The airport in Hurghada, Egypt, can significantly impact the start of a relaxing vacation and even undo all the relaxation after a peaceful time at the Red Sea. To ensure this doesn't happen to you, I've compiled some useful tips, information on potential scams, and warnings about pitfalls. This way, you can enjoy your journey as stress-free as possible, both on the way there and on your return.
I'm not going to make such a big deal of it, but I'm also taking part in the big air laying maneuver #AirDefender2023. On a voluntary basis and at my own expense, I simulate a civilian who flies from Boston into German airspace in a civilian passenger plane and lands safely in Frankfurt without further incident.
It's my first night sleeping horizontally after only sleeping sitting up for the last three nights. The hostel is everything you would imagine a backpacker hostel to be: the washrooms are filthy, the rooms are terribly smelly and the bunk beds that have been nailed together only have a creepy blanket with sheets. But you just have to lower your own standards far enough to spend a restful night here too. At least there is muesli for breakfast.
In my row on the Coast Starlight train sits a couple with a little girl, who unfortunately cries out loudly at half past six and ends my sleep. That was definitely not enough sleep for me. In addition there are always several announcements from the dining car on the train in the morning, announcing the procedure for breakfast for the guests in 1st class and announcing when all the rest of the normal "coach class" can sit down. Twenty dollars is charged for the meal in the dining car, and even 45 dollars for dinner. That's too much for me. At least I still have half an "all meat" pizza with me from my restaurant visit in Sacramento yesterday. I delay this breakfast until nine o'clock and only then eat it. After that, the small family next door is on the train somewhere for a while. It's quiet and the pizza made me sleepy enough to nod soundly until 12 noon with no problem.