With Cairo and Luxor being the 2 must-visit cities when in Egypt, selecting your technique of journey between each locations gives some fascinating choices.
Over 650 kilometers separate Cairo and Luxor, and whereas some go for an unforgettable cruise down the Nile, this is usually a quite costly few days.
And though catching a flight is fast, it’s not a really sustainable journey possibility. However there may be one other selection to think about: to journey by practice.
As a practice 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 quite stunned with how my day unfolded.
On this weblog publish, I’ll recount every thing that I skilled touring from Cairo to Luxor, together with what stunned me most and whether or not it’s actually a great journey possibility or not.
Why Journey To Luxor From Cairo By Prepare?
Effectively, let me be completely sincere from the get-go right here: this practice journey was a extremely lengthy day of journey and if I had the selection once more I’d probably chew the bullet and leap on a aircraft as an alternative or take a Sleeper Prepare quite than touring by day.
However I’d suggest the practice journey if you wish to uncover what Egypt is basically like away from the most important vacationer locations – it’s fairly an eye-opening expertise, to say the least.
It is usually the most cost effective journey possibility and one of the best sustainable possibility, however as talked about, anticipate a really lengthy, very tiring day!
Shopping for a practice ticket from Cairo to Luxor
Shopping for your practice ticket upfront and/or at Cairo practice station is kind 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. Nonetheless, this doesn’t at all times work and is a little bit of a lottery.
If this selection doesn’t give you the results you want then I’d advise shopping for a ticket immediately from the station a couple of days earlier than your journey.
Whether or not you might have luck shopping for a ticket on the app or not, you continue to need to pay an additional charge as a foreigner. To do that you must head to the Foreigners Reservation Workplace at Cairo station.
The Foreigners Reservation Workplace isn’t precisely nicely signposted on the station, however from the primary corridor head up the escalators, take a left right into a hall and it’s best to 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 charge as a foreigner (which value round 40 Euros) after which was given a handwritten ticket.
Discovering your platform at Cairo station
So after paying the additional charge as a foreigner on the Foreigners Reservation Workplace, all you must do is locate your platform, get in your practice, sit again, and chill out – if solely it was that straightforward!
There are many show boards on the station however in fact I couldn’t discover any information for my practice to Luxor that was scheduled at about 8 am that morning.
I requested at an data desk and confirmed my ticket and it was defined to me that I wanted to go to platform 11, which was a bit of additional away from the primary corridor within the station.
Having headed via an underpass I discovered platform 11 and was kindly greeted by a practice conductor, who took me aboard my practice and confirmed me to my seat.
Looking back, this was fairly lucky, however most Egyptians are very pleasant and are all too keen that can assist you out, even when their English isn’t all that nice.
My Expertise of touring from Cairo to Luxor by practice
So what’s the Cairo to Luxor practice 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 comfortable sufficient and the carriages are spacious, though perhaps not the cleanest or most fashionable you’ll ever see. My carriage was pretty quiet to begin with, however there’s a fixed stream of individuals boarding and getting off on the numerous stops all through the day.
As for the practice journey itself, at occasions it was tediously gradual, with a number of situations when the practice stopped for 10 or quarter-hour with no reason, however that’s no huge deal actually.
The practice stops at quite a few stations and passes via small cities and villages in addition to the Egyptian countryside.
Essentially the most shocking side of the journey for me nevertheless was witnessing the alarming quantity of poverty in these backwater, middle-of-nowhere locations which is kind of saddening to see.
It jogged my memory quite a lot of the identical type of poverty that you simply see when touring through practice in India, and I actually wasn’t anticipating to see the identical stage 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’d have had the identical perspective if I had traveled between Cairo and Luxor through aircraft 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 quite a lot of deserted buildings that by no means accomplished building, which is a mirrored image of Egypt’s poor economic system.
Is the sleeper practice the higher possibility?
So I caught a practice from Cairo to Luxor in the course of the day as I wished to really see as a lot of Egypt as potential from my practice window, quite than sleeping via the journey.
I’m not one of the best 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’ll find flights for across the identical value or cheaper between the 2 cities, so it’s all a query of if that’s definitely worth the problem or not.
Sleeper trains are by far the extra standard possibility with vacationers, with loads of tour firms providing dearer sleeper practice trip tickets to Luxor.
The good thing about touring on the sleeper practice is that you simply don’t waste any of your vacation day touring by practice, so in that respect it is a bonus. I’d quite expertise the practice views in the course of the daytime, nevertheless it’s all a query of private desire.
Arriving in Luxor
Having left Cairo at 8 within the morning, it was darkish by the point my practice lastly arrived in Luxor. Getting off the practice at Luxor with so many different vacationers might be fairly an amazing expertise.
It’s not straightforward to seek 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 practice, and I maybe naively accepted his provide (I simply wished to succeed in my resort ASAP after such a protracted day!).
My resort was primarily based on the West Financial institution of the River Nile, with Luxor practice station being located on the East Financial institution, which is the primary central half of the 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 observe – not what I wished after the practice 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 necessary to analysis your vacation spot earlier than setting off.
Is Cairo To Luxor By Prepare Value It?
So all in all, would I like to recommend touring to Luxor through practice from Cairo? All of it relies on your preferences.
If you happen to take pleasure in practice journeys in unique lands and have a way of journey then certain, it may be an enriching expertise and also you undoubtedly see quite a lot of Egypt you by no means usually would.
Nonetheless, should you’re brief on time and simply wish to get from Cairo to Luxor as shortly as potential, then no, that is undoubtedly not the best possibility for you. Travelling by aircraft is the quickest possibility if not one of the best sustainable possibility.
Touring by sleeper practice is an effective possibility too should you don’t thoughts sleeping on public transport and probably sharing a cabin with strangers.
Cairo To Luxor By Prepare FAQs
Nonetheless unsure about touring to Luxor from Cairo by practice? Let’s reply a few of the mostly requested questions on this matter:
How lengthy is the practice from Cairo to Luxor?
The practice trip itself takes round 10 hours. Whenever you consider journey occasions out of your resort to every practice station at each Cairo and Luxor, then you may see why it’s such a protracted, tiring journey.
I’d undoubtedly suggest having a great ebook to maintain you occupied all through the day as there’s no wifi sign on the practice.
Are there meals choices on the practice from Cairo to Luxor?
Sure, however good luck when selecting from the menu! Round lunchtime on my practice journey, a practice crew member handed via my carriage handing out menus and taking lunch orders.
I had a take a look at one of many menus and naturally, it was all in Arabic. I might make out a couple of 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 truffles, which wasn’t precisely what I requested, nevertheless it wasn’t a problem.
There are quite a lot of meals stalls promoting snacks like crisps and so forth at Cairo station and on the numerous stations you cross all through the practice trip. My recommendation could be to have a hearty breakfast you probably have time and top off on snacks for the journey.
Is it secure to journey by practice from Cairo to Luxor?
Sure, I’ve to say I felt utterly secure all through my practice trip to Luxor. Egyptians are identified to be very pleasant and I obtained a number of smiles from fellow passengers and other people 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, nevertheless it actually doesn’t have a lot to supply aside from that.
In my expertise, I discovered Cairo to be probably the most chaotic cities I’ve visited, with loopy drivers on the roads (I nonetheless have nightmares about airport taxis to my resort), dangerous air air pollution and locals always attempting to promote you stuff you don’t want.
Sure, undoubtedly go to Cairo to see the Pyramids that are indisputably a tremendous sight, and perhaps keep for an additional day or two most to go to a few of the high museums, however that’s all I’d suggest.
Luxor then again was a way more peaceable and aesthetically pleasing expertise. With the town being divided on both facet of the River Nile, the environment is extra tranquil.
Locals nonetheless attempt to promote you stuff you don’t want (I had a horrible expertise with a store proprietor who compelled 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 superb 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, equivalent to happening a sizzling air balloon trip at dawn or stress-free on the Nile on a Felucca boat trip.
Conclusion: Cairo To Luxor By Prepare
In order that’s every thing I skilled on my practice trip from Cairo to Luxor. It’s a kind of practice journeys that convey out a mixture of feelings – it’s bewildering, saddening, and complicated however pleasant all on the identical time!
It’s an journey for certain, however would I actually suggest it? I must say in all probability not, it’s a protracted, exhausting day that eats up your trip time, however a singular journey all the identical.
Attending to see a facet of Egypt that’s not 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 MJ Journey Guides. He has visited over 40 nations, principally as a solo traveler. Comply with his adventures on Instagram @mj_travelman and Twitter @MJ_TravelMan.
Maintain studying: From Pyramids to Pharaohs: A First-Timer’s Information to Egypt
