tigerlily

I am trying to create a 15 day/14 night itinerary for Libya/Egypt in Oct 2005.I would like some feedback regarding the amount of time spent in each place.Too many or not enough days? Arrive in Tripoli-3 nights,Benghazi-2 nights,Cairo-1 night,Fayoum Oasis-1 night,Luxor-3 nights nile cruise to Aswan, fly Aswan to Alexandria, 3 nights in Alexandria, Cairo-1 night.I chose most of these cities for the Roman/Greek/Egyptian ruins.Thank you.

thit_cho

I would think three days in Alexandria is too much, but then again, I didn't focus on ruins. I found it very depressing. I remember dead dogs along the corniche and puddles throughout the Cecil Hotel, where I stayed. I had a business meeting an hour or so away and extended my stay to visit Alexandria, but its a lot less interesting than Cairo. I was there before they rebuilt the library, which I would like to visit.

Cairo -- two days -- NOT nearly enough time

tigerlily

Thanks for the info on Alexandria,maybe I will cut it to 2 days and spend an extra day in Cairo.
Much appreciated.

Sherif

I cannot really comment on the Libya leg of your trip, since I have never been there and I am not sure what could be interest to visit it.

With regards to Egypt:
1. If you will be in Benghazi flying to Cairo then it is OK, many people go by road (buses etc..) from there to Alexandria. Hence, if you choose road transportation then start by Alexandria. Similarly, you can take the bus till the town of Marsa Matruh (relatively close to the border with Libya) and then reach Alexandria by train. I do not think highly of the quality of that train though.
2. Whowever I or you highly regard Alexandria, it is not fair to allocate it more time than Cairo. One full day in Alexandria should be OK (or stay overnight to get a better feel for the place.
3. I am surprised at the previous comment on Alexandria... I go there several times a year (I live in Cairo), it is much cleaner than Cairo. October is one of the nicest months to visit Alexandria.
4. Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor (as opposed to the other direction) will save you a day of Nile cruising, since you are going with the flow of the Nile (south to north).
5. You may wish to allocate a day in Aswan to see the place, and an additional day if you elect to go to Abu Simbel (reachable by plane from Aswan, via a long and hectic bus convoy or by sailing in Lake Nasser).
6. If Alexandria will not be your first stop in Egypt, then do it as a side trip from Cairo. You will not need to fly from Cairo to Alexandria since it is only 220 km away. Trains reach it in a little over two hours, and there are regular air conditioned buses that make the trip from central Cairo in 3 hours. The cost of the train or bus is around USD 5.5 each way.

tigerlily

Thanks Sherif, I will change my plans for Alexandria to stay maybe 1 night and take the cruise from Aswan to Luxor and not the other way around.
Appreciate your comments, very helpful.

welltraveledbrit

I can't believr you stayed at the Cecil!

In the early 80's my parents lived in Alex and the Cecil was still one of the better places to stay, sometimes we would go for tea! However it was very rundown and even 25 year ago the place was a timewarp!

My grandfather had been at El Alemein during the war and he remembered the Cecil fondly as one of the few places officers could good get a hot bath when they came in from the desert! When he visited my parents in 82 he said it didn't look as if it had change in the 40 years in between!

I love Alexandria but in Cairo just has so much more for a visitor.

Sherif

I was surprized to read the negative comments about the Cecil Hotel... it had its share of 'bad days and management' however for a few years now it has been OK... have not been to the rooms, but the lobby was as you would expect.

It was the "Grand Hotel" of Alexandria together with San Stefano (which has not been demolished). The Cecil, being in central Alexandria, overseeing the see could get noisy... so unless you are sentimentally attached to the place, or really want to be centrally located visitors prefer other places now (such as Sheraton Montaza overlooking the sea but at the far eastern end of town)