This is one of the helpful tidbits pages, and may eventually split into two pages due to material. We want to make sure you wombats are prepared.
Expenses estimation:
5-7L.E.(pounds egyptian) per meal, tip: 16*3 = 48 meals,
minimum 250 LE, $50.00
3-10L.E. per water, approx 2 waters per day = 32 waters
if average is 5 LE, minimum 160 LE, $32.00
1-3L.E. Bathroom outside of hotel, approx 2 per day = 32
if average is 2 LE, minimum 64 LE, $13.00
5-20LE Donation for shoe covers/storage, approx 1 per day = 12
if average is 10LE, minimum 120 LE, $24.00
general assorted tips, min: 594 LE, $120.00
25-50LE price of lunch, approx 10 meals
if average is 30LE, minimum 300 LE, $60.00
25-50LE last day cleaning staff tips (hotels), approx 5
if average is 40LE, minimum 200LE, $40.00
Random food, tip incedentals, approx 20LE per day
minimum 320LE, $70.00
25LE Flashlight for Sinai ($5.00)
general incedentals: $175.00
You pretty much want $300.00 american for necessities, and anything beyond that can be play money for souviners and extra tours and things. Tips for drivers, tour guides, hired gun are already taken care of. Tours and regular tickets are also already paid for.
The exchange rate, as you may have figured out, is about 5LE per american dollar, and I cannot recommend highly enough that you exchange this money (in cash) in advance. You will be expected, on arrival, to tip the representative of the travel agency and the driver (between 20 and 50 LE is appropriate) as well as the porter(s) who handle your luggage. You may also want some cash on hand for a meal or two and water. The Cosmopolitain hotel will not exchange money for you (although some of the other hotels may), and may or may not be able to make change for the larger bills.
Make sure, if you plan to use a credit or debit card as an emergency back-up, that you notify the bank/card company that you are planning to be in Egypt, or your account(s) may be frozen.
Most places will only take cash, and often will not have change. Make sure that you check that any vendor, store, or restaurant does have change before you hand over your money, otherwise your change may become a donation, or you may not be able to make the purchase.
