Egypt - Useful Travel Information

Getting to know the basics

Country name
Formal name: Arab Republic of Egypt
Short name: Egypt
Local formal name: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
Local short name: Misr

Egypt's Location
North-eastern corner of Africa and south-western Asia, It is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by Palestine and Israel, on the south by Sudan, and on the west by Libya. Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula.

Capital of Egypt
Cairo, the city of the 1000 minarets was founded on July 16, 969 AD . Cairo is Africa's most densely populated city and the Arab world's cultural center. Cairo provides its visitors with great cultural destinations which include a vast amount of art galleries, music halls, cultural centers etc… Cairo also offers its visitors an extensive variety of accommodation, restaurants, leisure activities and shopping.

Egypt's Population Size
According to the 2007 census figures, the population, including those living abroad, is estimated to have reached 76.5 million at a growth rate of 1.721%.

Languages - Written and Spoken
The official language of Egypt is Standard Arabic and is used in most written media and publications. English, German and French are also widely spoken by most educated Egyptians and by shopkeepers and prefessionals.

Egypt Time Zone
Egypt Standard Time is 2 hours ahead Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2). Egypt operates Daylight-Saving Time between the last Friday in April and the last Thursday in September when the clocks are 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+3).

Egypt Climate and Weather
Throughout Egypt, days are commonly warm or hot, and nights are cool. Egypt has only two seasons, a mild winter from November to April and a hot summer from May to October. The only differences between the seasons are variations in daytime temperatures and changes in prevailing winds.

Transport

Underground Metro: Egypt is the first country in Africa and the Middle East to have an Underground Metro. Investments in the project, which now links the three governorates of Greater Cairo (Cairo, Giza & Qalyubiyah). Train services start operating from 06:00 am till 01:00am.

Highways and Bridges: Egypt has a network of highways covering the country and extending around 48.1 thousand km.

Air Transport:Egypt has 30 airports. With the number of air flights could access 72 capitals internationally and 12 cities locally. Egypt Air, the national carrier, is one of the best in the middle East and Arab countries. Egypt Air operates more than 555 weekly flights departing from Cairo and many other Egyptian cities to 69 international and domestic destinations in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

Transfer between terminals: A shuttle bus links the two terminals, departing approximately every 30 minutes. Terminal 1 is known as the old airport , while Terminal 2 is known as the new airport.

Airport Shuttle: The Cairo Airport shuttle Bus can transport individuals and groups to and from the Cairo International Airport, including locations outside of the capital. For prices and reservations, contact the 24-hour customer service centre at +2 (02)2265-3937/38 or 19970.

Money & Banking in Egypt

Currency Converter
You can perform foreign exchange rate calculations using up-to-the-minute currency exchange rates with the online currency tool below. It's currently preset to show conversion to Egyptian pounds (EGP) but it gives you the option to chose from 180 worldwide currencies. So, what are you waiting for - give it a try.

Using Credit Cards and Traveler’s Cheques in Egypt
Traveler’s cheques and most of the major credit & debit cards, such as American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club, all Euro cards and JCB, are widely used and accepted in major hotels, restaurants and shops.

ATM Machines & Cash Machines in Egypt
are quite common in the main tourist areas, inside some major hotel receptions and most of the Egyptian cities. If you need to use an ATM machine, they mostly accept Visa, MasterCard and Cirrus cards. If you can't find an ATM machine in your vicinity, you can still get cash if you go to any of the Misr Bank branches.

Hours of Banking in Egypt
Standard banking hours are Sunday to Thursday, 8.30am to 2.00pm. Banks are usually closed on Friday and Saturday, but private exchange bureaus, are open daily and banks in major hotels are open 24 hours. You will also find that bank branches at Cairo International Airport are open 24 hours a day.

PLEASE NOTE:
Banks will not accept $100 notes issued before 1992. If you need to exchange your currency, you can use $US dollars, £UK pound sterling or Euros, as they are widely accepted in many banks and other places.

Please don't bring Scottish pounds, Irish punts, and New Zealand dollars etc. - they are not accepted in Egypt and you will not be able to exchange them!

Electricity
The electrical current is 220V, 50 Hz. The European style two-pin plugs are used throughout Egypt as standard.

Communication: Telephone & Internet Services
The international access code for Egypt is +20. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for UK). The city code for Cairo is (0)2. Telephone and Telegraph (PTT) offices are available in all Egyptian cities.
The local mobile phone operators use GSM 900 networks and have roaming agreements with all major operators. Internet service is available in the main tourist areas, Hotels and internet cafes.

Useful Telephone Numbers:
For international directory phone enquiries: 120
The international access code for Egypt is: +20