Travelling from Port Said

[Ramizraja]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a way to get into Cairo and Giza independently from Port Said or if its best to go with the Cruise company?

 

Any suggestions would be great! :-)

 

Thanks

[Marie-Claude]

I would certainly not attempt to do this on my own, renting a car. But there are several ways to do this independently by using local operators. Many offer day tours from all the cruise ports in Egypt. You have several options for day tours, or overnights if you cruise ship moves to another port in Egypt like Alexandria.

 

We used Ramses Travel last november for a day tour to Cairo from Alexandria. It was fantastic, and so much cheaper than with the cruise line, and all that for a completely private tour, just the 2 of us.

 

We are going back next November, this time we have a day in Port Said and one in Alexandria, so I have contacted Ramses Travel again and have planned an overnight in Cairo. They pick us up in Port Said, and the next day, will take us to Alexandria.

 

You can find a lot of recommendations for this company on this board - you should definitely contact them to see if they can help you with your specific needs!! info@ramsestours.com

 

MC

[jegoodman]

I used Ramses Tours on my 11/28 Brilliance cruise. From initial dealings to delivery George of Ramses was the best. He customized the tour that I wanted, was half the price of the ship's tour, the guide was wonderful, and everything from start to finish went flawless. We did a one day tour of Cairo and then the next day did a 1 day tour of Alexandria.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to use them again. Also, they don't require money up front which was a HUGE BONUS!!

[maryann ns]

I am another very satisfied Ramses customer. They are very professional and will tailor your tour to your wishes. You pay much less than with ship's tours and get a better tour.

[cruisemom42]

Either a ship's tour or a privately arranged guide are the only realistic options for a one-day port stop. The train from Port Said to Cairo is a local and takes four hours -- not doable.

 

If you read this board you'll find several highly recommended private tour agencies.

[Ramizraja]

Cool, thanks heaps!! I have just emailed them to find out more information. :)

[museumlover]

We are on the same boat with you. We are doing a Ramses tour of the Egyptian museum (with an emphasis on King Tut) and a tour of the Pyramid area. Please contact us if you would like to join us and we will see if our goals match up. Thanks!:):):):)

[4774Papa]

I lived in Saudi Arabia for five years, and traveled to Egypt twice, including a Nile cruise, which was super.

Egypt is not Europe. It is a poor country, rich in history. I had many Egyptian friends, and loved my visit there.

However, I DO NOT recommend that you try to travel on your own in Egypt.

First, it is not entirely safe to do so. Sure, you can fly from Cairo to Luxor, or take the French train down to Luxor, but transport on highways is difficult.

Egyptians drive like their manhood is challenged. Seriously, you don't want to be driving a rental car in Egypt. You want to be in a large bus. If you take a taxi, make sure that it is a reputable firm. When I visited Cairo some years ago, I was checked at the airport as well as my taxi driver by the police (took down my name and hotel and taxi driver's name). I was told that people were being taken to the desert and robbed and women raped.

Also, not a lot of the people there speak English. Sure, around tourist areas, but most people there don't.

Enjoy Egypt, it is great.

[BigGuy25]

We were also very happy with the Ramses tour to Cairo from Port Said.

[chrispb]

We had a day trip tp Cairo with Ramses. Our guide was Osama and he was excellent. We went to the pyramids, the Sphinx and also the Museum. Osama was very knowledgeable about his country and was able to answer any questions we had. We would thoroughly recommend Ramses.

[cruisemom42]

I do not recall the OP specifically asking for recommendations of private tours.....but since others have posted, I will say that I recently toured with Egypt Private Excursions (their website has the same name) and their communication and attention to detail is second to none. They are very reasonably priced compared with ship excursions. My guide was fantastic. I am a huge history buff and not only did she give me thorough information (and spoke English very well), she actually brought more with her to share with me in the car between sites!

 

I enjoyed touring with them so much that I am utilizing them again when I am in Cairo for a day later this month, and I would highly recommend them for anyone looking for an unforgettable visit to Egypt.

[happy trailer]

I do not recall the OP specifically asking for recommendations of private tours.....but since others have posted, I will say that I recently toured with Egypt Private Excursions (their website has the same name) and their communication and attention to detail is second to none. They are very reasonably priced compared with ship excursions. My guide was fantastic. I am a huge history buff and not only did she give me thorough information (and spoke English very well), she actually brought more with her to share with me in the car between sites!

 

I enjoyed touring with them so much that I am utilizing them again when I am in Cairo for a day later this month, and I would highly recommend them for anyone looking for an unforgettable visit to Egypt.

 

Cynthia-

 

Was there a particular reason that you chose this company over the others that are recommended on CC?

 

I'm planning to be in Cairo with a very 'particular' cousin for a few days at the end of December, and the trip planning has fallen on my shoulders. :eek:

 

TIA!

 

Ruth

(Let me know if you'd prefer to email me privately.)

[epixx]

Cynthia-

 

Was there a particular reason that you chose this company over the others that are recommended on CC?

 

I'm planning to be in Cairo with a very 'particular' cousin for a few days at the end of December, and the trip planning has fallen on my shoulders. :eek:

 

TIA!

 

Ruth

(Let me know if you'd prefer to email me privately.)

 

I asked the same question on another thread. Take a look at post number 13 to see her answer:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1288337

[cruisemom42]

Cynthia-

 

Was there a particular reason that you chose this company over the others that are recommended on CC?

 

I'm planning to be in Cairo with a very 'particular' cousin for a few days at the end of December, and the trip planning has fallen on my shoulders. :eek:

 

TIA!

 

Ruth

(Let me know if you'd prefer to email me privately.)

 

Hi Ruth -- if the response mentioned below doesn't fully answer your questions, feel free to email me at cmkahn*at*bellsouth*dot*net and I'll be happy to discuss further. I've been meaning to talk to you via email anyway about my upcoming Israel trip!

 

I asked the same question on another thread. Take a look at post number 13 to see her answer:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1288337

 

 

Sorry -- it didn't click that I'd already responded to you on the other board as well. :o

[happy trailer]

I asked the same question on another thread. Take a look at post number 13 to see her answer:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1288337

 

 

Thanks!

[happy trailer]

Hi Ruth -- if the response mentioned below doesn't fully answer your questions, feel free to email me at cmkahn*at*bellsouth*dot*net and I'll be happy to discuss further. I've been meaning to talk to you via email anyway about my upcoming Israel trip!

 

Thanks, Cynthia- that response gave me the info I was looking for, but you'll have email in a few moments anyway. It's never too early to start planning your Israel trip :D:p

 

Ruth

[Qit]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a way to get into Cairo and Giza independently from Port Said or if its best to go with the Cruise company?

 

Any suggestions would be great! :-)

 

Thanks

I just came back from Egypt. I had booked with Ramses independently and I can honestly say that they did exactly what I asked them to do for my tour. The guide and driver that I had were exceptional. The guide I had was named Bassam and he was an expert. I had been to Egypt, three times before and Ramses Tours made all our arrangements, including a 5 * hotel stay. They were super. I highly recommend this agency.

[Health Inspector]

We used Ramses Tours and our guide was Islam Alex and he was great. He was extremely knowledgeable, fun, and made us feel welcomed in Egypt. He educated us on the culture, religion, and made us have a completely different view of Egypt. Ramses booked us in a 5 star hotel across from the pyramids. I did everything through email and they took care of everything.

[Embracedbylife]

We used Ramses tours when our cruise onboard the Star Princess stopped at Alexandria, Egypt on May 21. We had an excellent day to our to the pyramids and back. Our guide was Osama and he was oustanding. Seamless tour! Highly recommend it! :)

[putnam]

We used Ramses tours when our cruise onboard the Star Princess stopped at Alexandria, Egypt on May 21. We had an excellent day to our to the pyramids and back. Our guide was Osama and he was oustanding. Seamless tour! Highly recommend it! :)

 

Thanks for the reassurance that our upcoming tour with Ramses Tours will be great. Now we just have to hope that the itinerary remains unchanged and Egypt isn't skipped. We've been looking forward to this for so long.

[xenagurl]

I'll be utilizing Ramses on the NCL Jade cruise. I see guide and option recommendations.

Are there any other tips you can share for female travelers? And do Cruise Critic members get discounts?

Thanks.

[mikewrit]

When the Jade docked at Port Said last week, Ramses had at least a dozen guides with their little signs waiting for groups and couples. There also was a supervisor on hand prepared to make instant deals with people who had not set up excursions beforehand. Our trip overnight to Alexandria (by way of Mena House Oberoi) was terrific, and I did not hear any complaint from anyone else who used Ramses.

[Karennella]

We had a day trip tp Cairo with Ramses. Our guide was Osama and he was excellent. We went to the pyramids, the Sphinx and also the Museum. Osama was very knowledgeable about his country and was able to answer any questions we had. We would thoroughly recommend Ramses.

We had an overnight tour leaving from Alexandria and back to Port Said. We used Nileblue Excursions and they were excellent. We were upgraded to Mena House Hotel. Our HAL ship was charging $970 each for the same on a large group, we paid $260 each in a group of six. We had a guide and driver, so the guide would just ring for the van and it saved as lot of time.

[roosterx4]

We will be arriving in Alexandria, Egypt on the Norwegian Jade on November 22nd, 2011.

 

Based on everything we have read on Cruise Critic and TripAdvisor, we booked our upcoming day tour to the Pyramids with Ramses and are looking forward to the trip. We booked the tour as a private tour for 2 adults and 2 children. What type of vehicles do they use for smaller groups? Cars? Vans? Are the vehicles identified as tour operators or are they discreet?

 

Jacqueline and Neil

[Karennella]

As has been noted on these boards before, all of the tour companies use contactors as guides and all companies operate in a similar fashion. A small group will be in a van. You will find the van when you leave the ship as they will have a sign. You do not have to worry about security because they will have both a driver and a guide. The driver will stay with the van and when you are sightseeing, the guide will call the driver on his mobile phone to collect you. This was much better than on our tour in Israel, where we had a joint guide/driver and wasted a lot of time as we had to park quite a distance from some of the places. (Naturally labour costs in Israel are much much more than Egypt)

All the tour vehicles are easily identified and part of your journey will probably be in a convoy. At particular places on the highway, tour vehicles pull over until there are perhaps eight or ten vans and buses. Then they are escorted by an armed army vehicle. This is because, rightly or wrongly, the government believe this makes tourists feel safer.