So a female friend and I (a male) are planning to ride our bikes from Cairo through the Sinai region to Tel Aviv in the fall. We've done a ton of research, but have yet to reach a consensus on whether or not we're going to kidnapped in Egypt and forced to do strange things. This isn't some irrational fear we've assumed as ignorant white Westerners, this is literally what lots of people on internet blogs warn against. Has anyone been there recently? Is the country safe for a white guy and a white girl on bikes without machine guns? We've heard that Cairo is a dodgy place, but what about the rest of the desert? Any tips/recent experiences would be greatly appreciated.

I haven't been to Egypt but I do have family in the Middle East and went back last year. If I understand correctly, the trip is about 400 km through the desert? If its really something you're passionate about, I'd suggest going with a group. For one, you're just less vulnerable. I imagine you'd be staying overnight at hotels and it just may help to find people who are more familiar with that region. Not necesarily in the region itself because you can't always trust someone you meet in an unfamiliar place who knows that you're unfamiliar with it but maybe take somebody else along who wants to go but has a better idea of it.

It does seem like a fantastic goal though; kudos to you.

In many countries with a high prevalence of kidnappings, the primary targets are businesspeople. Tourists OFTEN (but not always) fly under the radar. So if you go, bring obnoxious tourist clothes and never look like you're there on business. My dad does business in Costa Rica from time to time, and he always wears a loud Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts to and from work. He suits up when he gets to the office.

I haven't been recently, but I went to Cairo in '98. I can't speak for the rest of the region, but Cairo I found to be pretty safe, provided you stick to main streets and don't wander off down a back alley. The economy is largely based on tourism, so the authorities take care to watch out for anyone that looks like a tourist. I would think that the rest of the region is the same, but I don't know what kind of security presence there is outside of the city.

Wtf, this thread is serious? o_O

Maybe you should do some reasearch, like news articles and see if there are a lot of cases of tourists getting kidnapped/killed. I personally would never do that trip though.Too risky.

On my travels through Europe, I ran into a couple of guys that biked from Munich to Prague, to Vienna, then over to Budapest. Several hundred kilometers, but apparently they had an awesome time! We kept in touch, and apparently they "couch surfed" the whole way. I can't say from experience in Egypt, but I would think it would be insanely hot and therefore difficult. But the trip I described above might be more interesting/safe ? Not necessarily that trip, but central to Eastern Europe, as far as Hungary, Western Poland, down to Slovenia... That much I can say is extremely inexpensive, a bit cooler than Egypt, and safe.

i biked across remote regions in India...It got tough at times but I had a thrill! Not sure about Egypt though

I was there last summer (I'm from there haha). But anyway, I'll mention info briefly here, if you want more information, please feel free to message me any questions/concerns.
Firstly, tourists are treated really well there, as in the whole kidnapping thing is completely false. But keep in mind you'll be in the desert, i.e. extremely hot weather (could be about 50-55 degrees on humid days). Also, the only people you'll encounter in the desert would be small nomadic villages here and there, if anything at all. And honestly, just like anywhere in the world, if you're not disturbing them, why would they harm you? I even know someone who was actually invited into the "home" of one of the families and such. The one problem you might encounter on the way is crossing the border, since that border is pretty guarded, there will be heavy security and such on both ends (exiting Egypt and entry past the border). But as long as you have proof that you're a tourist, I don't see why you'd be stopped. I can double check for you though, since I've never done such a trip myself, Lol.
But anyway, if you have any questions, let me know.