We used Protours for a day trip to Luxor - they also go to Cairo. although based in El gouna I'm certain they could arrange something from Hurghada although I have no idea about how the price would compare. http://www.protourstravel.com/index.htm

Children were at the time 9 & 10. It was a VERY long day. Left at 4.45 and got back at midnight but they loved it and would do it again (take pillows for the bus though!). We had a minor RTA in the convoy across to Luxor and arrived late - but still managed a whistlestop tour of Karnak, lunch at the St George in Luxor on the Nile which was a real surprise! Colossus of Memnon, Valley of the Kings (3 tombs) and the ubiquitous alabaster factory.

Next time would probably opt for an overnight stay in Luxor.

Hi
We travelled from Hurghada by coach to Luxor. Like TAH-M woud agree it is a long day, especially if you have children. As we had booked with Direct holidays arranged tour through their rep. If you book a tour independently it would be a good idea to check which language the tour would be in - you don't want to have to listen to everything in German or Russian first! Most guides are trained Egyptologists.

Another tip - Luxor is much hotter than Hurghada even at that time of year.. Make sure you put sun block on before you leave the bus as you won't have time once you have left it - I speak from experience as it was the only time I got sunburn! A sun hat and water for the children would be good too!

Despite the long journey the trip was definately worthwhile and if money is not a concern flying wouyld be even better.

Thank you TAH-M and Caro for your very helpful replies. What time were you picked up and dropped back Caro? The websites I have viewed seem to suggest 6am which sounds more sociable. Is the journey about 4 hours each way or have I got that wrong? Thanks again.

Sorry can't remember exact time we were picked up but it was very early! The restaurant (at Grand Resort) opened early for the trippers and we were given a bottle of water each and a box to fill with food to keep us going! Hotel was happy for us to take their pillows! You are right in thinking the journey is about 4 hours.

When are you travelling? I shall be back in Hurghada 16th -23rd Feb and could find out when the My Travel party leaves but of course your start time would depend on the tour company and hotel.

Hope you enjoy your trip!
Caro

Thanks Caro. We travel on the 17th Feb for a week! Are you staying at the Grand Resort again and were you there February last year? If so how was the weather/temperatures? Pillows are an excellent idea Did you take any other trips or tours on your last visit?

Hi Ermintrude
Stayed at Grand Resort in March 2005 and March 2006 with a friend and with my 16 year old daughter at The Grand (across the road) in June 2006. This time I'm taking her back to the Grand for a half term break.

The weather at the beginning of March was good but windy. Last March there had been a sand storm apparently just before we arrived which lasted a few days (according to the rep). Have you looked at http://www.wunderground.com ? If you look at the history section you can pull up the daily temperatures for any month eg Feb 2006 to give you an idea of temps. It gets dark very early but we found the evening temperatures ok in March, but having read forum will take something warmer to wear in evening just in case!

The only other trips we did through the tour operator were snorkelling boat trips which I would thoroughly recommend as there is no house reef at the Grand. We hired the hotel limo to go to El Gouna for the day and also to visit the sister hotel, Grand Makadi..

Have you been to Hurghada before and if you booked through MedHotels whereabouts are you staying? Hope you got a better deal than we did - we ended up paying much more than usual as it is half term and only booked last Friday but it still represents good value for money!
Regards, Caro

Hi Caro. Wow you obviously like Hurghada - or perhaps it's The Grand you like?! I only booked last week too. It seemed to take me ages to find something - Egypt wasn't my only choice but not too many places are warm enough in February. I looked at Dubai and the Gulf Coast Florida too but half term prices are just outrageous. I also had to find a saturday or sunday flight as I can't take my older son out of school.
We haven't been to Hurghada before but have been to Sharm (LTI Grand Azure) August 2005. It was too hot to attempt/enjoy a Luxor or Cairo trip so we did say we would return to Egypt one day. We are lucky enough to travel quite frequently and very rarely return to somewhere we have been before so I thought we would try Hurghada this time. We are staying at the Titanic because of the water park. It's also incredibly cheap (£330 AI for the four of us in a family room for a week) - unlike the flights which I booked with BA (£1,220) as all or most of the charter flights are a friday departure. It's not a particularly generous AI deal but even so ...
We may take a boat/snorkeling trip or desert safari - will research a little more when I have some time. Is el Gouna worth a visit? Hurghada town doesn't seem to be rated highly according to a number of reviews I have read!
Thanks again for your insight.

There are several reasons why I like the Grand and the Grand Resort -food and service good and have never had any stomach problems there (hope that last comment doesn't tempt fate!). Also the position - entertainment, pharmacy, bars and restaurants straight outside the hotel and the Hard Rock Cafe is just a few minutes walk away. You can take a bus into downtown Hurghada for just 10p for the 20 minute ride. Unlike Sharm, Hurghada is not particularly glitzy and clientele mainly German or Russian. I have visited Sharm, staying at the Hilton Sharks Bay and hope to again. I had been planning a trip to Iberotel Palace this March but unfortunately my friend can no longer make it - then my daughter asked to go back for half term. How could I say no.....?any excuse for a holiday!!!!

Forgot to mention the desert jeep safari my daughter went on - I didn't go as I have a bad back. Its not for the feint hearted or the unfit (you run up and down sand dunes!) and the dvd sold of the trip is a rip off but she had a fabulous time.

Thanks Caro. I hope you enjoy the Grand Resort just as much this year! We have done a desert safari before in Dubai where the sand dunes are awesome. This sounds similar but I am hoping that it doesn't turn out to be disappointing in the light of the amazing experience we had wadi bashing in Dubai. I loved the camel riding there so I am keen to do this desert safari too. Have fun

Hi, we did the Luxor trip by coach from Hurghada last year. It's a trip not to be missed, although a very hot and tiring day (we went in July). We booked through our tour operators, Medhotels, which I would highly recommend doing as we nearly made the mistake of booking from another source which, although we were given a good price, there were several safety issues that were raised by our hotel manager. Make sure that you travel with the police escorted convoy,(the cheaper trip did not do this!). We also had an armed guard on our coach, armed and ready to defend. Our tour guide advised us that this is common policy with all english and american coaches. It is an incredible trip and our photos hold cherished memories, well worth paying a little extra for safety though!

Enjoy!

hi again Caro, TAH-M and bellys,
I understand that the coach convoys can number 100 - 200 coaches On a practical note how does this work when the coaches stop a couple of times en route for a refreshment/toilet break? That would be one enormous queue for the loo! Similarly do all 100 coach parties descend on the tourist spots at the same time or do the coaches split up when they arrive in Luxor and head to different sights at different times? Do the private car tours join the convoy too? Thanks for your help.
bellys - do you have any idea how much you paid medhotels for your Luxor tour - there's no information on their website.

When we went all the coaches met up at what I could only describe as an overgrown bus park to await the start of the convoy. There was one stop en route - there were a handful of shops, some loos (didn't use them!) and a camel and owner providing photo opportunities for baksheesh.
Fortunately there was a loo on board the coach. Our first stop in Luxor was Karnak Temple. There were many coaches there but I couldn't say whether it was the whole convoy or if others started elsewhere.

They do split up in Luxor - don't forget some are on day trips - some overnight etc.

The loos at Safaga Bus Station where the Hurghada buses join the convoy are the worse I have been to anywhere in the world - unfortunatley we had a minibus and the children needed to use them!!. The refreshement stop mid way didn't seem too bad for some reason - but take your own paper and the anti-bacterial hand gel (the sort that doesn't need water)

Hi Ermintrude, if I remember correctly we paid £45 per adult and £22.50 for under 12's with Medhotels, it might seem a lot, but is well worth the money.
The day we went there were about 90 coaches, but they do split up in Luxor so nowhere was ever overcrowded.

Hi everyone. Thanks again for the advice.

bellys - do you recall whether Medhotels offered an overnight Luxor tour or private car tour rather than coach? I have phoned them but they can't supply any information about their tours until we get to the resort. As we only have a week there, I would prefer to book before we go or at least be sure that I can book what I want when we arrive.

If I do wait until we get to the Titanic to book a Luxor trip (and MedHotels don't offer what we want), are there any tour agents close to the hotel or will we have to catch a taxi into Hurghada?

... not that I'm beginning to panic!