Here you'll find a few more details to help you before you leave home. You'll find information about where the tour starts, how to get there, visa information and a few other handy hints. If you can't find the info your looking for here then send us an email at
info@busabout.com and we'll try and help you out.
Want to hear the views of past passengers or meet fellow travellers? Log onto Chatabout online forum, where your queries find helpful ears! Meet the crew and get all the info you need to plan your adventure.
Planning your trip
Our 9 Day One Way Egypt Adventure departs from the Victoria Hotel in Cairo at 6pm.* We can provide a free airport transfer to the Victoria Hotel for all passengers who arrive on the first day of the tour. If you arrive before the first day of the tour you will still receive your transfer provided you book your pre-tour accommodation through Busabout direct or through your booking agent. Please see your e-ticket for further information on our transfer service or scroll down the page to our 'Joining information in Cairo' section.
PRE-TOUR ACCOMMODATION
If you need to arrange additional accommodation before your tour departs please contact Busabout direct or speak to your booking agent. The 2010 cost of this accommodation is as follows:
> Cairo (Victoria Hotel): Single private £25 p/night Twin/Triple £20pp private room (you must book entire room).
> Dahab (Sea Sun Hotel): Single private £35 p/night Twin/Triple £25pp private room (you must book entire room).
LOCAL PAYMENT:
At the beginning of your tour your guide will collect $50US as part of a tipping fund. For more information on the tipping fund, please scroll down the page to the section entitled 'Tipping in Egypt'
Visa Information Egypt
Everybody (except Egyptians!) needs a visa to visit Egypt. The Egyptian Embassy advises that you obtain your visa before departure. These can be obtained from your local Egyptian Embassy and the forms can be downloaded from their websites.
We can also arrange a visa for most nationalities, which you will collect on entry. The cost of this service is $US17 payable locally. If you wish to take advantage of this service please follow the instructions listed on your e-ticket.
PLEASE NOTE:
EU nationals travelling to Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Newiba and Taba resorts only, for up to 14 days, do not require a visa prior to travelling, they shall receive a free entry permission stamp upon arrival. If you intend to travel out of the mentioned areas or overstay, you must obtain a visa. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of travelling.
For further info from the Egyptian consulate in London please click here
Joining information in Cairo
There is no need for you to worry about finding your way to a start point in Cairo. Upon arrival at Cairo International airport you will be met by a Busabout representative who will guide you through formalities at this somewhat chaotic airport.
All you need to do is follow the instructions listed on your e-ticket and we'll take care of the rest. Please note we must receive your flight details at least two weeks prior to departure so we can arrange for our representative to be there when you get off the plane.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
We can only provide transfers from Cairo airport for those passengers who are staying at our pre-tour accommodation in Cairo. If you are staying in alternative accommodation you will need to make your way to our start point for the first day of the tour.
Sharm-el-Sheikh Link from Dahab
If you're heading to Sharm-el-Sheikh for your onward travel after finishing your trip in Dahab then we're here to help.
PRIVATE TRANSFER WITH SPRINGTOURS:
Minimum 2 pax US$ 40 per person
Minimum 4 pax US$ 25 per person
If you wish to arrange this service please advise your guide on the first day of your tour.
PUBLIC BUS OR LOCAL TAXI:
These can be sourced and arranged locally. Please ask your guide for details and timetable info.
Cairo Link
If you need to get back to Cairo from Dahab after finishing your Egyptian Adventure there are number of stressfree options we can arrange to suit every budget.
PUBLIC BUS:
08.30hrs
12.30hrs
14.30hrs
22.00hrs
The bus trip from Dahab to Cairo will lasts around 7 hours. The price per person is US$15 however this can be subject to change. Please note the above timetable should be checked and confirmed locally.
PRIVATE TRANSFER WITH SPRING TOURS:
Minimum 1 pax US$ 240 per person
Minimum 2 pax US$ 125 per person
Minimum 3 pax US$ 90 per person
Minimum 4 pax US$ 75 per person
This service can be arranged prior to your departure by e-mailing abdelkafi@springtours.com or by speaking with your Guide upon your arrival into Egypt
FLYING FROM SHARM TO CAIRO:
If you wish to take a flight back to Cairo you will need take the public bus or the arranged Springtours transfer (see Sharm link section) from Dahab to Sharm El Sheik airport. Flights can be arranged for $US95 (subject to change) through Springtours by e-mailing abdelkafi@springtours.com or locally upon arrival.
Airport/Airline Information
Not sure which airline to pick? Please see below for a full list of carriers that will get you to and fro Egypt from pretty much anywhere in the globe!
SHARM EL-SHEIKH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
In May 2007 the much awaited second terminal opened which has allowed a multitude of budget airlines to operate new routes into Sharm El Sheik. The Following are some of the main airlines and their destinations:
Arkefly (Amsterdam)
Air Berlin (Berlin-Tegel, Frankfurt, Nuremberg)
Air Sinai
AMC Airlines (Cairo, Gdansk, Katowice, Krakow, Manchester, Milan-Malpensa, Warsaw)
Astraeus (London-Gatwick, Manchester)
Belair (Zurich)
Blue Panorama Airlines (Milan-Malpensa)
British Airways
operated by GB Airways (London-Gatwick)
Condor Airlines (Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich)
easyJet (London-Gatwick)
Edelweiss Air (Geneva, Zurich)
Eurofly (Milan-Malpensa)
Egyptair (Alexandria, Cairo, Dubai, Geneva, Jeddah, Milan-Malpensa)
EgyptAir Express (Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor, Amman, Jeddah)
First Choice Airways (London-Gatwick, Manchester, Bristol)
Flyglobespan (Edinburgh)
Jet2 (Manchester)
Koral Blue Airlines (various charter routes - domestic and international)
Livingston Airlines (Milan-Malpensa)
Lotus Air (Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Katowice, Kraków, Poznań)
LTU International (Berlin-Schönefeld, Düsseldorf)
operated by LTU Austria (Vienna)
Luxor Air
Martinair (Amsterdam)
Mistral Air (Milan-Malpensa)
Monarch Airlines (London Gatwick, Manchester)
MyTravel Airways
Neos (Milan-Malpensa)
Niki (Vienna)
Rossiya (St. Petersburg)
Royal Jordanian (Amman)
Scandinavian Airline Systems (Copenhagen)
Thomas Cook Airlines (Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Glasgow-International, London-Gatwick, Manchester (UK), Newcastle)
Thomsonfly (London-Gatwick, Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff)
transavia.com (Amsterdam)
Volare Airlines (Milan-Malpensa)
XL Airways (London-Gatwick, Manchester)
XL Airways France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
CAIRO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The following are some of the main airlines and their destinations that operate out of Cairo:
Aegean Airlines (Athens)
Air France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
Air Memphis (various charter routes - domestic and international)
Air Sinai (Tel Aviv)
Alitalia (Milan-Malpensa, Rome-Fiumicino)
Austrian Airlines (Vienna)
AMC Airlines (Istanbul-Sabiha Gokcen, Luxor, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Sharm El Sheikh and various charter routes - domestic and international)
bmi (London-Heathrow)
British Airways (London-Heathrow)
Czech Airlines (Prague)
Delta Air Lines (New York-JFK) [begins 4 June 2008]
EgyptAir
EgyptAir Express (Alexandria, Aswan, Hurghada, Luxor, Mersa Metruh, Marsa Alam, Sharm El Sheikh)
Iberia Airlines (Barcelona, Madrid)
Iberworld (Madrid)
Jetairfly (Brussels)
KLM (Amsterdam)
Koral Blue Airlines (Hurghada, Sharm el Sheikh)
Lotus Air (Gdansk, Hurghada, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Sharm el Sheikh, Warsaw)
Lufthansa (Frankfurt)
Luxor Air (various charter routes - domestic and international)
Malév Hungarian Airlines (Budapest)
Olympic Airlines (Athens)
Royal Jordanian (Amman, Aqaba)
Singapore Airlines (Singapore)
Swiss International Air Lines (Zürich)
Turkish Airlines (Istanbul-Atatürk)
TUIfly (Berlin-Tegel, Cologne/Bonn, Munich)
Tipping in Egypt
Tipping in Egypt is called Baksheesh, but it's more than the usual gratuity given to a waiter, bellhop or taxi driver. It is a way of life and a system which enables the economy to function. Salaries in Egypt are much lower than in Western countries therefore tipping is an absolutely essential means of generating income. Don't feel that the Egyptians are solely preying on foreign travellers and tourists. Look closely at the dealings that Egyptians have with one another and you will notice that the exchange of small amounts of money are commonplace. In order 'to insure promptness' (that's where tip comes from!) for nearly every service given a payment above the cost of the service is expected.
For the traveller this is a minefield: how much is expected? Will I have enough small change? Travelers without a guide will be inundated with offers to help in the expectation of a payment. With tours such as ours it is no different. Therefore in order to maintain the smooth running of our trips we have an all inclusive payment which is as follows:
> 9 Day One Way Egypt $50US
This should be paid at the start of your trip to your tour guide who will then distribute the money to all those who provide services along the way. You can be assured that 100% of this payment goes to the people who will contribute to your trip of a lifetime.