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Original poster

Anyone been to Egypt? Currency question.

9 replies

catseverywhere · 27/10/2013 16:06

Hi, all. My partner and I and 6 adult offspring (why??) are off to Egypt in a couple of weeks. We understand the currency there is the Egyptian pound but have been advised also to take US dollars for tipping, as Egyptian pounds come in large denominations. Is that the experience of anyone else who has been there?

TIA

OP posts:
4yoniD · 27/10/2013 16:34

It was a fair while since I was there but I thought they just preferred american dollars?

SidandAndyssextoy · 28/10/2013 11:39

When I was there you could get single pound notes. That was getting on for a decade ago though.

KissesBreakingWave · 28/10/2013 11:43

And they're entirely happy with Sterling, too. They give you goooooood price.

4yoniD · 29/10/2013 17:58

oh gawd yes, good price .... asda price, lol.

KissesBreakingWave · 29/10/2013 22:09

They're still doing that? Ace.

eurochick · 29/10/2013 22:14

We have always spent Egyptian pounds when we have visited. Take hand sanitiser - the currency always feels really greasy and dirty (I think because everyone is sweaty there all year round).

ExitPursuedByABogieMan · 29/10/2013 22:16

I think tips in American dollars or sterling are preferred. Enjoy.

dontyouknow · 31/10/2013 15:03

Sterling seemed fine. A bit too happy with Sterling in my experience - a couple of taxi drivers claiming we'd agreed 10 "english pounds" (as they called them) rather than the 10 Egyptian pounds (about £2) we had actually agreed!

breward · 31/10/2013 18:53

Don't change any money in England. Change it at the bank in Egypt. Even at the airport you get 20% better exchange rate than you do in the UK. We changed all ours in the UK then regretted it when we saw how much more you got locally.

Most of the people we met took UK £ and changed it as they needed it or went to the cashpoint. We had loads left over so we changed some with other holidaymakers before we returned to the UK.

We went to Cairo, Aswan, Luxor and Hurghara. Loved the first three, but Hurghada was dead. When we arrived at the huge AI hotel there were only about 20 other guests... it was completely soul-less. There was nothing to buy, hence why we had so much money left over... the locals got some good tips, but with no guests it might have been their only ones.

Great country and a fabulous holiday. Well worth a visit. Shame it is still unstable in Cairo.

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