What to bring from Egypt? Assortment of duty free airport in Sharm el-Sheikh. International airports in Egypt Duty free Sharm El Sheikh
The international airport is located 18 kilometers northeast of Sharm el-Sheikh. Now it is called the same as the city - Sharm el-Sheikh, and was previously known as Ras Nasrani. Built by Israel in 1968, it was first used as military base, and ten years later, in 1978, was transferred to Egypt as part of the Camp David Agreement.
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Now it's the biggest Sinai Peninsula and the third busiest airport in Egypt, second only to Cairo in terms of the number of passengers received. Serves not only guests of this resort, but also tourists traveling to Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba.
Airport structure
More than 50 planes fly to Sharm el-Sheikh every day. Information about departures and arrivals is displayed on the online board of the official website. The busiest schedule is from 6 to 10 pm, during this period planes can land every 5 minutes.
The airport layout is simple: the complex consists of two passenger terminals located 200 meters from each other. The long-awaited third, which was going to be launched in 2012 and then in 2015, is unlikely to be ready before 2017-2018. The three terminals are expected to serve up to 10 million travelers annually.
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Takeoff and landing are carried out on two runways, each a little more than three kilometers long. The third runway is in the project; its opening will take place simultaneously with the opening of the new terminal.
Terminal 1 was opened in 2007, abbreviated T1 8 million passengers pass through it every year. This is where most international flights land, and charter passengers are also accepted here.
There are 40 passport control posts in the building, but this is no longer enough to serve the increasing flow of tourists every year. Visa processing and customs clearance sometimes takes more than an hour during peak hours.
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Behind passport control there is a baggage claim area and a small duty-free area. Prices are in US dollars and the selection is limited. If there is no urgent need for alcohol and cigarettes, it is better to wait until the city, in Sharm el-Sheikh there are duty free shops in the Old Town, Soho Square and Naama Bay.
Terminal 2 (T2), better known as "old", used mainly for domestic flights. The last time it was renovated was in 2004, and after the construction of the new terminal, the majority moved there international airlines. Currently, flight passengers pass through T2 Air airlines Cairo, Air Berlin, Livingston Airlines, Meridiana and Eurofly, as well as domestic flights. T2 receives approximately 2.5 million passengers per year.
Airlines
Sharm el-Sheikh receives regular flights from Russia and Europe, operated by the largest air carriers:
- Aeroflot - from Moscow and St. Petersburg;
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- AirBerlin - from Berlin, Düsseldorf and Basel;
- Austrian Airlines - from Vienna;
- Turkish Airlines - from Istanbul;
- Monarch Airlines and easyJet - from Birmingham, London and Manchester,
- Blue Panorama Airlines - from Rome and Milan.
In addition to the listed companies, liveries of airlines from Europe and the Middle East can be seen on the airfield.
Besides, they fly to Sharm charter flights many airlines, including Russian ones: Kogalymavia, I-Fly, NordStar and RusLine.
Flying on an airplane is always a little exciting. Many questions always arise: which flight is better to choose - charter or regular, how much luggage can you take with you, how to get through passport control faster, how not to get lost at the airport and much, much more. To dispel all concerns, we will tell you...
How to save on a visa to Egypt
Tourists from Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine most often apply for a visa upon arrival in Egypt. A visa allowing travel throughout Egypt will cost $25 and is valid for 30 days. You can obtain a migration card from travel agency representatives at the airport. The service is free, although some try to sell cards for 1-2 dollars.
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For those who are not planning excursions towards the Suez Canal(or Luxor), Sinai stamp is enough, which is installed free of charge and allows you to stay on the territory of the Sinai Peninsula for up to 15 days. To receive such a stamp, you need to indicate in large letters on the back of the migration card "SINAI ONLY"(pronounced “saynay onli”), with this card you need to go not to the windows where visas are issued, but directly to the border guards.
If your plans change during your vacation, you will need an Egyptian visa, for example, you can return to the airport, pay $25 and get the necessary stamp in your passport.
Violations visa regime in Egypt can result in a three-day prison sentence followed by deportation of the offender from the country at his expense.
You can exchange currency at the same window where you apply for a visa. It is better to bring dollars or euros to Egypt, exchange rate Russian rubles extremely low. It is not necessary to change money at the airport; in the old city there are exchangers and ATMs (look for those marked FOREX), as well as bank branches.
Transfer from airport
Most tourists flying to Sharm el-Sheikh do not have to think about how to get from the airport to the city: the price of the tour already includes a transfer to the hotel.
If you booked a plane ticket and hotel yourself, you can use the services of local companies that will not only deliver you to the hotel, but also help you get through passport control faster.
There are always a lot of taxi drivers in the arrival hall and at the exit. There is no official carrier or standard prices. To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is better to agree on the price before getting into a taxi. If you don't want to bargain, You can pre-order a taxi or transfer from international services, for example, Resorthoppa. In March 2017, with advance booking, the cost of a taxi from the airport to Sharm El Sheikh was 14 euros, which is slightly more than taxi drivers offer, but the taxi driver will wait at the terminal with a sign, even if you arrive on a night flight.
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In addition, minibuses to the city center stop at Terminal 1. There are no fixed tariffs for tourists, It is better to discuss the fare with the driver before boarding the bus. Approximate price - about 2 euros.
Cars for rent are offered as international companies(Hertz and Thrifty) and local ones. But given the peculiarities of Egyptian traffic, it is cheaper and safer to travel by taxi.
Duty-free in Sinai
At duty-free airport Sharm el-Sheikh the choice is not encouraging: fakes, torn packaging of luxury brand cosmetics, souvenirs at astronomical prices. It is better to take care of souvenirs from Egypt in advance, and buy as many cigarettes and alcohol as possible before departure.
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You can only pay for cosmetics with a card, Most departments only accept cash, preferably dollars. Euros and Egyptian pounds are accepted, but at a reduced rate.
The best duty-free Sharm El Sheikh is in the city, on Soho Square. And those who stopped at Naama Bay- can do duty-free shopping at the Savoy Hotel.
Arriving at one of the most famous resorts In Egypt, having settled into a hotel and unpacked their things, tourists still cannot relax. They are faced with a new question - which main ones to inspect first, what is worth spending time on, and what should be ignored. In addition, from Sharm el-Sheikh you can go to study various historical places Egypt, we will talk about.
Sharm el-Sheikh - large resort town Egypt, which is located on the Red Sea coast. It became known throughout the world after just a village in the south of the Sinai Peninsula began to turn into a large tourist centre s good developed infrastructure. However, unlike other Egyptian resorts, it no longer resembles eastern city, reminiscent of Mediterranean holiday destinations. Comes here every year great amount tourists, enjoying the advantageous natural location and excellent climate. Most of them arrive at aircraft through the resort's large airport, so many who have visited the Egyptian paradise are very familiar with the duty free airport of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Duty free at Sharm el-Sheikh airport
The most popular duty free shops are located at the airport, although many choose other outlets for shopping. Duty free shops are a ten minute drive from Naama Bay. Also attracts tourists local market. These and many other duty free shops are owned by EgyptAir DutyFree.
It has about sixty-seven outlets in modern shopping centers and major airports countries. The catalog of their products and their prices can be viewed at any time by visiting their official website.
Duty free at Sharm el-Sheikh airport
After you receive your luggage at the airport, you can immediately head to the duty free department by turning left from the hall. As a rule, tourists buy perfumes, sweets and alcohol here. The advantage of buying alcoholic beverages at the airport is a bonus liter: you can buy as many as four liters of elite alcohol. It is possible that the products will be cheaper in the markets, but there is a risk of running into a fake. Cost in all Duty free varies, and the airport branch isn't the best place to shop, but that only applies to some items. Here you can successfully buy luxury jewelry, perfume and alcohol.
Wide assortment in duty free at Sharm el-Sheikh airport
Traditional sets of “alcohol, candy, perfume” are far from the only thing that can be purchased at Duty free. The assortment is aimed at tourists who might have forgotten something at home from clothes, accessories and equipment, or who need some kind of welcome gift or souvenir.
In duty free at Sharm el-Sheikh airport you can buy:
· branded watches and glasses;
· care cosmetics and perfumes;
· original jewelry;
· chocolates, nuts, Mentos;
· clothes of famous brands for women and men;
· toys;
· crystal souvenirs, figurines, national clothes, lighters, figurines, pens, etc.;
· household appliances: irons, hair dryers, shaving machines, etc.
Duty free shopping rules
If anyone has an idea about making money by reselling goods from Duty free, then moderate your ardor. As a rule, most of these stores have rules that do not allow bulk purchases. For example, in duty free Sharm el-Sheikh you can purchase any product that is tax-free within two days after arrival.
In this case, you will need to present your passport and ticket so that the sellers can check it. The advantage of shopping at Duty free operates on the principle that the stores are located outside the state, therefore a tourist making purchases at such a retail outlet must have an uncertain location. This applies to both foreign tourists and Egyptians who have returned home. Both of them have time to shop at Sharm el-Sheikh duty free.
But do not forget about the restrictions on the number of units of goods: no more than three liters of alcoholic beverages, no more than three blocks of cigarettes, no more than eight perfume products. Plus, each person has a purchase limit of two hundred dollars. In a year, a foreigner can only visit this duty-free store four times, while an Egyptian can only visit twice.
Egypt has been occupying a leading place among the most popular countries For modern tourist from Eastern Europe. Here you can relax relatively inexpensively and get so much pleasure that it will last for more than one year. This, however, is not even strange, since the local climate is completely different from the one you are used to - the hot sun, the famous waters of the Nile, simply endless sand dunes, caravans of tireless camels…. Add to this the warm sea, pretty beaches with unusual gazebos and endless shopping opportunities - isn’t this what you imagined when you dreamed of heavenly holiday? Undoubtedly, the lion's share of travelers will give a positive answer. One of the most popular resorts in the country - Sharm el-Sheikh - will be able to impress them.
Shopping Opportunities
If only there was money, there would certainly be a use for it here. At the same time, you need to take into account one of the main rules of local shopping - the possibility of bargaining. Without this, especially in markets and bazaars, there is simply no way. That’s the way it is here - as soon as the top of a foreigner’s head is visible “on the horizon,” prices immediately “skyrocket.”
By the way, it’s best to “leave shyness at home” - immediately “cut” the price in half and “dance” further according to the circumstances. You can be sure that the results will be very noticeable and you can save quite a decent amount on each item. If you take into account the fact that all of the country’s trade “rests” on the bazaars, you can only imagine how much money you will be able to save, having a “suspended” tongue.
However, there are a few “buts”…. Usually the markets of Sharm el-Sheikh are quite crowded and you will have to spend a decent amount of time in order to “dig up” the right thing. In addition, here it is better not to buy any branded goods or, for example, expensive alcohol - you can easily fall for a fake. What's the solution? Shops, for example. Of course, you won’t always be able to bargain here and the prices, in most cases in such retail outlets are higher than market prices, but there is more “confidence” there. If you wish, you can save money here by visiting several duty-free stores in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Duty free shops: where to look and what to buy?
It’s worth immediately making all travelers happy - duty free Sharm el Sheikh has placed it in several places. Two of them can be found in the popular Naama Bay area, one each in Old Market and Soho and another at the airport. That is, these are five unique opportunities to purchase goods without any duties, and this is much cheaper than in all other stores.
However, one must not give too much to the boundless happiness that North Africa opened my arms to you, because this is how you can “click” the opportunity to visit duty free in Sharm el-Sheikh. The thing is that you only have two days to purchase the goods you like here.
You shouldn’t expect any indescribable variety in the dutiks - the main assortment here consists of perfumes, chocolates and alcohol. But there is so much of this goodness here that, believe me, you can make the most unexpected gift for every relative. True, it is worth somehow calculating the volume in advance, since each store has its own limit on the alcohol sold. So, for example, in a store at the airport, which, by the way, is also the most expensive, they will sell you no more than 4 liters of intoxicating drinks. In all other stores this figure is three liters.
You can base your prices on the following indicators:
- a liter of whiskey will cost $20-60;
- tequila can be bought for $15 – 30;
- wine will cost on average $20 – 27;
- gin will cost $13 – 25;
- rum usually costs $20 – 25.
If you wish, you can also look for some small equipment, but for this you need to go to Old Marche or Naama Bay - there are such opportunities here. Sharm el-Sheikh has supplied these duty free with a fairly large assortment, so you can definitely find something interesting, and cheap, of course.
Of course, duty free shops alone will not be able to reveal to you all the delights of shopping in Sharm el-Sheikh. To do this, you just need to find time to leisurely wander through the intricate streets, look into the eyes of ordinary people and look at at least a couple of trinkets for a dollar and a half - they will reveal the whole “soul” of Egypt.
All of Russia goes on holiday to Sharm el-Sheikh, large quantities— Ukraine, Poland and Italy, to a lesser extent — the rest of the CIS and European countries. Residents of other European Union countries prefer to choose other places for their holidays, despite the fact that Sharm el-Sheikh is recognized as a European level resort, and residents of the European Union, like Russia, Ukraine and some other countries, can visit the resort without a visa. The so-called “Sinai stamp” allows you to stay for 15 days in the Sinai Peninsula as a whole, and also allows you to visit Jordan and Israel. If you need to stay in Sharm el-Sheikh for more than 15 days, or you want to take an excursion to Luxor and visit the Pyramids, then you will have to pay $25 at the airport for a tourist visa, which allows you to stay anywhere in Egypt for 30 days .
In fact, the resort in Sharm el-Sheikh is very hot and dry in the summer, but the heat is easier to bear on the beach, near the water, which you can plunge into when the heat becomes unbearable. The water on the local coast does not get colder than 20 degrees Celsius even in winter, and in summer it even rises to 28. average temperature air in the summer months fluctuates around 30 degrees, and sometimes reaches 45 in the shade. But the sea, the sea - it smoothes and softens everything. Sharm el-Sheikh has many beaches, access to them is free, and sometimes there is even free bus transportation. In addition, almost every hotel for tourists is equipped with an indoor pool so that you can cool off without moving to the Red Sea, and swim without special slippers that protect you from cuts on the sharp edges of the corals.
There are also many of the usual resort activities, such as numerous excursions, quad biking and camel riding in the desert, diving, countless water attractions for children and adults - in general, there is a lot of pleasure. There are also shops that are necessarily present in places where the resort crowd gathers, to give them the opportunity to splash out some of the money they have saved for their vacation. Otherwise, the vacation will simply not be real.
Duty free stores
In the city, of course, there are bazaars. The sellers at the counters are well versed in the flow of customers, and prices for foreigners are kept high. After all, not all visiting guests know how to bargain as the eastern market requires, and not every woman inspecting the goods is Aunt Sonya from Odessa, so the main income of local traders, of course, comes from holidaymakers. Therefore, bargain with confidence, knowing that the prices are probably inflated many times over. This is the only way you can moderate your expenses somewhat. And, if you notice that you are good at bargaining, then you can safely shop at the bazaars, this will give a significant financial result. And if you yourself like to be at the market, wander around in the crowd, get into arguments with sellers, then this will help you not only find the product you need, but also choose it by price and quality - you know the basic rule market: do not buy from the first seller.
If you are not a fan of market exotics, or you need to buy branded goods or expensive booze, then you need to go to the shops. Here, as a rule, there is no haggling, but you have more confidence that you are not buying a fake, but exactly what you wanted. It may be a little more expensive than a similar purchase on the market would cost you, but the quality is worth it.
And if you visit duty free stores, you won’t go wrong with the price. There are several such shops selling duty-free goods in Sharm el-Sheikh. There are two duty free shops in Soho Square, at the Old Market, at the airport, and in the Naama Bay area. By the time you go around all five stores, you can shop quite well and buy much of what you planned. And, since no duties are charged to you, the prices in these stores are much lower. You just need to pay close attention to the fact that You only have two days, during which you can visit duty free shops. If you miss, you will be left without goods at low prices.
True, there are only a few groups of goods on sale here: alcoholic beverages, perfumes and confectionery, mainly chocolate and candy. For alcohol, there is a limit on the sale of goods to one person, and this limit is different for different stores. And prices for the same type of goods can vary significantly depending on the store in which the purchase is made. In the most expensive duty free store located at the airport, the limit is 4 bottles per person. In other stores they will sell you cheaper, but only 3 bottles - this is their limit. Roman Kartsev’s crayfish immediately comes to mind: “But in threes...”
Here are the approximate prices for alcoholic beverages in local duty free stores:
— whiskey, from 20 to 60 dollars per 1 liter;
— rum, 20-25 dollars per bottle;
— gin – from 13 to 25 dollars;
- tequila, from 15 to 30 dollars per bottle;
— wine, prices vary, but on average 20-27 dollars.
The duty free stores, which you can find in the Naama Bay area or within the Old Market, have a somewhat expanded range, and you can see some small technical goods. Maybe choose some item for yourself, because the price, as it should be, is very low.
And when the allotted two days are up, you, having escaped duty stores free, start exploring all the local shopping establishments, which are more expensive than duty-free shops, but also much more interesting. You'll have to visit the big ones too. shopping centers, and walk along the intricate streets, look into small shops and street stalls, where you can buy interesting trinkets for souvenirs for friends and acquaintances for a dollar or two. And for educational purposes, this is of interest - it will allow you to look “behind the scenes”, to see with one eye how the people who serve you every day in casinos and hotels live.
But, since the wrong side of life is never attractive, you need to quickly return to its front side - to your hotel, to the beach, to the usual and so attractive resort life.
I apologize for the quality of the photos, as they were taken with a phone.
Let me start with the fact that the DUTY FREE duty-free store at Sharma airport, so dear to the heart of a person of any nationality (not only Russian, according to my observations), is significantly smaller than a similar store at Hurghada airport, in Egypt.
Moreover, he also turned out to be expensive
Khurgadinsky. The difference in prices for a bottle of cognac (for example) was an average of $10. And the chips (I wanted to nibble on the plane) cost 2 times more than in the city itself. Also, the packaging is 2 times smaller than those sold in the city. It's downright amazing when we're talking about about duty-free trade.
However, if you compare prices in our supermarkets and alcohol stores (for elite alcohol), it still turns out to be much cheaper than in stores in the Russian Federation. The more expensive the product itself, the more noticeable the difference. For example, the price for a liter of Remy Martin cognac in gift packaging (which increases its cost, of course) is approximately 1.5 times less than for the same (exactly the same) bottle in the OKEY hypermarket.
Naturally, prices are fixed, bargaining is inappropriate. The price tag, by the way, is in dollars. the assortment was even somewhat meager in my opinion.
The alcohol department (which also sells sweets, chocolate and halva) is separated from the perfume and cosmetics department (unlike our Duty Free in Pulkovo). These are 2 different stores, with different cash registers.
I also tried to shop at the perfume and cosmetics store, but it didn’t work out. The assortment is certainly decent, but there was simply not much that I was used to using and would like to purchase. Much of it raised strong doubts about the quality and shelf life, as well as proper storage.
For example, so dirty, worn out and falling apart boxes with sets of fragrances (such travel sets of miniatures, which I really love and sometimes collect) and sets of decorative items (also travel sets... or sets of 2-3 lipsticks or eyeshadows) - I have never seen it anywhere. I’m scared to even think how many years they’ve been there since they look like that. And under what conditions... I completely lost the desire to buy, but I was afraid of Egyptian fragrances in general - because their quality could also turn out to be Turkish-Egyptian or something else, which they sell around the city on trays for 10 dollars a 50-100 ml bottle.
In general, I didn’t take any risks. Moreover, nothing particularly outstanding was observed. There were no new collections. The decorative display stands are very old and dusty; they have not been cleaned for a very long time. There are gaping holes in the places where the product should have been, and there are a lot of them. That is, half of the in-demand products are simply not available and are not even available in testers. In particular, this was the stand of “Guerlain” and “Lancome”. The rest were only marginally better.
There is also a small counter with clocks. Everything is also mixed together - ancient collections along with more recent ones. It’s hard to say to what extent there are fresh models of famous watches there, everything is mixed up. Moreover, I saw similar items with the same high-profile brands in Sharma itself, and these were copies, at prices starting from $15. I don’t know how anyone, some unconditionally trust the fact that this is DUTY FREE and do not doubt the authenticity... About Egypt, I don’t have such confidence, especially when I see a picture of a product lying on the counter that costs less in the city than in "Duty Free" (I'm talking about chips, halva and other products, as well as souvenirs...
Alcohol (elite) in bottles is not sold in the city.
In general, if you don’t go into thoughts about the differences between all DUTY FREE in all countries, but compare only with Egypt and in particular with Hurgadinsk (I know that “duty” in quite detail), then the “duty” in Sharm really evokes sadness, although you can profit from something, but somehow without much joy and choice.
Although it is quite possible to get hold of banal gin, whiskey, and common well-known cognacs. The Hurghada Duty Free also has a selection of sunglasses from high-profile brands, some bags and leather goods (wallets, belts), and a collection of accessories (also branded). In Sharm there is no trace of this, only alcoholic products along with souvenirs (one department) and perfumery and cosmetics (another department), and, well, watches.
In general, for those who were not in the know, I advise you not to place too much hope on this “drink”... Well... unless you are interested in something other than cognac.
Oh yes... glasses, by the way, are sold at the airport. There are only a few models (very small selection), but this is no longer a DUTY FREE store. It was just a store, something like a simple stall. The products are beautiful, they are all big brands, there is no choice at all. But they don't look like a fake. It's off to the side, sort of located in a corner, separate from Duty Free, and of course at the same price as ours.
There, to the side, there are shops with silverware. Ugly, crude products, exactly the same in the city... this is also NOT “duty free” and not duty-free trade. These are just shops. The products, like almost all Egyptian ones, are of low quality and sloppy. Aesthetically not attractive... but the taste and color - depending on your taste.
The last time I visited this store was the end of November 2012. The last 2 photos show Sharm el-Sheikh airport itself.