Money
Egyptian currency is the Egyptian pound (written as LE). One pound equals 100 piastres (PT). Travellers cheques and cash can be exchanges at banks and larger hotels for a small fee. Banks are often closed during the afternoon, but exchange desks at the larger hotels are open 24 hours a day. There is also an exchange desk at the international airport in Cairo, open around the clock. I would strongly advise travellers to wait until arrival in Egypt before exchanging money, as you will get a much better rate. If you are arriving late at night however, and do not want the bother of queuing at the airport, commission free foreign currency and travellers cheques can be obtained via the Post Office. At the time of writing, the exchange rate is approximately £1 = LE 11. Up to date rates can be obtained at yahoo finance.
Travellers from Scotland and Northern Ireland should be aware that their bank notes are not accepted in Egypt. The same may also be true for travellers from the Isle of Man. Receipts should be kept at all times to enable you to change money back at the end of your stay. There is only place that this can be done - at the airport immediately prior to departure. Some hotels will also ask you to produce exchange receipts when settling your bill in local currency, so it is prudent to carry them with you. Major credit cards are also widely accepted in Egypt, with most banks able to provide an emergency cash advance should you have not brought enough. Most travellers find though, if anything they have brought too much, as prices are by our standards extremely competitive.
Like many countries, tipping in Egypt is a well established way of life, which is expected for the smallest of services rendered. The Arabic word for this is Baksheesh, which means to share the wealth. The situation is particularly bad at the major tourist sites, where guards (many of whom have little or no wages) will ask you to take their photograph and then demand a tip. The amount you offer is of course up to you, but as a general rule between LE 1 and 5 is usually acceptable. It is a good idea to make sure you have a large supply of smaller notes to hand at all times, particularly for toilets, where a LE 1 tip seems to obligatory. The Tourist Police are not officially allowed to ask for tips, but this did not seem to stop them asking me. If you see them looking in your direction my advice to you is keep walking and look the other way!
Bargaining in Egypt is also a way of life, which can be great fun. Some tourist shops have fixed prices, which will usually be clearly marked, but by and large, bargaining is the norm. The asking price will usually start off high and reduce rapidly, depending on how much interest you show. As a general rule of thumb, you should aim to get most items for at least a third less than the original price. Remember though that Egyptian traders also have to make a living. It is a good idea to have a ready supply of small notes to hand, as many traders do not keep change, and you may have to wait while they go to find it.
Be warned that vendors around most tourist sites can be extremely irritating and persistent. If you are not interested, the best policy is to walk straight past without making eye contact. The best buys seem to be clothing, perfume and papyrus. If you are interested in books, then I recommend the Aboudi Bookstore, a few minutes walk from the Winter Palace Gardens Hotel in central Luxor. Surprisingly I also found the prices at Aswan airport to be very competitive, particularly for jewellery boxes and statues of Egyptian gods.
Security
The Egyptians take the security of tourists extremely seriously, as there have been several incidents in the past. With the exception of Israel, Egypt is the most security conscious country I have visited. Travel anywhere outside the main centres of Cairo and Luxor invariably necessitates a Police escort, and often travelling in convoy. This can be a lengthy, tedious and uncomfortable process, due to the lack of toilet stops. In addition to this, all bags will be scanned prior to entry to most tourist sites and museums. At airports bags are scanned twice, once upon entry and again at the boarding gate, even though barely a 10 second walk seems to separate the two. Although tiresome, it is also somewhat reassuring.
Some guide books advise tourists to avoid certain areas, in particular Minya, due to fundamentalists. However, I personally found the people in this area to be the friendliest we encountered. As few tourists visit this area, they are able to give a far more personal service.
Women travellers in particular are strongly advised to be vigilant at all times, especially when travelling alone. At least two members of our group encountered problems with Egyptian men giving them unwelcome attention. While I do not wish to scare anyone, you need to be especially careful of getting into a taxi on your own. One woman I met told me of a man who put his wife alone in a taxi back to their hotel, and never saw her again. Do not give the Egyptian men any reason to believe that you are interested in them. This includes dressing in an inappropriate manner.
