 5 to 7 LE
T Shirts: 6 to 13 LE
Socks: 3 to 6 LE
Shorts: 7 to 13 LE

Ladies
Blouse: 10 to 17 LE
Panties: 5 to 8 LE
Bra: 5 to 8 LE
Slacks: 12 to 22 LE
Dress: 20 to 36 LE
T shirt: 6 to 13 LE
Shorts: 6 to 13 LE

Laundry in before 9AM is back at 6PM.
Laundry in after 9AM is back the following day.
Rush laundry is generally available at 50% more cost.
Dry cleaning is available with prices about the same as laundry.
Children's clothes are generally 50% of the adult cost.

DRINKS WITH MEALS: No drinks are included in tour prices. Some hotels and cruises give one bottle of water free daily others do not. As a general guide you could expect to pay:
Bottled water at hotels or on the cruise: $1 to $3 for a small bottle, $2.50-$5 for a large bottle.
NOTE: This is filtered water. If you order perrier it will cost more.
Coffee or Tea: 50 cents
Soft drinks (Coke, Pepsi, etc): $1 each
Alcoholic drinks:
Local beer: $3 per bottle
Imported beer: $5 to $8 per bottle
Wine: local $4 to $6 per glass. imported will be more $$.
Liquor: local $5 per cocktail + cost of mixer (soft drink, juice, etc), imported $8-$15 per cocktail + cost of mixer)
ICE: In the hotels and on the cruise the ice is prepared from filtered water.

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