Hi Gem

1. I dont think there is any medication you should take prior to going but if you do get an upset tummy, go to the local chemist as what they sell there is more suitable to what we would bring from the UK. Some people take the small anti-bacterial hand gels to use after handling money, going to public toilets etc (99p in M&S).

You need Hep A and Typhoid jabs, which are free at your GP's. Your triple needs to be up to date. (The one we have for this country anyway Dip/Tet/Polio).

2. I think that if you take out comprehensive travel insurance for your holiday it should cover you for the Egyptair flights as well. But someone else might be able to comment on this.

3. Sandles, shorts and TShirts are fine around the hotel on the beach etc and probably in Namma Bay of an evening, although I personally would swap the shorts for a skirt night-time. Sharm is very cosmoplitan. But if you go to Luxor etc to the temples you will need to cover up I would imagine (not been myself).

4. I think it's probably your choice if you take a tour guide or use books whilst visiting the temples. Some people like to be guided. If you go it alone you can 'pace yourself' and avoid being dragged off to shops to buy jewellry, duff perfume etc, but you might miss things.

5. I wouldn't trust a Sharm (Blue and White) taxi driver any further than I could throw one. LOL. Work on the assumption you are going to be ripped off. They have set fares not that you would know it. The good thing is that it's so cheap there that even when you are 'ripped off' you still haven't spent much money by UK standards. i.e. they might charge you LE40 for a ride that should be be LE30. Can't talk for other areas, but suspect it's the same in Luxor and Cairo.

Hope this Helps. I'm sure you will have a great time, most who go there re book to go again.

Doe

also its a good idea to take some imodium tablets with you which should put a good plug in any normal holiday belly,Ive always taken these with me and whilst ive been fortunate to have never used them , my son and hubby have and they worked a treat alongside the fluid replacement /rehydrationsachets (diarolyte or similar) as chris says anything that lasts more than the odd day or seems more serious I would go to a local chemist.

re getting from the airport . most hotels in sharm are no more than 10-20 minutes away and its very easy to jump in a cab and of course get ripped off so always agree a figure before they go near your cases. I believe around £5-10 would be good but you would have probably done well to get it for £10-15, but be prepared to pay a bit more later in the evening . another way is to email your hotel and they should send a driver to collect you for a fee. we did this but unfortunately he didnt turn up so ran the gauntlet with the taxi drivers . there were 5 of us and it was late at night . I believe the first taxi driver wanted £40, another asked for £30 then I told the next one I wasnt paying more than £20 and he agreed no problem . probably could of got it for less but it was very late , we were tired and just wanted to get to our hotel. on the way back the hotel agreed the price with the taxi driver and I believe it was as little £5.

ps. sorry gem . just re read and noticed you meant taxi drivers in general and not getting from the airport .

Thanks for the replys to both of you.

Very interesting and very helpful, you have been great helps.

Think we would have tried to avoid taxis but gonna need them to get to Nama Bay, we was told by someone that you can get there for about a £10 return, how right that is i'm not sure.

I think we have many things sorted it's just geting out trips sorted out, think we are gonna do them before we go so we know they are booked, gonna get a Guide for Cairo but not sure for Luxor as yet, might just get a travel guide a taxi and hope for the best lol

Gem . A family that we got talking to around the pool this year booked a cairo trip via our hotel. the hotel put together a more personal package, I couldnt tell you what they paid but i know it was on par with the t/o .the hotel arranged their flights and a personal tour guide for the day to chauffer them around. They said it was much better value and included a meal on the nile in the evening watching the lazer light show over the pymamids with a later flight back. the tour operater never offered this evening experience so it may be worth e mailing your hotel to see what they could put together for you . im sure they will have lots of experience in those type of trips

lyn

Lyn,

Never thought about getting intouch with the Hotel that could be an idea to get intouch with them and see what they have to offer, other than that i was gonna go through Egyptair for the flights and then look around for a find a Tour guide all before we set off for Egypt.

A tour guide seems a better option than going on our own just for the History of the place etc and also they tend to include entrance fee's also in there price as well as transport, so i think that would work out cheaper than just us, a travel book and a taxi lol

Have you been to Luxor?

No gem we have never done the cairo/luxor trips. we have been to sharm twice though and obviously talk to people at the hotel who have . always mixed reaction to cairo this family we spoke to though really recommended it and said it was the best history lesson and reality check their children had ever had. To be fair my hubby has never really fancied it and he and my sons spend a fair few days scuba diving so there has never really been time to do much else if we wanted to. If I was going to do one though I would fancy luxor.

lyn

gems et al,
I am off to Luxor in June for two weeks and have booked internal flights with Egyptair for a day trip to Cairo (cost 816EGP total for two persons). I am also booking a personal tour for the two of us in Cairo through a company called reallifeegypt.com at a cost of 600EGP each. This covers hotel/airport/hotel transfers in Luxor, meet & greet at Cairo with aircon car, driver & guide, visit Pyramids, Sphinx, Citadel, souk, October War Panorama and includes lunch and all site fees.

The same company will also be able to arrange tours to and in Luxor. They come highly recommended on Trip Advisor, but I can not give any personal recommendation until we return!

Cheers,
Jet

Gem

I dont know what hotel you are staying at by £10 English sounds like a lot of money for a one way taxi ride in to Namma Bay. Or is that for a return trip?

If its return it is probably fine.

Doe

Doepsmc

We are staying at Oriental Resort - Sharm El Sheikh.

It was for a return trip, how does the return thing work? might sound like a daft question but i'm guessing you dont pay until the driver has took you back?

Lyn

Well i have found this site to book a tour guide and been charged 70$ each for a full day in Cairo, going to the Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx and the Brazzer(forgive my spelling) price includes entrance fees, tour guide, transport and we get picked up from Cairo Airport, which to me sounds good.

I know Cairo has more to offer like the step pyramids etc but i dont think they are included.

Jet

Thanks for that.

Yeah decided that a Tour Guide is the best way to go, not had a look at realifeegypt i'll give that a look over.

We was looking on egyptair and thats where i think we are gonna book our Cairo and hopefully Luxor flights through, do you know if you need to take out insurance for these flights?

Not sure if anyone can help or has been but i would also love to go up to Mount Sinai is that far away from Shram?

Gem . what type of travel insurance do you already have in place . Is it one from a tour operater or do you get your own ?

It's from the Tour operater, got it when we booked the holiday

Personally I would phone and check with the actual insurance company .I cant see why you wouldnt be insured as I assuming it covers the 14 day period in either the whole of europe or worldwide depending what egypt is classed as with that particular company. does that make sense ?? .did they throw it in free or did you pay . I would check thats its adequet and if any of you are on medication or have a medical condition you would need to inform them or you wont be covered for this. also check what your covered for whilst on holiday i.e water sports / quad biking etc / scuba diving .many policies do not cover for that type of thing

we buy a family annual platinum european policy from http://www.insureandgo.co.uk and that covers us and our 3 children and if they travel alone for all our travel home/abroad over the year providing we stay within europe . cost about £80 for the year . it also includes most water sports and quads I think plus you can cover yourselves for most other things i.e scuba/paragliding for a very small fee but obviously you would need to do this first.

lyn

when u get to out of the airport at sharm watch out for people putting your siutcase on to your coach for a tip for a few pound ?

Hi, just a comment regarding clothes for the evening. Most, but not all, hotels insist gentlemen wear long trousers for dinner.

Lyn

Never really thought about that to be honest, i'll have a check into that, i'll contact the tour operator, thanks!

When we went and enquired about a holiday to Egypt we saw one in the window and mentioed that, they kinda told us all the details about it etc etc and i'm guessing as a sweetner they offered us the insurance(we had to get that anyway).

Caro

Another thing that we will have to look into lol

Thanks.