CROSSING FROM GREECE TO EGYPT
 

Would appreciate any info regarding ferries between greece and egypt. Salamis lines doesnt appear to be operating at the moment. Does any one know of alternative ferries. Italian cossing not an option. Thanks folks,
David Burke

------------------

In summer 2002 I travelled all around the Med (from Tunis to Italy, acrosso Lybia, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Greece) just because there was no ferry connection between Egypt and any other country (except to Jordan).

The only chance is a cargo ferry. You can try it at the following URL:
http://www.grimaldi-freightercruises.com/

However, last year I talked to them, and they told me that the service is not regular and they prefer not shipping people.

Hi David

Salamis was the only regularly scheduled ferry running to Egypt, but as you have found out, they stopped running last summer and don't seem to be reinstating the service anytime soon.

I must tell you that based on ours and others experiences, taking a vehicle into Egypt is a major hassle, only exceeded by the hassle to take the same vehicle OUT of Egypt! You'd have to really want to spend a lot of time in Egypt to make it wortwhile.

Where is your ultimate destination? That may allow us to suggest alternative routings.

Susan

------------------
Susan Johnson

"It matters not what goal you seek
Its secret here reposes:
You've got to dig from week to week
To get Results or Roses."
Edgar Guest

'One world, two wheels'
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

I don't completely agree: if you have all the necessary documents (carnet, etc.) and you have the patience to spend some hours at the border (we spend 8 hours at the border Lybia/Egypt and 5 hours between Egypt and Jordan), you can enter without real problems.

Hi Pietro

We drove in from Libya (8 hours), but flew our bike from Cairo to Nairobi, which took the better part of 2 days, and was a monumental hassle! Undoubtedly leaving by a land border would have been easier.

Egypt has gotten more difficult to get into, not less, and the most recent info I have, subject to being corrected of course, is that without a carnet it is not possible to take a vehicle in at all.

Susan

It's true (at least was true one year ago): the carnet is a MUST.

On the other hand, it's the only real indispensable thing (of course, besides passport and International driver licence): the visa, for instance, is iussed at the border (for us italian, but I think also for all EU countries citizen and maybe also for american and canadian), and this semplify a lot.

For as long as I remember Egypt has always required a carnet and as Pietro said if you have the right documents, and double check that you do, you will get in and out with no problems. “No problems” in the last sentence means a good part of the day running between offices getting weird and useless signatures, but it’s definitely doable in less than a day. The problems start if you don’t have the correct paper or expiration dates. The officials don’t usually have a defined set of rules to follow in these cases and improvisation kicks in. “Improvisation” in the last sentence means you’re screwed http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif, so make sure that doesn’t happen.

As for flying in or out of Egypt, I investigated the possibility of shipping my bike from Cairo to South Africa and decided it was too much of a hassle and I’m Egyptian and know my way around.

Border crossing isn’t a problem at the moment. It got a bit tight prior and during Gulf War II but all they did was give out restricted VISA at the border. Nowadays everything is back to normal.


------------------
A.B.

OasisPhoto.com – Images from the Magical Sahara.
ShortWheelbase.com – Jeep preparations.

hi susan
i think although you got alot of routine and stuff,but it worth it to visit it
and as a.b. said if you have all your documents,so it will be ok,you will finish in a around 2 hours,
in case of that you dont have a carnet,you can have an employer with you till you go out from any where else in egypt,his job is to make sure that you get the bike or the car out of the country you pay something like 20 us dollars as fees ,and then you give hem some tip and you can stay as long as you want,and you can give hem some money to use a public transportation,if you are on a bike.
so there is a way like that,
also after president mubarak visited libya last month,they made it easier to go between the borders

I spent 5 hours only on the Egyptian side of the border Libya/Egypt, and around 3 hours to go out Egypt at the harbour custom in Nuweiba.

hi pietro.spera
as you said its not so hard i think,
for me i had a realy bad time to go out from egypt with my motorbike last year in newiba
but it was cause of security,they wanted to make sure i will not go to do something in israerl (like blow up my self)and i knew a french person who did it in a record(only one hour)hahah
but its good experience to be here in egypt
welcome all of you travellers ;-D