Flight Centre’s Tracy McEwan travels to Egypt on a TopDeck Travel vacation adventure. Tracy learns a lot on her trip and shares her experiences so that fellow travelers can be well prepared in the art of bartering. Over to Tracy -

I have to admit, I shudder at the thought of bartering. I got my fair share of experience, however, on the most amazing trip of my life…to EGYPT!
The following is what I learned along the way; hopefully it will prevent you from going in as blind as I did!

First, it’s important to know when to barter, and when not to. Many shops have set prices, and you will know this when you see price tags on the merchandise. Otherwise, it’s fair game…so barter hard and have fun! Bartering environments can be crowded, loud, pushy, confusing, and all around stressful. Resist the feeling of irritation…laughing off pushy salespeople is your best defense.

So how does one do it? Start by counteracting the initial price by offering 10 or 20%. They will say you’re crazy, and come up with all sorts of creative ways to make you second guess yourself. But remember, bartering is a way of life in Egypt. They would almost be offended if you didn’t do it! After going back and forth a few times, buy based on how much you think the item is worth, and how much you are willing to pay. Shop around…you can always come back. Once the transaction is complete, feel good about your purchase, and don’t worry that you might have gotten ripped off. If you ended up spending a couple extra dollars than you had to because you didn’t barter hard enough, well then consider it a donation to the Egyptian economy. Chances are they need the money more than you do, anyway.

There are a couple things business owners do to gain the upper hand in the bartering scheme. By knowing these simple 2 tricks, you can quickly become a professional barterer.
Egyptians are very kind and want to know a bunch about you, including where you come from. They also ask this simple question to gage how much they think they can charge you! So instead of being direct with them, say something like, “I’m from my Mom,” or if you’re from, say Australia for example, tell them your from Tazmania, or an area they are not likely familiar with.

The other thing you will encounter is the bombardment of questions thrown at you while you’re shopping. The reason for this is so that you become distracted, and they can maintain control of the situation. Try being the first one to ask the questions, and keep them coming! This will throw off their usual routine, and gain you the upper hand. The more confidence you have in bartering, the better you will become at it.

Bartering is just one of the lovely cultural experiences of Egypt. You really have to go there yourself to see it…It’s unbelievable.

Egypt is highlighted on the Flight Centre travel map.

Photo Khan al-Khalili Bazaar, Egypt by S J Pinkney from Flickr

Looking for more information on travelling to Egypt and the art of bartering? Contact Tracy McEwan, an Assistant Manager with Flight Centre based at 1-635 Broughton St, Victoria, British Columbia who can be reached at 1 866 210 6135.

Tags: adventure, bartering, Egypt, TopDeck, tour, travel, vacation
Categories: Off The Beaten Path, Tips and Tricks

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 5:36 pm and is filed under Off The Beaten Path, Tips and Tricks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.