Transfers - Getting from the airport to the hotel

Package holidays

Most package holidays include a free transfer from the airport to the hotel.

If you have booked a package holiday very late or if you have booked your flight and hotel separately, you will probably have to pay for the transfer.

The cost through an airline or package holiday company is typically a total of £15 - £20 per person, return (airport to hotel and hotel to airport). This is usually the most expensive option if there are 2 or more of you, and quite slow as you have to wait for the everyone else to get on the bus, especially if you are not one of the first drop-offs.

Hotel agency

If you book accommodation through a hotel agency you will normally be able to arrange a transfer at the same time. This will generally be provided by Medhotels. The cost is about £3.50 per person each way (£7 return).

The Medhotels service is similar to the one offered by the British package companies. You travel on a bus and people are dropped off at a series of hotels. The bus is usually a bit older than the ones used by the British companies and you are sometimes kept waiting a long time. We have heard of people arriving on one plane having to wait for passengers on the next plane before Medhotels filled their bus and left the airport for the hotel. It is the cheapest way to transfer if you are on your own, but if there are two or more of you a taxi or tour agency transfer is cheaper and more convenient.

Local Tour Agents

Most of the Luxor tour agencies will pick you up from the airport and take you to a hotel for about LE80 (each way) for up to 3 people and a little more for larger groups. They will meet you at the exit of the terminal building holding a board with your name or the name of the agency. They will escort you to their car, which will be air conditioned and comfortable. They have mini busses for larger groups.

You have to pre-arrange the pick-up but as long as you are happy to do that, this is the best way to transfer to your hotel. You can arrange with the same or another tour agency to take you back to the airport at the end of your holiday.

There is a list of tour agencies in the sights section. Look at the phoning page to check on ways to make a cheap call to Egypt from Britain to arrange the pick-up.

You can also make the arrangements by email, but some companies, especially those with head offices in other cities, are not very good at responding to emails. We have found Petra Travel to be good at replying to emails if you prefer to book this way.

Private Taxi Agency

You can book a taxi in advance through companies such as Holiday Taxis, A2B Transfers, ResortHoppa and Transfer Store. It will be more expensive, but less hassle, than finding your own taxi at the airport. It may also be more expensive than a paid transfer through your holiday company if you are on your own, but worth checking if there are 2 or more of you. It will certainly be more expensive than prearranging a transfer through a local tour agency. However, you can do it in advance online and may find it worth paying the extra for that convenience.

Bear in mind that some of these private taxi agencies quote a price per person, although the actual cost will usually be the same for up to 4 people, so make sure you are looking at the total vehicle price. Expect to pay about £30 - £40 for a return transfer for up to 4 people through one of these companies (that is the total cost for the vehicle with all passengers for both journeys). Some companies will charge a little more if you are going to an out-of-town hotel, such as the Maritim.

It is worth checking all of the companies for the best price if you have time, because some of them offer occasional, temporary discounts. If you are in hurry, we suggest you try Holiday Taxis first, as they usually offer the best price.

These companies also offer 'shuttle' or shared transfers, but they are not much cheaper than a private taxi, especially the more of you there are, and you may have to wait a long time for other people making the same journey. We do not think the inconvenience of a shared transfer is worth the very small saving.

Transfer companies have private minibusses for groups of more than 4.

Airport Taxi

To get to the airport taxis, leave the airport terminal building and keep going straight ahead, past the package holiday coaches. The taxis are mostly Peugeot 504s, painted blue and white but there are an increasing number of similarly painted Asian saloon cars which are more modern and more comfortable if there are just two or three of you.

Taxis are easy to find (a driver or 'agent' will probably find you). You must agree a price before you get in. The price is for the whole vehicle, not per person and do not pay extra for luggage. Taxi drivers often start to bargain at LE100. LE40 is reasonable. When negotiating, don't forget you can get a 'meet-service' private transfer through a local tour company for around LE80.

During the journey to the hotel the driver will probably try to sell you trips for the rest of your stay. Take his card by all means, but unless you are an old-timer and know the going rates, it is best to check the agents in Luxor before agreeing to anything.

Summary

A package tour transfer is usually free if you book far enough ahead. It is a comfortably familiar option, but expensive if you book close to the date of travel or if you are flight-only.

A hotel agency transfer, usually operated through Medhotels, has nothing to recommend it unless you are on your own, want the cheapest and can't be bothered to haggle with a taxi driver.

An airport taxi is cheap and you get straight to your destination, but you may have to put up with some hassle getting to the taxi and agreeing a fare.

A tour agency transfer is not much more than a taxi, less hassle, more comfortable and recommended, but you will have to arrange it in advance by phone or email.

At about £30 return for up to 4 people, a transfer through a private taxi agency may be cheaper than a travel company's coach transfer but it will be more expensive than a private transfer through a local tour agency and also more expensive than an airport taxi. It can all be booked in advance online so is very convenient.

The actual journey time to most central hotels and cruise boat berths will be about 15 minutes; slightly more to the Maritim Jolie Ville..