Well for your transfers all you need to do is grab your cases and follow the flow of passengers out of the baggage claim hall. Once through you will see lots of representatives just look for one holding a first choice board and they will point you in the direction of your transfer coach that will take you to your hotel.

Regarding trips, the next morning your hotel rep will hold a welcome meeting in your hotel and tell you all about the trips they offer. You can either book trough them , or if not their will probably be local company's based in your hotel offering the same excursions at a cheaper price. Though it is sometimes safer to book with your rep.

Hi and welcome to HT!

First of all, relax! There are people on here who go to Egypt every year and they wouldn't do that if it was as bad as you have been hearing.

Re transfers, have you booked them separately yourselves or are they included in your package? If you have booked them direct then there should be instructions on your confirmation. If it is a package, once you have collected your luggage and cleared Customs, follow the crowd to the exit of Arrivals. Just look for someone with a sign or clipboard with First Choice on it. They will check your names on their list and tell you which coach number you are on and where to find it.

Re quad biking, check you travel insurance policy or ring the insurer to make sure that hazardous activities are covered. You can sometimes get them covered by paying an additional premium, but don't risk going on them if you are not insured.

Likewise the DSLR camera, check the single article limit on your travel insurance policy. Most are only up to £250. If your travel insurance doesn't provide enough cover, consider adding it to your home contents insurance under personal possessions, but again check the limit. Some companies will allow you to add a single item rather than pay a higher premium to cover all your personal possessions away from home.

I'm sure others will be along shortly with further advice for you.

Hope you have a great holiday and please come back and let us know how it went.

luci

Hi, welcome to HT

I will try and give a bit of help.

I'm just nervous about when we arrive in Egypt - where do we go? We've already paid for our transfers to the hotel, but I have no idea how we get the transfer?

Ok, firstly unless you want to go and visit the Pyramids in Cairo or go to Luxor you don't require a Visa so don't be persuaded to join the FC (First Choice) / TUI queue to obtain one as you enter the airport, on the entry card you will be given on the plane just write on it somewhere 'Sinai Only'
If you are intending to go on excursions to the Pyaramids or Luxor you will require one, take a look at this topic http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/forum/visa-please-post-here-queries-for-sharm-sinai-t189-280.html

That is the Visa sorted so lets look at the airport part

You are taken by bus from the plane to the airport and when you enter the airport you will see the small Visa / bank booths on your left and also your tour company trying to sell you a Visa just as you enter, again I must stress you don't need one so ignore them and head over to the immigration / passport checks which are located on your right.

Have your completed entry landing card which you were given on the plane and you wrote Sinai Only on and your passport ready and just go through the passport control booths with them both together.

Once through passport control check on the screens which carousel your lugguage is on and go and collect it, then head out in to the arrivals hall and look for the First Choice / Thomson stand or reps with placards, they will then direct you to your coach, don't let the porters grab your lugguage as they will look for a tip, just say 'La Shukran' and go to the coach that you were directed to, the driver will put your lugguage on and you then just get on the bus, a rep will come on the bus and give you instructions and take you to your hotel, it is really simple and nothing to worry about

Lets deal with the excursions next

You are not obliged to book excursions through your holiday company (FC) and you will find that they are considerably more expensive than buying them from an outside agency in Sharm, having said that many people prefer to pay the extra for peace of mind.

You have some other options when it comes to booking, your hotel will also have excursions available, they are bookable via either a dedicated desk or from the reception area, these are usually slightly more expensive than booking them in Sharm but cheaper than your tour company.

Or there are many places to book them in Sharm at Naama Bay, look out for booths with excursions available, these are the cheapest method and are to be honest just as good as your reps excursions.

On a personal note for excursions I can recommend booking via them through the shop up at Oonas Dive Club & Hotel which is at the far end of the promenade that leads from Naama Bay out towards the Sonesta Beach Hotel http://www.oonasdiveclub.com/
We use them for every excursion and they have never let us down and always well priced, we used them for Quad biking which was excellent.

Our excursion topic might be of help http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/forum/excursions-from-sharm-sharks-bay-naama-bay-etc-etc-t10154.html

Finally

I really want to go quad biking, and want to take my DSLR camera (which I have in a back pack) but I don't want to go on the excursion and them tell me I can't take it and then for it to get pinched, because it's very expensive. Is this likely that they will tell me I can't take it? Everyone I know has said that they will thieve off of you and it's making me regret booking Egypt. But I want nice hot weather and have always wanted to go

Oh yes, I have heard all these stories and they are nothing more than stories, I have taken my Camera (again not cheap) with me all over Egypt and not once have I had a problem nor felt threatened in any way, I have taken it on every excursion and gone in to many areas that are not touristy in Sharm, Luxor, Cairo, Aswan, Dandara etc
Please don't listen to such stories, use a bit of common sense the same as you would back home however the Egyptians are not thieves and they will not steal your camera and you will be free to take your camera with you no problem.
Make sure it is well padded as it can be rough on the quad bikes and it is VERY dusty.

Don't worry about going to Egypt, yes it is a bit different from Spain and the Egyptians do try to get you in to their shops however just accept is as part of the Egyptian culture and remember just be firm and say no thanks 'La Shukran' if you don't want to go in.

Have a great time and if you have any more questions just ask

Graham

As has been mentioned before it is always a shame and to be honest annoying and rather rude when you have new members joining and asking a question to which other members spend their time and provide several helpful replies, you know they come back on to HT and see the replies given yet never respond with as much as a single acknowledgement let alone a thank you then just disappear

Right I feel better now rant over

If its any consolation Kiltman your advice has made me want to try Egypt lol... Seriously though I can appreciate how frustrating it is but there's loads of browsers out there and I know that the advice they pick on here can be invaluable so keep up the good work!

Just got here and already for the site helpful. Just booked for Sharm with first choice in October

Egypt been 6/7 times in last 2/3 years and hooked !, alot of choice can't recommend it enough, sharks bay i prefer.

Naama bay - is like ibiza/blackpool at night but worth a visit just as a one off , some nice hotels round this area too.

Overall I am converted to egypt and it's far better than your usual - spain, canaries, greece etc. etc, excellent value for money, excellent service, short transfer from hotel, and the fllights are not too long.

went on my honeymoon also last year with just wife, and been as a family aswell.

as ive never been to spain I cnt compare it, but I have been to Egypt 5 times I love it, just go enjoy it and don't get to stressed out bout it, come back and tell us what you thought of it

Thank you for the visa and airport information said in understandable terms and in depth Kiltman.I haven't been to Egypt for 8 years now and I thought Sharm airport was the worst part of the holiday back then.I'm confident after reading your comments that as we are not leaving Sinai we can go through pretty quickly instead of standing in the visa queue for an hour.

oh I hated them visa queues.
hazel are you goin to Egypt soon? we head there on the 12th may for 2 weeks cnt wait.

We go the day after you Tammy for 2 weeks staying at Tropicana Azure Club.

really that's brill we are booked in to the soviva is that far from your hotel? we have been there before and love it.

I am sure you will enjoy Egypt, we were up at the Tropicana Azure Club for a New Year party, it was dark when we arrived but it looked nice from what we could see.

It is located about 20 minutes or so by coach from the the centre of Naama Bay, there looked to be quite a lot of shops and places to eat around about it.

The reps at the airport are stilling trying to send you to the Visa booths by shouting 'Thomson / First Choice This Way' and pointing you over, ignore them and go to your right as you enter and breeze through passport control.

One wee point, keep your passport open at the entry stamp as there is a further check by a man on a seat just at the back of the booths.

Have a great time

I have no idea tammie but I shall have a little google and have a look.No doubt you will be as excited as I am already!

Thanks again Kiltman for the information,I shall be taking notes nearer the time so I don't forget your tips

oh I cnt wait, am counting down the Saturdays as it is lol. as we are flyin in to brumm on the 11th goin to visit hubbies sister, for a few hours take her and her fella out for a meal. then get freshened up to go to airport for our flight on sun morning .

Tammie IPresume you mean the Savita? the Soviva is in Tunisia

The 2 hotels are located in different areas, the Savita is located in White Knights Bay (next to Shark's Bay) very close to the airport, The Tropicana Azure Club is located up at Nabq.

Zoom in and scroll up on this to locate your hotels http://wikimapia.org/#lat=27.9577138&lon=34.3528748&z=12&l=0&m=b

Miles away but no doubt just as nice as each other.Thank you once again Kiltman!
I was thinking about doing the glass bottomed boat but the jetty is that long at the beach near us I think we will see a good number of fish anyway.
Trying to encourage the other half to go for the stargazing excursion too,bit of peace for me for a few hours too!

Hi we are going to Sharm on March 2nd staying at The Hilton Dreams for the 1st week and Shores Amphoras
for the 2nd week,are there lots of taxi,s available at the airport on arrival or should we book through the hotel?
there are 4 of us travelling [all adults]
Also what kind of weather can we expect day/evening ? will we need jackets?
Thanks Ann

My friends have just gone to Sharm today but they only have European insurance.
My insurance company is Staysure and they no longer include Egypt in their European policy.
Can anyone tell me if Worldwide is essential for Sharm and Hurghada..