DESTINATIONS egypt air-travel-56

TRAVEL TIPS

Air Travel

Flying time to Cairo from New York is 10 hours on a nonstop flight; from the West Coast, the minimum flying time is 17 hours (you'll need to make at least one stop). Cairo is 4 hours from Paris, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt, and 5 hours from London.

If you need to book domestic flights after you have arrived in Egypt, you'll need to visit an EgyptAir office (or book online) or a reputable travel agent at least one day before you fly—but don't expect there to be seats available that late, especially in peak season. Book flights to Abu Simbel as early as possible as these flights fill up fast at all times of year.

Airports

Cairo International Airport is the country's primary international airport and the only one that has nonstop flights from the United States. Terminal 3, which opened in late 2008, is devoted to EgyptAir, both international and domestic flights, and EgyptAir's Star Alliance partner airlines that fly to Egypt (at this writing, Austrian Airlines, BMI, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and Turkish Airlines). Small numbers of scheduled flights from Europe also land at Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada, and Luxor.

If you book a package through a travel agent or have prearranged a tour, your airport transfers will almost certainly be included in the price. Look for your company's sign as you exit baggage claim. If you book independently, then you may have to take a taxi. Ask your hotel if it has a limo transfer service; most hotels do, and though the vehicle is not a true limousine, it will be a vehicle in good condition. You will be charged more than the normal taxi fare for this service (some hotels include transfers if you book an executive-floor room), but after a long flight, the stress-free transfer may be worth the extra money.

Cairo Airport also offers fixed-rate car service (called a limo, although it is generally an average sedan) to all hotels. Private taxis try to charge the same, but with the limo there's no need to haggle a fee, and the vehicles are in good condition.

Be sure to give yourself a full two hours for international check-in, and allow an hour to travel to the airport from Downtown/Zamalek unless you are flying late at night or early morning, when it can take a little more than half an hour.

Flights to and from Egypt

Only EgyptAir and Delta Airlines offer nonstop flights to Egypt from the United States. Both fly from New York's JFK into Cairo. Most European airlines offer flights to Egypt, and the majority of Americans must connect in Europe to reach Cairo. Some European budget airlines also fly to Egypt, though few of these airlines have telephone numbers in the country, relying instead on their Web sites.

Information

Cairo International Airport. 022/265–5000.

Hurghada. 065/344–2592.

Luxor International Airport. 095/237–4655.

Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport. 069/362–3304.

Nonstops to Egypt

Delta. 02/2735–9770; 800/241–4141; www.delta.com.

EgyptAir. 0900/70000; 212/581–5600; 310/215–3900; www.egyptair.com.

Major European Airlines

Air France. 02/2770–6250; 800/237–2747; www.airfrance.us.

Alitalia. 02/3333–0618; 800/223–5730; www.alitaliausa.com.

Austrian Airlines. 02/2735–2777; 800/843–0002; www.aua.com.

British Airways. 02/2480–0380; 800/247–9297; www.britishairways.com.

Finnair. 02/2579–8601; 800/950–5000; www.finnair.com.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. 02/277–0625; 800/225–2525; www.nwa.com.

Lufthansa. 19380; 800/399–5838; www.lufthansa.com.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines. 800/221–2350; www.flysas.com.

Swiss International Airlines. 02/2737–7738; 877/359–7947; www.swiss.com.

European Budget Airlines

Air Berlin. www.airberlin.com.

Astreaus. www.flystar.com.

Condor Airlines. www.condor.com.

Easyjet. www.easyjet.com.

Jet Air Fly. www.jetairfly.com.

Thomas Cook Belgium. www.thomascookairlines.com.

Thomsonfly. www.thomsonfly.com.

Transavia. www.transavia.com.

XL Airways. www.xl.com.

Flights within Egypt

EgyptAir is the only provider of scheduled domestic flights in Egypt. In addition to Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, Hurghada, and Sharm El-Sheikh, EgyptAir flies to Abu Simbel, Alexandria, Assuit, and Marsa Alam.

Domestic Egyptian Airlines

EgyptAir. 0900/70000; 212/581–5600; 310/215–3900; www.egyptair.com.

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