Egypt Cruise

[harveywinning]

Hi Everyone

We are going on a nile cruise, starting from Luxor, in March and flying Larnaca to Cairo to Luxor. Anyone know how to get a visa on arrival? Do we get the visa in Cairo or Luxor?

[PhotoLady]

You can buy on arrival at Cairo before going through the transit system for your onward flight to Luxor. I think it's around $15 USD per person. Very simple - just give them your passport and pay the cost.
Done it many times from Cyprus but last time was 2012.
If you're going by an organized trip don't let your agent / representative buy the visas for you - it will cost you more!

[Wallace]

Not sure I would visit Egypt at present, though good advice fron photo lady re visa. Have visited many times, but not for several years.

[PhotoLady]

To be perfectly honest, both me and hubby would go back like a shot... Egypt is our most favourite holiday destination and we've always loved our Nile cruises. But, we've always done the itinerary and excursions under our own steam and organized transfers and trips tailored to our individual basis in each of the destinations. One, because we're not fond of large group trips and also it means being less of a target.
We've always done our own thing since our first visit to Cairo in 1991 because that's how we wanted to do it but in later years - mainly because it made more sense...

I was working at First Choice Hols when the massacre took place at Hatshepsut Temple in the mid 90s and that made us realize that sometimes big groups are not always the way to go given too many people know too much about your movements.

We have a trusted agent in Luxor who we are comfortable with to put our trips together in both Luxor and Aswan as well as our airport transfers. Plus the cost is much less too!

[Jim B]

Just go to one of the Banks before Passport Control and you purchase them there. You will land at terminal 3 if you're on the evening Egypt Air flight from Larnaca. There are always Mergers and Greeters outside Customs.

Jim

[Jim B]

Just go to one of the Banks before Passport Control and you purchase them there. You will land at terminal 3 if you're on the evening Egypt Air flight from Larnaca. There are always Meeters and Greeters outside Customs.

Jim

[Jim B]

Deleted

[Uncle D]

You could go to the USA and be shot by some nutter

[Jimgym]

You could go to the USA and be shot by some nutter

Or Canada, or France, or well, so many places. It's a scary world.

[Jim B]

I've been in Egypt off and on for the last fifteen months and the biggest concern is the driving; they're crazy, makes Cyprus appear to be the home for the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

[PhotoLady]

The driving is bad in Cairo most definitely. Very surprised at how they manage to get 5 lanes of traffic on a 3 lane road - but that's all part of the Egyptian experience!

The traffic in Luxor and Aswan is nothing like in Cairo but many drive with no lights in the evenings and motorcycles or mopeds have a habit of appearing from nowhere....

Go and have a wonderful time!

A friend of ours has just booked 16 nights at The Winter Palace Pavilion at the end of April. She's a single lady and travels alone. She may take a 3 night cruise whilst there to cut down on spending too much time on her own at the hotel.

I know we will be off there as soon as we have no more animals and it's one of the places where we hope to eventually rent an apartment long term and spend more time being as "local" as we can without moving permanently. That was always a plan of ours when our time in Cyprus was up.

But since the Arab Spring it's unlikely to happen now. However we're happy to spend as long as we can but being in a position to leave quickly should the need arise.

[smudger]

"However we're happy to spend as long as we can but being in a position to leave quickly should the need arise."

Nail on head Jules, but if the need arises I guess the world and his wife would be trying to do the same!

[PhotoLady]

Strangely enough, very few UK expats left Luxor during the uprising a few years ago....

[PhotoLady]

Some photos from our last Luxor / Aswan Nile cruise and back in August 2012

From our balloon over the West Bank at Luxor - an early morning start at 04:30hrs from the hotel


Tomb of Sennefer at Tombs of the Nobles, West Bank of Luxor


Old Cataract Hotel (now under Sofitel Group of hotels) at Aswan and the view from King Farouks' Corner - the day we jumped ship and did our own thing:


Many more photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cypruspic ... 1454664430

[harveywinning]

Thanks everyone for the info and comments. Thanks Julie for the lovely photos

[PhotoLady]

You're very welcome and I hope you have a wonderful time on your cruise.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Happy to help - we have been many times traveling independently on each occasion.