High risk to Britons in Egypt

MrsE_2

dave_howard wrote: »

From the FCO website
Two people were killed in an armed robbery in Sharm el Sheikh old town market area in January 2012. There have also been some cases of abductions for financial gain. In early March 2012 there were two robberies at gun and knifepoint of tourists travelling late at night on unlicensed tour buses on the coast road north of Sharm el Sheikh. There were no injuries.
A call to the travel agent i reckon!!

I was in Sharm in May - it was fine :-)

elsien

dave_howard wrote: »

As you can probably tell,we're not seasoned travellers and have only been abroad 3 times with Turkey being only 2 months ago.
Even then I had to put my wife's mind at rest with the Syria situation so you must know where im coming from

My grandmother made me make a will before going to Egypt, and spent the entire time I was in Turkey fretting because it shared a border with Iraq (albeit 1300 miles away from Bodrum where we were staying.)

gasmanmartin

Im going to Sharm in December with my family, i have no issues at all.
You will find its a long way from Cairo and as long as you take precautions as you would anywhere else you go i don't see what the problem is?

vegasvisitor

I can sort of understand this. We are currently considering going to Sharm El Sheik in January, and have read the advice on the FCO website a few times, keep checking back for updates.

We were in Sharm late January 2011 when everything kicked off last time. We arrived on the Monday and it started on the Tuesday. We were a bit worried, but were assured by the hotel staff that all was fine and they got us a taxi into town one day and all was indeed fine. We had no internet for a few days (as it was cut off across the country by the government), and the staff were having a good nosey at the tv in the bars, but that's about all that we were aware of. We were told that people who live in that area only live there because they work there, so unemployment is really low in the area so lower risk of any trouble like that.

Now, onto the FCO advice, it mentions places like St Catherine's Monastry which is in South Sinai, but not the coastal area. It's one of the trips you can take on a bus from Sharm, but it's advised against at this time. I think the national park is also not advised at this time, so bear in mind there's not really much to do in the way of tours.

If I had booked an paid for a holiday I'd still be going at this point given the current FCO advice. I'm just not sure I want to book right now, in case things worsen. I can't decide though and was checking prices again earlier this evening so obviously I'm still thinking about it. Warmer than the Canaries in our experience as well.

Mr_Wang

Travelled around Cairo and then through the Sinai to Sharm and beyond (Dahab) all on public transport, alone with two young kids in September just gone.
Heavy security in the area, didn't feel the slightest bit of hostility or threatened a single time.

Oh, and in Cairo we stayed in the Muslim area meaning every time we wanted to get somewhere we pretty much had to cross the whole city.

You're insurance will 100% blow you out. And to be honest, if I was you, my concern wouldn't be about safety in Egypt, it'd be about the fact I'd paid, and was going to Sharm el !!!!!. If I was you I'd get in, then get straight out.

jhe

i went to sharm in 2010, there was high security to get into hotel. no outside taxis were allowed etc. i would go back if i had booked to go now.
on another note op, you should be able to transfer your holiday to another destination for a fee but the nearer to departure the higher the fee will be.

lewroll

In Sharm as I type, no problems whatsoever apart from the fact that it is raining at this moment in time!!!!!!!

Tojo_Ralph

dave_howard wrote: »

I dont want to scaremonger but i really dont think we should go.
We paid £365 each for the week and only paid it all up 2 weeks ago.
Getting half back would be a result.

Reading your posts it is evident that you and/or your wife are not comfortable going to Egypt, so in all honesty I think you should stick to your original plan and discuss with the travel agent and see what can be achieved.

MSE'rs could post any number of war stories on this thread highlighting what are rational and irrational concerns, but I don't see you being convinced and I don't see that you should be.

pattycake

We were in Hurghada in late January/February 2011 when the Arab Spring was in full flow. We knew nothing about it whatsoever until we watched BBCWorld. Our family at home were worried sick!

We were fine and since then I have been back to Egypt a three further times. We are going again in 10 days and I have absolutely no worries. If it were unsafe and the Foreign Office advised against travel there, then the tour operator would suspend flights. At that point, we would be able to get a refund or be offered an alternative holiday.

I am wondering why you booked a holiday in Egypt in the first place if you are such nervous travellers?

dave_howard_2

pattycake wrote: »

We were in Hurghada in late January/February 2011 when the Arab Spring was in full flow. We knew nothing about it whatsoever until we watched BBCWorld. Our family at home were worried sick!

We were fine and since then I have been back to Egypt a three further times. We are going again in 10 days and I have absolutely no worries. If it were unsafe and the Foreign Office advised against travel there, then the tour operator would suspend flights. At that point, we would be able to get a refund or be offered an alternative holiday.

I am wondering why you booked a holiday in Egypt in the first place if you are such nervous travellers?

We booked it a while back on friends recommendations and of it being the warmest place for that time of year.
I knew of the troubles of Cairo etc, its only because of the High Risk alert just being announced which troubled us.
We have popped into the travel agents today and she has assured us that the FCO has not issued any warnings for Sharm and is safe.
Which i kinda knew they would say anyway.