Going to be in Alexendria, Egypt for 2 days as part of our cruise on Celebrity Equinox 8/18/09? We def want to go to Cairo. Any suggestions on what kind of tour to book and with who? Also, I know its Ramadan, does anyone know how that will affect us?

Ramadan will not affect you at all for the time you will be there.

Because you are in Alexandria and going to Cairo , I would book the ship cruise tour ...just to be safe that you get there and back okay.

Otherwise it is a 2.5 hour train ride to Cairo and then you would have to taxi over to the Pyramids.

I usually do not recommend ship tour cruise but in this case...you should do it.

The first time I was in Egypt I went with the ship tour. On the return we got caught in the traffic jam from hell and we got back to the ship several hours later than expected. If we had been on our own the ship would not have waited for us. But when you are with a tour organized by the ship they will indeed wait so we never had to worry about being left behind.

As Percy stated other ports might be doable on your own, but in this case go with the ship.

Another vote for the added expense of booking with cruiseline for Cairo. You have never experienced traffic until you see Cairo where all traffic signs and road markings seem to be for decorative purposes only and all vehicles seem to be over 15 years olf - too much room for something to happen. Also, like much of the world, it seems to run on its own clock with different definitions of "on-time" than I am familiar with.

Downside of cruise arranged tour is that it may be somewhat more expensive and there will likely be an "optional" shopping stop - but the tradeoff is reliability. And we found everyone in Cairo (cab drivers, strangers on the street when asked for directions) wants to show you their "uncles perfume shop" anyway.

Have a good trip - Egypt is still our favorite trip.

I'm going to give a different view. Since you are going to be in Alexandria overnight, then I think you might enjoy the train trip more. The trains are pretty good and quick, and you avoid some of the traffic. Arrange your own private tour for Cairo, and you'll be able to see a bit more without being dragged along in a big group. Check out Casual Cairo Detours (www.casualcairodetours.pyramids.net). The owner is a frequent poster on Egypt in our Middle East forum. She can arrange a guide to meet you at the train station and tour the city. Be aware that this won't be a lot cheaper than the ship tour, but it will be much more attuned to your own interests.

And don't neglect Alexandria. It's a great place to explore and has some interesting ruins of its own.

well I have to agree with Doug.

You are in Alexandria for 2 days.

On the second day you can do Alexandria..lots to see there.

If you do go to Cairo ( do it on your FIRST day)on your own via the train...the train comes into Cairo at the Ramses II Station.

You could have the lady from Casual Caairo Tours meet you there.

here name is Debbie

her e-mail is:

[email protected]

With Debbie you will save a lot of time in getting from point A to point B

Good Luck . Say Hi to Debbie for me. She knows me well

However if you are apprehensive about taking the train to Cairo....

then bite the bullet and do the ship cruise tour .

But if you book Debbie she WILL be there waiting for you.

Last august we did Nile Blue Tours with Hazem Abbas- actually, it was his wife with us, as well as a licensed tour guide and a driver. We over-nighted in Cairo. they were fabulous. We shared the tour with two other couples. Not only was it a good tour, it was a very interesting cultural exchange. Hazem's wife learned English by watching US horror movies, which she loves. They negotiated traffic great, made great use of our time. The people who were with the cruise line complained of the long bus rides back and forth, and felt they spent most of their time on the bus. The ship didn't offer an overnight tour (we were on Oceania), but we told them we were spending the night in Cairo and it wasn't a problem. I would recommend staying in whatever they claim is the 'nicest' hotel. A four star hotel in Egypt is probably a 2-star here. It's www.nilebluetours.com.

I have to respectfully disagree with PMJ when she says:

" A four star hotel in Egypt is probably a 2-star here."

The Marriott is a 4 star hotel and it IS all of that.

The Hyatt Regency at the tip of Rhoda Island down town is listed as 5 star and it IS 5 star.!!

Hi PMJ I do not mean to be disrespectful

Now ,I can say that the price of a room in these hotels is much cheaper than a similar hotel in the USA.

When I was at the Marriott I got an Executive Suit( they up graded me..how lucky ) with a full lovely Nile view and wall to wall windows...cost was $ 120.00 per night ( I could not believe it.) A Best Western in the USA costs me more than that !!

Nothing wrong with the Best Western ..I am only making a price comparison.

If you are going to spend the night in Cairo, then the only place you want to stay is the Mena House. Nothing beats sitting in the bar and looking at the pyrmids. The history is so interesting too. We loved it! A fantastic memory!