International phone calls

Into Egypt

The access code into Egypt is 20 and the area code for Luxor is 95. To phone a Luxor number from outside Egypt you need to dial the international access code from your country (usually 00) followed by the country code for Egypt (20) and the area code for Luxor (95), then the personal number.

From Egypt

You first dial the international access code which, from Egypt, is 00. You then dial the relevant country code, e.g. 44 for the UK or 27 for South Africa. Then dial the area and personal numbers, as you would when making a call within the UK, but leaving the first zero off the area code (so inner London is 1 instead of 01 and Birmingham is 121 instead of 0121). So to phone Birmingham, UK from Egypt you dial 00 44 121 plus the personal number.

Mobile SIM

You can use your own mobile with your 'home' SIM card, but it will be very expensive. It depends on the network and whether you have any special packages, but it can easily cost you £1 per minute.

The alternative, if your phone is unlocked, is to buy a 'holiday SIM' when you get to Luxor. Vodaphone SIM cards are available from several places in town. The most popular place to get them from is the Vodaphone shop, about 100 metres on the right from the town end of Television Street (click here for a map that shows Television Street).

Ask for a 'holiday SIM'. The people in the shop speak good English and will put the SIM in for you. They will also change your phone settings as necessary. You can use the SIM for calls within Egypt and for international calls.

The basic price of the SIM card is LE25. You can then add credits up to the amount you want. Most people find LE50 is plenty for average holiday use and occasional calls home. The credit does run out if you don't use it within a month, but you can keep the SIM and top it up next time you go to Luxor.

Using and Egyptian SIM will, of course, change your phone number until you put your home SIM back in, so if anyone needs to call you, you will have to tell them your temporary number. Taking your home SIM out of your phone also stops people getting through on your normal number and the call-receive fees that you pay on most mobile tariffs.

Your phone must be unlocked to use an Egyptian Vodaphone SIM. Even a phone locked to another country's Vodaphone network will not work with an Egyptian Vodaphone SIM. How easy it is to unlock your phone depends on the phone itself (Nokia N70 series models are more difficult for example) and whether you are still inside a minimum-term contract under which you got the phone for nothing or a seriously reduced price. Usually you can get it done for around £10 in the UK.

Low cost calls to Egypt

Calls to Egypt are close to £1 from most standard UK lines. For example, calls from the UK cost 93.5p daytime or 81 off-peak per minute from a BT landline to a Luxor landline (last checked May 2008). Costs vary depending on your telephone company and there are usually special plans that give you discounts depending on the number and type of calls you make. Many low-cost phone services offer much lower rates which you can access without changing your telephone provider.

To access some of these services you have to buy pre-paid card, sign up and register as a member of a calling service, or pay a connection fee. In other cases you just have to dial an access number. The services described below are available to anyone just by dialling an access number.

Be aware that with these services the charge starts when you are connected to the access number, so you will pay the rate per minute as soon as you connect to their system, even if the person you are calling in Egypt does not answer. The cost appears on your normal phone bill.

Calls to a landline

At the time this was last updated (May 2008) the lowest cost providers of calls from a UK landline to an Egyptian landline were 0844calls and Phonecheap. In May 2008 they both charged 5p per minute. You do not have to sign up for their service or buy time in advance. To use their service, dial the access code 0844 566 69 69 for 0844calls or 0844 566 7566 for Phonecheap . A voice will confirm the price per minute and tell you to enter the number after the tone. When you get the prompt, dial the international access code (00) then the access code for Egypt (20), then the number you want (starting with the area code, usually followed by 7 digits). So to call a Luxor number you dial 0871 754 3737 (wait for prompt) 00 20 95 xxxxxxx.

In case the cost has changed since this was written, you can check their latest rates on the 0844calls or Phonecheap web sites.

Calls to a mobile

In May 2008 0844calls provided the cheapest calls from a UK landline to a mobile in Egypt at 4p per minute. The principles are the same as with landlines, except that after the Egypt access code you dial the mobile phone number, leaving off the first zero. The 0844calls access number for mobile calls is 0844 428 25 25. So to call a mobile in Egypt dial 0844 428 25 25 (prompt) 00 20 xxxx xxxxxx. Again, it is worth checking the latest rates on the 0844calls web site.