bonjour
j'avais demandé des renseignements sur le trajet en train kargha /louxor sur un site d'info en egypte, qui a renvoyé mon message au bureau du tourisme a paris(90, avenue des Champs-Elysées)qui me fait cette reponse
"Il n’y a pas de train dans les deserts, les train sont tout au long de la vallee du Nil Pour les voyages dans le deserts contactez www...."
drole de reponse, puisqu'il va jusqu'a alexandrie (et ce n'est pas sur le nil!!)...
lorsque je lui ai repondu que j'avais lu sur plusieurs guide qu'il y en avait un par semaine, mais que je voulais avoir confirmation du jour, pour organiser mon trajet du caire a louxor par les oasis, voici sa reponse
"Les voyages en deserts, vous pouvez pas les faire en individuelle, il vous faut des permis speciales "
ce mr Alfons (qui fait pas mal de fautes d'orthographe) au bureau du tourisme egyptien, me semble plus etre employé d'une agence de voyage que d'un office du tourisme!!
quelqu'un pourrait-il me renseigner sur ces divers points ?
faut il vraiment une autorisation?c'est la 1ere fois que j'en entends "parler", il y a des bus d'une oasis a l'autre...
quid du train de kargha a louxor?ou moyen pour faire ce trajet sans avoir a remonter sur Asyut?
merci pour vos reponses
On circule librement entre les oasis et les excursions dans le desert avec un guide sont faciles a faire. il faut parfois un papier dont le guide s'occupe.
Certaines zones plus eloignees sont effectivement sous autorisation je crois - mais seulement des endroits lointains.
Le train je ne sais pas. il semble peu usite.
merci a toi, Michel !
j'ai lu qu'il y avait possibilité de prendre un minibus ou taxi pour faire kargha/luxor(par la "directissime")plutot que de se coltiner le gdr tour
tu confirme ?
je pensais bien que ce Alson voulait me vendre quelque chose!!
j'ai vu effectivement a mon 1er voyage, que les chauffeur de taxi(gdre distance)devait declarer les passagers transportés, mais ds la mesure ou ns prendrons des bus de lignes, je sup^pose que ca fonctionne comme d'hab.
merci encore
L'office du tourisme egyptien a competence pour gerer les touristes en troupeaux. Ils ne sont d'aucune utilite pour les expats ou les voyageurs individuels.
salut catw et merci de ta réponse !
c'est bien ce que je pensais😉 au perou c'est la meme, les offices du tourisme te renvoi vers les TO(ce qui a le don de m'ennerver!!!)comme si on etait des culs de jatte ou des neuneus incapables...
tu as une reponse pour ma preocupation ?
et puisque je t'ai sous la main, 😛je te livre mon circuit...
arrrivée a hurghada ou luxor(selon les prix de transavia, et dispo de mon fiston, qui doit etre arrivé a hurghada aujourd'hui)
hurghada/luxor en bus:visite karnac et ce coté de la ville, l'autre cote on le laisse pour le retour...
luxor/le caire en train: visite caire, citadelle(j'y suis allée de nuit et j'ai adorée)musée, pyramides etc..
caire/Bawati en bus: apparement plusieurs bus par jour
bawati/farafra en bus " "
farafra/dakla en bus: " "
daklakharga en bus: " "
kargha/luxor: mais comment ??? bus jusque assiout puis bus ou train jusque luxor, ou bien train du vendredi direct jusque luxor, ou bien minibus collectif ou taxi direct jusque luxor(prix 400 le pour la voiture, d'apres ce que je lis)
luxor;on viste ce qu'on a pas vu, la vallée des rois ...et balade sur la colline(j'avais adorée aussi en septembre avec mon "petit")
puis luxor/hurghada en bus ou retour luxor/paris avion
dans les villages des oasis on aimerait se balader seuls, nous deux et notre fidele GPS!!je suis autant allergique aux guepes qu'aux groupes organisés!!!
et puis pour nous, le meilleur moyen pour preserver la nature et ces endroits là, , c'est de ne pas y aller (en tout cas, pas en 4X4, ni en troupeau) nous avons 15 j(-2 pour le trajet), nous contentons de bus et hotels locaux.
Ton avis, toi qui semble bien connaitre?
merci de toutes sujetions.
a+
Bonjour,
Pour autant que je me souvienne, les quelques rails que j'ai pu apercevoir dans cette zone étaient considérablement ensablès ...
Il est plus façile de faire le trajet dans le sens Kargha / Louxor que l'inverse. Il doit y avoir un bus par jour, pas toujours très pratique. Il est possible, sans se presser de visiter les 5 oasis en commençant par Siwa en 5 nuitées jusqu'à Louxor; et de profiter des déserts Blanc et Noir sans oublier le désert d'Agabah, un contact tamerflute@hotmail.com. Le mieux est de prendre un taxi, rentable selon le nombre de participant. Pour ce qui est des autorisations et les bakchiches, c'est le chauffeur qui s'en occupe.
Bon voyage !
il fut effectivement une epoque entre 2004 et 2006 ou il falait payer des autoristaitons pour aller faire du 4X4 dans les dunes autour des aosis ... les TO et agences locales ont tellement gueullés, que le gouvernement a finalement retiré ces demandes payantes du marché ... il n'y en a plus besoin que pour le desert tres lointain a l'écart des oasis ( du coté des frontieres lyiennes et soudanaises)
il y a effectivement une ligne de chemin de fer entre les oasis, le caire et louxor ./... celui ci transport le minerai, le gaz et les materieaux entre les mines, les puits de petrole et les usines ... mais aucun passager ( l'écart entre les rails est different du train public le long du nil ).
la route kharga louxor a effectivement été ouverte puis fermée entre lxr et karga dans les deux sens jusqu'il y a peu et obligeant tout le monde à faire le tour via assiout.
elle est a ce jour réouverte mais uniquement de jour, que vous partiez de lxr ou de kharga, il vous faudra prendre la route au plus tard à 14H car sans poste de premier secours ni ambulance, cette route se ferme la nuit pour tout etranger désirant y voyager.
sinon effctivement un bus pulic par jour entre les 2 destinations, attention a achetter vos billets asez tot car une fois le bus plein = a peine 50 places pour une population sur l'oasis relativement importante ....il faut attendre le bus du lendemain !
petite remarque concernant votre phrase : drole de reponse, puisqu'il va jusqu'a alexandrie (et ce n'est pas sur le nil!!)...
si vous regardez la carte de l'egypte, le Nil coule du sud vers le nord en se divisant à sa fin en un delta dont les 2 branches principales s'apellent Damiette et rosette . ces 2 branches ont vu à leur embouchures a la mer les villes de Port Said ET d'ALEXANDRIE se construire ... donc Alexandrie EST bien au bord de la mer ... MAIS DU NIL AUSSI
salut Kattty
merci pour les renseignements qui ns serons bien utiles, j'en prends bien note ds mon carnet de "preparation"
ns partirons donc avant 14h pour luxor de kargha
y a plus qu'a attendre que transavia mettent leurs vols d'Avril, et c'est parti...
j'avoue ne pas etre tres ferue en geo de l'egypte, jusqu'a present j'etais plus sud am..MAis, bon, si c'est la Damiette ou la rosette, c'est plus le nil, non?😉
a+ et merci encore
damiette et Rosette sont les deux branches principales du delta DU NIL, jusqu'à la mer ..DONC LE NILsinon le nil ne serait plus un fleuve s'il n'allait pas sous son propre nom jusqu'à la mer !
bon, si tu le dis!!🙂
Au niveau du barage de Qanatir el-Khayreyya, le Nil se sépare en deux branches, celle qui descent à l'ouest vers l'embouchure de Rosette, l'autre à l'est vers celle de Damiette.
a un moment donc, c'est plus ca...
c'est comme les amazones, qu'a tord on appele l'amazone
par contre le delta de l' Ebre en catalogne est la rencontre de l 'Ebre avec la mediterannée, et qui s'appele Ebre d'un bout a l'autre
bon mais tout ca c'est pas bien grave!!!😉
Au niveau du barage de Qanatir el-Khayreyya, le Nil se sépare en deux branches, celle qui descent à l'ouest vers l'embouchure de Rosette, l'autre à l'est vers celle de Damiette.
a un moment donc, c'est plus ca...
à moins que tu penses être "géographe" et qui décide que; le Delta du Nil n'est pas constitué par le Nil que les noms de Rosette et de Damiette sont des noms de rivières? fleuves? et que le Nil est leur confluent
dans ce cas, le Nil devrait couler vers le Soudan 😛
maintenant soyons sérieux, il est vrai que le Nil se divise en; Nil "bras de Damiette", Nil "bras de Rosette"
ce qui constitue de Delta du Nil
ce n'est pas de moi, c'est le www.quid.fr qui le dit 😛 (voir leur carte)
à mon dernier passage par les oasis, et avec mon 4*4 (sep/nov 2009) aucune autorisation ne me fut demandée aucun guide n'est imposé aucune restriction me fut imposée
SEULE la destination du Gif el Kébir reste sous condition
sur la route, je ne fus contrôlé qu'une seule fois, rien d'exceptionnel
et comme il fut dit ici, le train n'est juste qu'un minéralier "Bawiti/Helwan/Bawiti"
voir pic attachée
l'Orient Express faisait Paris (gare Paris-Est), Vienne, Istanbul, El Qantara (passage canal de suez) Le Caire
tu peux venir sur place ... il ne le fait plus 😛
dito, pour ta ligne kargha/louxor dont qqs bouts de rails émergent de place en place, c'est ce que tu verras 😇
sacré routard toujours au fait de l'actualité😛
on en restera donc au bus avant 14h!!
et on restera peut etre en france, par ce que pour l'instant "transavia"...que nennie!!!
sacré routard toujours au fait de l'actualité.....c'est de l'humour je suppose ???
merci de le préciser, car Domayeux et moi même qui VIVONS au Caire au quotidien, nous pourrions le comprendre autrement ...
De mon coté, ne vivant pas en haute Garonne, il ne me viendrait pas à l'idée de demander sur le site des informations à des locaux sur les horaires de train et les modes de transports de ton coin, pour ensuite les remettre en question ...
a moins que ce forum soit devenu un passe temps autre que rechercher des informations d'actualité...
et dieu sait qu'ici cela change souvent ....
oui c'est de l'humour, car effectivement que ce soit sur "le routard" de 2009, sur printfoot de 2004 et le petit fute, ils en parlent du train, je voulais donc avoir confirmation
mes excuses si les Cairotes que vs etes l'ont mal pris(je ne vois pas pourquoi, d'ailleurs!)
quoiqu'il en soit, merci a tous pour les renseignements
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Hi, we're looking for a guide to show us around Essaouira.
We're 11 adults and don't want to go through an agency. If you have a contact to help us discover this city, that would be great!
Thanks
I’m heading back to Egypt for the first time in 30 years this July. Last time, I was 20, and we spent two weeks traveling on a shoestring as backpackers.
I’m wondering about a "cruise" on a felucca from Aswan—mainly to avoid being stuck in an air-conditioned tourist bubble (we’re already spending our first week in that setting with our diving club). We’d like to explore the most interesting stretch of the Nile between Aswan and Luxor. Do you have any thoughts on this option, tips, or maybe some contacts?
I was wondering if it’s possible to join a group as a solo traveler with local agencies in Djanet for circuits like Tadrart, Essendilene, Sefar, or Tassili?
If you have any agencies to recommend, I’d love to hear about them.
I didn’t find any info on the forum.
Best,
Here’s a first draft for a 14-night itinerary during the Christmas break with two teens. We’re especially fond of hiking (nothing too extreme, though), which is why we’re drawn to the south.
- Marrakech (2 nights)
- Aït Ben Haddou (1 night)
- Dadès (3 nights, though we’re thinking of doing a day trip to the Todra Gorge on one of those days)
- M'hamid (1 night)
- Erg Chigaga (1 night)
- 4 nights to slot in
- Marrakech (2 nights)
Okay, I realize this involves a lot of driving, and we’re still debating the return route since we’d like to avoid the Tichka Pass in January, but going through Taroudant seems like it would add *a lot* of time. 😕
If you’ve got other suggestions for an itinerary with great hikes, I’m all ears!
Also, the 4 nights total in MRK isn’t really our preference, but since we’re arriving/departing super early from overseas, we’d like to be a bit rested before the long flight.
Another question:
For hikes (aside from the desert one), is it better to have a guide with us, or are the trails well-marked?
Hi everyone,
Our trip to Morocco will be from November 3 to 17, in the High Atlas.
Basically, our route would be:
Marrakech - Aït Benhaddou
Skoura - Tinghir - Merzouga
Merzouga via the N12 to Zagora
Zagora - Draa Valley - Marrakech
It seems to be the low season, so I’d love to travel without having to book accommodations in advance. In other countries, pre-booking has restricted us and kept us from visiting unplanned sites. Freedom is important to us, but I’d also like to avoid arriving somewhere and finding nothing available.
What do you recommend? Book ahead or not?
Your advice is always helpful, and thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this for me.
Roberto
First of all: a big thank you to everyone whose insightful, funny, lively, and exotic posts we’ve enjoyed. It’s a joy to find such lovely writers on this forum, who’ve given me tons of ideas and addresses to prepare our trip.
Our plan: to explore Morocco from November 2nd to December 4th. We’ll have our own vehicle (a 2011 Renault Grand Scenic, in great condition), shipped with us from Sète to Tanger Med. Returning from Nador.
Our profile: 75 and 62 years young, so old but happy to be, in very good health. Seasoned travelers—it’s practically our whole life. Lovers of beautiful landscapes, historic sites, fine craftsmanship, and road trips. This will be my 3rd trip to Morocco, but the first two were 20 and 17 years ago. I’ve never been north of the Essaouira-Marrakech line (though I’ve gone further south). As for my husband, a lifelong expat including in Muslim countries, it’s his first time in Morocco.
He’s the one driving. He’s very experienced, cautious, not necessarily fast, but used to driving in all conditions (and countries, including the most creative on the road). But I don’t want to tire him out, and he no longer drives at night (and we’ll be there in November).
I’ve decided to show him a bit of everything by taking a road trip along beautiful backroads, with daily distances averaging 180-200 km (except on highways, which will be rare), regularly broken up by rest days. I’m counting on a speed of 40-50 km/h, plus stops/visits along the way.
Since I’ve read so many posts, I’ve narrowed it down to some very specific questions.
1) Coming directly from Rabat via the highway, we’d prefer to skip Marrakech*. Still, we’ll need to sleep somewhere nearby. We’ll head toward Skoura the next day. Does anyone have a well-located address for this route, possibly east of Marrakech? Ideally, we’re looking for a small town, easy parking, clean accommodation (minimum) with average comfort (or better if available), a bit heated, and if possible, pretty and/or nice—but above all, a place to sleep well, wash with lukewarm (ideally hot) water, and have a decent dinner.
(*Explanation for the "no-go" in Marrakech: it’s a shame, because there are truly beautiful things in this city, but I think the vibe won’t suit us—it’s an understatement for "it’ll put us off" / "make us flee" / "traumatize us." Not because it’s too crowded and we want to stand out from tourists (we’re part of them), but because of forced henna on your hand, or spending 10 minutes every quarter-hour saying "no thank you" to a "guide" who’s as much a guide as I am a trapeze artist. Knowing us, it’ll wear us down. The country is vast and beautiful, and our time too short to waste our memories just days after arriving. And I don’t want to ruin things for my peaceful husband, or he’ll demand we turn back—and Sète in November isn’t exactly thrilling either.)
2) Which route to Skoura (in 2 days)? I see two options: either via the Tichka Pass, with a night in Telouet before reaching Skoura, or via the R307/N23 from Demnate, with a night near Megdaz before descending to Skoura. So: Tichka Pass or R307/N23? I have a slight (big) preference for the second option, even though I know the other route is very beautiful too. Of course, before deciding, we’ll check the weather and the current state of the R307/N23—does anyone know where to get info on the road conditions? But even assuming the road is "passable," is it a bit too tough in itself? In short, is it reasonable? If a kind soul could share their experience, a thousand thanks in advance.
That’s all I’ve written for now. I’ll save the other questions for later posts. Thanks again to those who had the patience to read this and to those who can respond. Happy Sunday to all!
I’m just a few days away from my trip to Marrakech—I’m leaving from November 13th to 20th and bringing my parents along! I’d love to plan my stay as best as I can, and I’m sure the forum crew can help. So, here are my questions:
- Where’s the best place to exchange money without getting ripped off? The owner of the riad where we’re staying told us to avoid doing it at the airport because it’s really expensive and to do it in the medina instead, near Jemaa el-Fna square.
- Which traditional hammams do you recommend that are reasonably priced? How much should we budget for one? That’ll help me plan my expenses.
- What are some nice restaurants in the medina?
- I’d also like to know roughly how much to expect for a tea, a meal, a taxi, a djellaba, and babouches. I don’t want to get overcharged and would like to know what to expect.
- What are the must-do activities and places to visit?
Hi, I’d like to head to Morocco next week with my car. I’ve looked online at all the different info about the ferry crossing to Tangier, but I’m finding it really expensive. Is there a way to buy tickets in Spain? Or another way to get the Algeciras–Tangier crossing cheaper? Thanks for any tips or info!
We found a guide who offers the trip from M'hamid to a camp (departure at 3 PM, tea, meal, camel ride, overnight stay, breakfast, and return to M'Hamid by 11 AM the next day via the sacred oasis). He quoted us a price of 380 € for April.
What do you think of this rate?
This might sound like a silly question, but is it common to negotiate the price for this kind of thing (we're booking from France)? It’s still a big part of our travel budget.
Hi there,
We're planning to visit Egypt between January 25 and February 15, 2027. I looked up the Ramadan dates and found some sites saying it starts on February 8, while others say February 18... Where's the mistake?
Thanks,
Christian
Hi there,
We’re a family of 4 with two boys aged 12 and 10 traveling to Egypt in February.
We’re spending 3 days in Cairo to take our time exploring the city and the sites before heading south.
-Is it necessary to have a guide to visit the GEM? Are audio guides available?
-Do you have any contacts for drivers to organize a few transfers (Giza, Saqqara, Airport)?
-Do you know a French-speaking guide who’s friendly, family-friendly, and good at making things exciting, with reasonable prices?
With our two teens, we’re heading to Morocco for two weeks at the end of December and beginning of January. It’ll be our first trip that’s more "off the beaten path," even though we’ve visited several countries before. Given the overwhelming amount of info, I’m feeling a bit swamped with the prep this trip requires, and I’ll admit I’m a little lost when it comes to figuring out what’s realistic to visit in two weeks 😕 So, all your tips, personal experiences, and suggestions are more than welcome!
- Which places should we prioritize during this time of year? (I’ve read that some spots are less accessible in winter?)
- What’s the best way to get around? (rental car, train, private transport, buses, etc.? — just a heads-up, we’ll have a few suitcases!)
- In terms of "safety," are there any areas to avoid?
- Any recommendations for reliable local tour companies (beyond the big names like "Get Your Guide") that offer excursions or private transport to help us explore the country?
- A doable 2-week itinerary that lets us enjoy the country’s diversity without having to change accommodations every two days?
I’m planning a trip to the High Atlas in Morocco and have a few questions for you:
- Why do so many people recommend avoiding international agencies for car rentals? Can anyone explain why?
- Is Booking.com reliable, and has anyone rented a vehicle through their service? There’s a pretty big price difference compared to local Moroccan agencies.
- Is there a detailed road map included in the rental car?
- Is Google Maps enough to get around the High Atlas? This will be my first trip there.
Thanks so much to anyone who can help with this destination I’ve been dreaming about for years.
Have a great evening,
Roberto
hi there, I’m heading to Tunisia 🙂 from April 27 to May 8 with my family. I’ve read through the various discussions about the country, but I’m still a bit unsure🤪: for currency exchange, I saw on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that withdrawing currency with a bank card from ATMs is limited to 200 TND per week. There are four of us traveling by car, so that might be a bit tight! And it’s a hassle to carry a lot of cash, even if I’m not being paranoid! What do you all recommend?
Cheers,
Laurent.
We're planning a 2-week trip in late February/early March for a road trip in the High Atlas with a rental car, and we'd love to avoid booking our accommodations in advance. Is that doable, easily manageable, or risky (are accommodations available, expensive, or not great)? Thanks for your tips!
Annie
Hi,
This autumn, we’re planning to explore the Oriental region and we’re wondering where the best place to land would be. We’ll have three weeks ahead of us and we’ll be renting a car.
Any tips would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Is there an official website or list of certified Egyptologist guides in Egypt? And most importantly, what are the normal prices for a full day or half day? There’s so much scamming and crazy pricing—depending on who you contact, it can range from simple to quadruple!!!!
Thanks
Hello,
In September, my wife and I, along with another couple, will be traveling to Tunisia and staying at the Sheherasade Hotel near Sousse.
We’d love to hear your recommendations or tips on places to visit, as well as advice on taxis or other transportation options.
Thanks in advance!
This autumn’s trip should be in Morocco—barring any geopolitical issues between now and then.
After many trips to the south of Fès, I’m giving the north a try.
My plan is roughly to do a road trip loop from Rabat back to Rabat, passing through Asilah, Tangier, Tétouan, Chefchaouen, Akchour, Fès, Meknès, and Volubilis.
That’s a lot of cities.
Probably a bit too many for our taste—we usually prefer more isolated spots...
So I’m looking for tips on little backroads, secluded beaches, half-day hikes, and offbeat places.
If you’ve also got recommendations for accommodation... (We’re open to splurging over 100 € if it’s a real favorite.)
Feel free to think outside the box—this is an open-ended plan! !😉
Hello,
I’m looking for testimonials from Pieds-Noirs who have recently returned to Algeria.
There can’t be many left after 65 years of the country’s independence.
I’m planning to go back myself soon to reconnect with my roots... before I pass away...
I’ve started making a few pre-bookings for hotels and apartments to rent in Algiers. At first, I received friendly and welcoming responses. Then, when I mentioned I wanted to stay for two or three weeks—maybe even a month—explaining that my trip wouldn’t be strictly touristy but more of a pilgrimage to the places of my childhood, and that it would likely be a very emotional journey, I expected a positive and warm reaction to my approach. Instead, I suddenly stopped getting replies from the three or four people I’d contacted. So now I’m wondering about the reception former Pieds-Noirs can expect...
Anyone here who can share their experience of returning? I specified “recently” because it seems that right now, diplomatic relations between the two governments are extremely tense, not to say hostile... even if Macron claims otherwise...
Hello,
I’m traveling to Algeria from October 27 to November 16, 2026.
I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been through the process about the accommodation attestation required for the visa application:
- Does it need to cover the entire duration of the trip?
- Is this document mandatory for a hotel to rent a room?
- Is it checked during inspections?
- Is a hotel booking (e.g., via Booking.com) sufficient for the visa?
- If so, does it need to be paid in advance?
I plan to visit several cities and do one or more treks with a guide or agency.
If you have any contacts you’d recommend, I’d be grateful!
Also, I’d love to share this trip with a companion who’s already done some traveling.
We’d organize the journey together, of course.
Thanks for your feedback!
Safe travels to all,
Dom, Dijon, 64 years old
I’m leaving for Tunisia in five weeks for a full 15-day trip. I’ll be arriving in Monastir and departing from there as well.
I’d like to do a route that’s a bit different from my first stay, which was more focused on cities and culture (Tunis, Sousse, Kairouan, El Jem).
I’ll be getting around by public transport.
I’d like to head south toward Tozeur, and I saw that you can take a *louage* from Monastir to Sbeitla (2h30). I imagine it’s not too complicated to get to Tozeur from there afterward? The issue is the return trip to Monastir and safety in Sbeitla.
If this route seems too complicated, I might opt for Djerba instead, which looks simpler.
I’m heading to Morocco in September 2026, and part of my trip takes me through Merzouga. I’m looking for a 4x4 driver-guide to explore the area with my partner and me.
.....c'est de l'humour je suppose ???
