Money and prices in Egypt
The monetary unit is the Egyptian pound (1 EGP = 100 piastrów), which is not a freely convertible currency outside Egypt. In most tourist destinations, prices are quoted in both Egyptian pounds, as well as dollars or euros. 1 EGP to 0,40 PLN, 1 PLN it 2,44 EGP; 1 EGP to 0,12, 1 to 8,29 EGP (June 2008 r.). Banknote denominations: 10, 25 i 50 piastrów, 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 i 100 EGP; coin denominations: 5,10, 25 i 50 piastrów. Banknotes 50 piastres and 50 EGP are very similar.
Egyptians are always happy to accept dollars and euros, but it's good to have a few small Egyptian pounds for bakshish with you. VISA payment cards are accepted in better hotels and restaurants, MasterCard czy American Express. ATMs are few and far between, but of course in larger holiday resorts or Cairo there will be no major problem with them.
Cashless payment methods
Traveller's checks are a safe form of transporting money, although a large commission is charged when replacing them. Most of the restaurants, all major credit cards are accepted by hotels and shops. Some small shops charge a commission for paying by card for a small amount, what the notice at the checkout informs about.
If checks are stolen, report this to a bank branch in Egypt, a po 24 will be refunded.
Banks and currency exchange
It doesn't really make sense to look for another bank, when one was found, because the differences in exchange rates between individual institutions are small. Most Egyptian banks serve customers Mon-Thu. 8.30-14.00, a w ramadanie 9.30-13.30. Some (very rarely) they are open on Saturdays and Sundays (10.00-12.00). There are 24/7 outlets at Cairo Airport (at night can happen, Egyptian cash is lacking) and at the Israeli-Egyptian crossings. Better to avoid people, that propose illegal exchange of money: they are often scammers or plainclothes policemen. If you pay in euros, Good to remember, that the Egyptians did not want to accept coins, because they will not exchange them at banks.
Bank exchange receipts must be kept, because they can be useful, even when no major purchase is planned. The procedure for converting pounds into dollars or euros is extremely time-consuming (and not all money can be converted back), so it is better to think about the conversion amount to Egyptian pounds before the end of your stay (are not accepted at the duty free shops at Cairo Airport).
Prices and cost of stay
Compared to European standards, Egypt is still relatively cheap. If someone settles for the cheapest hotels (you can rent a room too 2 $), a diet consisting of full and thyme and will be limited to one monument a day, enough for him 15 $. Cairo, on the other hand, has plenty of accommodation, where you have to pay for the room 100 $, and better quality restaurants, which will reduce your wallet with some 20 $. If someone rents a room with ventilation and a separate bathroom in a modest hotel, he eats in ordinary restaurants, occasionally allowing myself a little madness, and has the ambition to visit several places a day, must take into account the expenses oscillating between 20 a 30 $.
Traveling around the country is cheap: 10-an hour-long train journey in a second-class car between Cairo and Luxor costs less than 10 $. The most serious expense is the entrance fees to the monuments, because foreigners are treated like walking wallets, so the places they visit are usually expensive.
For a year now, admission prices have skyrocketed. Tam, where the tickets cost 15 EGP, usually you pay at least £ 10 EGP more.
Visiting the pyramids complex (with two entrances to the interior) will cost over 23 EGP, and if you want to see the mummies in the Egyptian Museum, you will have to slip out 100 EGP. Discounts for students are sporadic, but you have to ask for them. In hotels and restaurants, a 12% service fee is added, plus 5 or 7% VAT. In other words, price, which you see on your hotel bill or restaurant menu, it can increase by as much as 20%.