Where to exchange money or withdraw cash in Sharm el-Sheikh?
From messages by 3 participants in 2 sources · Last activity: 67 days ago
From messages by 3 participants in 2 sources · Last activity: 67 days ago
TL;DR
The Old Market area has plenty of ATMs and exchange offices. Bring your passport for currency exchange. Card payments only work at select large stores with Misr Bank terminals.
Small amounts (20-30 euros) can be exchanged with a seller in a shop behind the bar near the new reception — rate is slightly worse but not critical. In the evening the same seller can break large dollar bills into smaller ones; speaks good Russian.
At the exchange office at the entrance to the Old Town market, watch out for scams — without witnesses, dishonest staff may claim you exchanged less than you actually did (e.g. say you handed over $10 instead of $100).
At Misr Bank ATMs you can sometimes try to exchange currency directly through the machine. Also, some local travel agencies (operating since the 2000s) based in shops and stalls handle currency exchange.
Exchanging currency back (e.g. dollars/euros to local currency after your trip) reportedly works only at one specific Misr Bank branch in the Old Town. Bring your passport, plane ticket, and ideally the original exchange receipt.
You can also exchange money right at the airport upon arrival. At the bank in the Old Town, an electronic copy of your passport is sometimes accepted instead of the original.
At Senzo Mall there is at least one currency exchange office and a separate bank window where you can exchange currency by showing your passport.
On Sheraton Road, to the right of the entrance to Le Pasha, there is a currency exchange terminal; farther along on the same side there is another exchange office that exchanges cash with a passport. These places are also reported to accept older US dollar bills at the same rate as newer ones.
The ATM near Gomla is often out of service, so for cash it is more reliable to head toward Marina, where several ATMs are grouped together in one area.
Sentido has an ATM right at the reception, which can be a convenient option for withdrawing cash on the hotel grounds.
Card payments are only reliably accepted at large stores like Carrefour, Fix Price (sometimes), select pharmacies, and duty-free shops — only where a Misr Bank terminal is available, which is rare in Sharm.
ATMs in the Old Market area generally work, though availability depends on the specific bank operating the machine. Several exchange offices are located right on the street — always bring your passport.
At the entrance to the Old Market there is a bank branch offering currency exchange (passport required). Opposite the One Stop store is a currency exchange office. The Old Market area now has numerous ATMs and exchange points.