Getting from Manchester to Luxor

I am sure all travellers will be interested in the email below. Michael is regular winter visitor spending the entire winter in Luxor, he lives in Liverpool and has tried a variety of routes to get to Luxor. He is now convinced that a Manchester – Hurghada flight is the best and cheapest route. We picked him up from Hurghada and offer that service to all our guests, for £35 GBP for the transport no matter how many guests. So with a return airfare of £200, it makes a trip very affordable. SkyScanner is a great app for finding cheap airfares. The Monarch Manchester-Hurghada route is a scheduled flight NOT charter so can be used for short or long stays.

Hi Jane,
You will remember how frustrated I was trying to get back to Luxor in November, when I had two flights cancelled at the last minute. After Egyptair had cancelled all flights to Luxor, the only alternative if Cairo was to be avoided was to travel from Liverpool to Gatwick to Hurghada, and then by car across the desert.This was not the ordeal I anticipated, although it started badly.

The West Coast main line terminates in Euston, and to get to Victoria where the Gatwick Express runs from, it is necessary to use a combination of stairs and escalators. This was impossible with my three heavy suitcases, and perforce, I had to take a taxi, which cost £35. It was a long hike to the underground level where the taxis were, and on arrival in Victoria, a sea of commuters indicated that the Gatwick Express trains were not running. However, I finally got to Gatwick, and into my hotel, another £75. I was very pleased to see the back of London, a place which has long ago lost any interest for me.

The flight to Hurghada by EasyJet was uneventful, as was the drive through the western desert along the Wadi Hammamet, which has been much improved by the construction of a dual carriageway toll road.

The obvious route to Egypt for anyone living in the north of England would be to avoid the harassment and expense of travelling via London by flying from Manchester. But the Egyptair flights go to Cairo, and are relatively expensive.

The alternative is to travel from Manchester to Hurghada with Monarch. I have booked my return from Hurghada to Manchester in May at the princely sum of £52 (one way) which includes a meal, and a reserved seat, but no hold luggage. The downside to this is that it is a night flight, arriving in the early morning, but if you are being met, this isn't too much of a handicap. Another advantage is that Monarch no longer insist on return flights, which for a semi-resident like me is essential.

As for cost, a quick check on Skyscanner shows that the average basic Manchester/Hurghada price hovers around £200 return.  A private car and driver to meet at the airport and take the party to Luxor would be another £35. And you can have a few days on the Red Sea beaches and avoid the cost of hotels and train tickets to London.

This will be my preferred route in the future, even when the London/Luxor direct flights are reinstated. Manchester is a far nicer airport to fly from, with much less hassle from security. Perhaps in the course of time, someone will fly Manchester to Luxor.

Regards,
Michael.