Cairo

[mymymymymysharona]

Can anyone recommend a spa resort / hotel very near the pyramids?

Due to work and life commitments, the only times we can go are end of June or Dec/Jan and we can only go for a week. Which date would you go for and why? We love hot weather so the soaring temps wouldn't be much of a problem for us. Seems the Dec/Jan prices are much higher because its over NYE I guess?

Any thoughts on travelling from London to Cairo would be really helpful.

TIA

I am blown away by your help, Dazed. I feel so confident and excited about booking now. I think as long as we get the flights booked in, the rest will follow. We can easily pay the other holiday by April so that will mean all spare cash for May and June pay day can go straight on the Egypt holiday. I think we can do it!?

Its been many many years since going abroad for holiday, this year we have 2 lined up - and its all very overwhelming. This thread has helped enormously.

Egypt has a very special place in my heart. Cairo especially. I have such good memories and can even remember the smell. I can't wait to share it with my husband and also our children some day.

Lovely pics by the way.

And I am yet to check out your trip advisor link...

I'm at work and sneaking on here

Do it! You will not regret it. Get your hotels booked in for those great prices, they have free cancellation if you decide to do the cruise in Luxor!

Oh I just took a peek at the Abu Tarek menu, it's 25 LE for a large koshari still!

Go and enjoy it. I'm here for any further questions you or your husband might have.

Oh one thing. Get your visitors visa at the airport. It's 25 USD and you just go to the bank kiosk to buy it. Don't buy it off reps as they'll charge more and the online site is horrible. I also use it as an opportunity to exchange some pounds into LE.

Cairo and Luxor pass can only be bought using USD. Second pass is half price if you buy the first so $300 for you both for both passes.

Always sanitize your hands after handling money. First time we went my hubby forgot that rule. He ended up errupting out both ends doing his best Mount Vesuvius impression I said I told you so...

@mymymymymysharona put in a cheeky quote for you for a similar tour with a UK and an Egyptian based tour operator. Lowest was $1900 each!

Seems like everyone has lost their minds!

Dazed thanks again for all the tips and looking into it all for us.

I was THIS close to booking the flights yesterday when I realised my husband needs to renew his bloody passport! GRRRR

So it's all on hold until we get it back. Although I guess I can still book the hotels (you say its free cancellation?)

@mymymymymysharona yes!

If you go with the winter Palace or pavillion sign up for Sofitel rewards. It was cheapest and pay at hotel with free cancellation. Plus you get some awards.

I know your pain regarding the passport. My husband's expired and he has the nerve of being Australian! Ended up needing to spend three nights in London to get it renewed

Passport thing is so frustrating isn't it! I have transferred the cost of the flight into my savings account but what usually happens is that we drip drip drip from the savings and then...its gone. I wanted to pay straight up while I have the funds GRRR

Thanks for the tip on Sofitel awards - will look into this.

I have a small window of quiet in work ATM so I am going to maybe book the hotel stuff now...squeee!

....aaaaaaaand just as I post that, an email comes though...no rest for the wicked...it'll have to wait!!

You know you can book the flights without his new passport? Just fill in passenger information later. Unless it's more a concern about getting it back in time.

We just needed birthday and names for Oporo

Oh really? That's good news!

I am thinking we could possibly stretch to 10 days now...I need to speak to DH first though.

Am I right in thinking the cruise from Luxor to Aswan is 4 days or longer? I couldn't find any shorter cruises?

How does this look:

25-Jun Fly to Cairo
26-Jun Cairo
27-Jun Cairo
28-Jun Sleeper train to Luxor (10 hr)
29-Jun Luxor
30-Jun Luxor
01-Jul Cruise to Aswan
02-Jul Cruise to Aswan
03-Jul Cruise to Aswan
04-Jul Cruise to Aswan - Fly back to Cairo-London

Also I am about to book the pyramid inn hotel - its asking if I want to pay online or to the hotel when we get there, in their currency. What do you advise? TIA!

Ah - I've just realised...we would have to get a one way ticket to Cairo £151 each then one way from Aswan to London £332 (dates of travel would be 25th June and 4th July)

Can you tell me if I am getting the pricing right here please?

So total flights would be £966
Pyramids Inn Hotel: £79
Sleeper train to Luxor £160
Luxor hotel: £155
Cruise £369

Grand total of £1729

Cruise is 4 night Luxor to Aswan.

Sleeper train is $160 USD so about £125

Cruise would be £369 each which is why I say it's become a rip off.

Could you consider if 10 nights..

3 nights Cairo
Sleeper train to Aswan
2 nights Aswan
4 nights Luxor
Fly home?

I think you'd get better value for money that way. I have a taxi driver in Luxor I can give you his WhatsApp he's £20 per day. And he drives to Dendera and Abydos for a day trip.

£369 each?! Bloody hell there's no way we can afford that plus flights etc

Feeling a bit downhearted, perhaps DH's suggestion of just staying in a spa hotel for 5 nights is more realistic...

Cairo - Luxor - Aswan is an absolute dream holiday for me but I don't think we can stretch.

Perhaps Cairo - Luxor - Cairo would work? Sleeper train there and back?

Yep that's a great idea! Reason I love the sleeper train is it lets you spend the day in the location and then head back overnight saving you accommodation. My husband is a terrible sleeper but even he slept on the train.

I'd do Cairo and Luxor. Divide your days evenly. Get the Cairo and Luxor passes and rely on taxis. To be honest, my guidebook was better for information than the guides. They claim to be Egyptologists but they simply have a tourism degree.

We have spoken about it and that is the route we want... Cairo, Luxor, Cairo

Unfortunately something important has come up on 27th June which means we can't do those dates anymore. Frustrating.

What would you recommend is the best time to visit and we can try and base our visit around then?