Originally Posted by mjcasta
Is EgyptAir the only show in town these days??
Thanks as219 for the wonderful post!
I have a res for the Hyatt; but, the Luna Hostel has started to look atractive. The $$$$ savings could easily be applied to Luxor flights
My youngest and I have stayed in many hostels and quite a few fine hotels. At 8 she is quite adapted to the variety. I am sure to book private rooms w/shower though. Except for Iceland and that plce was just a blast.
After all, there is plenty of time to sleep on the 15 hour flight home or on the train back from Luxor
There used to be an airline called "ZAS Air" or something like that... But no more. EgyptAir is the only provider of Cairo-Luxor-Aswan-Abu Simbel service (European charters go there, but directly from Europe only).
About hostels: Seriously, have you ever stayed in a cheap hostel in a developing world megacity? If not, you're in for a shock: Cairo hostels - even 1 and 2 star hotels - are nothing, I mean
nothing like what you'd find in Europe. I've been to Iceland, including the hostel in Reykjavik -- trust me, it's a 5-star compared to most of what you'll find in Cairo. Seriously. And keep in mind that many hostels - Luna included - are downtown, in loud surroundings. You'll need earplugs at the very least. Walk into one of the big chains and offer to pay cash, seriously; they'll give you a discount right there. Live for a few days like a Pharoah, because you'll not find such bargains elsewhere (except maybe Bail).
Not sure about
Mikagirl's post, about Luxor in a day, but I can make a suggestion: for about $50, you can hire a decent car for a day throgh Thomas Cook Travel (in the Winter Palace hotel) that will pick you up at your hotel at 5am, bringing you back at the end of the day. With that, and a little pre-planning, you can hit practically all the temples and tombs in the Valley of the Kings (and Queens) you want to see (don't forget the Tombs of the Nobles -- fantastic!). You can do cheaper by haggling directly with a cabbie, but
trust me, if your time is limited, you want reliable and no hassles. I'd think a $30 premium to get the most our of your day in Luxor is worth at least that money...
Snoopy's suggestions about Saqqara (Egyptians pronounce this "Sa-AH-rah") vs. the Great Pyramids are well taken, and yet... There's a reason everyone goes to Giza over Saqqara -- the latter takes a day to visit by car, and is off the beaten track. Totally worth it,
after you see the mamma pyramids. Worth the trip, but not at the expense of the Tut treasures in the Egypt museum, Islamic Cairo and Giza (don't forget lunch at the Mena House!). Sadly, Snoopy is right about the hordes that go there: You really can't believe anything anyone says out there -- they are not your friends, they want your money. But if you can ignore them, the best tourist trap on the planet is yours!