cairo airport

[ridingjoker]

anyone been?

what's it like. flying on my own. getting met by a "greeter" who's supposedly going to sort out my visa. been told to have 20usd and greeter will sort out everything else and i get to skip que with him at visa desk.

greeter will then take me out to meet bf who is waiting with driver.

anyone been there at all. or even used this greeter service.

i've travelled before on my own. but not with these services. i would actually be more comfortable sorting visa myself and meandering out to meet bf. but have been warned visa que can take up to 4 hrs without greeter.

anyone?

I have been to Cairo Airport but arrived and left on an internal flight from Sharm el Sheikh so had already purchased a visa in Sharm (no queue). I think that the visa queue issue depends on the number of incoming flights at the time you land so it's a bit hit and miss. The greeter must, I assume, have some legal authority to queue jump otherwise you will not be popular with other tourists . In any event it will certainly help to have an Egyptian speaking 'companion' so I am sure that the greeter service will prove to be of benefit to you. If you haven't been before Cairo is totally mad! Have fun.

thanks. no i've never been before.

i like mad all the more adventure

I went a few years ago, and colleague went a few weeks ago - no problem with the visa queue at all, just rather like the ruck you get in Istanbul.

If someone there has organised the greeter, I'm sure it will be fine

I think it depends how much the greeter service will charge you. We use Cairo Airport all the time. A new terminal is on the point of opening (but has been for many months now...) but in the meantime it's true that if two or three flights arrive at the same time there can be an awful hot press of tourists.

It also depends what time you are landing. If you're on the BA flight that gets in at 23.45 (there's only one a day) you're going to have less patience and stamina for a long wait than if, say, you were on one of the two BMI flights that arrive either mid-afternoon or mid-evening.

All I would say is that if you decide to go it alone and save the money, the immigration staff are very approachable. ie, you won't get uber-hassle just for the sake of it. Most speak a bit of English.

On the other hand, the greeter guys know about a cunning little immigration window around the back of all the booths and then whisk you through a special side channel. They will also get you to the carousel (baggage handling tends to be astonishingly efficient, by the way - have never waited more than about 15 mins), help load bags onto cart and then smooth your way through Customs which can, actually, be quite a trial as they often pick on people. You probably won't have much luggage which always helps. A friend was charged $50 to bring in face paints for his kids' birthday present because they decided they were commercial cosmetics samples .

hth

Any more questions just ask, tho it sounds as if your bf lives in Cairo anyway!

thanks for replies.
tallis - bf is working out there. but he hasn't been there long. and has never used the greeter service for someone coming to visit him before.

greeter service is free as him company paying for it. greeter is supposedly doing the things you have mentionned. and get my bags and take me through customs to bf who's waiting with a driver and car (again by company)

good to know about customs as i'm sneaking in some pork. lol. so if i have a greeter hopefully i wont get searched. but knowing my luck i probably will. hahah. wont be the first and doubt it will be the last. but tbh its always when i'm travelling alone they search me. must seem suspicious to them a single pasty blue scottish woman who goes on holiday but never gets a tan.

also, i want to ask about clothes. bf says as long as clothing is longer than knee. and if i have a vest or anything on i throw a pashmina/ linen shawl around my shoulders for walking about in public.

will this do, as i'm getting conflicting advice that i should have proper full length sleeved tops. which would mean taking far more clothing than i wanted as only going for wkd.

was just going for calf length crops.and vests or t-shirts with a shawl for when out and about.

i know of some people who say you can wear what you like, but be ready for wandering hands or disapprovingly looks. but due to bf working out there i would rather be dressed in public in something thats not to hot but acceptable as some of his colleagues are local. most are from uk or ireland. but there are a couple who are from egypt.

do you stay in egypt? wonder if you know anything about the development i'm staying?

www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/e gypt

This is the current FCO advice for Egypt. It also talks about dressing modestly (covering upper arms) particularly when visiting mosques and souks (markets). Public displays of affection are also frowned upon.

More information re visas:-

British passport holders travelling to Egypt normally require a visa. However, the Egyptian authorities state that "British nationals travelling to Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba resorts only, for up to 14 days, do not require a visa, they shall receive a free entry permission stamp upon arrival. If you intend to travel out of the mentioned areas or overstay, you must obtain a visa."

Visas can be obtained from an Egyptian Consulate outside Egypt or on arrival by payment in Sterling or USD, for stays of up to a month. If you have travelled to the Sinai peninsular, entering without a visa, and your plans change you can normally purchase a visa at Sharm El Sheikh airport to allow you to travel. Applications for visa extensions should be made at Egyptian Passport and Immigration Offices. Further information is available at www.egyptianconsulate.co.uk and any enquiries should be directed to the Egyptian authorities.

A visa does not guarantee entry into Egypt. The decision to allow or decline entry rests solely with the Egyptian immigration authorities and we cannot interfere in another country's immigration policy or procedures. We will, however, do all we properly can to make contact within 24 hours of hearing of the detention of a British national to offer advice and contact relatives in the UK if requested.

You may have difficulties leaving Egypt with an out of date visa. You will not normally be allowed to leave if the visa is out of date by more than 14 days. For visas and further information on entry requirements, check with the Egyptian Embassy in your country of residence: the Egyptian Embassy in London.

Passport validity

Your passport should be valid for at least six months.

Customs regulations

5,000 Egyptian pounds is the maximum amount of local currency you are allowed to bring in or take out of Egypt. There is no limit to the amount of hard currency that you may bring in, but sums that exceed USD 10,000 should be declared on arrival. Egyptian currency should not be sent through the post.

Certain valuables such as electrical equipment, video camera etc must be declared on arrival. Electrical items noted in passports must be produced on exit from the country. Failure to do so will result in payment of high rates of customs duty. It is advisable to contact the Egyptian embassy in your country of residence for specific information regarding customs requirements.

oh now 5000 egyp is quite low. thats only what??? just over £550. now thats interesting. but i can take more if i take it in sterling or usd?

Will be back later with more info.

Re dressing, it depends where in Cairo you are going to be staying/living. There are some predominantly expat areas, such as Maadi, where they are more used to locals, er, flaunting the flesh.

In the main, you will be absolutely fine in crop trousers, even knee length shorts (but really knee length...), longer skirts, t shirts that have cap sleeves. Keep your knockers well hidden - no plunge necklines in public! And nothing spray-on tight.

In the mosque/more Islamic areas I think it is simply more respectful to wear a long-sleeved shirt but in many of the mosques they have hilarious shiny green nylon Harry Potter-style magic capes to lend to ill-dressed tourists.

In the main, though, it is fairly relaxed. Cairenes are incredibly civilised and welcoming to tourists without being horrendously in yer face. In fact, family friends who came to visit Cairo last week were staggered by the difference between here and Tunisia, where they were effectively mobbed everytime they ventured out.

I went last year with my then 3 yr old and all you do is queue up for a visa. Took about 10 mins. You fill in a form hand over your money, they give you the visa and you stick it in your passport. Don't recall it being a problem at all. We had a rep from the travel co but all he did was show us where to get the visa (which was blindingly obvious). No greeter and I didn't see anyone getting any sort of preferential treatment to get their visa.

tallis - it's a new ....em i suppose... district you would call it. not entirely sure about the name its known as. think it's something along lines of "new cairo" or "festival city". but these could both be development names bf uses. and not the actual name it will be known locally iykwim.

but the actual villa is in a compound with security gates and guards. and i've been told i can kick around in swimwear by pool all day and fart about as i would normally would on hols as it's only the managerial staff and family who are staying in the compound at the moment.

in cairo i'm gonna go for high neck line t-shirt with shirt sleeves/capped. and when we go to anywhere religous i'll have my shawl to wrap around me. lol. like a cape. but in black linen instead of harry potter green. think this is what you are suggesting hopefully be fine.

will i need my shawl for airport or can i arrive in a vest? or best with shoulders covered again?

and i've been told that i will only be allowed a peck on cheek at airport as pda i largely frowned upon . will be hard to contain myself till reach villa.

I'm not sure about this pda business. Perhaps because I'm an old married woman and we don't really go in for public snogging any more . But I've seen many joyous reunions at the airport. It's such a bunfight anyway that I don't think anyone gives a monkeys. How would anyone know that your bf isn't your husband/brother (or if female) your sister/cousin etc etc? But if that's the advice your bf has given you, then perhaps discretion the best course of action. I find that with most things - just being aware of what people are doing and how they are behaving around you gets you a long way.

The area you're talking about... I thought Festival City was still a big hole in the ground (M&S supposed to be moving in but still v much at the bulldozer stage). But I know the kinds of compound you mean. Jolly nice, most of them. Slightly weird in that you drive through the desert along gravel, scrub and sand, and then suddenly come to some gates, turn in, and it's like Brookside with knobs on and bougainvillea.

The downside to living in that kind of place is the dearth of nightlife/community feel - not so much as a cafe in many of them and young mums with kids tend to feel very isolated (though it's fine for people heading off to an office everyday.) The upside is that you tend to get more living space for your more money, plus a greener feel and often a communal or private pool, plus good gardens.

Think your clothes strategy sounds vg. The shoulders at airport? well, I would rather be more respectful of local ways rather than less, without sounding po-faced. Is entirely up to youIt just depends if you want to risk getting the odd disapproving look. Most often from women I have to say, not men! I do go out with my shoulders exposed (tops of arms, i mean, not racer-back or anything!) but i'm talking about quite loose-fitting, smarter end of scale linen tops that don't otherwise show a lot of female form. It's all about compromise. If you mix bare shoulders with skin=tight, that's more potentially dodge than bare shoulders with breezy well-cut linen iyswim.

But you know what? Just don't stress. because the moment you get here you'll be surrounded at the airport by teenage tourists in spaghetti straps and no one will give them/you a second look. Honestly. It's just not a big issue.

Oh and re pork? No worries about that. It's not a case of smuggling it in, because it's not illegal to eat it here. Many expats seek out their local Coptic Christian butcher as they often have access to local pig herds and can source sausages/bacon/ham etc. But because the market is relatively small here, stocks can often run low. which is why we always beg our visitors to arrive with suitcases crammed with pork products.

My top tip is to wrap things up next to a big bag of petits pois because they will also be gratefully received here and it keeps everything cool en route. no prob with re freezing peas obv. Egyptian fruit and veg is fantastic apart from their fro peas which are just barf, don't know why.

And if a customs man comes across your best smoked back rashers he will only recoil and wave you through even more quickly...

yeah festival city. his company building it. i'll be staying in one of the few completed villa's. kinda like a showhome which is now his home till development finished.

many thanks for advice everyone. and glad about pork thing.