Egypt Climate, Weather & Basics

Except for the Mediterranean coast the country experiences a desert climate, which is hot and dry most of the year, especially in the summer months (June to August). Winter is from December to February with average temperatures of 68°F to 79°F (20°C to 26°C).

Time: Local time is GMT +2 (GMT +3 from last Friday in April to last Friday in September).
Electricity: Electrical current is 220 volts, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs are standard.

Language: Arabic is the official language although English and French are widely spoken, especially in the tourist areas.

Health: There are a number of health risks associated with travel to Egypt and travellers should check that their inoculations are up-to-date before leaving. Typhoid, Hepatitis A and polio immunisation is recommended. Come prepared to beat the heat with a high factor sun block, and drink plenty of water to combat dehydration. Drinking water in the main cities and towns is normally chlorinated but it is advisable to only drink bottled water. Traveller's diarrhea is the most common form of illness for travellers; visitors should only eat thoroughly cooked food and fruits they have peeled themselves. The waters of the Nile are contaminated and should not be consumed or bathed in. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over one year of age coming from infected areas. Medical treatment can be expensive and standards vary so insurance is strongly advised, including evacuation. Medical facilities outside of Cairo can be very basic. Cases of bird flu have been reported, and human fatalities have resulted, and although the risk is low for travellers, all close contact with caged, domestic and wild birds should be avoided, and all poultry and egg dishes well cooked as a precaution.

Tipping: Tipping is known as 'baksheesh' and some small change is expected for most services, though small change can be hard to come by. 'Baksheesh' can be a useful practice in order to gain entry to seemingly inaccessible places, or for extra services- a small tip can open doors, literally. A service charge is added to most restaurant and hotel bills but a 5% tip is normally given directly to the waiter. Taxi drivers are tipped about 10%.

Customs: Egypt is a conservative society and visitors should respect local customs and sensitivities and dress modestly. For women especially, the wearing of long skirts or loose fitting trousers and covering the shoulders discourages physical and verbal attention. Religious customs should be respected, particularly during the month of Ramadan when eating, drinking and smoking during daylight hours should be discreet as it is forbidden by the Muslim culture.

Business: Egyptians are friendly and approachable at work and in the home, and personal relationships are very important when conducting business. Business is usually conducted formally in Egypt, but meetings may not take place in private and it is normal for them to be interrupted with other matters. Punctuality is important, though don't be surprised if your contact is late or postpones the meeting. In Cairo the traffic will be blamed but Egyptians but sometime other commitments simply take priority. Be patient. Dress should be formal and conservative (suits and ties are standard and women, in particular, should dress modestly). Women may encounter some sexism in the business world. Most Egyptians are Muslim and therefore one should be mindful of Islamic customs. Affection between opposite sexes is not shown in public. English is widely spoken and understood, although attempting to speak some basic Arabic will be appreciated. The normal working week runs from Saturday to Wednesday, but some government offices close on Thursday and Friday, and others on Friday and Saturday. Business hours vary, but are usually 8.30am to 2pm with some businesses also opening from 5pm to 8pm.

Communications: The international access code for Egypt is +20. The outgoing code is 00 followed but the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for UK). The city code for Cairo is (0)2. There are high surcharges on international calls from hotels; it is cheaper to phone long-distance from the 24-hour Post, Telephone and Telegraph (PTT) offices that are available in the major cities. For international directory phone enquiries dial 120. The local mobile phone operators use GSM 900 networks and have roaming agreements with all major operators. Internet cafes are available in the main tourist areas.

Duty Free: Travellers arriving in Egypt do not have to pay customs duty on 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 200g tobacco; alcoholic beverages up to 1 lit re; perfume for personal use and 1 litre of eau de cologne; and goods for consumption to the value of LE 100. Prohibited items include narcotics and drugs.

Taxis: As a general rule aim to agree on half the amount that the taxi driver originally asks for, this is their bartering culture and what they expect. Never pay more than 35LE ( approx £4 ) for the longest journey around Hurghada and El Gouna.

Weekends and Holidays:

Friday is the principle day off in Egypt with many businesses and banks closed on Saturday too. Official holidays are as follows:

• January 7th - Coptic Christmas

• February 22nd - Union Day

   

• May 1st - Labor Day

• June 18th - Evacuation Day

• July 1st - Bank Holiday

• July 23rd - Revolution Day

• September 11th - Coptic New Year

• October 6th - Armed Forces Day

• October 23rd - National Liberation Day

• October 24th - Suez Victory Day

• December 23rd - Victory Day