Cosmetic surgery in Egypt : Travel and accommodation

The main airport in Egypt is Cairo International airport which has top class facilities.  Most airlines travelling from Europe approach the airfield from the south so passengers are treated to spectacular views of Cairo, the Nile, and the Giza pyramids as they arrive.  Terminal 1 is for Egypt Air domestic and international flights and Terminal 2 for international airlines.

There are five other international airports in Egypt.  Alexandria airport is served by Olympic Airlines and Egypt Air, while Luxor Airport now has direct flights from several European cities via Air France and Lufthansa.  Hurghada Airport is also served by Lufthansa while Sharm el Sheikh Airport receives charter flights from Germany and France.

Taxis are readily available from the airports and are run by meter.  In Cairo taxis are a distinctive black and white, while in Alexandria they are black and orange.  An airport bus (number 400) operates from Cairo’s Terminal 1, leaving when full and calling at Midan Tahrir in downtown Cairo, Mohandeseen and along Pyramids Road in Giza.  

Travelling by road or rail

Car rental is available from the airport and major cities.  If you’re planning on driving to Egypt all private vehicles must have a Triptyque or Carnet de Passage en Douane from an automobile club in the country of registration.  This permits the car to enter Egypt for three months - without these cards drivers will have to pay customs duty but emergency Triptyques are available at the port of entry via the Automobile and Touring Club of Egypt.

Cairo’s roads are congested for driving but highways throughout the country are good and car rental agencies are at most major hotels.  Drivers should have an International Driver's License and must be over 25.  For long distance country driving remember to take a compass, make sure your car is equipped for the journey and that you have food, water, salt tablets, a hat and sunglasses.

It is possible to get to Egypt by train but it’s a fairly lengthy journey.  Seat 61 has some route options via Istanbul, Syria and Jordan. 

Travelling within the country

Egypt Air and its subsidiary, Air Sinai offer domestic flights.  Egypt Air flies daily from Cairo to Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Hurghada and twice a week to Kharga Oasis.  Air Sinai flies from Cairo to Hurghada, Al Arish, Taba, Sharm el Sheikh, St. Catherine’s Monastery, El Tor, and to Tel Aviv in Israel.

The Egyptian State Railway is a government-owned system which covers the entire Nile Valley down to Aswan, the Red Sea cities of Suez and Port Said, the Delta and Northern Coast cities of Alexandria and Mersa Matruh with a handful of trains each day and inexpensive fares.  (Tickets must be purchased at the main railway stations, in Cairo at the Ramses Station at Midan Ramses).

The Wagon Lits sleeper is a privately-owned train company with first, second and third class compartments which travels overnight from Cairo to Aswan leaving Cairo at around 7pm and arriving in Aswan at 9am.  Bookings need to be made one week in advance from Compagnie Internationale des Wagons Lits Egypte, Heliopolis.  Tel: 290-8802/4 and 348-7354 349-2365.

Both Alexandria and Cairo have tram or metro systems with trains running every few minutes from 5:30 am until midnight.

The currency is the Egyptian pound (LE), which is divided up into 100 piastres(pt), and £1 = 9 EGP.  The average price for a three star hotel in cities such as Cairo and Alexandria is 150 EGP, and 200 EGP for a four star.  In resorts such as Sharm el Sheikh the price will be higher, especially during the high season October to February).