What is the currency in Egypt
The national currency of Egypt is the Egyptian pound (LE in the international classification). There are 100 piastres in one Egyptian pound. Both paper and metal money are in use. Notes are issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pounds, as well as 25 and 50 piastres. Most often, Egyptian banknotes depict mosques and statues of pharaohs. Many banknotes are very dilapidated, but this does not detract from their payment value.

What currency to take with you to Egypt
In addition to the national currency, euros and dollars are used in Egypt. Dollars are more popular – they are more familiar to the Egyptians. We recommend taking US dollars with you. It is better to exchange dollars on arrival for pounds. It is more convenient to bargain in pounds – and they are traded everywhere in Egypt. Be careful – the Egyptians really do not like to give change, considering it a reward for their own labors.

Where to change currency
There are several ways to exchange rubles or dollars for Egyptian pounds. The first is to do it at the bank branch at the airport. In exchange offices on the territory of resorts and hotels (the second method), the exchange rate is most often not very profitable, especially in relation to the ruble. Documents for currency exchange are not required. The third way to get hold of Egyptian pounds is to exchange them at an ATM. There are quite a lot of them in Egypt, especially in places where tourists gather – in shopping centers, on the promenades.

Cashless payments
You can pay with a bank card in Egypt far from everywhere. Here they prefer “live” money. In addition, for using the card abroad, both your bank (according to your tariff) and the Egyptian side will charge you a commission. If you plan to actively use the card on vacation, do not forget to warn your bank: often, in case of unusual activity of an account abroad, it is frozen for security purposes. It often happens that you cannot pay with a card abroad at all – this function is not available for some Russian cards.

Banks

Banks Египта в среднем открыты вс-ср 08:30-14:00, чт 08:30-13:00, обмен валюты также производится 17:00-00:00. Bank branches at airports and large hotels are open around the clock.
It is necessary to clarify which banks in Egypt are trustworthy. These are the main banks: Bank of Alexandria, Banque Misr, Banque du Caire and the central bank of Egypt – the National Bank of Egypt, whose representative offices are in all large cities.
In Cairo and Alexandria, it is possible to use the offices of international banks. Transferring money to Egypt is best done through reliable companies like Western Union.

Tricks
In Egypt, tips, “bakshish”, are common. They will constantly demand baksheesh from you. The size of the baksheesh is up to you, but rarely does anyone give more than 1 pound.

When ordering a taxi, pay for the trip after you have been brought to where you asked. In a restaurant or cafe, you need to pay immediately after you have made an order. If this is not done, you can easily write a couple of dishes on the bill – and you are unlikely to be able to prove that you did not eat them.

Count change carefully. The most common tourist scam in Egypt is to slip 50 piastres instead of a £50 banknote. They are very similar in appearance.