Egypt / مصر – Let’s explore here
Egypt is, in my opinion, one of the best and most interesting countries on the planet. It’s got such an amazing history, endless amazing sights, year round sun and a wide variety of landscapes – it’s not all just sand dunes! I liked it so much when I visited that I returned seven more times! At one point I even starred in a few Egyptian films!
If you’ve never been to Egypt, I highly recommend it, as there really is something for everyone there. As well as all the standard amazing sights, like the pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Cairo museum, the Valley of the Kings and the temples in Luxor, there are many more amazing places to visit.
If you’re looking for something less touristy you should visit Dahab, Nuweiba, Sharm el Sheikh and St Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai. You could also check out the Aswan Dam and Alexandria.
Current travels
Having visited Egypt so many times this map below provides an approximation of the sites we’ve been to over the years. It encompasses most of the places in the Sinai, as well as those on the Red Sea coast, and the Mediterranean coast. The capital Cairo, Luxor, Alexandria, Abu Simple are all excellent places to visit.
Our routes have taken us from Taba – Nuweiba – Dahab – St. Catherine’s – Sharm El Sheik – Taba – Cairo – Luxor – Aswan – Abu Simbel – Sudanese border – Luxor – Hurghada – Cairo – Alexandria – Libyan border – Port Said – Cairo – Taba
What’s it like to drive in Egypt?
For the most part driving in Egypt is not for the faint hearted. There is a definite lack of concern for the general state of cars, and car bumpers are just for that – bumping. Often when you park up in Cairo, when you return you will find that your car has been moved several feet forwards or backwards, and is now bumper to bumper with other cars. This is due to the lack of car parking space, and the over-willingness of passers-by to help others bounce your car closer to other cars to create space.
That said, due to the general poverty outside of the cities, the amount of traffic between most town and cities is pretty low compared with life in the UK. This makes driving easy, although still open to the occasional haphazard driving of others.
Currently there are no ferries to Egypt via the Venice – Tartous – Alexandria route, which is still suspended (2024).
We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂
What currency do they use in Egypt?
In Egypt they use the Egyptian pound. Most payments are in cash. The use of credit / debit cards is fairly widespread in larger hotels, although not in smaller ones. Traveller’s cheques are not widely accepted. There are lots of ATMs.
You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.
What language do they speak in Egypt?
they mostly speak Arabic in Egypt, although in larger cities many also speak English and French.
What time zone is Egypt in?
Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.
Do I need a visa to visit Egypt
We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!
If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know!
And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!