Egypt

goonersnroses

Hey all,

I want to visit Egypt this year with my girlfriend. We have a week maybe abit longer and we want to go mainly for the history and culture. Because the travel agents only do the Red Sea Resorts I think it would be better for us to do our own thing.

Has anyone here done this before? can you recommend airlines, hotels etc? should we rent a car?

We ideally would like to spent abour two days in Cairo and maybe the same in Luxor and some time relaxing on a beach. Is it too much? possible?

Any help is much appreciated.

mcgrate

Hi Gooner,

I was in Egypt in Oct down at the Red Sea, Sharm el Sheikh. We booked everything ourselves. Flights direct to sharm el sheikh with blanchardstown travel (first choice airways) and then booked our own hotel, etc.
Flew to Cairo - only costs about 40euro return with egyptair (PM me for more info on this). Didnt stay in Cairo but I think hotels are quite cheap. Booked a guide and taxi for the day for about 80euro to take us around the city and sights. In the one day we did: Egyptian museam, boat trip on the nile, pyramids, sphynix, papyrus museum, egyptian cotton museum and much more. It was really really good. And that night, we flew back to sharm el sheikh to our hotel on the sea.
Id defo try get in a few days on the red sea for some diving / snorkling. The coral reefs at the red sea aresome of the best in the world. Do no miss it. You can also do Quad biking in the sinai desert, well worth the 30 euro!
I didnt go to Luxor (just not enough time) but would love to go at some stage.
let me know if you've any more questions

Meathlass

goonersnroses wrote: »

Hey all,

I want to visit Egypt this year with my girlfriend. We have a week maybe abit longer and we want to go mainly for the history and culture. Because the travel agents only do the Red Sea Resorts I think it would be better for us to do our own thing.

Has anyone here done this before? can you recommend airlines, hotels etc? should we rent a car?

We ideally would like to spent abour two days in Cairo and maybe the same in Luxor and some time relaxing on a beach. Is it too much? possible?

Any help is much appreciated.

A week is really short but it's doable. Don't bother renting a car, fly or get the overnight trains. Fly into Cairo, spend 2 days (first day at museum and Pyramids, 2nd day visiting outlying pyramids around the city (Giza, Saqqara, Dashaur), Khan al Khalli bazzar and Islamic Cairo, don't miss the main Mosque) Take overnight train that night to Luxor, arrive in time for breakfast and see the temples on the east bank of the river, next day do the west bank.

Unless you are into snorkling ,water sports I wouldn't go to the Red Sea area, you can spend time in a nice hotel with a pool in Luxor instead and relax there. The Red sea is full of non descript resorts, you could be anywhere in the world. From Luxor you could take a trip further south to Aswan and Abu Simbel, with flights you could do this in 1 and half days. Abu Simbel is amazing, well worth the trip and Aswan was my favourite town, a relief after all the touts in Luxor.

If you want to go to the Red Sea I'd recommend going to St. Catherine's monastry and climbing Mt. Sinai, this can be done in one day as well though Dahab makes a better base than Sharm for this as it's 2 hours closer.

If you do all this you'll be wrecked in the week, great trip though. What time of year are you going at? I think October to early March are the only manageable months in terms of temps.

I thought some of the travel agents did a 2 area resort (Luxor and Red Sea) trip, maybe they've stopped it?

Friday is a great day for sightseeing as it's their holy day and there is little or no traffic. This makes a huge difference in Cairo. Don't let your hotel organise your taxi for tours, they'll completely rip you off. You don't really need a guide for the Giza pyramids, get a taxi out there for 30LE, about 7 euros. Walk around it yourself, avoid the camel touts! I hired a taxi for a morning (about 3 hours) for 10 euros to bring me out to Saqqara, etc.

goonersnroses

Thanks for the reply's. Really helpful.

Meathlass, can you recommend any hotels for Cairo or Luxor

mcgrate, PM sent

Pythia

Myself and the boyf are going to Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea in March. You can do day trips to Cairo and Luxor. When searching for flights with Egyptair, just put your country of residence as Egypt (doesn't effect your tickets, just makes them cheaper).
We're hoping to get both Cairo and Luxor packed in, it seems so cheap to do it, but the days are long.
Apart from that, we hope to relax, eat well and maybe do some diving.
We're staying in the Hyatt with Falcon Holidays.

personaltrainer

hey, Ive a holiday booked to Egypt with Falcon holidays and staying in the Radisson. Has anyone stayed here before and what do u think about it. Also we want to try and pack as much in as possible not jst museums ect but is there water parks in the Sharm el Sheihk area? we have a day trip to Cairo booked with an English company payin €150 each (collected at our hotel, flights, Nile Trip, Into the pyramids ect, Guides and Lunch included) Cannot wait till June :D:D

Pythia

Yep, there's Cleopark http://www.cleoparkegypt.com/

What company are you doing that trip with?

Have a look on Tripadvisor.com for reviews of your hotel.

Libby029

personaltrainer wrote: »

hey, Ive a holiday booked to Egypt with Falcon holidays and staying in the Radisson. Has anyone stayed here before and what do u think about it. Also we want to try and pack as much in as possible not jst museums ect but is there water parks in the Sharm el Sheihk area? we have a day trip to Cairo booked with an English company payin €150 each (collected at our hotel, flights, Nile Trip, Into the pyramids ect, Guides and Lunch included) Cannot wait till June :D:D

Hi,

I am hoping to go to Egypt with my bf in October. I really want a relaxing holiday, but he really wants to see the Pryamids and to get out and do stuff.

Could you let me know who is the company you got the tour to Cairo with. Is this just for the day??? Don't really want to stay in Cairo overnight.

Would really appreciate if you could let me know.

Also if anyone could let me know if it is possible to do a tour just for a day from Sharm El Sheikh to Cairo (pyramids etc ) and what we expect to pay.

Thanks all!!!!

Pythia

There's hundreds of companies who go to Cairo and Luxor. You can either book in advance, book with your rep at the resort or book with a different company at the resort. It'll probably be about e200 ish each if you fly.

FrCrilly

Just an observation of how to get from Dublin to Cairo with low cost carriers. Dublin to Athens with Aer Lingus and Athens to Cairo with Aegean Airlines.

personaltrainer

hey I have it booked on this site

http://www.sharm-club.com