The Red Sea Coast is a region of eastern Egypt, along the 800 km western shore of that sea, from Port Suez in the north to the Sudanese border in the south. Egypt's Sinai Peninsula also borders the Red Sea and has a resort strip, but is governed as a separate region and is not described here.
This article also includes Egypt's Eastern Desert.
From north to south along the coast:
Entry to this area is sometimes possible by permission from the Egyptian military, and you need a separate permit for every army sub-area that you pass through. Whether permission will be granted depends on the political temperature, and the latest reliable traveler account relates to 2016. Crossing into this area does not terminate a single-entry Egyptian visa, but check that it has enough validity if you plan an extended trip. The Triangle starts 100 km south of Berenice at the village of Shalateen. The highway follows the coast southeast for another 80 km to the main town of Abu Ramad—buses from Cairo run this far, taking 15 hr. The highway continues for 30 km to the village of Halayib. Then after a further 20 km it dead-ends at Ras Hadarba, the de facto border with Sudan, but there is no border crossing. The area is arid, with scrubby vegetation supporting grazing goats and camels, and stark barren hills. The settlements have basic accommodation and supplies but nothing in the way of "tourist facilities" so coming here involves a self-sufficient expedition, especially to reach the main attraction Mount Elba 250 km inland. Traders and businesses here would welcome more tourism, as they are well aware of the money it has brought to the northern resorts.
The Red Sea Cost is a string of beach resorts line the coast, and offshore is a long chain of coral reefs. It is a popular region for western visitors because of its warm dry climate year-round, its clear waters with excellent diving and other activities, its well-developed amenities and many direct flights from Europe.
There have long been hopes of a highway between Egypt and Sudan—it is absurd that in the 21st century the only surface link is by the dilapidated ferry between Aswan and Wadi Halfa. Hopes have at last translated into construction, and a highway has been built from Ras Hadarba on the border all the way to Port Sudan, where it connects with the rest of Sudan's road network. The quality of that highway, what use is permitted, and plans to open the border crossing, all remain unknown as of April 2020.
There are airports at Hurghada (IATA: HRG) and Marsa Alam (IATA: RMF, 60 km north of that city). Both have frequent direct flights from Europe: most visitors are on package holidays, but the carriers offer flight-only deals. There are also flights by Egyptair and others daily from Cairo, and less often from other Egyptian cities and Saudi Arabia.
Buses, long-distance taxis and private cars ply the long desert roads from Cairo and Luxor.
Ferries sail between Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh in Sinai. During the pilgrimage season they also cross to Saudi Arabia but are not sailing in 2020. There are no ferries through the Suez Canal. See also Ferries in the Red Sea.
6 trains per a day run from Cairo to Port Suez, taking a little over two hours. But there is little onward transport along the coast, you might have to backtrack to Cairo to reach the beach resorts.
All the resorts lie along Highway 65, the route from Cairo down to the Sudan border, so there is at least a daily bus between these towns (though it may run full, and fly past intermediate points). The towns themselves straggle for miles along the highway or have outlying "resort villages"; local buses serve some routes but you will probably need a taxi.
Dive boats sail out to the Red Sea reefs and wrecks, which are too far out for a swim from shore. Liveaboards reach the sites beyond the range of day-boats.
Hurghada is the best-developed, with accommodation in all price bands. South of Marsa Alam is less developed.