Paying for Things in Egypt: Currency, Cards, and Where Cash Wins

Paying for Things in Egypt: Currency, Cards, and Where Cash Wins

Your Cairo hotel takes Visa. The koshary stall on the corner does not. Egypt runs on two payment systems that barely touch: the card-friendly world of international hotels, dive resorts, and upscale restaurants, and the cash economy that governs everything else. You pay for your sleeper train ticket in US dollars. You hand a 5 EGP coin to a toilet attendant. The taxi driver at the airport wants cash, and if you give him a large note he will not have change. Plan for both systems from the moment you land at Cairo International Airport (CAI).

Know Your Notes and Coins

The official currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP), written as LE or L.E. in shops. One pound splits into 100 piastres, though piastre coins are vanishingly rare. The Central Bank of Egypt manages a floating exchange rate. A parallel market rate has appeared during foreign-currency shortages, but the gap with the official rate shifts with monetary conditions. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, US Department of State, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Government of Canada each publish the official rate. Do not rely on a figure from a blog; check the issuing bank's rate on the day you exchange money.

The Big Budget Trap: the Sleeper Train and Hard Currency

Overnight sleeper trains on the Cairo-Luxor-Aswan corridor cannot be paid for in Egyptian pounds. A ticket costs $110 to $130 in USD, and the railway accepts only foreign currency or a foreign-issued card at the booking office. This catches budget travellers who cash out everything into EGP and arrive at Ramses Station expecting to buy a ticket with local notes. You cannot. If you have no dollars or euros, find a currency exchange desk at a hotel or bank before you reach the station. Allow 45 minutes for this detour. The train is a 10-hour overnight commitment. Miss your departure because you could not pay, and you are stuck in Cairo without a seat for a day.

Where Cards Work and Where They Do Not

Card acceptance in Cairo and Alexandria is reasonable inside chain hotels, sit-down restaurants with air conditioning, and supermarkets. Contactless payments are growing in urban retail chains but are not universal even at places that have a terminal. Outside those two cities, acceptance drops sharply. In rural areas, small towns, and all of Upper Egypt, cash is the only option for almost everything.

Transport and the Uber Problem

Domestic flight tickets can be bought by card. Train and bus tickets at station counters are usually cash-only. Uber operates in Cairo and Alexandria, but drivers routinely cancel short trips and then call to demand a higher cash fare. If you rely on card payment in an Uber, confirm the fare in the app and carry cash as backup.

The Small Note Problem and the Baksheesh Economy

The baksheesh system means that every interaction can incur a demand for a small payment: the man who points you to a temple entrance, the woman who lets you use a toilet, the parking attendant who appears beside your taxi, the felucca captain who offers an extra hour on the Nile. It is not optional. If you cannot produce a small note, the interaction turns hostile or you are denied the service.

How to Stockpile Small Notes

The problem is that 5, 10, and 20 EGP notes are in constant demand and short supply. A large note is almost impossible to break in a taxi, a small shop, or with a street vendor. Build a habit from day one: every time you enter a bank, a hotel reception, or a supermarket, ask for your change in small denominations. Carry a dedicated pocket or money belt that holds only notes of 5, 10, and 20 EGP. Do not dip into it unless you need to tip. Hotel porters get a small note per bag, handed directly. Housekeeping gets a small note left daily, not at the end of the stay. Toilet attendants at mosques and public toilets expect a coin or a small note. Parking attendants and anyone who offers unsolicited assistance, including directions, expects a small note.

The Toilet Kit You Must Carry

Carry a toilet paper roll and 5 to 10 EGP in coins at all times. Public toilets are scarce, they are squat-style, and they do not provide paper. The attendant will not let you pass without the coin. Do not rely on finding a clean bathroom in a cafe; the cafe may not have one for non-customers.

Tipping Norms for Services

Restaurant service: if the bill includes a service charge line, add 10 to 15 percent of the pre-charge total, left in small notes on the table. If no service charge appears, the tip is expected. Tour guides and drivers: budget 100 to 200 EGP per person per day for a full-day guide, and 50 to 100 EGP for the driver. Felucca captains: the tip is negotiated as part of the fare; add a small extra note only if the captain exceeds the agreement, such as sailing for an extra hour.

Hotels quote prices in dollars or euros for rooms, dive packages, and Nile cruises. You can pay in EGP at the prevailing rate, but confirm the rate at check-in to avoid an unfavourable conversion. The quoted price is in USD, and the hotel applies its own rate for EGP payment. Ask what that rate is before you agree.

The One Thing That Most Often Goes Wrong

The most common failure is arriving at the sleeper train ticket counter with only Egyptian pounds, discovering that the ticket costs $110 in hard currency, and having no dollars, euros, or a foreign-issued card that works. You miss the 10-hour overnight train and lose a day of your itinerary. The second most common failure is handing a taxi driver a large note for a 50 EGP fare and watching him shrug because he has no change. Neither of these is the driver being difficult. The system does not accommodate large notes or EGP-only travellers on the sleeper. Plan for both before you leave your hotel. Carry a mix of $20 bills and small EGP notes. Keep a dedicated pocket for the baksheesh coins. Assume that any transaction outside a chain hotel will be cash, and that the cash you offer needs to be exactly the amount or close to it.