The short answer

Egypt is a cash-plus-card country. The sources we checked agree on the basics: cards work well at larger hotels, malls and restaurants, and cash in Egyptian pounds is what you need for taxis, tips, markets and smaller businesses.

Where cards work, and where they do not

  • Cards work well at: hotels, malls, larger restaurants, cruise boats and big shops.
  • Cash is needed at: taxis, markets and bazaars, small shops, local cafes, tips and rural areas.

Visa and Mastercard are the safest choice. American Express and some other international cards are less widely accepted.

ATMs

ATMs are common in cities, airports and tourist areas, and they dispense Egyptian pounds. Most accept international Visa and Mastercard cards.

  • Use ATMs of banks or inside hotels and malls rather than a machine on a quiet street.
  • Expect the machine operator's fee on top of your own bank's foreign fee, and a daily withdrawal limit that varies by bank.
  • Ask your bank about foreign transaction and ATM fees before you travel, and tell it you will be abroad.
  • Keep your card, take your receipt, and shield the keypad.

Cash: small notes matter

Carry a stack of small notes. Taxi drivers, small shops and people you want to tip often cannot break large notes, and one guide advises against accumulating too many 200-pound notes, because they can be hard to exchange. Break large notes at hotels, supermarkets and restaurants where change is available.

Our guide to tipping in Egypt explains how baksheesh works, and why small notes are the most useful thing in your pocket.

Bringing foreign cash and exchanging money

  • Some travelers bring some US dollars or euros in clean, undamaged notes and exchange part of it on arrival. Others rely on ATMs. Both approaches work.
  • Exchange at banks, hotels and licensed exchange offices, and count the notes before you leave the counter.
  • Avoid street money changers. The rate they advertise can look better, and scams are common.
  • Ask your operator which services in your trip are prepaid and which need cash, so you know what to carry.

A simple plan

  1. Tell your bank you are going, and check its foreign fees.
  2. Bring a Visa or Mastercard and a back-up card kept separately.
  3. Withdraw a first amount of pounds from a bank ATM after arriving.
  4. Break big notes early and keep a stack of small ones for tips and taxis.
  5. Pay hotel and restaurant bills by card, and carry cash for everything else.

We do not quote exchange rates or fees, because the Egyptian pound has moved too far too fast for a written figure to stay honest. Check the current rate on the day, and see our guide to what an Egypt trip costs for how to budget.