How to get to Egypt by plane
The plane is the most common option for traveling to this country, as it has about twenty airports, and the most important ones have air routes from virtually every continent. The country has a national airline, EgyptAir, which charters flights to about 70 different destinations. In addition, there are regular or seasonal lines offered by other companies around the world. If you are considering how to get to Egypt by plane, take note of the following options:
- Cairo: its international airport (IATA Code: CAI) is the most important in the country and is the main gateway for foreign tourists. Its annual traffic is around 20 million passengers, who choose this destination for its proximity to such powerful tourist attractions as the Pyramids of Giza or the capital itself.
- Luxor (IATA Code: LXR): it is an interesting airport for traveling to Upper Egypt, although the direct connection with other foreign cities is not very varied. Therefore, as most flights are domestic, it is a convenient solution for internal travel within the same circuit. It is also an option to consider if you are going on a Nile cruise and are considering how to get to Egypt with a stopover in Cairo
- Alexandria (Burj El Arab, IATA Code: HBE): this is the main airport of this city in the Nile Delta and is interesting for those who are going to spend their holidays on the Mediterranean coast. These are some of the direct routes that arrive from other countries, whether seasonal or not: Athens (Egypt), Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), Amman (Jordan), Bergamo and Milan (Italy), Riyadh, Medina, Yanbu and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Beirut (Lebanon), Muscat (Oman) and Istanbul (Turkey). Therefore, it is a reference airport for traveling to and from the neighboring countries of the Middle East.
- Hurghada (IATA Code: HRG): it is the second airport with the highest number of passengers per year thanks to the fact that it serves this great tourist destination of sun and beach on the Red Sea coast. Numerous flights arrive to it mainly from Europe, in many cases with charter or seasonal lines during the high season periods.
- Marsa Alam (IATA Code: RMF): this airport serves another of the main tourist destinations of the Red Sea and, like the one in Hurghada, offers connections with European countries mainly
- Sharm el Sheikh (IATA Code: SSH): it is located in the main tourist destination of the Sinai Peninsula, in its southern end, bathed by the waters of the Red Sea. It receives direct flights from some countries in Europe and Asia, so it is a valid option for those looking for how to get to Egypt from other continents to this increasingly popular tourist city
- Assiut (IATA Code: ATZ): flights from surrounding countries, mainly Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, arrive to this city in Upper Egypt, with companies such as Air Arabia and Jazeera Airways, but also with some considered ‘low cost’, such as FlyEgypt or AirCairo.
- El Alamein (IATA code: DBB): it is a small airport, located on the Mediterranean coast, oriented only to the reception of seasonal flights from Europe. In fact, its only connections are with Italian cities (Milan, Bologna and Verona, although this range of options may be modified according to the season) and, therefore, it is not integrated into the Egyptian network of air routes.
- Marsa Matruh (IATA code: MUH): like the one in El Alamein, this airport only has seasonal flights from other European countries, mainly Italy (usually from the aforementioned Milan, Bologna and Verona, to which Rome is added).
- Sohag (IATA code: HMB): the international flights that arrive to this airport do so, in their entirety, from other countries in the Middle East.
- Taba (IATA code: TCP): airport located on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the south of the Sinai Peninsula, very close to the border with Israel. It receives only seasonal and charter flights from central Europe.
How to get to Egypt by plane from Spain
If you are wondering how to get to Egypt from Spain, you should know that this country is not one of those that offers the greatest variety of direct routes. However, there is a possibility within your reach: the Madrid-Cairo connection, which connects both capitals in a journey of just over 4 and a half hours.
And given the number of connections that Madrid offers with the rest of Spain, you will certainly be able to plan a route with a single stopover to Egypt. The same will happen if you use other foreign airports for the plane change: London, Frankfurt, Paris or Rome may be a solution to travel to Cairo without prolonging the journey too much.
However, we recommend that you inquire about how to get to Egypt just before planning your trip, since airlines open and close routes according to the circumstances of each period. As an example, years ago, Luxor was a destination with a direct connection from Madrid and Barcelona, and the latter city also had non-stop flights to Cairo. Therefore, do not hesitate to contact us to explore travel options at all times.
How to get to Egypt by boat
It is also common to consider how to get to Egypt by boat, but the options from Europe are very limited or even non-existent, although this service is also subject to continuous changes. There are usually no sea routes for passengers: the only viable option is rolling cargo from Cyprus. So it can be an odyssey to travel by car or motorhome to Egypt crossing the Mediterranean from other European countries, as it will force you to take a plane from this island.
On the other hand, the options are more varied from other neighboring countries, with fast and slow ferries. All of them make crossings through the Red Sea, while on the Mediterranean coast there are usually no routes available for tourists. The main options that exist are:
- Jordan: Aqaba-Nuweibaa connection
- Saudi Arabia: Duba-Hurghada, usually used for pilgrimage trips to Mecca and not so much for tourist trips
- Sudan: in this case, it is a river trip through Lake Nasser by means of a small ferry that connects the cities of Wadi Halfa (Sudan) with Aswan
The cruise, another way to see Egypt
If you are considering how to get to Egypt by boat, the cruise is another option that you should write down. Many are the great maritime routes that make a stop in this country with authentic mega-hotels on board, departing from Spain or from other points of origin in Europe and other continents. In this regard, it is worth mentioning:
- Cruises on the Mediterranean, which usually stop at the ports of Alexandria and/or Port Said
- Cruises on the Red Sea, which usually dock in Safaga
How to get to Egypt by land
Departing from Europe or from America, the land route does not usually represent a solution to how to get to Egypt, for operational reasons. In any case, here we explain it, in case you want to frame your trip to this country within a combined trip with other neighboring destinations. Below we show you the land border crossings that Egypt has:
- With Israel: there are two border crossings on the border with the Sinai Peninsula, a territory that also requires a special visa for its access. They are:
- Taba Pass: of the two, this is the one located to the south, giving access to the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) and, therefore, the most important, since there are numerous tourist destinations near this border crossing and along the entire coast.
- Rafah Pass: located to the north, to access from the Gaza Strip area. It is not usually opened for the transit of tourists.
- With Sudan: there are two border crossings, which were reopened in 2014. They allow the transit of buses and cars between both countries, so you can use it as a solution to how to get to Egypt from the south. They are:
- Argeen
- Qustul: this is the easternmost and also the most used, especially to visit Abu Simbel arriving from the neighboring country, but you must take into account that you will have to make a change of transport, taking a ferry on Lake Nasser.
With Libya: it only has the border crossing of Emsaed (or Amsaad), on the Mediterranean coast, but for security reasons it is not recommended to use it. In fact, it could be closed due to political disagreements between both countries, so sometimes there is no how to get to Egypt through this pass
Traveling with an agency, the best option
However, finding how to get to Egypt can become a difficult question, especially if the idea is to do it by sea or land. Therefore, the best option for traveling to this country for tourism, the best option is undoubtedly to put yourself in the hands of an accredited travel agency. There is the possibility of joining an already closed circuit or planning a customized route, accommodating any preference or need in the travel route.
And that is precisely what we do at Egipto Exclusivo, so we encourage you to contact us to organize your travel package, from the moment you leave until your return home. We have the best suppliers in Egypt and we know all the bureaucratic procedures to be carried out in depth!
