just take english notes ,visa is £10 each .take pound coins for tipping staff as required when you feel the need .the only time you might want dollars is in the aiport on the way home as the eygptian duty frees are priced in dollars .just change your notes over there for eygptian pounds about 11 eygptian to a u.k pound

Blackfox,
Is this something particular to Sharm as tipping with foreign coins (e.g. £ sterling coins) is normally something to be avoided as it then creates an exchange problem for the local. Surely the accepted (everywhere else I have been) practice of tipping in local currency (e.g. 10 Egyptian £ instead of £1 sterling) is better?
I have not been to Sharm (or anywhere else in Egypt) but am in the process of planning a nile cruise and extra week somewhere for May 2008.

Cheers,
Jet

I've always tipped in LE.

Pippy

it doesn't seem to bother them in sharm thats for sure ,once they get 20 or 30 quids worth they will find soon find a englishman to change it back to notes .remember its only a quid to us its around 11 pounds to them .putting t in perspective there average wage i.e barmen ,security guards ,cleaners,etc is 400EL a month or £10 u.k pounds a week .your pound coin as a tip keeps them very happy

Most people only tip in pound coins at the airport, as at that point you haven't normally got any small Egyptian currency.

My understanding from the staff at both the Crowne Plaza last year and the Rennaisance Golden View Beach this year is they prefer LE as they then don't have to badger English people to change it up into notes for them.

They can't go to their own banks to change English coins to LE, only English Notes.

Freakinaddict,

stayed there Nov 2006 and it was very nice. The only thing to watch out for is that the hotel is on both sides of the main road. It's definately worth asking for a room at the beach side as this is where the restaurant is.

Enjoy your stay

WG

Hi We are travelling out to CSR tomorrow. I have booked some trips from here in the UK. The companies that I have booked through have requested payment in GBP when we are on holiday - they are sending someone to collect payment and give tickets to us - another one we are paying on the day of the trip.
This might seem a silly question to some people but can anyone tell me if there is any way that I can get english money whilst out in Egypt. I have cashpoint cards - but obviously they will only give me LE - I do not really want to be carrying alot of english money around going out there. It is quite a substantial amount as there are 13 of us going as a group and I have booked the trips for all of us.
Thank you

its up to you ,but i would take the money with you ,split it between 3 or 4 of your group ,then put it back together when you get there .there are safes in every room in the csr .and you code them to your own code once in the room ,saying that i had a couple of grands worth of camera equipment laying around the room in the csr and nothing was touched at all

You will only need a visa if you are going outside of Sinai,you get youe visa at the airport and you can pay in sterling.
I only ever take Egyptian Pounds with me as the exchange rate in their hotels is excellent,and i suspect if you pay in dollars you wont get dollars back in change.
Hope this helps a little, you will love it in Sharm, so have a great time
lol
Phyll