Yes and no. Yes if don't intend travelling you won't require a visa. Prior to landing you will be given an immigration card which you just write "Sinai Only" on the back and sign it. But you still have to queue with the masses to get through immigration/ passport control. That may or may not be a lengthy queue depending on when you fly. I am led to believe it's getting better as the operators are staggering the days and flights better.

Hi, the above info is correct, BUT we did hear of some flights where they didn't give out landing cards (may have ran out???). So if you don't get them ON your flight you must pick one up as soon as you get in the arrival hall and fill it in. Some people were in the Passport control queue without a completed card and were sent back!
Don't forget you need to complete another card on your departure home, they are available in the Departure hall or at the check-in desk, you need to hand it in at Passport control AFTER you've checked-in, NOT at the desk itself.
This all sounds a right faff but it is quite simple if your prepared for it AND have a pen handy (you need to complete one card per passport).

Ray.

Gosh, I'm glad I've now read this, it sounds a bit of a nightmare. Toliets, immigration cards and unhelpful airport staff. Are they really that bad!!

you'll love sharm i'm sure .but at least now you have all the info you need
we travelled in feb and we got the card on the plane and wrote 'sinai only'
on the back and handed it in with our passports on arrival- no problem
and did'nt pay the visa.
coming home you get given a card by checkin staff to complete then hand in as you leave again no hassle.

the main problem is the chaos at the airport with lots of different flights
departing and back in feb only 1 xray machine, i would advise people if
this is still the case to be very aware of there flight being called, we travelled in feb half term so it may have been busier than normal. we
went through to duty free area had a quick look around then joined the large queue going through to dept gates even though we had loads of time
but at least we got through in plenty of time for our flight , other people
were really stressed and it was mad seeing a huge scrum of people all trying toget through one machine, with not much organisation. it was definately better to be on the right side of the chaos!

Hi All, Good news I hope for all you folks going to Sharm....... when we returned home last Thursday (19/05) there were THREE X-Ray scanning machines operating at the entrance to the Departure Hall and there were only short queues. Mind you, we checked-in early for our flight back to Newcastle, via taxi transfer, so we beat the rush when the coaches arrived.
Departure/Duty free area was still packed (we did get two seats!) as there were two flights delayed (Gatwick by 5.5 hours!!!).
Overall, we did not find Sharm airport that bad, as we were well prepared for it due entirely to info and tips gathered from HT posts
Ray.

if there is no loo,s were do the staff piss.

hi jc bill is that Jim there its tina? the staff have probably got there own loos out back somewhere , Go to subject on visa,s for info on these for Amanda and Brian.

After reading many bad things about Sharm airport i was dreading it, however it was fine. We got through the scanners nice and quickly and checked in within 5 minutes. Passport control was a doddle and i think the food at the airport was yummy. The only thing i hated was the sleezey toilets, they were foul. I would advising taking toilet paper with you from your hotel room as we had to pay for 2 squares of the stuff!! As for the rest of the airport it was fine and so were the staff.

Surely the airport in Sharm isnt any worse than Luxor aiport [can only describe it as large tent]. You had to have your cases xrayed before you enetered the airport when going home, the queue was outside! Thing is, you are only there for a shortish time... dont let this worry you or spoil your holiday, its just another culture experience! And lets face it, there are more places than Egyptian airports that dont have toilet paper - even in Morrisons recently, where the toilets are suppose to be serviced regularly during the day, there wasnt any in any of the cubicles... food for thought

I nearly booked a holiday tonight but for problems with the phone but i'm starting to get a bit stresed out just thinking about the airport is it that bad and if it is does anyone think that it is all worth it.
Stephen

Stephen01

If you are just worried about an airpot I would stay in Britain.

I'm not just worried about the airport I am worried about other aspects of the holiday to but as my eldrly mother and young son will be traveling with us, one of them with a medical condition and the other gets stressed out easy then it would be nice to have as little problems as possible and since the airport is the first place in egypt we will see I dont want to get off to a bad start.I hope this awnsers you'r question.
Stephen.

Luxor airport was fairly manic, but I would suggest you take one of these little canvas stools which fold up to a small bag which you can sling over your shoulder for your mother. The queues were quite long for getting through passport/visa control and after a long flight people were getting a tad irritable. I have heard other posts where people have had no probelms at all, I suppose at the end of the day its down to 'the day' itself. Dont let this put you off going to Egypt - its a magical place.

Thank you LD although we are still trying to make up our mind the stool would be a good idea.
Stephen.

Hi all

Only 2 days to go until i go to Sharm - i cant wait!

2 questions about the airport:
Are the ladies toilets useable or are they disgusting and smelly? Knowing me I'll be dying to go when i get off the plane!
Can you use a credit card to purchase duty free?

Many thanks

I would definately make sure you go half an hour before landing!!!

I was just wondering if anybody knew whether flights were now landing at diffent times to avoide mass queues at passport etc??

I heard that agents were trying to do this and I've looked for Sharm airport arrivalls on the web but could not find anything.

Cheers!!

Really? Are they that bad?

I thought they had revamped the airport and it was all nice and new now? Oh well, thanks for the tip!!!

Hi Dynan

Unsure wheather thats what theyre trying to do but my flight times changed from 13.45pm to 12.00pm on the Thursday flight which was supposed to be the busiest day so possibly thats why. I have read on recent reports that Thursdays are not as caotic anymore thank goodness.
Maybe theyve changed the flight times as you say so not to coincide with other flight arrivals hence lesser delays.

Debs