shame on you Libra
we strongly recommend that our guests acquire a visa on arrival
but that is clearly not what they are saying on their website blurb or Paulines invoice
Fantastic John . Me thinks bolony for "if you dont buy a visa we cant sell you an excursion to cairo " .
shame on you Libra
but that is clearly not what they are saying on their website blurb or Paulines invoice
shame on you Libra
but that is clearly not what they are saying on their website blurb or Paulines invoice
We would also explain that experience has shown that if guests need to be repatriated for any reason whatsoever or require medical assistance, if they do not have a visa we are unable to move them to a hospital outside the Red Sea area or arrange a return flight from any other airport. Under the circumstances, we believe that a visa is a necessary requirement and this is the reason for the statement on our website.
I particularly like this piece......talk about emotional blackmail
I notice they don't address the printed statement they make on their invoice at all either ? Interestingly Allbury Travel the parent company and the subsiduary Argo Holidays make no mention of the need for Visas
No wonder there is still such confusion on arrival at sharm . I firmly believe it,s not the Egypians in the arrivals hall any more ,the problem is still regretably the T/Os . I remember clearly the last time we arrived at sharm, there was a Thomson rep standing there still directing everybody to buy a visa . 
Many First time visitors to sharm probably wouldnt have a clue how far cairo/luxor is . faced with an on the spot "do you want to go to cairo" im sure many holiday makers could be excused for thinking it was a half hour coach trip. NOT
Many First time visitors to sharm probably wouldnt have a clue how far cairo/luxor is . faced with an on the spot "do you want to go to cairo" im sure many holiday makers could be excused for thinking it was a half hour coach trip. NOT
Just to clarify (sorry if I am a bit dumb but I thought getting a visa for India was bad!) I am going to Taba but intend to visit Petra. As I understand it I don't need a visa but do I still need to stand in the visa queue to get a Sinai stamp? Thanks for your help.
You will still need a "sinai only stamp "if you dont purchase a visa Bren . I dont believe you will get through passport control without one of them 
. when we arrived at taba last year there was just the one queue (before passport control ) that did both.
I know it all sounds a little stressful but once you get there it will make sense.
. when we arrived at taba last year there was just the one queue (before passport control ) that did both.I know it all sounds a little stressful but once you get there it will make sense.
Ok, thanks for the info. I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end.
BrenLiz, if you do not intend to buy the tourist visa, then just go straight to the passport control desks. You will not need to queue up with the other people waiting to buy a visa. Your passport is stamped at the desks.
Ok, many thanks, stamped with the 'Sinai only' stamp I presume.
Thats handy to know they will do it there for you Wendy . I dont suppose you know if you can do that at Sharm. It would certainly save some time
Has John sent Libra another email
Has John sent Libra another email
Passport control will stamp your passport with the free stamp, so no need to queue up twice. Sharm is the same.
This is John, Lyn. Couldn't be bothered to change accounts.
My reply
Their reply
As if!
This is John, Lyn. Couldn't be bothered to change accounts.
My reply
Thank you for your prompt reply. There are, however, still a few discrepancies from your reply.
1) The visa situation has nothing to do with the "Red Sea area", as you state. e.g. Hurghada and Marsa Alam are on the Red Sea coast, but visas ARE required to go there. Sharm is on the Red Sea coast, but visas are NOT needed. The Red Sea extends all the way south to Djibouti (where it changes to the Gulf of Aden). It is the Sinai region where visas are not required.
Guests who do not buy a visa on entry at Sharm or Taba airports and then decide to visit the Pyramids etc can purchase one at any time. Holiday reps will be able to help. After all, is it not part of their job to help guests?
Your reply also says that you strongly recommend getting a visa, whereas your site states that visas are required for ALL visits to Egypt. Slightly different.
2) There is a perfectly good hospital in Sharm itself. If for any reason the guest does need to be transferred to Cairo, then again the rep could get the visa.
3) The price of the visa is US$15, signs in arrival halls state this. Some people have been charged £20 when they ask if they can pay in Sterling. Does this seem fair?
The first time I went to Egypt (with Libra) we had no choice in the matter whether we bought one or not. The rep told everyone to line up to buy a visa, he didn't say "if required". Since I became aware of the visa needs, I have never bought one. On another trip (not Libra this time) the rep on the coach said that if we didn't purchase one at the airport, we would HAVE to buy one from him before we reached the hotel. We told him we had been many times before and that was untrue. People who were there for the first time asked us about it, so we told them the situation. They promptly put their money away!
Their reply
Thank you for your further e-mail and your observations. I will pass them on to our Brochure Department and Reservations Department for their information.
As if!
Silence . That says it all really doesnt it John .Cant wait to hear their reply. But my guess is you wont be hearing from them again .
That says it all really doesnt it John .Cant wait to hear their reply. But my guess is you wont be hearing from them again .
then just go straight to the passport control desks. You will not need to queue up with the other people waiting to buy a visa. Your passport is stamped at the desks.
Oh that's very handy to know, has anyone else tried it ?
As for Libra, I'm going to tackle them about invoice/Visa requirements once we end up in resort......
Miss_Chief1 wrote:then just go straight to the passport control desks. You will not need to queue up with the other people waiting to buy a visa. Your passport is stamped at the desks.
Oh that's very handy to know, has anyone else tried it ?
If you don't go to passport control, you won't get your passport stamped! The table that sells the visas do not have the stamp.
If you don't buy a visa, then the stamp they use as "Sinai only" states "Valid for Aqaba Coast & St Cathriane for 15 days". This covers Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba etc. We've only ever bought a visa once (because of Libra I might add). After 25 visits since, we have never bought another. The only place you will get your passport stamped is at the passport control desks.
The full visa that you buy is like one of our postage stamps. It's an actual physical stamp that you stick in the passport (which is then stamped over).
The table that sells the visas do not have the stamp.
Thats where Ive always got mine John or at least something done with them . Could it of been a sticker maybe or the landing card stamped
.Even Im getting confused now .I distinctly remember At taba last year one queue for either . There was a thomson rep standing there and despite my insistance that we didnt need a visa he still made us queue .and at sharm the 2 previous years separate lines at the same long desk to the left . I wonder if it has something to do with who's flight you arrive on as there always seems to be a T/O rep there too being a bully 
. The first year we did get visa in 3 of our passports because some were diving at Ras mohamed .In all cases we have then proceeded to passport control and then after that another guy before the exit barrier to peer in them again .
Right I am still trying to get my head around this. I thought I had it sorted. We are going with Thomsons to Taba. Am I right in now understanding that we queue for passport control but Thomsons will still insist we stand in the visa queue as well? Who gives us the stamp saying "Sinai only"? Passport control or the visa people?
I think it's a typical Sharm thing Bren . A complete 
most of the time . dont worry Taba is only a small airport . I would try as Ev suggests and go straight to passport control but you may get the thomson rep telling you to join the visa queue first like we did . Whichever happens dont let them sell you a visa
Thanks, I won't money is too hard to come by these days, have better things to spend it on. Thanks to everyone for your advice, you have saved us a few dollars.
The Thomsons rep may or may not tell you that you need a full visa. Just go straight to the passport control booths (on your right as you walk in I believe). You will get the free stamp there.
After they give your passport back, don't put it away. You will have to show it again as you walk into baggage reclaim.
After they give your passport back, don't put it away. You will have to show it again as you walk into baggage reclaim.
im sure its been asked before but if someone could point me in the right direction id appreciate it, going to sharm and i know we dont need a visa for that, but will first choice insist that we stand in visa que or can we go straight to passport control, we dont intend on going on any trips
If they do, just tell them you don't need one, then head straight for the queue at the passport control booths.
Post a Reply
Please sign in or register an account to reply to this post.
Similar Topics
-
CAIRO/LUXOR/HURGHADA VISA NOT relevant for Sharm&Sinai
Posted by swisssinai in Egypt Discussion Forum
-
Ramadan 2006 (Q & A please post all queries here)
Posted by Highlandness in Egypt Discussion Forum
-
Drat, problems in South.Sinai now only 100 miles from Sharm
Posted by doe in Egypt Discussion Forum
-
CUBA VISA...PLEASE POST Q&As HERE
Posted by Dave Neil in Caribbean - Cuba Discussion Forum
-
Visa Forms - Post Codes / Hotel Addresses?????
Posted by candolimlover in Goa Discussion Forum