Egypt Discussion Forum

Discussions regarding holidays in Egypt.
Phoning Home
22 Posts
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I'm waiting to get my bill from when I was in Egypt at the end of September/early October. I phoned home a couple of times on my mobile, and sent several text messages back.

I know it's 25 pence a message, but not sure about the calls - I'm on 3, pay monthly. I'll let you know just how expensive it was when I get my bill (if I can bring myself to be brave enough to open it!) :?
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I would hazard a guess and suggest that it might be cheapest phoning from a card phone in Egypt. When I use my Egyptian mobile in Europe I get charged a fee from the Egyptian company on top of the European fee. I suppose, but can't be sure, that it would be the same the other way around. Card phones are cheaper than the Egyptian mobile services.

A word on hotel phone charges. By law the hotel is only supposed to mark up 25 % max on the outgoing telephone charges. However, they then apply 10 % sales tax on that. Some hotels charge a minimum of three minutes.
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Just a tip but get your voicemail turned OFF while away. Anyone who calls you and leaves a message will be charged to your phonebill. I recently had 32 attempts to call my mobile whilst in Egypt and have been charged for every single call even though they didnt leave a message .

This can also apply to some network providers in European countries.

T Moible strongly advised me to deactivate my voicemail whenever abroad.
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hi blueheather. just got back from sharm el shiekh used my virgin pay as you go. it cost £1 70 to england per min. if you go into n/b you can use a phone in internet cafe across the road from the hard rock cafe. its upstairs he charges 70 per min on is own mobile. the hotel we were staying at carged £1 30 per min hope his helps. P.S i do know it is cheaper using phone card . than your own pay as you go phone
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well, I've finally opened my 3 Mobile bill and was quite horrified to see that I spent 36 minutes on calls in total while I was away, costing a whopping £64... :cry: the only good thing was that texting UK mobiles was the same rate as it is back home - just 8p a text. So next time, I will either rely just on text messages or I will leave my phone at home completely!
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Just as a comparison...

costs from my mobile... to UK from 40 - 50 p per minute depending on the time of the day and 2.2 p for text messages !

:?
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are phone cards and the phones plentiful we will be in naama bay on 28/10 for 2 weeks and my will be hoping to phone the kids etc quite regulary
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In Naama Bay should be easy to find and to call.
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Does anyone know which are the cheapest networks are in Egypt if you did use your phone? I know when I came over on a two day trip from Cyprus last year, there were a couple of networks available.

Gav
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Not sure about the cost, but the two networks we came across were Vodafone Egypt and Mobinil - you might be able to find out more information on pricing from their web sites. My roaming facility tuned in automatically to Vodafone when we went to Cairo, but the rest of the time (in Nuweiba) it registered with Mobinil.
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The rates are actually the same for both companies. Sounds too much like a price cartelephone :o
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Does anyone have any idea how much it is to phone the UK from Sharm using public phones ( if there are any? ) The cost on my mobile is going to be £1.80/minute, is there a cheaper way?
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Hi Guys,

I've just found out that calling home from Egypt will cost me £1.75 per minute on Orange which is scandalous so I was hoping there is cheaper ways to communicate.

Payphones - Are they easily accessable? What are general price guides for them?

Internet - Is this accessable easily? On the assumption of it being a net cafe, would there be any VoIP options such as Skype? What prices are likely at hotels ect?

I'll be stopping at the Tropicana Garden Palms hotel but expect to visit Naama bay frequently.

Thanks in advance!
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Payphones and cardphones are cheaper than the mobile network and thus will be less than the rates I mentioned before on my Egyptian handy line. Some visitors to Sinai and Jordan have problems with Orange. Does nt always work it seems. Switch off your phone and use the pay/cardphones. Cheaper and get a bit of peace and quiet !
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strange swiss in that i found it cheaper to call home using my mobile. in the hotel i had to connect via the operator and the service was unreliable. best check your rates before you go and compare it with the charges in resort.
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Andy, you will always pay more using the phone in the hotel. Yes, they do cost more than your mobile usually! As Swiss will probably tell you, it is an important part of a hotel's income! Phonecards in Egypt are cheap compared to a lot of countries and IF you find you have a payphone near the hotel, it is by far the cheapest way to keep in touch with home. What annoys me most about using your mobile, is having to pay to recieve calls, especially if you don't want to talk to the person who is calling you!
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I suppose it depends where you are, there were not many payphones in the vicinity of the Conrad. Probably easier getting one in the hotels near Naama.
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Here at our hotel in Nuweiba we charge LE 10, just under 1 quid, per minute to the UK. More expensive than the regular payphone but I guess cheaper than the UK mobiles roaming out here.
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Much cheaper than the Conrad and yes, cheaper than my mobile.
You are a good hotelier swiss although some of the others might think i am trying to keep in with you.
Mrs. altoman has been making noises about us paying you a visit.
we are already booked for Sharm next year. maybe the following year though
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