Egypt Informations
  
PASSPORT/VISA
US/Canada/UK/Australia; Passport valid for at least six months required. Visa may be purchased on arrival at the airport. Single entry visa is $20 per person, payable in cash (no credit cards). Visas may also be obtained in advance through a visa service. We recommend
Cairo International (CAI), 24km (15 miles) northeast of the city at Heliopolis (journey time – 1 hour). 
Borg El Arab (HBE), has replaced El Nouzha airport as the main international airport for Alexandria. It lies 60 km (37 miles) southwest of Alexandria. 
Luxor Airport (LXR) is 5.5km (3.5 miles) from Luxor.
The following goods may be imported into Egypt without incurring customs duty: 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 200g of tobacco; 1l of alcoholic beverages; 1l of perfume or eau de cologne; gifts up to the value of E£500. Persons traveling with valuable electronic equipment such as cameras, video cameras or computers may be required to list these in their passports to ensure that they will be exported on departure. All cash, travelers cheques and gold over E£500 should be declared on arrival.
HEALTH
Public hospitals and chemists are open to tourists. Health insurance is strongly advised.

Yellow Fever - A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travelers over one year of age coming from infected areas. The following countries and areas are regarded by the Egyptian health authorities as being infected with yellow fever: all countries in mainland Africa south of the Sahara with the exception of Lesotho, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe (and including Chad, Mali and Niger); Sudan south of 15°N (location certificate issued by a Sudanese official is required in order to be exempt from vaccination certificate); São Tomé e Principe. Also in the endemic zone are Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Surinam, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela.

Cholera - Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is no longer a condition of entry to Egypt and the country is currently not listed as infected. However, sporadic cases of cholera have been reported and precautions could be considered. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness.

Typhoid & Polio - Vaccination against typhoid and polio is advised but not required.

Malaria - Limited malaria risk, in the malignant falciparum and benign vivax forms, may exist from June to October in the El Faiyoum area. There is no risk in Cairo or Alexandria at any time.
HIV/AIDS - There is a risk of contracting AIDS if the necessary precautions are not taken. It is advisable to take a kit of sterilized syringe needles for any possible injections needed, as well as drip needles for emergencies.
COUNTRY INFO
Capital - Cairo (El Qahira).
Language - Arabic is the official language. English and French are widely spoken.
Religion - According to the 1986 census, over 94% of the population follows Islam; the majority of the rest is Christian. All types of Christianity are represented, especially the Coptic Christian Church. There is also a small Jewish minority.

Time - GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Friday in April to last Thursday in September).
Electricity - Most areas 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Certain rural parts still use 110 to 380 volts AC.

Telephone - Country code: 20.
Mobile Telephone - Roaming exist with many international mobile phone companies. Coverage is limited to Cairo, Alexandria and along the north coast line of the Red Sea from Suez to Sharm el-Sheikh and the major towns along the Nile.
Internet - There are Internet cafes in the main cities, including Cairo, Alexandria, Dahab and Luxor. Tourists can also access the Internet in hotels.
WEATHER
Hot, dry summers with mild, dry winters and cold nights. Rainfall is negligible except on the coast. In April, the hot, dusty Khamsin wind blows from the Sahara.