You get a much better exchange rate in Egypt than you do if you
change money before you go. There is no commission. We prefer to
come with a little English, Euro or USA currency (all very acceptable
and easily changed) and to get Egyptian cash on arrival. You can
change money at the visa offices in the airport arrival hall. There
are also ATM machines at the airport.
When you change or draw money you are given an official receipt,
which you are told to keep for inspection or in case you need to
change Egyptian notes back into another currency. We have never
had a receipt checked, but it is best to hold on to one or more
to cover the amount of Egyptian cash you have, just in case.
Commission free withdrawal at ATMs
Nationwide Building Society do not charge a fee or commission
when you withdraw cash from an ATM in Luxor from one of their Flexaccounts.
It is worth opening a Nationwide Flexaccount before you travel,
even if you only use it to withdraw cash abroad.
When in Luxor
For information about changing cash or drawing money when in Luxor,
see the Money page.
Credit Cards and travellers cheques
Credit cards and travellers cheques are widely accepted.
However, not all hotels or cruise boats will accept them
for settling final bills.
We
are not financial advisors
The
advice we offer about money, when and where to get it and
about the exchange rate, is based on our own experience
and on currency rates provided by banks and other foreign
exchange bureaux. We are not financial advisors, we do
not provide qualified financial advice and we have no links
with any financial institutions.
Value of the Egyptian pound
The Egyptian Pound (LE) has been worth less than 10 English
pence for a few years. Throughout 2007 and In early 2008 the exchange rate has been around LE11 to £1. For ease of calculation we usually
work on the rough rule of thumb that LE10 is worth very roughly £1
sterling or LE1 is 10 pence (English).
Some examples of today's currency exchange rates appear
below. These are commercial rates. You can expect to get
very close to these rates if you draw or change money in
Egypt. You will usually get quite a lot less if you buy Egyptian
pounds in another country before you go. This list is up
to date and fetches today's currency rates from coinmill.com.
