The only one I can help with is the mobile use....and the answer is Yes, it is expensive. When Deanne came on holiday with us last time to Sharm, she was playing me and her dad off by asking each one of us seperately if she could borrow our phone to ring or text her boyfriend..one call was timed at 7 seconds and it cost me £7.50! When our bill came, in one week she had racked us up a bill of almost £400..it would have been cheaper to take him on bloody holiday with us!! She was ringing him oncea day and texting him once a day. Her credit on her own phone lasted less than 24 hours..and she had £20. That was with Orange..but it switches over to whatever the local network is.
Maybe he would be able to negotiate something with his network provider before he goes.

Sorry couldnt help more Michelle.

Thanks Val

That was most helpful, i actually found out myself about the money transactions. If the person in Egypt goes into a bank or travel agency that displays the Western Union sign in the window, you walk in hand over the cash, they send to another western union place where you live in the UK. In my friends case it would be co-operative travel agents.

He sends the advice note number to his mum, who in turn goes to co-op, hands over the number with her passport and hey presto gets the money from him.

It is a much cheaper option than paying surcharges in a bank.

Michelle x