Arabic is the official language although English and French are widely spoken, especially in the tourist areas.
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The unit of currency is the Egyptian Pound (EGP), which is divided into 100 piastres. Most credit cards are accepted in major hotels and restaurants. Visitors are advised to take travelers checks in U.S. Dollars or Pounds to avoid additional exchange rate charges. Banks are usually closed on Friday and Saturday, but private exchange bureau, called "Forex", are open daily and banks in major hotels are open 24 hours. Cairo branches of the Egyptian British Bank and Banque Misr now have ATMs available that accept Visa, MasterCard and Cirrus and are quite common in the main tourist areas.
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The international access code for Egypt is +20. The outgoing code is 00 followed but the relevant country code (e.g. 001 for the U.S.). The city code for Cairo is (0)2. There are high surcharges on international calls from hotels; it is cheaper to phone long-distance from the 24-hour Post, Telephone and Telegraph (PTT) offices that are available in the major cities. For international directory phone enquiries dial 120. The local mobile phone operators use GSM 900 networks and have roaming agreements with all major operators. Internet cafes are available in the main tourist areas.
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Tipping is known as "baksheesh" and some small change is expected for most services, though small change can be hard to come by. "Baksheesh" can be a useful practice in order to gain entry to seemingly inaccessible places, or for extra services - a small tip can open doors, literally. A service charge is added to mostrestaurant and hotel bills but a 5 percent tip is normally given directly to the waiter. Taxi drivers are tipped about 10 percent.
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There is a significant threat from terrorism in Egypt. Red Sea resorts on the Sinai Peninsula in particular have been targeted, most recently in April 2006. Security forces persist with their counter-terrorist operations on the Sinai Peninsula, and police continue to provide armed escorts for travelers in certain areas.
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There are a number of health risks associated with travel to Egypt and travelers should check that their inoculations are up-to-date before leaving. Typhoid, Hepatitis A and polio immunization is recommended. Come prepared to beat the heat with a high factor sunblock, and drink plenty of water to combat dehydration. Drinking water in the main cities and towns is normally chlorinated but it is advisable to only drink bottled water. Traveler's diarrhea is the most common form of illness for travelers; visitors should only eat thoroughly cooked food andfruits they have peeled themselves. The waters of the Nile are contaminated and should not be consumed or bathed in. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travelers over one year of age coming from infected areas. Medical treatment can be expensive and standards vary so insurance is strongly advised,including evacuation. Medical facilities outside of Cairo can be very basic. Cases of bird flu have been reported, and human fatalities have resulted, and although the risk is low for travelers, all close contact with caged, domestic and wild birds should be avoided, and all poultry and egg dishes well cooked as a precaution.
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Electrical current is 220 volts, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs are standard.
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