Q: When is the best time to travel to Egypt?
A: Although Egypt is a yearlong destination; the best time to travel is between Septembers to May.

Q: Do I need a visa to enter Egypt?
A: A visa is required and is being granted at the airport, current fee is $ 15.00 for US citizen payable upon arrival

Q: What type of vehicles do you use on your tours?
A: All of our vehicles are air-conditioned

Q: What kind of guides do you use?   
A: Most of our guides have an academic background in Archaeology, are fluent in English, and are certified by the Egyptian government

Q: What is the food like in Egypt?
A: You can find any kind of food in Egypt; it's a touristic country so you can find a lot of different nationalities restaurants.
So you'll find whatever you need: European, Asian, African, American, and of
Course Egyptian food.

Q: Do you have multi lingual guides?
A: At Le Caire Travel, we provide our groups with professional guides that speak many languages.
English, French, Spanish, Italian and Arabic.  If you have special language that you need, please inform us in advance, and we can cater to your needs.

Q: Do you provide special needs?
A: Yes we do.  If you have any special needs, please inform us in advance, and we will cater for your needs.
Whether it is to provide a nurse during your stay, or children's facilities or care, or whether you have special needs for wheel chair, we can provide all the necessary requests.

Q: What are 'Camera Fees and how much are they ?
A: There are no longer any fees for camera or video camera use. However, many sites will not allow you to take them in, and you may have to check them in at the entrance. If they do allow them they must be set to museum mode as they will not allow regular flash. This damages the artifacts. The rules do change regularly. If cameras are not allowed and you see others using theirs, please do not copy suit. This destroys the heritage of Egypt and many sites such as the tomb of Nefertari have already been closed to the public as a result. Cameras and Videos can be used in the outdoors.
It is advisable to have your passport stamped on arrival if bringing in a Video Camera or expensive Camera as proof you brought it with you on departure. Otherwise you could be charged customs duties.

Q: How much extra does the Mummies room cost?
A: It costs approximately $19 US no guiding or cameras are allowed.

Q: When do our daytrips for sightseeing start, and end?
A: The usual time is around 9am to 4 or 5pm. You can arrange these times directly with your guide

Q: Can we do a daytrip from Sharm to Cairo, to see the Pyramids etc.?
A: Yes it can be done. As it is a 7 hour drive, to do it as a daytrip you will need to fly each way. We suggest you do it as an overnight, if possible, to get the most benefit from it.

Q: Where can you sail on a Felucca?
A: You can sail on a Felucca in Luxor, Aswan and in Cairo. This is best as they are short sails of 2-3 hours. If there is no wind, we substitute a motor boat.

Q: When does the Ferry go between Sharm El Sheik and Hurghada?
A: These do not leave every day, and, they take approximately 2 hours. Check the current timetable with Egypt office.

Q: When does the Ferry go between Egypt and Jordan?
A: The Ferry leaves Nuweiba on a daily basis at 3:00 PM, and arrives in Aqaba at 4:00 PM. It leaves Aqaba on Daily Basis at 12:00 PM, and arrives in Nuweiba at 1:00 PM
The ferry times do change so it is always best to check before departing. Reservations are required to guarantee a space

Q: When are the flights from Sharm El Sheik to Cairo?
A: There are several flights a day, but as with all internal flights in Egypt, most flights are early morning, or late night.

Q: Can we fly from Luxor to Sharm El Sheik?
A: These flights do not go daily. It is more advisable to go back through Cairo, so as not to interrupt your schedule, or go by Ferry via Hurghada.

Q: Can I travel independently without booking a tour package?
A: While it is possible to travel Egypt as an independent traveler, it is recommended that you book a package tour, or private tour. Here's why:
You will get much more out of your trip if you have a tour guide explaining things at the sites, and answering any questions on Egyptian culture and history.
Package tours, most times, work out cheaper than booking the individual hotels, boats, transportation and admissions, on your own. Transportation without a pre-booked tour is hard to arrange on your own.
Special permits, or, government escorts and convoys are required, to visit some areas. A tour operator can easily arrange this in advance. In addition, of course, language and cultural barriers can make getting around difficult, and more expensive.

Q: Will we have one Guide throughout our tour?
A: Guides in Egypt are all licensed. Some are just licensed for their own city, some have licenses that permit them to guide in other cities. It will depend on the availability of guides at the time of your tour. Most guides are contracted by more than one company. We do have some guides that work permanently for us

Q: What are Holiday Supplements?
A: Holiday supplements are the price increases implemented by the hotels, and other services, during their peak periods, Easter, Christmas, and New Years. We have no control over these supplements and do have to pass them onto the clients. Economy is usually around 15% more, deluxe around 20%, and Luxury around 25%.

Q: Can we take a Hot Air Balloon Ride?
A: Hot air balloon rides are available only in Luxor and will take you in the early morning, over the Valley of the Kings etc. A wonderful experience, but very expensive. Prices fluctuate around $130 US per person. They must be booked as an option, as it will depend on weather conditions as to whether they will be available on any particular day.

Q: Can we request a specific hotel or cruise?
A: If you request a specific hotel or cruise, we would have to request it and quote you. Prices fluctuate and we base our prices for the tours, on hotels where we have negotiated rates. We may not be able to get your special request at negotiated rates. The prices are likely to be higher.

Q: What about hotels less than 3 stars, are they cheaper?
A: Hotels less than 3 stars are often run down and dirty. We do not use, or book these hotels, as they do not meet western standards.

Q: What does half board mean?
A: Half board means, two meals per day, breakfast and dinner.

Q: Is the Internet available in Egypt?
A: 'Dial up' Internet access is available at most hotels. Some of the higher end hotels have cable access. If not, Internet cafes are everywhere. Your guide will assist in you finding them. Internet for dial up is a free local number, but you pay for the phone calls.

Q: Do we have to carry our own luggage?
A: With one exception, we transport your luggage from the vehicles to your hotel, or cruise. Bellboys will move it from the lobby, to your room, for a small tip. You will need to carry your luggage onto the train if taking the overnight sleeper, but again, you can pay someone to carry it on and off for you. The cabin attendant will also assist in putting it up on the rack if you wish. We do suggest using a small overnight bag on the train, so you do not need to open your large suitcase.

Q: Can we use US dollars for shopping?
A: Yes, both the US dollar and the Euro are accepted everywhere.

Q: How long is the Egyptian Museum open?
A: The Museum is open until 6 pm.

Q: What size are the rooms on the Nile Cruise Ships?
A: Rooms are the same size as on most cruise ships, small and compact. With a private bath, all have outside cabins. Most ships cannot accommodate triples or quads, as these ships only carry 100-150 passengers.

Q: When do we board the ship?
A: On arrival in Luxor or Aswan, you will drop off your luggage on the ship, and then proceed onto sightseeing. Previous guests need to depart before you can check into your rooms. Upon your return, around 1 -2pm, you will join the cruise for a late lunch, and, check into your room.

Q: Do we have a ship guide or our own guide?
A: Private Guide.

Q: What are Lake Nasser cruises?
A: Lake Nasser is south of the High Dam in Aswan. There are several high end luxury cruises that operate on Lake Nasser. Sightseeing includes Abu Simbul temples, and many other temples rescued from the water when building the High Dam

Q: How long does it take to get to Dandara & Abydos?
A: This is a day trip, out of Luxor, and takes approx 4 hours each way, by convoy. The convoy controls the length of time at each site, but usually, there is plenty of time to see the temples

Q: How long does a trip take to Bhahariya Oasis, and, how much time do we need to spend there?
A: The Bhahariya Oasis can be either, 2 days and 1 night, or, 3 days and 2 nights.
The drive is about 5 hours from Cairo. This is where they have recently found the Valley of the Golden Mummies.

Q: How long does it take between Dahab and Sharm El Sheik?
A: Dahab to Sharm is a 3 hour drive, each way.

Q: How long do I have to wait to fly after diving?
A: You should wait 24 hours to fly after diving.

Q: Why we need passport numbers?
A: for security reasons, all foreigners are checked into the Hotels and Cruises with their passports, this is standard throughout Egypt as the Hotels are required to
register everyone with the police. We give the Hotels the info on advance. However if you prefer you can leave the numbers out. Either way I would advise you to bring copies of your passport with you so that you can give them to the Hotels so they don't keep them overnight to copy, also on the Cruises they keep everyone's passports in the pursers office until they depart this is standard on any Cruise worldwide.

Q: Christmas and New Years in Egypt - Compulsory Gala Dinners/Events?!
A: Christmas and New Years eves are celebrated in Egypt at the Hotels and on Cruises; they put on Gala dinners and entertainment. Unfortunately they make these occasions mandatory for all guests whether you attend them or not, they still charge. This is throughout Egypt and we have no control over it. The sites stay open as usual. The majority of Egyptians are Muslims and do not celebrate Xmas or New Year, however they readily acknowledge that this is a western holiday and do their best to ensure tourists are able to celebrate. Egyptian Christians (the Coptic orthodox) celebrate Xmas on January 7th. These Gala events vary between $100-$200 per person.

Q:  What Kind of Clothes should I get?
A: Bring one or two dressy outfits along for the evenings out and especially for parties and special occasions and just to get out of your tour outfit. On Board the Nile Cruise : During the day time while conducting the tour wear what ever you really like. Due to the exposure to the extreme heat, it is recommended you wear light clothes such as t-shirts and shorts during the day.