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15 Day trip to Egypt - the travel notes, by Seafun

seafun

By seafun,
in Africa & Middle East

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texancruzer

texancruzer

Posted
Posted
Four weeks to go and we got our travel documents today. Seems Lufthansa has changed the flight time out of Orlando until 3 hours later, meaning that we will have about 40 minutes to get on the plane to Cairo out of Frankfurt. Even if we make it, I know our luggage won't. Sigh...not a good way to start a trip.

 

Oh no !!!! Is there no other flight ? I know what it is like to have your luggage go one way while you go another........ happened to us on a trip to Mazatlan. Seems our luggage went to Monterrey :eek: We did get it late the next day tho.... but not fun without swimsuits etc. for 24 hrs.

 

We are flying Corpus to Houston to New York the day before and spending the night. We have had soooo many unpleasant problems with flights in the last 10 years that we just build in an extra day automatically to our travels. Once you wrap your head around the concept it brings definate peace of mind. It does cause extra expense tho. I know our last trip to Europe we would have missed the ship had we not planned on going in a day early as we had plane problems in Houston which caused us to miss flights further out and it was a mess.

 

Hope it all works out for you !

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seafun

seafun

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Posted (edited)

Those pesky airlines... (but we won't even get into that subject) :rolleyes:

Hey, at least you are forewarned, (most times you never get told that you luggage isn't going to be there! And there's a possibility that your bags will make the connection. :rolleyes:

Uh-oh TWO sarcastic eyes in less than two paragraphs! :eek:)

I'm sure I don't need to tell you, but you can pack a change of clothes (and undies, hee hee) in your carry on. A trip to Egypt isn't about being a fashionista, LOL. I'd be much more worried if I was going to be on a cruise ship! I remember several threads about people's luggage missing the boat and they had to wear the same thing for a week, or longer!!!

Gate 1 is pretty good about taking care of you. I'm sure your luggage will catch up with you if it misses "your" flight.

You're going to have such a wonderful trip in Egypt, that what you are wearing is going to be pretty low on your list.

(And you can always crop the photos from the first few days so it doesn't show your clothes! ;) Sorry, trying to be optimistic for you.)

I agree with you -- it's a poopy way to start your trip, but there's going to be things like that, that happen. (They broke the wheel off my luggage in Cairo the first day I got there.)

But it's a trip to EGYPT!! You are going to be dazzled and amazed and mezmerized by all that you see and experience. It's going to be a trip of a lifetime. Take a deep breath and let it happen. :)

Edited by seafun
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seahorse

seahorse

Posted
Posted
Four weeks to go and we got our travel documents today. Seems Lufthansa has changed the flight time out of Orlando until 3 hours later, meaning that we will have about 40 minutes to get on the plane to Cairo out of Frankfurt. Even if we make it, I know our luggage won't. Sigh...not a good way to start a trip.

 

I don`t usually give my professional opinion.........but I will. This is not enough time for a connection and definately not enough time in Frankfurt:( Frankfurt is terrible and if you are delayed by 10 or 15 min in Orlando you will not make it.

 

I wouldn`t worry about the luggage getting on the plane.....worry about you:eek:

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wanderinggirl

wanderinggirl

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I don`t usually give my professional opinion.........but I will. This is not enough time for a connection and definately not enough time in Frankfurt:( Frankfurt is terrible and if you are delayed by 10 or 15 min in Orlando you will not make it.

 

I wouldn`t worry about the luggage getting on the plane.....worry about you:eek:

 

That's what I figured. I'll have to check Egypt Air's flights and see when they have another one out that day. We weren't going to make it until 815pm anyway, so I figure we will just be later. Not sure by how much, but I want to be there before the bus leaves for the pyramids the next morning!!

 

I am taking a bigger carryon now and will rethink the packing plans.

 

What's the best way to let Gate 1 know that we will probably be late and on a different plane? We have the voucher for the transfer but don't know if anyone would be there waiting to pick folks up from a later flight.

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texancruzer

texancruzer

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What's the best way to let Gate 1 know that we will probably be late and on a different plane? We have the voucher for the transfer but don't know if anyone would be there waiting to pick folks up from a later flight.

 

I am confused. You are taking Lufthansa from Orlando to Frankfurt and then Egyptair from there to Cairo ? Why ?

 

Our tour package included air from NY to Cairo. All we had to do was get to NY (which we are on Continental) I guess if you have points or rewards or something - but the tour cost was sooo reasonable with the air from NY we went that route.

 

Can you switch around ? Get from Orlando to NY and use their air ?

 

You still have plenty of time to rearrange things.....but I would start with a call to Gate 1 first thing Monday morning......

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seahorse

seahorse

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I am confused. You are taking Lufthansa from Orlando to Frankfurt and then Egyptair from there to Cairo ? Why ?

 

Our tour package included air from NY to Cairo. All we had to do was get to NY (which we are on Continental) I guess if you have points or rewards or something - but the tour cost was sooo reasonable with the air from NY we went that route.

 

Can you switch around ? Get from Orlando to NY and use their air ?

 

You still have plenty of time to rearrange things.....but I would start with a call to Gate 1 first thing Monday morning......

Why Mon. morning? call now. I am confused also:confused:

There is one flight from JFK on Egypt Air. I would think that Gate 1 uses them.

 

Scrap what you have and get from Orlando to JFK early, pick up your luggage and get on the Egypt Air flight. Go a day early if you have to. On the return do the same thing.

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wanderinggirl

wanderinggirl

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We went through Gate 1 for the tickets. We are in Gainesville, so Orlando was the closest airport. The idea was Orlando to Frankfurt and Frankfurt to Cairo. It was actually cheaper than us flying to JFK and taking the EgyptAir flight and that itinerary had the fewest change of planes than the other options.

 

It turned out fine. Gate 1 emailed me this afternoon and we have been switched to United and the flights are basically at the same time we were originally flying. We get in to Cairo at 815pm, which I know is late, but that was how it worked out for us. Better than 515am the next morning which would have been our next option flying EgyptAir. We didn't get the great seats we had on Lufthansa, but we are on the plane.

 

I'm much calmer now. Thanks!

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texancruzer

texancruzer

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Whew...... thats good ! Just gonna keep my fingers crossed that United doesnt change its flight times :eek:

 

Re: the Monday morning comment: every time I have ever called to "straighten out" a problem on a Friday afternoon, I got basically put off until Monday morning..... so now I am the first one on the phone Monday morning :D

 

We are in So. Texas and have to go thru Houston or Dallas to go ANYWHERE !!! That makes for more opportunity for missed connections, late arrivals etc........ we now just bite the bullet, fly in a day ahead and have peace of mind knowing that we will be there for the "important" connection. It's a bit of a pain in the *** but whatcha gonna do ?

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seahorse

seahorse

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Whew...... thats good ! Just gonna keep my fingers crossed that United doesnt change its flight times :eek:

 

Re: the Monday morning comment: every time I have ever called to "straighten out" a problem on a Friday afternoon, I got basically put off until Monday morning..... so now I am the first one on the phone Monday morning :D

 

We are in So. Texas and have to go thru Houston or Dallas to go ANYWHERE !!! That makes for more opportunity for missed connections, late arrivals etc........ we now just bite the bullet, fly in a day ahead and have peace of mind knowing that we will be there for the "important" connection. It's a bit of a pain in the *** but whatcha gonna do ?

 

Sometimes Mon. morning calls get "lost" for a few days because of weekend and late Fri. calls to clean up;)

 

Where is the connection with United? Glad that you got THAT connection changed:D

 

The only luggage that was "lost" on our trip was with United, so I suggest that you take a few change of clothes in your carry on. You really don`t need many change of outfits on this trip.

 

I am very fortunate to live in the Northeast for most of my travel:)

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wanderinggirl

wanderinggirl

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Don't worry, the larger carryon is going with an extra change of clothes or two.

 

This one connect through Dulles, and yes, please keep your fingers crossed that they don't change the flight times! When we headed out to Vegas and the west in April they changed our flight from 10am to 6am and we had to drive 2 hours to Jacksonville to catch the plane, which meant leaving home at about 130 am. Long drive, lots of deer along the side of the road, and a rental car. Not fun. I don't think they should be able to make such drastic changes.

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seafun

seafun

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Posted (edited)

Can't sleep the last night? Up all night packing? Too nervous to sleep?

Yes to all of the above.... :rolleyes:

Reminds me of me, when I started this thread long, long ago...

"After packing all night, including, then excluding, various items, I finally closed my bags around 4:00 am Seattle time. What an inconceivable baggage constraint – one suitcase with a weight limit of 44 pounds and one carry-on bag of 14 pounds! By my scale, my suitcase was 45.5 and the carry on was 15 – so about a pound over for each, but there were several items I knew I could part with to make my inter-Egypt weight limits. (I later found out the weight limits weren’t enforced if you were part of a group, but at least the fear of the limit kept my bags reasonably light.)

My taxi to the airport got me there in the dark at 4:45..."

 

Hope you have an extraordinary journey!

Edited by seafun
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texancruzer

texancruzer

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Can't sleep the last night? Up all night packing? Too nervous to sleep?

 

 

Hope you have an extraordinary journey!

 

Actually, I am usually packed at least 3-4 days ahead....sometimes more ! But I am always afraid we will oversleep, not hear the alarm, miss the flight........ well, you get the message. To make matters worse, I am one of those who can't sleep on planes - even 9 or 10 hour night flights :eek: so when I get there I am one tired puppy ! But then the adrenaline kicks in and I keep going - at least for a while. I always try not to nap and get on "local time" with my sleep pattern.

 

Thanks, dh and I are so ready for another adventure !

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texancruzer

texancruzer

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Have a great time on your trip. Hope you are prepared for long, packed days. Egypt is definitely an experience -- for some, once is enough. I'm returning for visit #4 in November. ;)

 

Thanks Cynthia, You have been following along with me since I started thinking about this one !!!! This trip is definately for dh. I am truly looking forward to it but it was not my first choice for our 30th anniversary trip. We will probably fall into the "once is enough" category. I would tho very much like to revisit Italy, France, Turkey and Greece. Portugal is on my list too. And dh would like to head back to Spain. We have been thinking if we enjoy the Gate 1 experience we would like to book Thailand for next year maybe. Definately have the travel bug !

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sunbather1232

sunbather1232

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Have a wonderful time Texancruiser! I will look out for any posts when you get back to find out how you got on. We're just doing the cruise starting 8 November and I'm so excited!

 

I thought I'd just do Abu Simbell as an extra excursion, but a few people have said to try to do the hot air balloon as well. It does sound tempting!

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texancruzer

texancruzer

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Sunbather: what tour company are you using for your trip to Egypt ?

 

If you are leaving Nov. 8th you will be there the same time as us.....we fly home on the 11th..... :D

 

WE chose Gate 1 since we could pick and choose the excursions we wanted to do and pay for just those. Of course we ended up "choosing" almost all of them...... not doing the Sound and Light Show or the Jeep tour in Hurghada. But did buy all the rest as many told us that the cruise on the Nile is justt that, a cruise down and up with out any tours. I studied the itinerary very carefully and there is still plenty of "rest" time to recoup and enjoy. We also have the 2 days at an all-inclusive on the Red Sea at the end so will rest and relax there before heading home.

 

I will post as often as I can while there...... depends on wifi.

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wanderinggirl

wanderinggirl

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Sunbather: what tour company are you using for your trip to Egypt ?

 

If you are leaving Nov. 8th you will be there the same time as us.....we fly home on the 11th..... :D

 

WE chose Gate 1 since we could pick and choose the excursions we wanted to do and pay for just those. Of course we ended up "choosing" almost all of them...... not doing the Sound and Light Show or the Jeep tour in Hurghada. But did buy all the rest as many told us that the cruise on the Nile is justt that, a cruise down and up with out any tours. I studied the itinerary very carefully and there is still plenty of "rest" time to recoup and enjoy. We also have the 2 days at an all-inclusive on the Red Sea at the end so will rest and relax there before heading home.

 

I will post as often as I can while there...... depends on wifi.

 

 

We leave on the 11th for the same cruise. Keep things in good shape for us :) Will be looking for updates. We chose ALL of the shore excursions as we will probably only make it to Egypt one time. I'm hoping they offer the hot air balloon when we are there.

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texancruzer

texancruzer

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We leave on the 11th for the same cruise. Keep things in good shape for us :) Will be looking for updates. We chose ALL of the shore excursions as we will probably only make it to Egypt one time. I'm hoping they offer the hot air balloon when we are there.

 

Will do. We did not choose the sound and light show for 2 reasons. Read it was not that great AND we plan to go to Mena house for dinner on Day 4 - which is the night for the S&L show. Also did not choose the jeep tour into the desert while in Hurghada since our focus is the water and diving/snorkeling. We will see about hot air balloon ride. Didnt think dh was too keen on that one.....but he says he'll do it !?

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sunbather1232

sunbather1232

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Sunbather: what tour company are you using for your trip to Egypt ?

 

If you are leaving Nov. 8th you will be there the same time as us.....we fly home on the 11th..... :D

 

WE chose Gate 1 since we could pick and choose the excursions we wanted to do and pay for just those. Of course we ended up "choosing" almost all of them...... not doing the Sound and Light Show or the Jeep tour in Hurghada. But did buy all the rest as many told us that the cruise on the Nile is justt that, a cruise down and up with out any tours. I studied the itinerary very carefully and there is still plenty of "rest" time to recoup and enjoy. We also have the 2 days at an all-inclusive on the Red Sea at the end so will rest and relax there before heading home.

 

I will post as often as I can while there...... depends on wifi.

 

We're travelling from England and all our excursions are included except things like the hot air balloon and Abu Simbell. I'm not sure which company we're with as it's all been booked for me as a wonderful gift. Our boat is the Beau Soliel.

 

Hey, you'll be off soon so have a great time!

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texancruzer

texancruzer

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We're travelling from England and all our excursions are included except things like the hot air balloon and Abu Simbell. I'm not sure which company we're with as it's all been booked for me as a wonderful gift. Our boat is the Beau Soliel.

 

Hey, you'll be off soon so have a great time!

 

Wonderful gift indeed ! Do not miss Abu Simbel. That is one of the main things I am going to see..... can't believe they moved it up so the lake wouldnt cover it up !

 

All packed ! Ready to go. We leave in the morning so I am excited to say the least. Will post from Africa next !!!!!

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1rocky

1rocky

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thank you for the amazing photos. just wondering did you have to pay at certain places to take pics I have nearly four weeks before we leave on 1st december for our 14 day tour of EGYPT. with Scenic tours an australian tour company. on the nile river i will be on the Sunray

Edited by 1rocky
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