Useful tips and information
To enter Egypt, you need to have a general passport, the validity of which must be at least 3 months from the date of the end of the tour. You are responsible for its validity. Check the validity of the passport, the correspondence of the records to reality, the presence and condition of the seal on the relevant pages and photographs, the absence of corrections, erasures.
Carefully consider the rules for registration of departure abroad of minor children and timely issue the necessary documents.
A visa (visa stamp) is issued upon arrival at the airport, entitles you to a single entry into Egypt and a continuous stay in the country for one month (visa fee is $ 15 and is collected directly at airports when entering Egypt). In case of violation of the visa regime (stay in the country for more than 30 days indicated in the stamp), a fine and restrictions on visiting the country are imposed.
In Egypt, tourists over the age of 20 can import 1 liter of alcoholic beverages and 2 liters of beer, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars without duty. Video cameras, valuables, jewelry, electronic equipment must be indicated in the declaration. The import of drugs, medicines containing a large dose of narcotic substances and weapons is prohibited. The import of any currency into Egypt is free, it is allowed to export no more than $ 5,000 per person. It is forbidden to export from Egypt the national Egyptian currency, antiques, corals and other marine flora and fauna (even picked up on the shore). If you violate this prohibition, you will be fined ($1,000 fine). When leaving the country, you can change Egyptian pounds for dollars,
The flight to Egypt lasts about 4.5 hours. On the plane or upon arrival at the airport, you need to fill out an immigration card in English to go through passport control.
Time is two hours behind Moscow time.
Mains voltage 220 V, AC current.
According to ebizdir, the monetary unit of Egypt is the Egyptian pound. 1 US dollar is equal to 5.60 Egyptian pounds (the exchange rate is unstable). There are 100 piastres in one pound. It is better to import money in US dollars or euros, they are accepted almost everywhere. It is desirable to have a certain number of small denominations. It makes sense to exchange a small amount for pounds, because. much in Egypt costs less than a dollar (bus fare, a bottle of water, a paid toilet). You can exchange money at the bank, the airport, as well as at the exchange offices of hotels. Banks are open from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00, days off – Saturday, Sunday, in some banks and on Friday. Avoid street changers.
Shops are usually open from 9:00 to 20:00 with a lunch break from 12:00 to 14:00, and during the tourist season, many shops are open until late at night. In the resort area, most shops do not have fixed prices, so it is customary to bargain. In Egypt, a network of duty-free shops DUTY FREE is widely developed. Alcoholic drinks can only be purchased at these stores. When buying, be sure to put a mark in the passport of the buyer.
The most convenient and at the same time inexpensive mode of transport is a taxi. It is better to agree on the price with the driver in advance. Minibuses or scheduled buses run from the hotels to the central part of the resort (for free in some hotels). In cities – city buses, which are often overcrowded.
All types of telephone communication in Egypt are paid. To call Russia, dial 007 followed by the area code and phone number. You can use both the hotel telephone and pay phones. In some hotels, the minimum charge for a call is 3 minutes. The cheapest way to call a phone card is from a public payphone. Telephone plastic cards are sold at the post office and in markets.
In Egypt, it is customary to tip (baksheesh) for minor services. With good service, you can add 5-10% of the bill. It is believed that bus drivers, porters, maids in a hotel, tour guides deserve encouragement if the client was satisfied with the service. The size of the tip depends on the situation, but cannot be less than one pound.
If you are on medication, we recommend that you take them with you. Create a first aid kit that will help you with minor ailments, save time looking for medicines and relieve the problems of communicating in a foreign language. In addition, many medicines have other names abroad. It is advisable to have sunglasses and skin care creams with a high degree of protection. The higher the number, the higher the level of protection. Do not neglect hats if you plan to be in the sun for a long time.
Be careful and vigilant while traveling, as tourist centers in all countries attract the attention of scammers and pickpockets. Keep money and documents so that they do not become their prey. High-risk places include railway stations, gas stations, markets. Be careful and do not leave things unattended – yours or a trusted person, especially in public transport and when transferring. When leaving the bus at stops, including during excursions, do not leave hand luggage in it, especially valuables and money. The responsibility for the safety of hand luggage lies with the passenger.
When swimming, try not to touch the fish with your hands, as many of them can be poisonous, it is strictly forbidden to tear off corals (fine up to $ 100), we advise you to use plastic shoes to enter the water (you can buy it in local stores) and refrain from swimming at night (after after sunset, swimming in the sea is prohibited).
As a guest, you must respect and be tolerant of the customs of the country in which you have arrived. For a foreign woman, a short sleeve is allowed, but not bare shoulders. Necklines and short skirts are not recommended.
Drinking alcohol is not prohibited, but you can be arrested for being drunk in public places. It is strictly not recommended to photograph military installations, collect fragments of historical monuments “for memory”, climb the pyramids, swim and sunbathe “topless”, cut and damage corals, swim in the Nile, walk barefoot or lie on the ground without bedding on its banks. If you decide to ride a camel, then keep in mind: you can sit on it for free (you will be persistently invited), but you will have to pay to go down. We recommend to negotiate with the help of a guide.
Before visiting temples or mosques, find out the rules in this regard. You can get the relevant information from the guide, as well as on the information pages of our catalogs. In order to prevent the occurrence of unwanted incidents, Russian citizens are recommended to: show friendliness to the local population, reckon with their way of life; be patient, do not be rude, do not raise your voice, do not humiliate the dignity of the local population; to respect local customs and traditions, not to show arrogance and disregard for the local culture, and also not to allow insulting statements in relation to citizens and leaders of the host country; do not appear in public places or on the street while intoxicated,
