Getting There

First, buy the Rough Guide To Egypt.

First, buy the Rough Guide To Egypt.

It is the best of the four guides we sampled and is full of indispensible advice, erudite and consumer-bright. Holiday packages have gone down in price in the past six months. Michael Stein Travel in Camden Street, Dublin (Tel: 01-475 5401) is offering seven nights in Luxor from £349, including accommodation. A cruise costs from £499; a mixture of hotel and cruise: £469. Two nights in Cairo added on will cost £120. Apex flights to Cairo on EgyptAir start at £440 and to Luxor from £754.

Viking Travel, with bases in Cairo and Luxor, is an excellent contact: Stein Travel will put you in touch. Best/most original buys: perfume oils, Egyptian cotton - even by the yard - spices, herbs, dates stuffed with almonds, and whatever Ptolemaic trinkets your heart desires. The local wine tastes like dust. The beer is fine. You need to bring a torch for the tombs; insect repellent, head cover and tolerance for the persistent, but largely harmless soliciting.

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