Making a phone call:

- To call any country outside Egypt, dial your country code, then city code then number. To call Egypt from abroad, the country code is 002

- International calls can be made via your cruise reception or in all the hotels.

- The international telephone code for the United States is 001 followed by the area code and phone number. Please do not forget when calling home that Egypt is several hours ahead of US time depending on the your state.If you have friends calling you from North America or Australia while you are in Egypt, tell them to dial 011 before dialing country code.

List of some of the local dialling codes:

Voltage

220 v50 HZ 2 pin plug. Please pay attention to your electronics

Culture/Religion
Egypt is a Muslim country with a very different culture.
- The majority of Egyptians have been Muslim since the 12th/13th century, the remainder of the population being essentially Coptic (Egyptian Christians),which they live togetherFor centuries.
- Please expect a lot of attention from local people who will always meet you with a smile.

Alcohol
In Egypt alcohol is not served everywhere. They are available in hotels, bars, discotheques, pubs, on board the Nile cruisers and in most restaurants and Egypt has lots imported Alcohol from everywhere in the world.

Language
In Egypt the spoken language is Arabic, but English is widely spoken and understood. However, if you can spend some time picking up a few words of Arabic, the locals will be absolutely delighted.

Egyptian Currency and Changing Money
The currency in Egypt is the Pound, which is made up of 100 piaster. Coins start with 25 piaster, 50 piaster and 1 pound. Egyptian notes start with one pound, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 The value of each note is written in English in one side and Arabic numbers on the other side.
Credit cards and traveler’s checks are accepted in major hotels and large stores. Most tourist shops also allow you to make purchases in foreign currency.

Shopping
Egypt is a shopper's paradise and you can find many wonderful gifts for your family and friends. There is a huge variety ranging from herbs and spices to gold and silver, perfume oils, papyrus paper and statues.

Vaccinations
Please call The Egyptian Embassy in your country for the request vaccinations.

Opening hours
Government and administrative offices are generally open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, except for Fridays and public holidays. Banks are closed on Fridays and Saturdays. Most shops are open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except Sunday. Please note that all these times may vary during Ramadan.

Internet
You will find many cybercafés and Hotels in most large towns .Charges may apply.

Public holidays

Fixed dates:
1st January: New Year’s Day
7th January: Coptic Christmas Day
19th January: Coptic Epiphany
25th April: Sinai Liberation Day
28th April: Sham el-Nassim (Pharaonic Spring Festival)
1st May: Labour Day
23rd July: Independence Day

Dates that change according to the Muslim calendar:
Eid al-Fitr: marks the end of Ramadan
Eid al-Adha: Feast of Sacrifice (70 days after the end of Ramadan, commemorating Abraham’s obedience to God)
Ras as-Sana Hijriya: Islamic New Year
Mawlid al-Nabi: Birthday of the Prophet Mohammed