And not only in Africa.
Years ago there were a series of lunchtime lectures on the construction of the Channel Tunnel at the IEE in London.

One lecture was very entertaining, about all (or maybe just some) of the clangers that were dropped.
For instance, in the service tunnel, hanging from the centre of the roof, was a huge air duct.
On either side were electrical ducts, HV on one side and LV on the other.

Because of an error in the plans between English-language and French-language versions, the English started out fitting HV to the east of the air duct and LV to the west. Meanwhile, the French were fitting HV to the west and......
Oh, how the audience laughed!! :rofl:

Seems it was fixed OK.

There were other clangers just as funny. :funmeteryes: :offtopic:

Hi McCrankpin,

I think you are perfectly right: It is one of the "must-adventures" left on the Eastern route through Africa! I am glad I took the ferry last autumn.

Nevertheless, it could well be that there are other considerations: I was coming from Jordan and had to go back there, having only a limited amount of time for my trip. I was already preparing to go back up North from Khartoum when I finally got my Saudi transit visa and was able to take an alternative route back.

So, while it was great having done this adventure, I would not have been too keen to do it again just a few weeks later. And I could have used the precious time I had much better for new things along the way rather than spending another four days or so in Wadi Halfa and on the ferry. Just one example why people might opt for the land route. I am sure that Omar Mansour can name a few others ... Probably it would be great if there was a choice for us travellers.

For the locals, it is evident that it is much, much better and easier for cross-border commerce across to keep the goods on the trucks. Yes, there will be people who will loose their jobs. But I am sure that there will be hundreds of new jobs along the way. Trade would certainly increase and pit stops along the way would give people certainly more jobs than the few handlers in the ports.

So, even with some melancholy considered, don't worry about unlimited horizons!

Greetings,
Achim

It was just getting light as we drove onto the barge and it took two hours to reach Abu Simbel, the barge seemed fairly new and we took advantage of a chance for a hot shower in the toilet-block on board. We were the only car on board but during the crossing passed a barge coming the other way towards Sudan that was well loaded. On the drive up the new road we passed building materials stacked up - lots of bricks, blocks, bags of cement, for the building of passport control offices/customs, it appeared in the dark that they are some way off completing the infrastructure. Formalities were slickly organised by both sides - no complaints or moans. It's vital, as ever, to have a chassis plate that can be rubbed with tracing paper - officials can not (will not) write down Roman numerals, it has to be done brass-rubbing style, and raised letters helps. If its not easy to find, make your own - it saves a lot of hassle.

www.africarrecordrun.com

Is there an actual sealed road from Wadi Halfa the ~30km to the Egyptian border. Or just a track?

Ch

Turkey to Egypt
 

Hi Omar Mansour, I am going to be travelling south from Norway to South Africa in August.I am wanting to avoid the ferry into Port said from Turkey. I have found a ferry to Israel . Do you know if it is OK to travel overland from Israel to Egypt ?I will be in a vehicle.

turkey to egypt
 

Hej!
Om du skall köra över Isreael så kan du få problem att komma in i Sudan. Men om du har 2 pass kan det kanske fungera. Sen är det en stor procedur att komma igenom gränsen till och från Israel. Träffade en fransman som tog vägen över Israel, för att undvika färjan mellan Jordanien och Egypten och spara pengar. Men efter den turen så sa han att det var det inte värt. Sen när du kommer till Aswan så om du vill uppleva folklivet så sov på däck. Det gjorde vi och ångrar absolut inget, det var en av höjdpunkterna på våran resa. Kolla vår sida: swedenafrica.blogspot.com

Thanks.Did you take ferry from Jordan to Port Said ? I have heard it takes 3 days to clear customs in the port and not very pleasant which is why I wanted to drive into Egypt.
I see you live in central Sweden. My plan is to ship my VW T5 from home in Cape Town to Hamburg,drive to NoordKapp and then Russia,Estonia,latvia,Lithuania,Belarus,ukraine,Ro mania,Turkey.??? Egypt..........

Atlas,

You can indeed get a ferry to Israel and then drive into Egypt. However, the problem is that you will then have evidence of your entry into Israel in your passport. Even if you can get your immigration stamp on a separate piece of paper they still record the importation of your car in your passport.

Also you don't need a carnet for Israel but your entry point into Egypt will also give away your route.

The Israeli stamps may scupper your chances of getting a visa for/entering Sudan. This is why everyone is effectively forced to come on the Turkey/Egypt ferry if they are coming from that direction and planning on driving south.

It is horrible entering Egypt with a car anyway - even via land. I would just bite the bullet and use the Port Said ferry.

Thanks itchyfeet.That clears it up.Not sure I want the hassle of Egypt especially with my wife ! Will see if any other way from Saudi or Yemen.

I have no first hand experience of traveling through Saudi or Yemen - but suspect they may be harder again.

I wouldn't write Egypt off. Yes it is a pain in the backside getting a car in. You will be ripped off to a degree but if you do plenty of research and know what others have paid in advance you will make it through. It is just a few days of pain and expense.

On the plus side it is an incredible country - one of our favourites on our overland trip. A few reasons to visit Egypt...

It has some of the best camping anywhere - highlights include the White Desert watching the moonlike landscape turn pink with only desert foxes for company, the eerie Valley of the Whales where you can walk amongst the fossilized skeletons,on the beach at Ras Mohammed NP outside Sharm, and loads more.

It is really cheap - fuel was 10p a litre when we were there. It is amazing what a difference that makes to your expenditure. We also took the opportunity to stay in a few really nice "treat" places eg Albabenshal in Siwa which cost about $30 and felt like it could have cost $300.

Stating the obvious I know but the history is quite mindblowing. It is pretty easy to avoid the crowds (and thus the touts) if you time your visit right. We were the only people at Abu Simbel, amongst a handful at Karnak, alone at Dendara and Abydos (you just need to get there early before the buses all arrive).

Great people - yes we occasionally had hassle from touts at places like Giza but we experienced great hospitality in the South and in the Western Desert (we drank mint tea til it came out of our ears). Even in Luxor the waiter at the restaurant we'd just eaten in ran down the street after us with a bank note that he'd found under the table.

Anyway I think Egypt often gets bad press from overlanders. There's a lot to make up for the downsides. We loved it.

Hey all!

So the road is open!!......... Buuuuuuuut for cargo's or large large organised groups only! You would need to organise weeks before and even then it's a nightmare! For tourists we have been told "inshallah 1st of April" but take this with a pinch of salt!

Tomorrow we are supposedly getting the ferry... again, this is if the cargo boat is in.

Inshallah they say, inshallah...

I am convinced Itchyfeet. Thanks.Always believed it must be amazing and only get put off by the hassle to get in

Hi all any news regarding the road ? will it be open by first of April ??
sorry i cant get any details here in Egypt as we have no authority right now just punch of stupid idiots dictators cover them selves under religion
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
:scooter: safe always

I'm going up from Cape Town to Turkey and would love to know if the road is finally open to tourists or I have to take the Ferry. The ferry bugs me because of the timing: I hate staying in places forced because of waiting for things like ferry or visas....

If anyone has any update on this I would love to hear it!!!

Thanks in advance and ride safe!

That's exactly why overlanding is still an adventure, imho:biggrin3:

Safe travels

Hehe.... you're right. But I still hate it. :P

Let's see if anyone knows for sure if the border is open or not... :)

Just wanted to let you guys know that this road is still not open. I'm in Wadi Halfa, about to take the ferry.

Cheers!

Sent from my GT-S7710 using Tapatalk 2

Good Luck in Aswan
 

Good luck in Aswan Isaac, now that will be interesting to many people.

Get in touch if you need anything in Cairo

Two British overlanders have just come through from Wadi Halfa ferry and say the road up Lake Nasser from the Sudan is now OPEN.
Mazar in Wadi Halfa can arrange permission, though it can take up to 21 days. Mazar in Wadi Halfa - mobile 00249 122 380 740.
It has been used by convoys who can spread the high cost between all vehicles. At the moment it seems it's probably NOT useable for single vehicles on sensible budgets.

Soon a road from Egypt to Sudan
 

That is indeed good news. Any ideas of the cost? I am planning to cross around the 23rd of July from Qustul to Abu Simbel if there is anyone interested in joining up to make a convoy let me know.

Hi,

Do you know if the customs and official infrastructure is now completed to allow regular passage from Qustul to Abu Simbel?

OK the figures I have been given are $600 for the use of the road. $40 for Mazar's fixer services and $100 per person travelling. Obviously these will vary according to the usual Egyptian 'invent a figure and double it' rules. Mazar is the man to talk to - his brother works in the Wadi Halfa Customs office and he can have all the officials lined up like ducks in a row (and has done recently for one group last week)

SW

Hey,

thank you very much that is helpful. At least it gives me a ballpark figure. I think that I will try the barge option Qustul to Abu Simbel in the first instance like the overland challenge.

We just used the road to cross from Egypt to Sudan.

The fixers (Amir / Kamal, Egyptian & Ayud / Magdhi , Sudanese) say this is the first time tourist jeeps have been allowed through. Group consisted of us (an Irish landrover), 2 British landrovers, a Dutch landcruiser and a Dutch Mercedes Sprinter.

It has not been an easy or cheap process. In all it has taken us 18 days from arrival in Aswan to get to Sudan. The possibility of the road arose 7 days into this. This is despite us ringing ahead by 3 weeks.

The road is not yet complete on the Egyptian side but is graded and compacted hardcore for the last few kms. It is possible for all vehicle types. The two days we were waiting there we only saw a camel caravan cross the border.

The two fixers brought up the road on a Saturday. The following Wednesday we did customs paperwork in Aswan port (with exception of carnet stamp, licence plates and exit stamp). Thursday morning at 4:30am we drove the Abu Simbel road with a customs official in the lead jeep. At the turn off to the new road another two customs officials caught up with us and the barrels blocking the road were opened.

We drove to the border crossing at Argeen and arrived at 10am. We spent the next 9 hours here while another fixer (Mr Mahmoud) drove into Sudan but failed to get any Sudanese. At 19:00 we were told we had to return to Abu Simbel and wait until after the weekend for the Sudanese to be organised. Our carnets were brought back to Aswan as they had already started the process and didn't want us keeping them which we reluctantly agreed to.

We spent the next 5 days camped in the Abu Simbel carpark.

On the Tuesday we drove to the junction ourselves for 9am and met the Egyptian customs and fixer. At approximately 18:00 we crossed the border into Sudan!

We were left by the Egyptian fixer Mahmoud with the promise the Sudanese fixer Ayud would arrive later or in the morning.

Ayud arrived about an hour later and we headed South. After 40km we left the tarmac and followed a corrugated track to the Nile. We crammed our 5 vehicles, a camel herders jeep and a small truck onto the barge. We then returned North to Wadi Halfa and left the jeeps overnight in the customs compound.
Following morning we returned to customs at 9am and finally cleared customs at 16:00.


Details:
We dealt with Amir (Mohammed Aboudas cousin 01113001496
In fairness the barges were out of his control and he did keep in daily contact with us.
We were able to compare him with Kamal as the other 3 cars were using him. He was much calmer with the officials and remained with us for all of the process which Kamal didn't. He also gave us a maximum price for the road which came down whereas Kamals went up. When one of Kamals clients had to pay extra for overstaying with his vehicle he tried to help explain which he didn't have to.

Costs:
Egyptian side
Egyptian £3750 per car no breakdown
$50 to Amir each for two cars. Those using Kamal paid $40 each.

Sudanese side
$500 split between 5 cars to obtain a short notice approval to come via road. We weren't told about this in Egypt. Apparently with enough notice this isn't necessary.
$40 each for passport processing?
$11 per car for insurance
$52 per car for ferry
$11 per car customs?
$50 fixer fee per car

Much more expensive than expected and than the barge but I suppose you don't have the worry about your jeep arriving. Barges are very eratic both North and Southbound at the moment.

Hope this helps someone else.

Tadhg

Thanks for your detailed report Tag. A hot time to be hanging around in Abu Simbel.

Are you able to pinpoint where your Sudan Nile barge set off on the west bank? Could not see anything on Google sat image.

I have been assuming that it all involved a short barge trip from Abu Simbel dock southeast across Lake Nasser to Qustul new town (still in Egypt) where a new road drops to the Sudan border (74km) and so Wadi Halfa (+24km).

In fact I have just noticed that on the east side Google now shows new tarmac all the way from Qustul to Wadi H. It didn't a few months ago.
Perhaps whoever runs the Abu S barge franchise is busy up north.

Ch

Hi Chris.

Exactly 40km south of the border we turned off onto a corrugated dirt road towards the Nile. There is a road building contractors compound which might be visible.

We spent a few days in the Abu Simbel car park. There are good barges running a couple of times a day from the port there heading South East. Seems to be only construction vehicles though. The port car park is laned out like a proper ferry port however.

Tadhg

Thanks Tag (and S'BC)
Corrected location on bing maps from a waypoint by SuperBC below
Nile barge in northern Sudan 30km upstream of Wadi Halfa

From current online aerial imagery Qustul certainly looks more like a street plan that is waiting to be filled with buildings.

Ch

Of my OSMand (android maps) we got the barge at 21.66280N 31.14184E so yeah that's the spot.

I can confirm it was and still is very hot :)

Byron

Is that 3750 uk pounds ?

Nooo 3750 egyptian pounds. Still expensive but then sitting around in aswan for weeks waiting for a barge chews up the money and time.

I heard the road would only be ready in October, but it is allready fixed for now?

Great, but I think it is even more easy to take the boat than to follow the road! :-)

We have heard all these announcements time and again. Now it is said it will open in just two weeks:

Sudanese Online:سودانيز اون لاين Opening of the land road between Cairo and Khartoum in two weeks: Sudan’s ambassador to Egypt

Let's wait and see and let's cross fingers. In any case the opening of the road (or better the three roads west and east of the Nile and on the coast) does not necessarily mean that every traveler can use them. They might be restricted to local traffic.

Greetings,
Achim

OK for October, but which year?:innocent:

RR.

Although I'm sort of looking forward to the Wadi Halfa - Aswan experience next year (going up), I'll be more than happy taking the road. I'm travelling solo and hate the idea of leaving my dog tied to the car for 17 hours :(

Happy travels,

Gee

Hi guys,

I'm also looking forward to the experience of taking the ferry, but the advantage of taking the (new built) road is that you can see Abu simpel without any problem... (it seems to...)

Its still not officially open and probably not finished, I would recomend the barge still as the cheapest/easiest way to cross. If you do take the road try and get fixers to organise it in advance (20 days)as we all had to stump up $100 US extra to the sudanese for our 4 days short notice to Khartoum. this could of course have been some sort of rip off :)

Of course thats assuming it turns up, we only went as we had been to long waiting for the mythical barge.
Good luck if there is anyone left transiting egypt now

The latest update
 

Does anyone have any updates about the road?

Specifically I'm interested in going overland on bicycle. Is the ferry still the only option?

Hi Ramblurr,

I think the only reason we got through on the road was someone likely lining their own pockets during the the revolution. That plus the barges werent running. Haven't heard of anyone else taking it.

I imagine it would be doubly difficult on the bike as we had Egyptian customs with us passing through the Egyptian checkpoints and even then it took time. The fixers in my posts and the weblink above will be able to tell you more but the ferry definitely seems to be your best, cheapest and simplest option.

Good luck and be thankful you don't have a car to get through Egyptian customs!
Tadhg

Any news ?
 

Hi
Does anybody has any recent info how likely is that this road will be available in predictible future?
zbyszek

Hello,

Yesterday I received this e-mail from Mohamed in Aswan:

Hi Berry,

Things are ok here with more tourists now. Yes, it is fine to enter Egypt in a 4 x 4 and to drive to Sudan. You do need to know that taking the road to Sudan is a lot more expensive than taking the barge . The road route costs US$3000 for 1-3 vehicles and I would need relevant paperwork 2 weeks before you travel.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes, Mohamed
http:://ferryaswanwadihalfa.wordpress.com

"The road route costs US$3000 for 1-3 vehicles and I would need relevant paperwork 2 weeks before you travel."

3000$ only to drive along a road!!! What a shame, it's a true racket!!

RR.

Some news I have found
 

Any updates?
 

Does anybody know, how likely is that the border will be opened in the predictible future?
zbyszek

Road from Egypt to Sudan
 

Has the road been built?

If you mean the 35-km road connecting the new Egyptian border post south to Wadi Halfa, then yes, it appears on Google sat which it didn't about a year ago.

The road north from the border post to Qustul has been around for a while.
Not much of a town at Qustul yet, but the quay looks finished.

So according to Google sats the infrastructure seems all in place and you'd think a service might start this year, but this is Egypt and anyway it will still involve a short ferry crossing from Abu Simbel to Qustul.

Ch

But, if I remember well, I've heard that you need to pay around 3000$ to cross this border.
True?
RR.

As I understood it the ~$3k was for an army escort to Abu Simbel or something like that. I interpreted it as the local brigade making money while the sun shines.
It's hard to believe that if the border crossing becomes normalised everyone will be paying that sum. Locals surely could not afford it.

Ch

There has been a bit of confusion about this issue. There are actually two road connections. One leads South on the Western side of Lake Nasser and - as much as I have understood from various threads - this is the one where you have to pay the 3k.

The other roads starts from Abu Simbel with a short ferry across the lake to the Eastern side at Qustul. The ferries could be seen ready as early as 2012. They have actually been used as well. I do remember at least one instance with regard to the record-breaking 11 day trip from Cape Town to London:

Fiat Panda World Record Attempt | Africa Record Run

I would imagine that Mazar in Wadi Halfa would be able to shed some light on the actual regulations.

Greetings,
Achim

Thanks Achim for these precisions.
Waiting for some report of travellers using this "short ferry" travel to (or from) Qustul......
Is it a car ferry ? (meaning you can travel with your own car on this ferry and not on a separate on).

RR.

Dear RoRo,

Yes, it is a "normal" car ferry, or rather at least two, as you can see from the picture I posted at the end of 2012 in this thread:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...2-698-komp.jpg

The Fiat Panda record guys apparently took a military ferry or army barge as they posted:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.n...68342103_n.jpg

Greetings,
Achim

Thanks a lot, Achim.

RR.

HI Omar

Any recent news on the road ? i am doing a uk-South Africa trip end of the year

thanks:scooter:

Discussions, discussions, ...
 

Good news from the Sudan side.... and hoping that Egypt will be in the same mood!

RR.

Another small step ...
 

Thanks for this link.
But inside, it's written it's about to improve "commercial ties": not sure they are very happy about tourists' crossing.
So we need to wait some recent reports from travellers...
RR.

Hello Drewafrica how are you ?
so sorry for my late reply as i just saw your post now
for such a long time i hear that they will pen the road soon
but its always the same ,so your plans as you will take the ferry and there is no road ,its better for you like that
and if the road is open it will be great fro you cause you will save time and i hope you will save some $$$ by then too
the new Egyptian Ambassador in Sudan is a good friend of me and i asked hem please if he can do something to the only road that link Egypt With East and Southern Africa and he told me he will do his best
if i have any updates will publish it here f course
cheer and travel safe

Sudan, Egypt Agree to Open Border Crossings mid July
 

Sudan Vision Daily - Details
But.. how many times they announced the dates already?

maybe its the opening of the first road between Egypt and Sudan
 

today in the Egyptian news big article about the opening of the road Southern of Aswan to Abu Simble then a ferry from west to east bank of the Nile (less than 90 minute ferry ) and then here you are few miles away from Halfa ,
so you can make it in the same day and avoid that horrible ferry across lake Nasser
here is a link to the article it is in Arabic though, i tried to find English one but didn't
perhaps you use Google translate
travel safe always
:scooter:
[url=http://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/details/500265]

All sounds great 4 hours instead of 48:D . The article says trial starts on 25/8/2014. Hope it all goes well.

well its not 48 hours at all it is minimum of 5 days to go on that ferry with your car or motorbike ,lots of hassle and paper work
hahahaha

lots of hassle and paper work
hahahaha[/QUOTE]

And lots of corrupted officers on both sides.

I wonder whether this new road (if it works) would reduce the corruption on both sides! and also reduce that ridiculous Egyptian 800% security rate on vehicles....(I know...I know I'm dreaming:sleeping:)

Why would it ? It just provides for new opportunities...

Abu Simbel to Aswan road
 

There is a road showing on Google maps as, Aswan - Abou Sembel Touristic.
Just wondering if this road has always been there or is it possible that it has only recently been added??
Sounds like this could be the answer to the Lake Nasser ferry/barge.
Will have to wait and see what, and if anything changes for the better.

The Aswan - Abu Simbel road had been there since at least the late eighties, 25 years ago you could simply hire a taxi (or take your own car) to go to AS and back with no hassles.

Thanks for these infos,

Hoping we could get a report from some travellers who tried this option...

I don't understand why, since this new road + short ferry is in service, we don't have any experience about it...

RR.

the road is old one they repaved it and make it all the way to the Sudan - Egypt border i think like 4 years ago but for some political reasons they keep repeating the opening of the road will be on that date for the last 3 or 4 years
hope it will be real soon

cause it is just a new road , although some travelers used it lets say in the last 2 years but it cost a lot i think like 3000 $ as the employees in both side of the borders have to move with you (in Egypt side like 400 km ) and Sudan side like 25 km
it was an option to avoid the ferry if you travel in big group if it is 30 ppl then each will pay 100 $ last year i met a an overland truck a female was driving it and they manage to use the road but they had to arrange it 3 weeks in advance

Thank you for all info.
Waiting in anticipation for some travel reports to see what the outcome is in near future with this new information that came to light regards this road.
Particularly towards January 2015 as that is when we will be traveling North towards Egypt.

Reg

Thanks, I believed thd 3000$ was for a "new road" along the Nile western bank and acrosss the Egypt/Sudan border, .without ferry. And not for the one with the ferry from/to Qustul...
Are there 2 roads (except the Aswan/Halfa one) or is it the same?
Rr.

The mix of high carnet deposit, corrupted Egyptian officers, crippling bureaucracy and outdated complex immigration procedures really puts one off visiting Egypt overland!.
For me it was very convenient and cheap to skip Egypt all together and fly my bike from Khartoum. I think If you want to visit Egypt....fly there.

For, because you have a bike and not a 4wd! It'not the same price....
RR.

RoRo
Thank god I was on a Bike, because going through Egypt is just a rip off.
Flying a 4x4 would have been financially impossible for me. The other option is also a bit crazy; that's going through Saudi Arabia where they won't allow a vehicle with right hand steering wheel.

Not Flying the 4x4, but shipping, but it's not very cheap!
FF.

Ahram Online - News, Business, Culture, Sports & Multimedia from Egypt

This looks promissing :cool4:

Egypt-Sudan border crossing to open in next few days: Ministry
Opening is delayed after initial announcement of 12 August; minister forecasts 'drastic change' in coming period between two countries
Ahram Online, Wednesday 13 Aug 2014

Egypt and Sudan will open a shared border crossing within the next few days, according to a press release from Egypt's trade and industry ministry.

Previously, an official declaration made at the beginning of the month set 12 August as the day for the border's opening.

The ministry did not give any explanation for the delay.

"The coming period will witness a drastic change in Egypt-Sudan commercial and economic relations, especially after the opening of the border," Mounir Fakhry Abdel-Nour, Egypt's trade and industry minister, said on the sidelines of meetings of the Sudanese-Egyptian joint commercial and industrial committee that started in Khartoum on Tuesday.

capetown2arnhem.com

:sleep1:

About the 27th press statement to this extent over the past 3 years...

And about my question, 2 roads or is the same? Which one?

RR.

I recall there was a report (earlier in this thread?) on a group doing it that way, but it sounded like an expensive exception. And iirc they did cross the Nile SW of Wadi Halfa to the east side, if not right back up to WH itself to check in. I recall tracking the obscure west side port on Google maps.

I wonder if while the old west side tourist road was being resurfaced to Abu Simbel, they carried on tarmacing to the border of Sudan, even though there was not much on the other side then (I recall following intermittent tracks/roads). This is what caused confusion here; it looked like the new road would sensibly avoid a ferry over Lake Nasser and carry on all the way west of the Nile to Dongola bridge.

As I understand it there are two from Abu Simbel area. But the much announced new route into Sudan is: Aswan to Abu Simbel, short ferry to Qustul new town, then to the Egyptian border post on 22°N, and half an hour down to Wadi H. I believe Endurodude did this early last year going north on his Fiat record run.

You would think Abu Simbel to Dongola would have been the simplest, overland, ferry-free way of doing it, and it seems such a road can now be traced (mostly) on Google. But perhaps the mayor of Wadi Halfa and the guy who was given the Egyptian Qustul ferry concession, or the estate agents in Qustul didn't want it that way. There may be strategic reasons in complicating the border, or perhaps the fact that the Chinese had recently completed a road from the south up to WH, so it was better/simpler to keep it on that side. The one on the west side in Sudan may be in rough shape and too expensive to rebuild or is allocated to smugglers.

Ch

that is the best answer the one or 2 roads
and again in some news that the main road goes direct to Dongola and ferry free is going to open some timelater maybe a year ,or 2 or 10
all we have to do is to keep smiling be happy ,be positive hahahahaha
:D

It doesn't make any difference whether it is 1 or 2 roads, the problem is that they have already announced more than 10 times in the past that the road is going to be opened soon....this soon never came.
The roads have been ready for quite some time now, but due to security and political issues at the borders they never actually opened it.
Officials in Both countries are good in making announcements and promises, but nothing materialises. Let us wait and see..

Egypt-Sudan land crossings to open in coming days: official - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan

Sudanese Foreign Minister announces new border crossings in Egypt - Daily News Egypt

That is spot on: a year, 2, 10 or never.
So just wait and when you hear that they opened it, hop on :scooter:

Yes, I remember the Chris Scott's post about the different roads and I just ask if the 3000$ bribe is for the Qustul route or for the west bank one (may be both?).
RR.

I believe the west side people paid heavily, as you might expect for an unorthodox exit from Egypt. But the few foreigners who have done the Qustul ferry route so far have also paid through the nose too as it's not officially open yet. I think they used a military barge?

THanks Chris, so you have to pay... (as usual in Egypt:thumbdown:)

RR.

Hi all,

There are indeed two roads - and before the official opening of either of them you have to pay this horrendous fee because officials have to be brought from Abu Simbel and Wadi Halfa to the border posts.

@Chris: You are right: For the Fiat record run ferry crossing, a military barge was used even though two civilian ferries have been ready to be used at least since 2012.

Chris' assumptions concerning the roads are correct. The Western road will be opened later because the continuation of the road on the Sudanese side to Dongola is not ready yet.

Greetings,
Achim

http://www.alrakoba.net/news-action-show-id-160889.htm

According to this the Sudanese side says the land crossing will open next Wednesday 27/08/2014

This puts me off ever going to Egypt. Let's hope dreams come true ! :thumbup1:

The last barge
 

Hi All
We are in Aswan right now waiting for the barge with our motorbikes. It looks that is the last one :) Everyone in Wadi Halfa and Aswan is very exited that the border will be open soon.

The end of an era. The new arrangement will be just like crossing from Dover to Calais ;-)

Like Dover to Calais!!! :nono: It will never be mate....this is AFRICA.

http://www.alrakoba.net/news-action-show-id-161338.htm

OK, the translation says the border crossing will open tomorrow according to the Sudanese presidential affairs minister.

Fingers crossed.

do we think it will still be possible to get visas in Aswan though?

Hi,

I'm currently in Sharm and on my way south. I had planned to take the ferry on tuesday in a week. will see if the road is really open by then and post it here.
If there is anyone there before me than please report any news!

As someone earlier in this thread already posted: The ferry is a nightmare but also an experience! Never the less just on the cost savings side this is a great news.
Let's cross fingers that the road will really open.

David

www.alrakoba.net/news-action-show-id-161485.htm

(Began on Wednesday password experimental ground vehicles Ambassria commercial carrier for citizens between the states of Sudan and Egypt in preparation for the opening of the final link of the crossings between the two countries after three months. And opens the officials in the two countries, ports and border crossings Acchett Wadi Halfa and Qustul Aswan.).......(Bing translator is not brilliant...sorry)

According to this news site, they have opened the crossing today.

so if i get this right the actual opening is still 3 months away

It was never mentioned that it may be used after it is opened... :devil2:

Yes that is right Kissnofrog....trials only for now, and the REAL opening is after three monthdoh:thumbdown:

Lets come back here again on errrrr 27/11/2014 and see what happens. :sleep1::sleep1::sleep1:

good news , good news
 

:D :D :thumbup1:
ok the road between Aswan Halfa was opened yesterday there is over landers truck managed to cross from Egypt to Sudan i think Australians maybe 5 or 6 ppl on the truck
i phoned Kamal the ferry fixer in Aswan and he told me what i mentioned
according to hem travelers must go to Aswan to get Carnet stamp or to get a document from there i didnt know what it is
the road according to the news will be open from 9 am to 4 pm in summer and 9 am to 3 pm in winter (October to May )
will see if i can just take my bike and go to discover the new road in the coming day
and make full report about it
travel good all
feeling exited as im so sick of that Ferry as i used it 4 times so far , :scooter:

Hi David
i may go South too ,starting from Alexandria ,Cairo then to Hurghada , Aswan all the way to Khartoum and maybe further South to Ethiopia
what is your plans perhaps we meet some where
cheers
Omar