Egypt family holiday: data and phones for everyone

Whether you are planning a week by the Red Sea, a Nile cruise or a trip to see the pyramids, an Egypt family holiday goes more smoothly when everyone's phone works from the moment you arrive: messages to the transfer driver, maps, photos home to the grandparents, and a way to reach each other at the hotel or on an excursion.

The approach we recommend is simple: one data eSIM per person, installed at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. You can see every plan and price on our Egypt eSIM page. This guide explains how much data each member of the family is likely to need, what to do about a child's phone, when a hotspot makes sense and what a family of four actually pays.

Does my UK phone plan work in Egypt?

Start by checking what your own mobile plan includes abroad. The EU's "roam like at home" rules cover the 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Ukraine and Moldova. Egypt is outside them, and since Brexit they do not apply to UK customers anyway. Some operators choose to include other countries in their plans, so look at your plan's terms or your operator's app for the answer.

If Egypt is not included, or only with a small allowance, a travel eSIM for each person is the usual alternative. Your UK SIM stays in the phone, so you keep your number for calls and texts at your operator's rates, while the eSIM handles the data.

Mobile networks in Egypt

According to Egypt's telecoms regulator, the NTRA, the country has four mobile operators: Vodafone, Orange, e& (Etisalat) and WE. 5G licences have been granted to all four, and eSIM has been launched in Egypt.

We do not publish which local network our eSIMs connect to, and we have not tested speeds on the ground, so we make no promises about speed or coverage in a particular place. What matters for a family is that each person has the right amount of data and that you can top up one person without affecting the others.

How much data does a family need in Egypt?

A parent checking maps and messages, a ten-year-old sending photos to grandparents and a teenager streaming by the pool will each use very different amounts. These are the reference figures we use. They are guides, not quotas:

Some pointers for Egypt:

• Younger children who stay with you most of the time can manage on a light plan, or without one.
• Teenagers who post, stream and video-call friends will usually be in the heavy column.
• Parents are often in the everyday column: messages with guides and drivers, maps, photos.
• For a precise figure for each person, try our data calculator.

What does an eSIM for a family of four in Egypt cost?

These are today's Sirocco prices per traveller, in euros including tax, and they update automatically on this page. Sirocco charges in euros; the site can show an indicative amount in pounds. Plans for Egypt start from €4.70.

Each price is for the cheapest plan with at least that much data and at least that many days. If a larger plan, or one with a longer validity, costs less, that is the one shown. An unlimited option also exists for Egypt, with fair use of 2 GB a day at full speed, after which speed is reduced.

Example: a family of four for a week. Two parents on everyday use at €12.20 each, a teenager on heavy use at €17.20 and a younger child on light use at €8.40. From three eSIMs in the same order, 10% comes off the total, and the exact amount is shown before you pay. If all four of you take 5 GB for a week, the total is €43.92, discount included.

The same family for 15 days: two parents at €17.20 each, the teenager at €26.90 and the child at €13.90, again with 10% off the total. If all four take at least 10 GB for 15 days, the total is €61.92.

The group discount applies automatically from three eSIMs in one order, is rounded in your favour and is shown before you pay. It cannot be combined with a promo code, and there is no discount for two travellers.

One eSIM each, one order for everyone

One adult orders for up to 10 travellers in a single purchase, choosing each person's plan separately. There is no shared pot: nobody's data is ever used up by someone else. If one person runs out, only their connection stops, and nothing extra is charged. The organiser can then top up that one eSIM from the trip area, with no reinstallation and no effect on the others. Top-ups are available when the offer allows. Data you do not use becomes credit for your next trip.

The organiser enters each traveller's mobile number, and each person receives a personal installation link by text (UK numbers included), with a step-by-step guide and a QR code as a backup. Texts are only sent when the organiser asks. If an eSIM has not been installed two days before departure, a reminder is sent, which you can switch off. The organiser sees the status of every eSIM (link sent, opened, installed, connected, data used up) but never another adult's installation codes, contact details or detailed usage. Before installation, an eSIM can be reassigned to another traveller; once installed, it cannot be transferred. Your mobile numbers are deleted 30 days after the trip ends. More on the family eSIM page.

Does my child need their own phone in Egypt?

Not always. A young child who never leaves your side may not need one. Older children who go to the pool or the beach on their own, or who simply want to keep in touch with friends at home, are better off with their own eSIM.

If your child is taking a phone:

• Check eSIM support. Dial *#06#. If an EID number appears, the phone accepts eSIMs. We do not check models; you confirm each phone when you order.
• Check it is unlocked. A phone bought on a contract may be locked to its network. Ask your operator to unlock it before you go.
• Use a child profile. When ordering, you can mark a traveller as a child. The smallest plan for the destination is suggested by default, at the same price as an adult plan of the same size. In the free Sirocco app, the child sees their remaining data and end date, and can ask for more by choosing an amount, without any price shown. You accept (which tops up their eSIM), offer a different amount or decline. If you do not answer, the request expires after 24 hours and nothing is charged.

This is not parental control. It does not filter or block any website, does not show what your child is looking at and does not locate them. There is no account in the child's name, and only adults can buy. Without the app, the eSIM can still be installed from the web guide with an adult's help. See the kids eSIM page.

Hotspot: can the whole family share one connection?

It can help in some situations, such as a tablet in the hotel room, but it is not a full solution:

• Hotspot depends on the offer and the country, and each offer page shows it before you pay. Do not assume it is always available.
• When it is possible, the shared data is counted against the plan of the person sharing.
• It drains that phone's battery, and the others are only connected when they are close by.

For more detail, see our group data help page.

Hotel Wi-Fi in Egypt: what it is good for

If your hotel offers Wi-Fi, we cannot say how good it will be, as it varies from place to place, so treat it as a bonus. Use it to:

• download offline maps before an excursion;
• download films and series for the children before the flight home or a long transfer;
• run app updates and photo backups, which can eat into mobile data.

Best time for an Egypt family holiday

According to Egypt's official tourism site, winter runs from November to January, and the hottest months are June to August, with hot summers especially in the desert areas and the south.

Emergency numbers in Egypt

The UK government's travel advice for Egypt lists:

• Ambulance: 123
• Fire: 180
• Police: 122
• Tourist police: 126

The eSIM is data only: no local number, no regular calls or texts. Make emergency calls from your usual line. Internet calling and messaging apps work over the eSIM's data.

Before you leave: checklist

1. Check every phone: *#06# for the EID, and unlocked. Our compatibility page has more.
2. Order one eSIM per person and choose each plan.
3. Install each eSIM at home on Wi-Fi a few days before departure (installation help). Keep the eSIM line switched off until you travel.
4. Do not delete an eSIM once installed: it cannot always be reinstalled.
5. On arrival, switch on the eSIM line, select it for mobile data and turn on data roaming for that line only (how to). The plan starts at this first connection in Egypt, not at installation (when does my plan start).

Support

A real person answers, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm Paris time, usually within two working hours, in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese, by form and email. There is no 24/7 support or live chat, so install and check everything before you leave. You can pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay or card, and no mobile number is needed to buy.