Hi all. Be warned people travelling through Egypt from July. The govt announced yesterday that subsidised fuel would be rationed from July. All residents would be issued a ration card and only able to access a limited amount of fuel. 95 is no longer subsidised so that's available (but carried by less and less outlets). How that will affect travelers is unclear - but being Egypt it'll be a drama. This might simply translate to a surcharge (baksheesh), but it might be more complicated than that. Of course being Egypt it might not actually happen for another eleventy years. More info as it becomes clearer. cheers Brett

so far there is petrol every where ,only some time the very low octane (80 ) octane is hard to get ,but 90-92-95 octane is OK and most every where ,the oases road was hard to get 3 months ago on my way to Aswan though
diesel is so hard to get lanes snd lanes of cars ,trucks .
hope my country will be better soon !!

Hi Omar

we wish you all the best for the future...and many people agree with us

Thomas & Andrea

miles-to-ride.com

Hey hey people!

Just a heads up, unleaded is fairly easy to get although if you're in a car you can sometimes have to queue for lengthy times. Bikers though - go straight to the front. Be warned, a few times we have had the pumps cut out half way through filling up and then they have tried to charge us double so keep your eyes on the money!!

Diesel though... it's a nightmare. Our friend waited 5 hours for diesel the other day. Very scarce and hours upon hours of waiting. Black market diesel is available if you're fortunate to stumble across those with the connections but it comes at a price and with some scum so have a fuel sock to hand.

Alternatively, take a hand pump and carrier around some truckers and see if they will let you siphon some for some wonga! Another trick some people have been using!

Good luck all those travelling through! Hope you're not caught in the heat and queues!

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Chasing Horizons Facebook

We have no right to expect everything become perfect in a very limited time after a very hard operation..We believe all will be in order very soon and Egyptian friends will overcome all problems they suddenly and unexpectedly met in their country.

I can never forget how local people tried to protect the museums and foreign travellers inside the country during the reformation days.

Personally feel they need some understanding and morale...Happy to say will always stand beside them and our prays always will be with them.


Best wishes

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Mehmet Zeki Avar
''Borderlines divide countries,HU friendship finds a way to reunited"
https://www.facebook.com/mehmet.avar.12?ref=tn_tnmn

Because that was the exact point of my post as an expecting European ... Not meant in a heads up to travellers who may not be aware of the situation... Noo... Not at all!

We just wanted to let over landers know if they're heading in from sudan or nearby and have an empty tank they may have to swap their vehicle for a faluka instead due to the shortage!

Incidentally we found out after bargaining that a land rover discovery will only acquire you half a faluka, however, if you are accompanied by a handsome chap sporting a moustache and with a healthy handshake you can swap him for 100 falukas!

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Chasing Horizons Facebook

Hi, Slightly sidetracked question....(we hope to get boat to Cairo in about 6 weeks - if it starts running again).
What's the fuel situation like re diesel? Has the rationing kicked in / whats cost & availability generally? Any problems as a result of the political situation in Cairo?

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All who wander are not lost - JRR Tolkien
www.wearthefoxhat.us

Hi Wearthefoxhat,

An indication of the situation could be this recent article of the New York Times of 10 July:

Sudden Improvements in Egypt Suggest a Campaign to Undermine Morsi
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/11/wo...&smid=fb-share

Best
Achim

Thanks Achim, there's usually someone engineering all of these situations behind the scenes (good or bad), but its the guy on the street who suffers for it.
We're watching the situation as closely as possible at the moment and it's clearly difficult for the people there. Our difficulties trying to get into the country are very small compared to what's happening on the streets.
Lets hope things settle and the violence stops soon - maybe Egypt can re-open for business quickly, but it looks unlikely at present.
Regards
Scott

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All who wander are not lost - JRR Tolkien
www.wearthefoxhat.us

Hi we went through before and after the revolution leaving by the 10th I think. At that point it hadnt changed the situation much, it still took a queue from 1 hr to 3 or more if you didnt want to cut in or pay extra for some black market fuel with no queue. The locals were cutting in as well in places and there were some heated discussions.
Normal price 1.10 Egp
Abu Simbul no queues at all though! The revolution didnt seem to have reached there

Mail from Bahariya :
Since Morsis removal there is again fuel/diesel at the filling stations in the oasis
and less electricity blackouts!

We are also going through greece to israel on our way to capetown in a month...hope egypt can hold together...


Steven

Wheel Wishers
www.wheelwishers.org

we are looking to enter N Africa at the end of August and are currently getting quotes for a 20ft container from Mersin to Port Sudan. It would be a shame to miss Egypt (but have been there before) but this way we avoid the potential problems of Israeli stamps.

We currently have estimates from a Turkish shipping agent and a Sudanese shipping agent. Some details yet to finalise, but could enquire about a 40ft container if anyone is interested in sharing (or may be able to squeeze a bike into the 20ft container with our car).

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All who wander are not lost - JRR Tolkien
www.wearthefoxhat.us

Hi,

We would be interested in sharing a container, but I don't think that the time period will be good when we will be in turkey.

But how much are you expecting to pay for the container?

SImon

Hi Simon, I did a scrap of paper calculation that the costs for the 'regular' Iskenderun / Port Said ferry (if it was running!) then down to Khartoum via White Desert in Egypt and Wadi Haifa barge would cost about $4,500 (incl fuel, 'waiting' in hotels, fixers, etc).
As an estimate to also get to Khartoum, container estimates we have had so far include;
1) approx $2,600 from a company in Port Sudan (includes clearing the vehicle at Port Sudan, but I'm not sure yet what costs / proceedure is involved in loading it at Mersin, Turkey.
2) approx $3,500 from a company in Istanbul who will deal with all the loading / lashing etc, but seem to only want to ship to Mombassa. This would mean us back-tracking quite a bit as we're keen to see Sudan and particulary spend time in Northern Ethiopia.
Both costs exclude flights to follow the car and any hotel costs either end. They also assume we can get the roof-tent off and to get into a standard height 20ft container (and that tent will also fit in).
All in all, I think the costs are going to work out much the same. It's going to come down to whats possible / sensible.
One of the other advantages of the shipping however would be that we would avoid having Egypt added to the Carnet. This would save us about £3,000 (although we would get half of that back when returning the Carnet to the RAC).
Still not sure which option we're going to go with yet - am watching how VanGS gets on as he has gone via Israel and it will be interesting to see what happens when he gets to Sudan.
It would be so much easier if the bloody Iskenderun / Port Said ferry was still running.
Regards
Scott

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All who wander are not lost - JRR Tolkien
www.wearthefoxhat.us