With Cairo and Luxor being the 2 must-visit cities when in Egypt, selecting your technique of journey between each locations affords some attention-grabbing choices.
Over 650 kilometers separate Cairo and Luxor, and whereas some go for an unforgettable cruise down the Nile, this could be a fairly costly few days.
And though catching a flight is fast, it’s not a really sustainable journey possibility. However there’s one other selection to contemplate: to journey by prepare.
As a prepare trip fanatic when overseas, I jumped on the probability to spend a day on Egyptian Nationwide Railways after I visited the nation again in January 2024 and was fairly shocked with how my day unfolded.
On this weblog publish, I’ll recount the whole lot that I skilled touring from Cairo to Luxor, together with what shocked me most and whether or not it’s actually an excellent journey possibility or not.
Why Journey To Luxor From Cairo By Prepare?
Effectively, let me be completely trustworthy from the get-go right here: this prepare journey was a extremely lengthy day of journey and if I had the selection once more I might most definitely chunk the bullet and soar on a airplane as a substitute or take a Sleeper Prepare fairly than touring by day.
However I might advocate the prepare journey if you wish to uncover what Egypt is absolutely like away from the main vacationer locations – it’s fairly an eye-opening expertise, to say the least.
It is usually the most affordable journey possibility and the perfect sustainable possibility, however as talked about, count on a really lengthy, very tiring day!
Shopping for a prepare ticket from Cairo to Luxor
Shopping for your prepare ticket upfront and/or at Cairo prepare station is sort of a complicated affair, to say the least.
I attempted and succeeded in shopping for a ticket on the Egyptian Nationwide Railways (ENR) app previous to my journey to Egypt. Nevertheless, this doesn’t all the time work and is a little bit of a lottery.
If this selection doesn’t give you the results you want then I might advise shopping for a ticket instantly from the station just a few days earlier than your journey.
Whether or not you will have luck shopping for a ticket on the app or not, you continue to must pay an additional payment as a foreigner. To do that it’s important to head to the Foreigners Reservation Workplace at Cairo station.
The Foreigners Reservation Workplace isn’t precisely properly signposted on the station, however from the primary corridor head up the escalators, take a left right into a hall and you must see indicators to the workplace from there.
I headed to the workplace and confirmed the ticket I had bought on the Egyptian Railways app. I then paid the additional payment as a foreigner (which price round 40 Euros) after which was given a handwritten ticket.
Discovering your platform at Cairo station
So after paying the additional payment as a foreigner on the Foreigners Reservation Workplace, all it’s important to do is use your platform, get in your prepare, sit again, and calm down – if solely it was that simple!
There are many show boards on the station however in fact I couldn’t discover any information for my prepare to Luxor that was scheduled at about 8 am that morning.
I requested at an info desk and confirmed my ticket and it was defined to me that I wanted to go to platform 11, which was just a little additional away from the primary corridor within the station.
Having headed by means of an underpass I discovered platform 11 and was kindly greeted by a prepare conductor, who took me aboard my prepare and confirmed me to my seat.
Looking back, this was fairly lucky, however most Egyptians are very pleasant and are all too keen that will help you out, even when their English isn’t all that nice.
My Expertise of touring from Cairo to Luxor by prepare
So what’s the Cairo to Luxor prepare journey really like? Effectively, I discovered the state of my carriage to be fairly enough – I’ve definitely traveled on so much worse trains in my time (India instantly springs to thoughts!).
The seats are nearly cozy sufficient and the carriages are spacious, though possibly not the cleanest or most trendy you’ll ever see. My carriage was pretty quiet to start out with, however there’s a fixed stream of individuals boarding and getting off on the numerous stops all through the day.
As for the prepare journey itself, at occasions it was tediously sluggish, with a number of situations when the prepare stopped for 10 or quarter-hour with no reason, however that’s no huge deal actually.
The prepare stops at quite a few stations and passes by means of small cities and villages in addition to the Egyptian countryside.
Probably the most stunning side of the journey for me nevertheless was witnessing the alarming quantity of poverty in these backwater, middle-of-nowhere locations which is sort of saddening to see.
It jogged my memory a whole lot of the identical form of poverty that you just see when touring by way of prepare in India, and I actually wasn’t anticipating to see the identical degree of poverty right here.
It’s fairly an eye-opener to see how poor of a rustic Egypt actually is, and I don’t suppose I might have had the identical perspective if I had traveled between Cairo and Luxor by way of airplane or on a cruise.
Other than that it was good to see the Egyptian countryside; it’s scenic at occasions however the abandoned cities and poor villages are far too frequent all through the journey. You see a whole lot of deserted buildings that by no means accomplished building, which is a mirrored image of Egypt’s poor economic system.
Is the sleeper prepare the higher possibility?
So I caught a prepare from Cairo to Luxor throughout the day as I needed to truly see as a lot of Egypt as potential from my prepare window, fairly than sleeping by means of the journey.
I’m not the perfect at sleeping on any mode of transport and the sleeper trains are a bit dearer, with a mattress in a twin cabin costing round 80 Euros and a single cabin costing about 120 Euros.
You could find flights for across the identical worth or cheaper between the 2 cities, so it’s all a query of if that’s definitely worth the trouble or not.
Sleeper trains are by far the extra in style possibility with vacationers, with loads of tour corporations providing dearer sleeper prepare trip tickets to Luxor.
The advantage of touring on the sleeper prepare is that you just don’t waste any of your vacation day touring by prepare, so in that respect it is a bonus. I’d fairly expertise the prepare views throughout the daytime, however it’s all a query of non-public desire.
Arriving in Luxor
Having left Cairo at 8 within the morning, it was darkish by the point my prepare lastly arrived in Luxor. Getting off the prepare at Luxor with so many different vacationers might be fairly an amazing expertise.
It’s not simple to search out your bearings and you’re quickly approached by a number of native taxi drivers providing their companies.
I used to be approached by an Egyptian as quickly as I left the prepare, and I maybe naively accepted his supply (I simply needed to succeed in my lodge ASAP after such an extended day!).
My lodge was based mostly on the West Financial institution of the River Nile, with Luxor prepare station being located on the East Financial institution, which is the primary central half of town.
My taxi driver insisted that the trip to the East Financial institution would take over 40 minutes and it was one other lengthy journey off the overwhelmed monitor – not what I needed after the prepare journey!
Because it turned out, I might have simply caught a public ferry on the Nile and cross over to the West Financial institution which might have been so much faster and cheaper. One other lesson why it’s essential to analysis your vacation spot earlier than setting off.
Is Cairo To Luxor By Prepare Price It?
So all in all, would I like to recommend touring to Luxor by way of prepare from Cairo? All of it relies on your preferences.
In the event you take pleasure in prepare journeys in unique lands and have a way of journey then certain, it may be an enriching expertise and also you positively see a whole lot of Egypt you by no means usually would.
Nevertheless, if you happen to’re brief on time and simply wish to get from Cairo to Luxor as shortly as potential, then no, that is positively not the fitting possibility for you. Travelling by airplane is the quickest possibility if not the perfect sustainable possibility.
Touring by sleeper prepare is an effective possibility too if you happen to don’t thoughts sleeping on public transport and doubtlessly sharing a cabin with strangers.
Cairo To Luxor By Prepare FAQs
Nonetheless undecided about touring to Luxor from Cairo by prepare? Let’s reply a number of the mostly requested questions on this matter:
How lengthy is the prepare from Cairo to Luxor?
The prepare trip itself takes round 10 hours. Whenever you consider journey occasions out of your lodge to every prepare station at each Cairo and Luxor, then you’ll be able to see why it’s such an extended, tiring journey.
I might positively advocate having an excellent e book to maintain you occupied all through the day as there’s no wifi sign on the prepare.
Are there meals choices on the prepare from Cairo to Luxor?
Sure, however good luck when selecting from the menu! Round lunchtime on my prepare journey, a prepare crew member handed by means of my carriage handing out menus and taking lunch orders.
I had a have a look at one of many menus and naturally, it was all in Arabic. I might make out just a few meat choices, however as a vegetarian, there didn’t actually appear to be something appropriate.
I attempted to speak with the crew member that I’d like a cheese sandwich and I assumed he understood what I meant. He then returned 10 minutes later with a tray stuffed with desserts!
There was a muffin, a croissant, and another fundamental muffins, which wasn’t precisely what I requested, however it wasn’t a problem.
There are a whole lot of meals stalls promoting snacks like crisps and many others at Cairo station and on the numerous stations you move all through the prepare trip. My recommendation could be to have a hearty breakfast you probably have time and replenish on snacks for the journey.
Is it secure to journey by prepare from Cairo to Luxor?
Sure, I’ve to say I felt utterly secure all through my prepare trip to Luxor. Egyptians are recognized to be very pleasant and I acquired a number of smiles from fellow passengers and folks asking the place I used to be from of their damaged English.
Which is the higher metropolis: Cairo or Luxor?
Personally, I a lot most popular Luxor to Cairo. Sure, Cairo is a must-visit metropolis due to course the Giza Pyramids are shut by, however it actually doesn’t have a lot to supply aside from that.
In my expertise, I discovered Cairo to be some of the chaotic cities I’ve visited, with loopy drivers on the roads (I nonetheless have nightmares about airport taxis to my lodge), dangerous air air pollution and locals always attempting to promote you belongings you don’t want.
Sure, positively go to Cairo to see the Pyramids that are for sure an incredible sight, and possibly keep for an additional day or two most to go to a number of the prime museums, however that’s all I might advocate.
Luxor however was a way more peaceable and aesthetically pleasing expertise. With town being divided on both facet of the River Nile, the ambiance is extra tranquil.
Locals nonetheless attempt to promote you belongings you don’t want (I had a horrible expertise with a store proprietor who pressured me to purchase some tat within the El-Souk market), however there’s a lot fascinating historical past to see in Luxor.
There are a number of wonderful temples (Karnak Temple was my favourite) and naturally, the Valley of the Kings is a should to discover some amazingly preserved tombs.
There are additionally some actually top-rated actions to do right here, reminiscent of happening a sizzling air balloon trip at dawn or enjoyable on the Nile on a Felucca boat trip.
Conclusion: Cairo To Luxor By Prepare
In order that’s the whole lot I skilled on my prepare trip from Cairo to Luxor. It’s a type of prepare journeys that carry out a mixture of feelings – it’s bewildering, saddening, and complicated however pleasing all on the identical time!
It’s an journey for certain, however would I actually advocate it? I must say most likely not, it’s an extended, exhausting day that eats up your trip time, however a singular journey all the identical.
Attending to see a facet of Egypt that isn’t typical for many vacationers is a privileged expertise and one which I can promise you received’t overlook in a rush!
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Mark (Wolverhampton, England) runs Solotravelman. He has visited over 40 nations, principally as a solo traveler. Observe his adventures on Instagram @mj_travelman and Twitter @MJ_TravelMan.
Preserve studying: From Pyramids to Pharaohs: A First-Timer’s Information to Egypt
