Hi

In tunisia about to enter libya ( wednesday) and would like to know if anyone has recently crossed from libya into egypt and from egypt into sudan? we have all visas but would like updated info on fees to expect. also, does aswan to wadi halfa ferry still only leave on mondays (for vehicle plus passengers)?
cheers
www.exfoleyation.co.uk

> also, does aswan to wadi halfa ferry still
> only leave on mondays (for vehicle plus
> passengers)?

Hi,
in april it was still monday afternoon, the departure time depends on the time to looad all the cargo - and that is usually quite a lot!
Ursula




[This message has been edited by ursula (edited 10 May 2004).]

Hi,
I went from Libya into Egypt and then Sudan about month and a half ago....The border crossing into Egypt from Libya at Saloum is relatively straight forward on the libyan side...I presume you'll have a guide helping you out with all the formalities anyway (which is of course the main problem with Libya - I ended up paying close to 800 euros for a guide just to drive thru libya over 6 days!! Although I did do it on my own).
The Egyptian side is tedious and can take up to 6 hours to clear all the formalities...by the time you actually enter egypt you will have :
1/ laminated driver's license & arabic number plates (about 50 egyptian though maybe less)
2/(useless/pointless) car insurance (approx 50 egyptian again) - ironically called 'shark insurance!!
3/ 'Road/Fuel Tax' - this is the big one: For a diesel car it came to 1002 egyptian pounds (I think about 125 US dollars) - this lasts for 3months...I think though if you have a petrol car it is actually cheaper...

I may have got the prices slightly wrong as I didn't actually note it all down but it's essentially about right.....
You then take this huge folder that resembles a post-grad dissertation over to egyptian customs who will then stamp your carnet...One word of advice though - they are very particular about the chassis and engine numbers and will take a stencil of them from the car....they take the chassis no. not only from inside the engine (on mine it is on the brake master cyl) but also from underneath - near the car wheel on the actual chassis on mine- I didn't actually know where this was and spent ages looking for it!

As for Aswan crossing into wadi halfa - your best bet is to get in touch with one Mahmoud Adries who works for the River Nile Nav. Company - he really is the man who gets things done and was v.helpful and quite genuine about everything...his mobile number has been posted on HUBB before but if you can't find it I'll get it again when I'm next on the i/net...the ferry does indeed leave on monday afternoons....clearing customs basically involves going to the traffic police and handing back your plates and license/ getting a bit of paper which you then take with you to the port at aswan (some way off from the town itself) and giving it to customs who will then stamp your carnet...
I had a big problem at aswan as they'd just put in place a new 'rule' (obviously made up impulsively by some bloody bureaucrat in his sleep!!) that I had to get a bit of paper saying I had had no accidents in egypt (and no outstanding fines)...the only problem though was that they wanted me to get this from where I came into egypt - back in saloum...! They literally expected me to fly back to alexandria and catch a bus to saloum to get this bit of paper!!
I ended up spending two days in the traffic police waiting for the head of traffic police in aswan - after spending an hour on the phone to god knows where in that kafkaesque country...I was eventually cleared to leave....

As for entry into sudan - kamal is the guy you have to go thru' - he sorts out all the formalities, but be carefull as the guy is a bit tricky and will ask for too much money for his services - don't give him any more than 10/20 US doll (mahmoud on the other hand never asked for extra cash - I ended up giving him a similar amount though as he had helped us a lot)....
as for entry into sudan - if I remember correctly it's :
1/ about 35 US doll for customs (who will by the way go thru your car - make sure whatever you do to get rid of any alcohol if you want to avoid a heavy fine or even flogging!!)
2/ you will then spend the best part of half a day going from one office in the police station at wadi to another getting various stamps and handing out sudanese dinars like candy - most payments don't amount to much but there is one massive payment of 10,000 - 11,000 dinars per person - this is a payment that all foreigners make irrespective of if you have a car or not (I've forgotten the exchange but I THINK it's about 50US doll)....that's about it....
one last thing - the car at wadi sometimes comes in at about 1/2 hours after the passenger ferry as it some times separates from the passenger ferry close to wadi (I think cos of currents)...and don't park your car near to any of the lorries that unload the cargo at aswan...one of the ridiculously overloaded lorries fell on its side not 5m from my car when I was there...!
hope this is of use..
George

just realised I had mahmoud's no. here...his mobile is:
010 68 45 201
If you do see him say george & karin (with the short red land rover defender) say hi & that I'll be sending him a michelin map soon...
G

George

thanks for detailed info - will be of much use on sunday morning when we cross into egypt - laters
ranger & AD

we have just got into cairo ( came in from jordan) and despite applying for a sudanese visa in the uk, which didn't arive in time, we are looking to get a visa for sudan here in cairo or aswan. The lonely planet guide book says that it can be obtained in aswan in a day... is this true?

any help much appreciated..
Mark

Dear George and Mark,

Very useful information! What did you respectively pay for the wadi halfa ferry and the ferry from Jordan to Egypt? What's the best way to get a visa for Jordan and Ethiopia? Do I get it best at home (Belgium) or in Egypt?

Jan

We got the ferry from Aqaba Jordan three days ago to nuweiba. Cost us about 120 US dollars which is cheaper then previous estimates. It also cost 25 jordanian dinar each for ourselves but this was for the fast ferry which didn't move for an hour and a half anyway. Might be better to get the longer one(three hours)

Forgot we got ethiopian visas easily from home(England) in about a week but this my vary in other countries. We are hopefully heading down to aswan tomorrow so if we can get on the ferry this monday I will post info on costs etc from sudan or ethiopia. Any advice from anyone on travel across sudan and ethiopia in current political climate would be appreciated. Thanks

[This message has been edited by Tango (edited 29 June 2004).]

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The travel is getting easier. The difference is only in fees don't forget that you are travelling in africa. The ferry leaves Aswan always on Mondays some times the car can arrive 1 day later (that is normal - we made that crossing already several times) In Wadi halfa ask for Magdi - he is much cheaper than kemal and will help you with the costoms and passport registeration
have a nice travel