How do I do the Wadi Halfa to Aswan ferry?

[steve.lorimer]

Hi folks

I've got a 9.8 tonne truck which I want to get onto the barge from Wadi Halfa to Aswan, some time between November this year and January 2010.

Does anyone have updated information on what I need to do to arrange this? Also, what must I do for immigration and customs on both sides?

Should I use a fixer on both sides, or just one side, or not at all?

Thanks for the help!

Cheers
Steve
www.overafrica.org

[Tango]

dear Steve,

of course it is better to arrange everything on both sides. But the most important is the egyptain side as all the barge and the Hq lies in Egypt. So if you just arrive in Wadi Halfa you might wait some days until a barge arrives from Aswan. But they also have an office in Khartoum. where you might make some pre arrangements.

Otherwise you could look for a good egyptain company or agent who could handle that for you.
Take care that the truck will only enter Eygpt only for 1 month and can be prolonged always for 1 month
but like I told you find an very good agent Egypt is very complicated

good luck
tango

[2cvfred]

This topci has been discussed endlessly already on this forum. I wrote an elaborate "manual" on this item: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...fa-ferry-32630

Things change ofcourse...

[steve.lorimer]

Thanks 2cvfred, that is an incredible amount of information and must be a huge help for many people. Unfortunately for me, it is for the ferry from Aswan to Wadi Halfa.

I'm looking for information for the ferry going the other way - Wadi Halfa to Aswan.

Now if only someone who has done the trip heading north would follow your lead and write a 'manual' for making the arrangements from the Sudanese side! (Holding thumbs!)

Thanks again
Steve
OverAfrica - overland, over Africa

[2cvfred]

It's the same ferry... read it from bottom to top ;-)

In the other direction, the barge used to leave on Wednesdays, I'm sure somebody can confirm if this is still the case. Just show up at least one day in advance and this "Magdi" guy will arrange things for you. The actual ferry usually leaves before the barge in this direction, so you will have to leave the keys there and Magdi will drive it on.
Call Mr Saleh (see my other post) in advance if you want to make sure there is room on the ferry. All the goods go from Egypt ToSudan anyway, so the barge is usually rather empty in the other direction.

Not much more to it...

[Tango]

that is right Magdi can handle everything from Wadi halfa. for all the paperwork and other things magdi can handle it. Magdi is doing this since 6 years well.
For the small cars it is also no problem like written above. As for the truck you might make some arrangements before if you are short in time. If time is not so important for you you could also go directly to wadi halfa and you might be lucky.
we made that trip from Wadi Halfa to Aswan with cars over 5 days. Your key lies with the boat company in Aswan.

good luck
tango

[steve.lorimer]

Surely someone has done the south to north trip and can give a more detailed process?

[Grant Hastie]

Hi Steve
We got the ferry north in december last year

we organised the ferry through a guy named Mohamed Abouda who is based in Aswan, nilfeluka@hotmail.com
mb+20125111968 hes a realy nice guy and knows everything about the ferry,he also helped us get the truck into egypt ie all the insurance,egypt plates etc you could do it by yourself but would take a very very long time as you need to go to loads of different ofices.With his help it still took 1 1/2 days !!!, he charges $100 for his help,We (Oasis Overland) have used him loads of times
We got a guy named Midhat Mahir who runs a tour company in Khartoum to help organise all our photo permits,alein registration etc. midhat.sudan@gmail
+249 (0)912253484 or 121313101 again realy nice guy,he has a brother who lives in Wadi Halfa named Mazar Mahir , mashansharti@yahoo.com or mashansharti@gmail.com +249 918335149,+249 122380740, He helped us with sudan side of things,he even managed to get me onto the barge to travel with the truck, 3 very long days.....
Id contact Mazar first and let him know when youll be up there as he may already have others organised for the barge

Just out of interest they reckon in the next few years the ferry will be no more and there will be a fast ferry (african Fast) between Wadi Halfa and Abu Simbel so will make life easy....

Where abouts are you now?

Cheers Grant

[steve.lorimer]

Hi Grant

Thanks so much for this info, this is exactly what I've been looking for. At the moment we're only in Nairobi, and plan on hitting Uganda before heading up Ethiopia and Sudan, so we're still a fair while away. I'm expecting mid to late December to be trying to get onto the ferry.

I'm sure you know about the road that is being built. Whether that will allow tourists to cross the border by land I'm not sure, but pne can hope. I know many people feel the ferry is an integral part of the Cape-to-Cairo experience, but the exorbitant costs make me baulk! Anyway, this is an interesting article: Sudan Vision Daily News Paper Official Website - Wadi Halfa & Aswan land Road between Sudan & Egypt Due to Operate

Many thanks again for your help.
Cheers
Steve
www.overafrica.org

[2aroundtheworld]

Steve,

This is Christian - we met in Nairobi a couple weeks ago (Earthdance festival...you remember...



We are in Khartoum now. We may be heading toward Egypt next week if we don't get our visa for Saudi Arabia. I will keep you posted on what I found - I am trying to see if I can get in without an "Egyptian version" carnet.

talk to you soon...

Christian
www.2aroundtheworld.com

[turkishraf]

Cheers all here, we are about to make the crossing in early January. Thank you all for the sterling info here. Once we make it accross, we will add our own experiences. Esp Grant from Oasis!

trans-sahara.com