Holiday to Egypt.

[roxie_09]

Hi all, I am looking at going away next year to Egypt, but have no idea where to stay. I want to do the pyramids and other obvious tourist attractions, but also maybe see local things that are not so well known. Can anyone give me any advice on where is best to stay and as cheap as possible really (I am a cheap skate hehe). TIA xxx

[maclarencat]

Well the pyramids are in Cairo and the Valley of the Kings etc are all further down the Nile. So really you have to decide what you want to see first. what I do is look at what tour operators are offering then try to put a similar package together myself . Accomodation is very cheap around the Luxor area and you can see the real Egypt without travelling too far

[roxie_09]

Thanks maclarencat, it shows how much I know about the geography of the area! hehe.. I will have a look around :D x

[maclarencat]

You are not on your own Roxie I bet 75% of the population think they are next to each other

[sherrardk]

Be far more convenient if they were near to each other though.

[roxie_09]

It would be, inconsiderate Egyptians building them away from eachother!! hahaha... are they in walking distance of eachother? I am completely naff at this sort of thing x

[Maydup]

Hi roxie. We flew into Cairo for a few days, saw the pyramids and the Cairo Museum (not to be missed) and got to know the real city quite well. We then caught the sleeper train to Luxor and on to Aswan. It was fantastic, but you need to book through a tour operator otherwise you'll end up on a local train which would be more uncomfortable than I can describe. Loads of hotels in all towns as tourism is a huge business in Egypt and most of them are top quailty as they cater for the UK and US market. Nit all are expensive, search online or try looking at a package.

[Maydup]

^^ not all are expensive

[roxie_09]

ahh, thanks maidup, :D will have a look around, and guess that answers the question that they are not in walking distance lol x

[Maydup]

It was 18 hours on the train I seem to remember. Most people fly or cruise down the nile!

[roxie_09]

oo that sounds nice :-) xx

[B00]

Had to laugh at "are they within walking distance" and the answer is yes, if you've a few weeks to spare to walk it ;-)

Seriously though, when in Egypt, don't EVER walk anywhere that's not either super touristy or you've a guide.

[roxie_09]

Haha, I laughed when I found out what sort of distance I was looking at lol, just imagined how dull I looked, but make no pretence that I have a clue about where things are. I shall bear/bare that in mind if I go thanks BOO x

[keithlbw]

Hi Roxie..we went to Egypt a couple of years ago and loved it.
We stayed at Sharm el Sheik and went by coach to Cairo to the pyramids by coach , I seem to remember it took about 7 hours each way.
We flew from Sharm to Luxor to see the Valley of the Kings and Karnak etc..much easier.
Here is a link to the tour people we used in Sharm , they were quite good..
http://www.sharm-club.com/

[goldblend]

Hi Roxie_09,
My daughter has had two trips to Egypt and went on Nile Cruise and there are other cruises of 7/8 days and you will take in all the sites you mention and they can be very reasonable - look in the Sat/Sun papers for good information on these type of holidays. Good luck - Goldblend.

[grasscarp]

why not go on a website such as expedia and try to get some idea of flights and they will suggest hotels as well to get something in their price range. Then with some ideas in mind research the hotels that come up as suitable for you to make a decision for booking. Oh, and join quidco.com if you are not already registered to get cash back on your eventual booking.

[jno]

thanks to the upheavals early this year tourism is down and you should be able to find reasonable prices. Do look at package tour operators for an idea of how they arrange things.

There are two main areas: Cairo in the north (see the museum and the pyramids) and Luxor further south (temples and the Valley of the Kings). You can take a boat from Luxor to Aswan ( acouple of days one way), and also drive or fly to see Abu Simbel in the deep south - people tend to go to see the temples at dawn, which means a 2am start.

Fly or take the train between Luxor and Cairo.

If you've only got time or money for one of the destinations... well, you choose. I think I'd pick Cairo as the pyramids are not to be missed.

You can also stay at Red Sea resorts like Sharm and Hurghada. As keithlbw says you can get from Sharm to Luxor or Cairo, but it's a long drive if you go by land. If all you want is a beach, there are nearer and cheaper ones than Egypt.

[jno]

a couple of other things... you shouldn't need any jabs, but be careful with food and drink, people do get "gyppy" tummy. Wash your teeth with bottled water, only eat well cooked (or peeled) food, be wary of salads.

Also, there's a lot of hassle from touts, shopkeepers etc. Some people find this tiring, and they'll probably be more desperate to make a sale if there are few tourists around. I always just smile and say "No thanks". Don't get rattled and angry with them - they're just trying to feed their families.

[islasmum]

We've been to Egypt twice - we did a Nile cruise which was lovely, and saw all the attractions below the Dam, such as Valley of the Kings, and on the next holiday we stayed up at the Marriott hotel at Taba Heights and we went and did some excursions from there,and went to Petra, which is well worth seeing.
We haven't got to Cairo yet, but may do, some day. Incidentally I booked both of these holidays about a fortnight before we went, one through last.minute.com and one was a Daily Mail offer - both between £450 - £550 for both of us - the cruise was virtually everything included. Don't drink the water - or have any ice cubes! my OH, who normally has cast iron guts got ill the day after he had had ice in his drink, which may be pure coincidence, but I still wouldn't trust the water. have a great time, whatever you decide to do.

[roxie_09]

Thank you so much for all of your replies! they have been a great help to me, it sounds as though it may take a few trips to see everything that we would want to, as we don't want to be rushing around trying to squeeze everything in as well as enjoy it and relax! I never drink tap water when abroad as I know their filtering chemicals or something are different to ours and therefore causes not very nice symptoms lol. Again thank you all very much! xx

[puzzled54]

Depends on what sort of holiday you want (ie how active you want to be), but look at Explore, Exodus and Jules Verne. Don't think about trying to go by yourself, the hassle is overwhelming at train stations and most tourist spots. The companies may not be as cheap as you are thinking of, but Explore do a budget range.