How to get there
(Last updated July 2010)
Egypt – the land of an ancient civilisation and home to the giant African river Nile is the gateway to most Red Sea diving trips. It is Europe’s diving Mecca with one of the highest density of dive operations anywhere in the world. Depending where you are travelling from it is a short hop across the Mediterranean or for us Asians, Australians and Americans – a trip of a lifetime. The travel suggestions are trying to keep those different perspectives in mind.
From Australia, Asia and North America
If you are arriving by long haul flight, your port of entry will be most likely Cairo, Egypts capital. From there it’s a short domestic flight (usually on Egypt Air) to your final destination in Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheik or Marsa Alam (Port Ghaleb).
From Europe
Options are plenty and too many to list. In addition to the scheduled flights, many charter flights connect European cities directly with the Red Sea airports of Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheik or Marsa Alam.
Domestic Flights
The domestic air network is fairly extensive and covers most major towns in Egypt. The national carrier, EgyptAir (member of STAR ALLIANCE), has the most regular services and is the easiest place to start looking before you go. They provide services from Cairo to quite a few towns and places of interest around the country, the most common being Luxor, Aswan Abu Simbel, Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, Alexandria, Marsa Matruh, Marsa Alam and Kharga oasis.
It is wise to book early as flights fill up quickly in the peak season.
Airfares
As part of your travel plan we will happily assist you in finding the most suitable flight connections to your dive destination. In many cases we can issue the tickets on your behalf.
Air taxes are subject to strong fluctuations and can change daily or until your flight ticket has been purchased. Taxes generally include local airport/security fees, departure taxes, ground handling fees and fuel surcharges.
Should the most convenient route involve instant purchase airfares we can still issue them with your authorisation. All airfares issued by us will attract a small service fee and might slightly be more expensive then the cheapest offers online.
In general, airfares available for purchase online depend on day of departure and time of travel. Those instant purchase airfares require full payment at time of booking. If you choose to arrange your own flights online, we won’t be able to provide any services for seat reservations, schedule or itinerary changes.
Baggage
Most airlines have restricted the amount of baggage to be checked in free of charge.
For domestic air travel with Egyptair, a free baggage limit of 20kg (44 lbs) applies.
Airlines are strictly enforcing their checked baggage limit and can charge excess baggage fees for additional checked pieces and dive gear.
Regulations can vary from airline to airline and with each tariff booked. Please let us know your specific requirements so we can advise you of the options at time of booking.
Visa & passport requirements
Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Egypt for the most up-to-date information.
A valid yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for entry into Egypt if you have come from or transited an area where there is a risk of transmission.
Make sure your passport has at least six months' validity from your planned date of departure from Egypt. You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.
Australians: Please contact the
Consulate General of the Arab Republic of Egypt for detailed Visa Information.
Links to more information
