To cance l a trip to Egypt next summer?

[DrSeuss]

Am well aware that my holiday is the least of the problems facing the Middle East but it is my current dilemma and I need to make a decision.
We were in the process of arranging a three week trip to Egypt for next summer. We would be travelling independently by public transport from one end of the country to the other, accompanied by our thirteen year old daughter, staying in Airbnbs and guest houses and doing our own day trips to see the sights. Before having children, we did this kind of thing all over the world including India and South America and never felt at all unsafe.

However, the current situation has me a bit rattled. There is no way that this will all calm down any time soon. I do not want to expose my daughter to any danger. She has travelled with us in this way in Europe lots of times and we took her on a package holiday to Egypt when she was two. She is used to travelling and all that goes with it but I just don't think we should do this right now. A family of tourists were attacked on Saturday in Alexandria. We don't speak Arabic and are very obviously Northern European to look at so no way will we blend in.
Everything I have booked so far is fully refundable at this point. Should I cancel?

Leaving the political situation on one side, I think you might find that being ‘independent travellers’ in Egypt is very, very different from Europe or the States, especially if you are accompanying a pubescent girl child of European appearance.

We have been to Egypt several times, it’s a fascinating country but we would not go anywhere except the main tourist sites in Cairo without a guide or being in a party, and even then the protection of an organised tour is very welcome . We have not felt like this in Europe or America, btw, so we are not just timorous Brits.

Thank you for your reply. We survived India, China, Ecuador and South Africa on our own but I can see that a teenage girl does change things a bit.

I wouldn’t dream of travelling independently in Egypt. We have a Nile river cruise booked for October 2024 and having heard that Israeli tourists were shot there yesterday, we are considering cancelling.

Whilst everything is fully refundable, I would cancel. If by chance things significantly change you can always rebook.

Why not cancel for the moment, you can always rebook nearer the time. I'm not sure independent travel in Egypt is necessarily a good idea from what I've been told anyway (India and South America are both very different)

Think we're leaning increasingly towards Plan B which is Germany and Poland.

I think given your uneasyness about it and your appraisal of the situation ( I think you're right) I would cancel. I'd change my plans to a different part of the world for the current time. How about south East Asia...Laos and Thailand? Yes I know very different to Egypt but great for independent travel and loads to see and do, perfect for your daughter's age.

Sounds much nicer anyway!

Not nicer, just different. Except for L.A. I"he yet to find anywhere I couldn't fund something I liked.

East Asia would be amazing but well out of budget right now. Part of the attraction of Egypt was cost.

I think it's too early to consider cancelling a trip for next summer because of the current Middle East situation and I would wait until the new year to make a decision. I completely disagree with previous posters' views on travelling round Egypt. We've travelled independently in Egypt on trains, buses, and local taxis with our daughter when she was aged between 12-17 and really didn't have an issue. Of course she attracted attention, as did I, but it was no different to the other hassles in Egypt, and if you've travelled around as you said you have, people really aren't intimidating, just a bit persistent at times. We've always found Egyptian people to be really hospitable and friendly, and the ones who do get too persistent will eventually leave you alone if you're polite and respectful. My daughter really enjoyed the holidays when we travelled around on our own and we have both always agreed that as females, we felt very safe wandering around the backstreets of Luxor, Aswan etc., so much so that when she finished university my daughter went on her own to live in Cairo and then Jordan. We've been to Egypt several times, and like you, we're very pale and obviously Northern European, but I've always felt far safer in Luxor than I do in the past of London I live in.

I think if you feel uncomfortable and it's possible to cancel, then you should. We were vaguely thinking about South Africa next year, but definitely not going now as it seems too unstable.

I'm just back from Gdansk and I could not recommend it highly enough. i had thought Poland would be cold and a bit dour, but it was lovely with loads to see and do and so cheap.

I wouldn’t go to Egypt independently even before this. It’s the one country where I have felt particularly unsafe. Armed guards /police manning checkpoints into Sharm after a terrorist attack just before we arrived when I went years ago. And before that my parents were in Luxor when there was a massacre of many tourists.

If you've made your mind up about Egypt, would you consider Turkey as an alternative?

I hope you get to do Egypt another time, I had a great experience (several years ago and not Caucasian).

Thinking of Berlin, Krakow, Zakopane, Zator and Vienna with maybe Prague or Budapest. Will look into Gdansk, the only connection I can make with it at present involve 1980s trade unions!

Been to Turkey four times! Love every thing about it.

I was taken to a country that has a fascination with Eastern European looking teenagers, as a 14 year old girl, who'd not long hit puberty, and long blonde hair.

It was horrifying for me (and my parents). After day 2, my parents arranged an early flight to France where we finished our holiday.

I think political events and all the current horror aside, a teenage girl as your travel companion does limit your country choice somewhat.

Obviously my personal opinion and I'm sure plenty will be along to say how safe they felt, and that's fine, but it wasn't my experience at all.

Germany is great anyway, Budapest is a great city too

Malbork Castle is just down the road from Gdansk.

Also Torun is lovely according to a Polish colleague.

I have only been to Warsaw but DH suggested we go to Poland next year.

German teacher by trade. Don't have to tempt me!

Berlin is amazing. I can also recommend Dresden and DH and DD liked Prague (I broke my foot!). Super efficient trains between them.

I'd probably avoid Egypt with a young teen daughter. Friends went a few years ago and people kept touching her (blonde).

I have an Egyptian colleague…. He told me that no way would he consider travelling to Egypt currently!

I’d cancel since you’ll get refunds anyway and I’ve been to a fair few places with my little blonde boy and Egypt is one place it was just relentless touching, people grabbing for him and I felt obviously uncomfortable. We’ve been far and wide like you as a family to SE Asia, Morocco, Tunisia, Eastern Europe and Mexico and US and never felt concerned but Egypt just didn’t feel safe (in our experience) unfortunately and that was with groups and guides, no way I’d travel solo. I’ve also solo travelled before kids to South America, Asia so I’m not one to be rattled easily.

Been to both Budapest and Slovenia this summer though and couldn’t recommend enough!

I definitiv would not take a teenage girl to Egypt. Or Tunisia. I went as a 20 something and it was so miserable - couldnt leave the hotel without men touching, pulling, chatting… even the hotel was miserable with the waiters trying to chat us up.

I was taken to Egypt as a blond 13 year old. I travel a lot with my kids, to some far flung places, but I wouldn't do that to a 13 year old girl.