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.
Caution is advised when, at the beginning of the immigration control, individuals announce the name of the departure airport ("Passengers from London!" or "British tourists over here!") – these could be unreliable providers.
Important: To enter Egypt, filling out an entry card is required. If it is not distributed on the plane, you can find an area with visa counters and the queue for border control on the left wall of the hall, where there is a tray with the cards. Alternatively, you can approach an employee of the tour operators and ask for the entry card. You might also be encouraged to purchase a visa right away. It is crucial to stand firm and not be persuaded. It is advisable to always have a pen on hand to avoid unnecessary delays in searching for one.
Tips for Arrival at Hurghada Airport
After landing, the first challenge awaits: obtaining a visa. In Egypt, German citizens with a passport and ID can purchase a visa upon arrival at the airport. The current price is 25 euros or 25 US dollars.
Caution is advised when, at the beginning of immigration control, individuals announce the name of the departure airport ("Passengers from Frankfurt!" or "German tourists here!") – these could be unreliable providers.
Beware of Overpriced Visas
Touts have set up stands for travel agencies and sell visas at higher prices. It is suspected that they actually work on behalf of tour operators and sell visas on the side. The official counters where you can purchase the visa are on the right side of the hall and are operated by various banks. It is worthwhile to inquire about the actual price in euros since the exchange rates of the dollar and euro are not identical. If you overpay in euros, you will receive the change in Egyptian currency.
Filling Out the Departure Card
Tip: Upon arrival of the plane, do not hesitate and consider which counter has the shorter queue. Join immediately and stick the visa in your passport. After that, you should get in line for the actual passport control. Those who dawdle here lose a lot of time and stand in line for a long time. At the passport police counters, the visa is only stamped.
Tip: Do not stow away the passport right away, as a few meters away, there is a brusque officer who wants to see the stamped visa again.
Upon leaving the arrival hall, representatives of tour operators are waiting. It is advisable to carefully look for the signs of the tour operators. Be careful not to fall for taxi drivers who try to take you directly to the hotel. If you have booked a package tour, you will usually receive a free shuttle service to the hotel.
Tips for Departure from Hurghada Airport
Before entering the airport building, passports must be shown at the entrance door, and the flight route must be specified. The friendliness enjoyed throughout the vacation in Egypt comes to an end here.
Next, another security check follows. Luggage must be pushed through the X-ray machine, and shoes, belts, jackets, and hats must be removed. There are two separate metal detectors, one for women with female police officers and one for men with male police officers, both rather grumpy.
Valuables must be placed in gray boxes and placed on the conveyor belt of the X-ray machine. The gray boxes are thrown at your feet.
Tip: Although there are reasons to be annoyed by this procedure, it is advisable to remain calm and accept the check without resistance.
Now you are in the check-in area. Here, one should not expect the professional efficiency found at British or other international airports. The employees behind the counters seem to regularly consult their colleagues, and one wonders why the process takes so long.
During this waiting time, some business-savvy individuals take the opportunity to walk along the queue and offer an upgrade to the business class. Caution is advised, as no one can guarantee that you are not just paying money and still flying in the economy class. If you are considering a spontaneous upgrade to the business class, you should register directly at the counter during check-in.
After checking in, you usually proceed to the exit immigration control. It is advisable to do this immediately since the quality of stay in the transit area is higher than in the hall before immigration control.
Important: Before queuing at immigration control, you should fill out the pink card, just like on arrival. In the departure hall, small shelves are set up at some pillars for writing. You need the TRIP NO (flight number on the boarding pass), the flight destination, your name, date, and place of birth, nationality, and passport number. You receive this pink departure card at check-in.
At the border officer's counter, you show your passport and place the pink departure card. The officer stamps your passport, and that's it.
Liquids in hand luggage? Maybe.
Now comes the actual security check. Here, shoes must be removed again. There are information signs stating that liquids are now allowed in hand luggage. This is common at some of the more modern international airports, but Hurghada has not reached this progress yet. However, smaller bottles are likely not objected to. Nevertheless, some passengers experience an employee with a sweater labeled "Bomb Squad" still removing the water bottles from the suitcase. However, no one complains about not taking mobile phones or laptops out of hand luggage for X-ray and screening. It's a rather arbitrary procedure. Here, too, one should not be annoyed because you are in a weaker position. But then you've already made it.
