Egypt Phone and Mobile used on Egypt Tour

Egypt Phone and Mobile System

The telephone system is government owned and fairly economical. There is a directory information service but it is not easy to use unless you understand Arabic. International calls can be made from the Egypt phone offices called Telephone Central, where a three-minute call to the UK, US or Europe might cost £E12.00 and Australia or New Zealand £E20 during peak time - and offpeak rates starting at 8:00pm are around 20% cheaper.

There are business centers in the larger cities where you can use 'phone and fax facilities - their fees are 25% higher than the Telephone Central offices, and ringing from your hotel room can more than double the cost. Most hotels have fax machines which are available to guests for both sending and receiving faxes - probably the most convenient while on Egypt tour.

Most towns have a telephone office where you can make long-distance or international calls. Some of these have orange direct dial phones that accept 'phone cards, but if not you'll need to book your call through the exchange. Local calls can be made from just about anywhere, but overloaded exchanges with old equipment make telephone calls a chancy business, especially during peak hours.

Normal public 'phone boxes are for local calls which cost 10pt. You can also make local calls on telephones owned by shopkeepers who charge between 25pt and 50pt.

Prepaid phonecards by Menatel, Ringo or Nile Phone are widespread - and there is a type of card that has scratch-off panel concealing a PIN number - you then use any phone to call a toll-free number - enter your PIN number - then the number you wish to call.

Long distance 'phone calls within Egypt are prefixed by a 2 or 3 digit area code, followed by the number. Dial international direct by entering 00 for an international line, then the country code, the area code and subscriber number - for most countries leave off the initial zero of the area code.

Mobile phones can be rented from most of the better hotels, or you can take your own as the mobile network is compatible with Europe and Australia - however US 'phones may not work in Egypt - check with your carrier before you leave home to get roaming or international access switched on - also do ask about the costs. There may also be some problems with message retrieval while you are away.

If you will be using your mobile a lot in Egypt it might be worth getting a local account for use while you are in the country. You may need to get your mobile 'phone enabled before you leave home - and then go to a Mobinil or Click office in Egypt to open an account and get a new simcard (keep the old one for when you return home). It is likely to cost you around £E280 to get on to the Egyptian mobile network.

The Egyptian government operates a free internet service (the user pays for the 'phone call) and this has helped to increase internet access - you can go online in most places through internet cafés and most hotels provide computers for guest use.