Egypt · airport pick-up
Airport car rental in Sharm el-Sheikh
Pick up a rental car at Sharm el-Sheikh's airport terminals. Expedia Cars covers every major counter on arrivals — collect your key minutes after baggage claim, drop off at the same gate, no shuttle hassle.
- ✓On-airport counters at every Sharm el-Sheikh terminal
- ✓No off-site shuttles for the major brands
- ✓Flexible fare options shown per flight
- ✓One-way drop-off available · Powered by Expedia Cars
What first-timers get wrong in Sharm el-Sheikh
Landing at Sharm airport you can take a free Sinai-only entry permit valid fifteen days, but it does not cover Ras Mohammed or anywhere beyond South Sinai, so buy the full visa if you intend to dive there or reach Cairo. Tipping is expected at every stage and small notes are essential. Agree taxi fares before getting in, because meters are essentially unused.
What things cost in Sharm el-Sheikh
The Egyptian pound has been floated twice since 2022 and prices move accordingly, so treat any quote as current-day only. A meal in the Old Market runs a few hundred pounds against several times that inside a resort. Two-tank boat dives with equipment are usually quoted in euros or dollars rather than pounds. Ras Mohammed charges a per-person park fee plus a vehicle fee at the gate.
Sharm el-Sheikh with kids, realistically
The honest problem is the beaches. Most of Sharm's shoreline is fringing reef ending in a sharp drop, so hotels build jetties out over it and small children cannot simply wade in. Naama Bay and parts of Sharks Bay have sandy entry, which is worth confirming before booking. Reef shoes are necessary. Glass-bottom boats and the Nabq lagoons work for under-sixes.
What to eat in Sharm el-Sheikh
Resort buffets here are international by design, so the actual Egyptian food is in the Old Market and the back streets of Hadaba. Look for fatta, Red Sea fish sold by weight and grilled to order, molokhia, and koshari from a counter rather than a hotel. Feteer meshaltet, the layered pastry, is worth hunting down. Bedouin tea arrives heavily sweetened and thick with mint.
Sharm el-Sheikh after dark
Naama Bay was the centre and has slid downmarket, with touts working the strip and bars open as long as anyone is still drinking. SOHO Square out at Nabq is the newer, cleaner and pricier version, built around a dancing fountain and an ice rink. Most guests never leave their resort bar. Alcohol pours freely in tourist areas and almost nowhere else in Sinai.
When to go to Sharm el-Sheikh
| Best months for airport-cars | Avg daily high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| December | 25°C / 77°F | 0 days |
| January | 22°C / 72°F | 1 days |
| February | 23°C / 73°F | 1 days |
The month to avoid is July — around 40°C (104°F) with roughly 0 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: December is the sweet spot, July the month most people skip.
Pack for peak season: Summer clothes, plus one light layer for air-con and evenings, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.
Where to base yourself in Sharm el-Sheikh
- Naama Bay — Main tourist strip — restaurants, dive shops, souks, mid-range hotels.
- Sharks Bay — Higher-end resorts on the reef edge — home reef diving straight from your hotel beach.
- Nabq — Newer resort area 15 min north of the airport — quieter, larger all-inclusives.
- Old Market (Sharm el-Maya) — Original town — cheaper local restaurants, souvenir stalls, more authentic.