SHOPPING in Egypt... learning the art !

In some shops, you must (should) barter, while in others the price will be set. The quick way to know if you should barter is, if there are no prices on the items, then bartering is expected by the buyer/seller. Which type of store provides the best possible deals depends both on the shop itself, and the bartering ability of the buyer and seller. Most tourists are not used to the concept of negotiating deals over prices, but these skills are part of the Fun of shopping in Egypt and may be useful in other places too. Shopping / bartering is an art. But, it should only be used in the right place. In some exclusive shops, supermarkets, coffee shops, restaurants, clubs and public transport there is usually no need as prices are fixed. Bartering is expected in the old souks (markets) where you can buy anything from gold bracelets to gifts and Egyptian souvenirs. Bartering is effective when buying high value items, such as gold and jewelry, but with low value items it is not worth the time and effort. When I travel to Egypt, I do not apply any special bartering rules. As a general rule, with good shopping skills you can expect to pay about 1/2 maybe even 1/3 of the original asking price, depending on how good you are. When buying gold or silver, the price is usually per gram Not the price per item. If you know the current price (per gram) this is a big asset. For other valuables you can always say a friend bought a similar item, for less. Getting a bargain is easier if you are buying more than one item; a discount is expected for buying in bulk. So, it makes sense to buy as a group of three of four, together. Also, if you can point to any defects in the goods, such as poor finishing, or a fading color somewhere, then you should be able to get an even better bargain.

General Information Currency: Egyptian Pound (known as EGP or in Egypt L.E.)  Approximate conversion :  £1 = 11 EGP / L.E. Time Zone: Egypt´s standard time is 2 hours ahead Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2).  Egypt uses Daylight-Saving Time from the last Friday in April to the last Thursday in September when the clocks are 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+3). Language of Egypt: Arabic is the official language. English, German and more recently Russian are widely spoken in tourist areas. Religion: According to the 1986 census, over 94 per cent of the population follows Islam; the majority of the rest is Christian. All types of Christianity are represented, especially the Coptic Christian Church. There is also a small Jewish minority. Electricity: All tourist areas are 220 volts AC, 50Hz. (using European 2-pin plugs). Make sure you have enough UK to European plug adaptors, these can be easily purchased at your airport before departure.