Cruises to Alexandria

There's nothing here to hang around for.

A taxi ride from the port to Corniche, the city's waterfront boulevard, costs 10 euros. That translates into about one euro per minute. (The euro, currently equivalent to $1.29 U.S., tends to be the shipboard currency in the region.) You can walk the same distance in 30 - 40 minutes. Editor's tip: Whether it's a cab or a horse and buggy, it's almost predictable that the quoted price will somehow skew upward by the end of your journey. Live with it.

The local currency is the Egyptian pound. The current exchange rate is one pound to 17.5 cents U.S. (though we recommend you visit www.xe.com for up-to-the-minute exchange rates.) However, there's absolutely no need to convert your dollars or euros to Egyptian currency because the locals prefer our hard cash. It's a good idea to carry some small denominations, dollar bills or euro coins. Credit cards are widely accepted in finer shops and restaurants.

Egyptians speak Arabic. Don't count on hearing much English spoken, but the better restaurants typically offer menus in English.