Currency
We will be traveling to Egypt soon. Did you have their local currency on hand or did you use USD? I have read different articles but wanted to hear what your experience was.
Thank you.
Jan
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We will be traveling to Egypt soon. Did you have their local currency on hand or did you use USD? I have read different articles but wanted to hear what your experience was.
Thank you.
Jan
Comments
I used Jordanian dinars (that I purchased in the US, though you could get from an ATM if you're comfortable waiting till you get there) or MasterCard for purchases, and Amex for my hotel incidental charges.
We were on the Israel Jordan tour. The bus stopped at a tourist trap place on the way to Jordan where you could use a credit card. There was a gift shop at the entrance to Petra where Tauck allowed us a gift such as a scarf. We bought a few other things with credit cards. I don’t recall going anywhere else on our tour.
Sorry not been to Egypt but suspect they would take dollars, euros and pounds. Well maybe not dollars right now as their value is sinking pretty fast.
We’re on this tour right now. We’ve used US dollars for every small purchase in Jordan. Virtually everyone outside the hotels will take US. The hotels will take credit cards. We’ve been cautioned NOT to use credit cards outside the hotels. We’re off to Egypt tomorrow. In previous trips there I’ve found the same acceptance of US currency. Rather than get Jordanian Dinar or Egyptian pounds, having a bunch of US 1’s and 5’s has worked for us.
When we did J&E a few years ago, USD or plastic was accepted 'almost' everywhere.
However, when we took a private side trip to see the unfinished obelisk upon arrival in Aswan and did a guided post tour all day trip to see and enter the Meidom and Saqqara pyramids we used some EGP. In Aswan we used EGP to pay the guide, the admission fee at the quarry and the taxi driver (our Tauck local Guide/TD arranged for the taxi and negotiated the fare before we left the hotel. There was an ATM at the hotel gate house)
Our private guide wanted USD only but suggested we take a few EGP to tip the pyramid minders.(we didn't tip any minders when we were with Tauck).
When we went to Egypt, the tour company guides gave us a small amount of Egyptian pounds to use for tips. I don't remember geting or needing any more.
Mike