Egypt

For the majority of the year, the weather in Egypt is hot and dry. In the north, the winter months of December, January and February can be quite cold with Cairo and the coast experiencing night temperatures as low as 8 deg C. The desert, day to night, can swing between searing heat and bitter cold.

However, in the resorts on the Mediterranean coast, the average temperature is around 20 deg C getting up to about 31 deg C as a maximum. Of course, further south, temperatures can get much higher, sometimes upto around 50 deg C.

Alexandria, on the northern coast, gets the most rain, about 19cm per annum, but in Aswan it is only about 10mm and Al-Kharga in the western desert, has been known to go 17 years without a drop falling! In spring, a hot,dry wind, or khamsin, blows in at 150km an hour from the desert, turning the sky orange and leaving a gritty deposit throughout.

Buses: The intercity bus service in Egypt is good offering reasonable comfort at a reasonable price. The network is extensive making it very easy to get where you want to go with little difficulty or expense. Advance booking is advisable on the most popular routes, or those with few runs timetabled. Local buses in Cairo and Alexandria (the only cities with their own bus systems) is chaotic, however. Don't expect a seat.

Mini-bus: An alternative is the minibus which leaves once full. Standing is not permitted in theory, though this is frequently ignored.

Tube train: Cairo is the only city which has an underground system. It is, however, clean, efficient and a good value way to travel. The front carriage is for women travellers only.

River bus: You can get to Giza, Manial and Misr al-Qadima (the old part of Cairo) on a leisurely 50-minute ride on a river bus. There are three departures daily from downtown Maspero: one at 8am, one at 2pm and the last at 9pm.

Taxi: The old, unmetered black and white taxis which can be hailed street-side now face competition from pre-orderable yellow taxis which a bit more expensive, and which are metered. Hold on tight for a nerve jangling experience. Tipping is expected at around 10%.

Car: An international driving permit is required for hiring cars in Egypt. You'll also need nerves of steel and sharp reactions to drive in the centre of Cairo, however. If you do decide to hire a car, keep your ID papers on you and your permit, as it is quite common to be stopped and, if without them, fined.