How to travel by train in Egypt | Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Alexandria
A beginner's guide to
Train travel in Egypt . . .
See Egypt by train...
fabulous, and Cairo one of the most fascinating cities in
the world.& There's no need to book a tour, it's easy
to travel round Egypt independently.& Egyptian Railways
are easily the most comfortable way to travel between Cairo,
Luxor, Aswan, Alexandria, Port Said & Suez.& The views
from the train can be wonderful, especially along the Nile
amongst the fields and palm trees on the
Cairo-Luxor-Aswan and Cairo-Alexandria routes.& As so
often, the train journeys give you an insight into the
times & fares for Egypt
Egyptian travel information
and how to get around them
- visas, dialling code, time zone
International
travel to/from Egypt
Train operator in Egypt:
Egyptian National Railways,
.& Sleeper trains
Cairo-Luxor-Aswan:
Time zone & dialling code:
GMT+2 (Daylight saving time cancelled for 2011
Dial code +20.
pounds:&&&?1 =
LE 10,& $1 =
UK citizens need a visa to visit
Egypt.& You can buy this in ?
$ on arrival
for stays of up to 1 month.& For
information, see
or contact the Egyptian Consulate
at 2 Lowndes
Street, London, SW1X 9ET (call 020 ).
Hotels in Egypt:
information:
2 March 2015
check train times for Egypt
You can check mainline train times at
Train times for key routes are shown below.& Egyptian National Railways
now have a website,
, and you can use this to check
timetables, although only of the best express trains on main
routes, not every slow train.& There is limited train information on
the Egyptian national tourist office
website .& It you're travelling between
Cairo, Luxor & Aswan, remember the read the section about
Buying tickets
at the station...
It's fairly easy to buy tickets at the
station ticket office when
you get to Egypt,
as this is Egypt a degree of patience is called
for!& Cairo main station has several booking windows,
one for each class and group of destinations, so check that
you are joining the right queue.& You can pay for train
tickets in Egyptian pounds, except for the Cairo-Luxor-Aswan deluxe sleeper which must be paid in foreign currency
(dollars, euros or pounds sterling) at the separate El Watania sleeper office.&
Except during
periods, it's
normally easy to get
1st class tickets on the day of travel or the day before.&
The deluxe overnight sleeper train from Cairo to Luxor and
Aswan often has places available if you book a day
or two in advance, but at peak tourist times such as Easter it can
get fully-booked by tour groups, so pre-booking
is recommended.& On the Cairo-Luxor-Aswan route, you
won't be sold tickets for the 'restricted' daytime trains,
shown above, or just get on the train without a
ticket and pay on board, see the section on
Buy daytime train tickets online at
Buy tickets online for daytime express trains at
You can now book tickets online for the air-conditioned express
trains between Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor & Aswan.& Give it a try and see
how it goes...
What tickets can it book?& The system will
book 1st & 2nd class seats on the main air-conditioned
express trains between Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor & Aswan.& If you want
to buy tickets for the
Cairo-Luxor-Aswan sleeper trains,
booking open?& Booking opens 2 weeks before departure.& If you
try to book more than 2 weeks before you want to go, it simply says there's
no availability, so just wait until booking opens.
What won't it book?& It won't book the
sleeper trains between Cairo, Luxor or Aswan, only the
daytime express trains.& It will not book 3rd class
tickets, or tickets for slow trains, or tickets to other
destinations such as Mersa Matruh or Port Said or
smaller stations such as Edfu or Kom Ombo.& Or book
tickets further ahead than about 2 weeks.& It also
seems to book trains from Aswan to Luxor, but not from
Luxor to Aswan.
Can foreign tourists use this system?& Yes.&
It allows you to select 'United Kingdom' and other
overseas countries from a drop-down list when
registering and when booking a ticket.& After
selecting 'United Kingdom' it will happily book a
daytime seats train from Cairo to Luxor, with no sign of
any problem with the
.& Result!& The small print
says it only accepts Egyptian credit cards, but I can
confirm it accepts my own UK Visa credit card, and it
uses the 'verified by Visa' additional security system.&
So give it a go.
Limitations:& You can only book a maximum of
2 seats on Cairo-Luxor-Aswan trains and 5 seats on
Cairo-Alexandria trains.& If you want to buy more
tickets than this, you'll have to book via a travel
agency or at the station as below (or perhaps create two
separate accounts using a different name and credit
card).& There are a few other limitations, see
their terms and conditions.
How to buy tickets online:& Go to
and sign up, a simple process.&
Enter your passport number in the 'National ID' box.&
You are emailed an activation code to start your
When activated, log in again and click on 'Make
reservation'.& Select stations, class, and a date
within the next 2 weeks.& It will not book further
ahead than this.& You can leave 'offset' and time
You print out your own reservation details with date,
time, train number, car & seat number.
You can board the train with just this printout and the
credit card used to make the booking, as long as the
main named traveller is the owner of the credit card.&
If you've used someone else's card, then you'll need a
photocopy of the front of the credit card, passport, and
reservation details.
be very welcome if you use this system, successfully or
unsuccessfully.
Traveller Ian Green booked tickets from Cairo to
Luxor in 2011:& &We bought our train tickets
online at the Egyptian National Railways website
having followed your link and signed
up.& It took 2 or 3 days until I could log in
successfully, but I managed to book tickets online from
Cairo to Luxor and from Aswan back to Cairo.& We
caught train 980 from Cairo to Luxor in first class
leaving at 8am (platform 8) with self-print online
tickets costing 187.20 Egyptian pounds between us [about
?24, just ?12 per ticket] and later took train 983 from
Aswan to Cairo again in first class, leaving at 7am,
costing 226.72 Egyptian pounds between us [about ?29 or
?14.50 each].& We had no troubles with our
print-at-home tickets, as soon as the conductors saw
them they spoke in English.& Quite simple really.&
We saw a few other non-Egyptians on the trains, all of
whom had had to get around the system by getting people
to buy tickets for them, or getting split journey
tickets, costing around an extra 100 Egyptian Pounds.&
Buy sleeper tickets online at
deluxe sleeper from Cairo to Luxor, arrived at Luxor
station on a bright sunny morning... Photo
courtesy of Neil Bastock.
You can now buy tickets online for the overnight
between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan.& As from Summer
2012, you can book at
(click 'Get tickets'),
selecting 'Credit card' and paying online with MasterCard or Visa.& You'll receive
a confirmation email immediately after booking, and in the
next day or two you'll receive a second email from Watania
with a PDF file attached with your sleeping-car berth
allocation - in fact, it's reported you may now receive tickets by email within
2 hours of booking, but .& There's a small booking fee, only
about $5 or so.& Travellers now report success using this new online
sleeper booking system, but if for any reason this online system
doesn't work for you, see the next section.
Traveller Tim Kaye reports:& &A few weeks ago (early
October 2012) we booked the ticket through the online
sleeper booking website. The ticket was emailed to
us as a PDF within a couple of days. Whilst it doesn't look
much like a genuine ticket, there were no problems using it
when boarding the train and we found our names listed on a
printed manifest for the carriage.& The food was airline style and the beds
comfortable, and they woke us up in plenty of time before
our arrival into Aswan the following morning.&
through an agency or call
+ 202 374 894 88 or + 202 374 893 88
If the new online system doesn't work for you for whatever
reason, there are two other ways you can pre-book the
between Cairo, Luxor & Aswan.& Option 1 is to contact a travel
agency such as
and (in Luxor)
You'll pay a fee for their services, of course.& Option
2, which avoids a fee but
sometimes takes more persistence, is to book direct with the
operator El Watania by phone, fax or email.& Times &
or (if it's working!) shown on the Watania sleeper train
website, .& To book direct with
Watania, e-mail your
booking request to
or fax it to +
202 37 489 680 quoting your email address or simply
phone their reservation office on + 202 374 893 88 or + 202 374 894 88
(lines open 09:00 to 15:00 Egyptian time, daily except
Fridays, English spoken,
always appreciated!).& They will email you a booking
reference and you can pick up the tickets and pay
for them in Egyptian pounds, US Dollars or euros at the Watania reservation
office, 48 Giza Street, Orman Building, first floor
apartment No.14, at least 24 hours before departure between
09:00 & 15:00 any day except Fridays.& It's in the same
block as the Cairo Sheraton Hotel, next to the HSBC Bank.&
If you cannot pick up tickets at least 24 hours in advance
at these times, then book through a travel agency as
recommended above, paying a booking fee.& One traveller
has reported that it's easier to pick up the tickets
directly from the Watania sleeper office at Giza Station
which is very easy to reach on the efficient Cairo Metro ().&
The 'Sleeping Car Office' is located in an old portacabin
about 20m to the right of the main ticket windows on the
external entrance to Giza's mainline station.
Egyptian train tickets in advance before you leave home
and the Egyptian Railways
doesn't work for you, or you want to book the
deluxe sleeper from Cairo to Upper Egypt,
you can easily arrange tickets by e-mail through an Egyptian
travel agency.&
Reputable agencies include
and (in Luxor)
Osoris has been
highly recommended by quite a few seat61 correspondents.& They charge about
$10 higher than the normal ticket
price, plus a $5 booking fee if you collect the tickets from their office in Cairo,
a $25 booking fee if you want them delivered to your hotel,
$25 for delivery to the airport to meet your flight, or $20 to
meet you with the tickets at Cairo railway station.&
They also make a 6% credit card charge, at least on days when they
feel like accepting credit cards rather than Western Union
transfers!& To buy tickets through them, e-mail them at
call + 20 2 302 8561 or
fax + 20 2 3464146.&
on agencies, good or bad, is always welcome.&
Although Osoris has been recommended
by several travellers,
traveller has reported poor service. Paradise
Travel & SafariEgypt have had no reports as yet.& I have removed Egyptlegend ()
after two bad reports.& Bear in mind that credit cards
are not always accepted by small Egyptian travel agencies, a
Western Union transfer is often necessary.& On the Cairo-Luxor-Aswan
route, these agencies may or may not be prepared to sell you
a ticket for the 'restricted' daytime trains, so if they
won't, simply forget trying to book, just get on the train
without a ticket and pay on board, see the section on
for details.& One report says that
will book seats on the 'restricted' daytime trains
from Cairo to Luxor & Aswan.&
been recommended by one correspondent, they charge a $10-$15 fee per ticket.
Learn Arabic numbers...
A top tip for
train travel in Egypt is to learn
Arabic numbers.& The indicator boards at main
stations often use Arabic numerals to show train numbers, departure times and platform
numbers, only main ones show western numbers.& If you know Arabic numbers,
you can read these, making it easy to find your train from the
departure time, even if you can't read the destination.& Arabic numbers are written left-to-right, exactly like
western numbers, even though Arabic words are written
right-to-left.& To print these Arabic numbers,
right-click the image and click 'print picture'.
Taxis in Cairo & Alexandria...
Always use a white taxi as these are metered, and are a
fairly cheap way to get from anywhere in central Cairo to
the station, typically LE10-LE15 (?1-?2 or $2-$3) a trip.&
Make sure the meter is switched on.& Black & white
taxis do not have meters and you will need to agree a price
before you get in, so they usually work out much more
expensive.& Alexandria's yellow & black taxis do not
have meters, so agree a price before getting in.
Cairo-Luxor-Aswan
train restrictions for tourists...
Since the terrorist attacks in Egypt some years ago, the Egyptian government
has put restrictions on which trains foreigners may take between Cairo
and Luxor/Aswan, allegedly so that the government can
assure tourists' safety.&
There are no
restrictions on other routes such as Cairo to Alexandria
or Suez or Port Said, where you can take any train you
like, it's just the Cairo-Luxor-Aswan route.& Details are almost impossible to confirm,
and it doesn't help that the UK Egyptian Tourist Office denies
any knowledge of these restrictions.& However, it's reported that
since 1 March 2009, the ONLY trains between Cairo and
Luxor or Aswan for which tourists will be sold tickets are
the overnight deluxe sleeper trains, either in the sleeping-cars or
the seats cars, and possibly also the 22:00 ordinary
seats express from Cairo (train number 2000).& The
daytime trains are officially 'for Egyptians only'.& You can take a wider selection of
trains if you're only travelling between Aswan & Luxor.&
If you have more information
as there is little or no concrete information on the net about
these restrictions.
...and here's how to get around these restrictions:
Naturally, you may want to get around these unfair restrictions, and travel on a daytime air-conditioned
express along the scenic Nile Valley just for the
experience, or use an ordinary train if the deluxe sleepers
are fully-booked (as they often are at Easter, for example),
or simply to save a few pounds if you're on a very tight
budget.& Or just to strike a blow for freedom!&
In practice, all these restrictions really mean is that the ticket offices at Cairo,
Luxor & Aswan will refuse to sell you a ticket for any train
except those
trains which tourists are officially allowed to take,
so here are the options.
Option 1, book online!& The Egyptian Railways
online booking system will now book daytime express trains
and overnight seats trains between Cairo-Luxor and Aswan up
to 2 weeks ahead, and will allow overseas users to buy
tickets without any apparent problem with the travel
restrictions.& .& Several western travellers
have already reported success with this option.&
If you have any problems booking online, try options 2 or 3...
Option 2, ask an Egyptian travel agency or your hotel to buy your ticket:&
You can try asking your hotel to send someone to buy a
ticket for your chosen train for a small
fee, then you can board the train.& This may or may not
work, some reports suggest it will, some that it won't.&
Two reports have said that travel agency
is prepared to book seats for westerners on the
'restricted' daytime trains from Cairo to Luxor & Aswan,
if you politely decline the tourist sleeper train and
politely insist that you're only interested in the day
train, not the sleeper, even if they at first tell you that
it's for 'Egyptians only'.
Option 3, board without a ticket & buy on the train:&
The simplest option of all is just to find and board whatever train you
like and buy a ticket on board, which you can do on payment
of a small surcharge (a mere pound or two!).& There are
no barriers to stop you, and it saves you the hassle of
trying to buy a ticket beforehand!& All reports
received from people who have done this say there is
absolutely no problem whatsoever.& The only drawback is
you may not get a seat if the train is crowded, so better to
use the online booking option if you can.
Travellers' reports...
Here's a report from someone who successfully booked
their Cairo to Luxor daytime tickets online (Sept 2011):&
&We bought our train tickets online at the Egyptian National
Railways website having
and signed up.& It took 2 or 3
days until I could log in successfully, but I managed to
book tickets online from Cairo to Luxor and from Aswan back
to Cairo.& We caught train 980 from Cairo to Luxor in
first class leaving at 8am (platform 8) with self-print
online tickets costing 187.20 Egyptian pounds between us
[about ?24, just ?12 per ticket] and later took train 983
from Aswan to Cairo again in first class, leaving at 7am,
costing 226.72 Egyptian pounds between us [about ?29 or
?14.50 each].& We had no trouble with our print-at-home
tickets on the train, as soon as the conductors saw them
they spoke in English.& Quite simple really.& We
saw a few other non-Egyptians on the trains, all of whom had
had to get around the system by getting people to buy
tickets for them, or getting split journey tickets, costing
around an extra 100 Egyptian Pounds.&
And here's a report from someone who simply got on the train
and paid on board (Feb
2010):& &I wanted to use daytime train number 980
leaving Cairo at 08:00 for Luxor [and why not, that's
precisely the train I'd want to use!].& I arrived in
Cairo on the Sunday and went to the station in the
evening to try book my ticket to Luxor for the next day.&
I was told that this train was 'for Egyptians only' but was
advised to return early on the Monday morning.& I did
this, only to be given the same story.& Someone then
suggested I board the train and pay on board.& I did
this and plonked myself in a first class seat and hoped it
was not reserved.& I paid 97 Egyptian pounds (?9 or
$16) when asked by the conductor on board and held the seat
all the way to Luxor.& When I wanted to return from
Luxor back to Cairo I was told the same story, that train
number 981 leaving Luxor at 08:30 was not for tourists.&
So once again I simply boarded the train and paid on board.&
I did get moved from seat to seat this time, but ended up
meeting several interesting people.
More feedback (Jan 2011):& &My wife and I
were keen to travel from Cairo to Aswan on daytime express
train number 980 and attempted to buy tickets at the ticket
office.& We were, of course, refused, and pointed
towards the overnight train ticket window.& We'd
previously used your website when travelling by train
through India and, after reading the Egypt section, thought
we'd give train 980 a go anyway.& We arrived at Cairo
train station at around 7:00am on the 9th of January, 2011
and headed straight for platform 8 (another traveller on
your site mentioned this platform for the 980 service); we
also confirmed with a few snack-shop owners that this
platform was correct. The train pulled up at 7:30am,
departed on time at 8:00am, and we bought tickets from a
ticket inspector about 30 minutes into our journey with no
questions asked.& The rest of the trip went smoothly
and we arrived at Aswan on time, at around 9:00pm.&
More feedback (Oct 2010):& &You can indeed
still buy tickets on board the daytime train from Cairo to
Luxor. The ticket inspector was knowing and affable and had
no qualms with selling it to me. He even confirmed that I
was indeed in first class and charged me just 96LE to Luxor.
I'd like to voice my gratitude to others who have left
feedback here because I met not one person in Cairo who
could confirm the situation, and every Egyptian (including
the folks in the hostel) advised me strongly against it,
some for their own gains (selling tours etc). However some
just didn't know for sure and strangely took the rigid
approach. Have confidence!& The trip is scenic and
worth it. A day of the interesting countryside of Egypt
without the hassle. A winner!
...and some more feedback:& &On Friday 28/05/2010 we
travelled on the 7am train from Aswan to Luxor 1st class air
con.& My girlfriend had tried to get tickets the night
before in the somewhat shorter female-only queue, but was
told they couldn't sell tickets to tourists and to buy them
on the train.& The next day we did as told, waltzed
through the security barrier, asked a policeman and he
showed us where to get the 1st class train.& There were
only about 10 passengers in total in the three 1st class
carriages, so no problems at all.& The cost was 47 LE
each, and arrived on time.& A good experience, just
shame we wasted 20 minutes trying and failing to buy a
ticket at the ticket office the previous day!&
...and yet more feedback:&
One correspondent reports (January 2010) &At both Aswan
and Luxor, but not the smaller stations, there was an
airport-style security barrier, where they X-ray selected
passengers' baggage.& However, there was no ticket
check at the barrier.& Everyone including the tourist
office, police, and railway staff said we could go on the
ordinary [restricted] trains if we paid the small surcharge
for buying a ticket on board, the restriction was only on
buying the tickets in advance.&&& Another
report (February 2010) confirms that there are no checks or
barriers in Cairo main station preventing you accessing the
platforms and boarding any train you like and paying on
and a bit more...& I travelled in June 2010,
and nothing has changed, there are no barriers, you can just
board the train.& I boarded the 08:00 air-con express
train from Cairo to Luxor & Aswan (always go for first
class!) and simply paid on board.& The same worked on
the return journey.& However, as you haven't got a
booked seat you may find yourself moved about.& I had
no problem keeping my seat down to Aswan on the outward
trip.& But the train was very crowded on the return and
as we got nearer to Cairo many people were standing
including me.& But no one got angry or stressed.&
A kind Egyptian bloke then let me perch on his arm rest and
shared his sandwich with me.& Great journey -13 hours !
Great country.& Great people.&
and here's some more... &In August 2010 my wife and I
took the day train leaving from Cairo and it worked out just
as it was detailed on this website and reported by others.
If you find it useful, here's another case study for your
site.& We arrived at the train station at 07:15.&
We heard the train pull into platform 8 around 07:30 and
proceeded straight through the security checkpoint. I was a
little nervous with the large, blue signs saying &please
present your ticket&, but no one was checking tickets and we
were soon standing on platform 8.& The 1st class cars
were closer to us with the 2nd class cars further down the
platform. An attendant was standing in the doorway and we
enlisted the help of another Egyptian to get us seated on
the train and gave him a bit of baksheesh for his efforts.
The train departed right on time and around Giza the
conductor came through.& We paid him 192 EP for the two
of us. We kept our seats the whole way and the train pulled
into Luxor at 18:00.&
If you have any more
feedback on the 'restrictions' issue,
The train service between
Alexandria and Cairo is excellent.& There are broadly two sorts
of train:&& Modern air-conditioned express trains
with comfortable 1st & 2nd class seats, not dissimilar to
European trains, using either 'Spanish' or 'French' carriages, and ordinary trains with very basic
non-air-con 2nd & 3rd class (plus air-con 2nd class on some
trains).& A 1st class
one-way ticket for an air-conditioned express from Cairo to
Alexandria costs about LE 50, less than ?6 or $9!
&Cairo ►
Alexandria
Alexandria&arrive
► Alexandria& (continued)
Alexandria&
Special = Extra-fast
air-conditioned express train using
, 1st & 2nd class with refreshments,
either non-stop or only stopping at Tanta.& These are
the best trains.& Originally operated by a French
gas-turbine 'turbotrain', but since December 2007 by regular air-conditioned carriages
as the fuel-thirsty turbotrains were too expensive to
= Fast air-conditioned express train using
with 1st & 2nd class and
refreshments, usually making several intermediate stops.&
Also recommended.
Ord = Ordinary train,
not normally used by tourists.& Basic 2nd & 3rd class,
not air-conditioned.
.& Fares are
shown below.& You can check these times & fares at
Cairo-Alexandria is 208 km (129 miles).
&Alexandria ► Cairo
Alexandria&
&Alexandria
► Cairo& ()
Alexandria&
much does it cost?
express &&
express& &
&Cairo - Alexandria (Special express train)
52 (?5 or $8)&
36 (?4 or $6) &
&Cairo - Alexandria&(Express train)&
36 (?4 or $7)&
26 (?3 or $5) &
&Cairo - Alexandria (Ordinary train)
LE& 7 (?1 or $2)
* not usually offered to foreigners.&&
LE = Egyptian pounds.&
&If you have an ISIC student card, this used to give
you a 33% reduction, although one report says this is no
longer the case.
Children aged 0 to 3 travel free, children 4 to 9 travel at
half fare, children 10 and over pay full fare.
Spanish trains:&
At Alexandria Misr station, an
air-conditioned Spanish express train has arrived from Cairo.&Courtesy Adrian Smith.
on a Cairo-Alexandria Spanish train. Photo courtesy
of Adrian Smith.
French trains:&
Air-con 2nd class on a French train
Air-conditioned 1st class
seats on a French train.
An air-conditioned express
train, with stainless-steel French carriages.
can travel between Cairo, Luxor and
Aswan on 4 different types of train:
(1 & 2-bed sleepers
car, shown as sleeper below, see photos below, recommended)
(shown as Exp in the
timetable below, recommended)
(with seats, also
shown as Exp in the timetable below, but at night a
sleeper is recommended)
, not air-conditioned,
very basic, and not usually taken by tourists (shown as Ord below).
Recommended trains are
shown in bold, but see the
advice on .& Tourists won't be sold tickets for the daytime
trains at stations, only for the deluxe sleeper.& So for daytime travel
either book online
or simply get on & pay on board.
&Cairo ► Luxor ► Aswan
Train number:
Alexandria
* = Guesstimated time, please check exact time locally.
** = also has
with 6-seat compartments.
*** = sleeper train 82/83 only runs when needed, currently not running.
Train 84/85 also believed not to be running at present.& Use 86/87.
with air-con 1st & 2nd
class seats & refreshments.&
, not normally used by tourists,
basic 2nd & 3rd class seats.&
= also has
air-con 2nd class.
Sleeper = ,
sleeping-cars & lounge car.& Trains 84, 85, 86, 87 run
daily & also have 1st class seats.& Trains 82 & 83 only run at peak times.
Cairo to Luxor is 671km (419 miles).& Cairo to Aswan is 879 km (549 miles).&&
Fares shown below.&&
Giza station is a fair way
from the Pyramids, but if you're staying out that way it can
be better than going into Cairo city centre.& You can
travel between Cairo & Giza on the Cairo Metro,
You can check these times & fares at
&Aswan ► Luxor ► Cairo
Train number:
Alexandria
(sharing 2-berth)
occupancy)
Seat on overnight
air-con express &
air-con express
2nd class non-AC
ordinary train
&Cairo to Luxor
$ 100 (?65) **
$ 120& (?78) **
LE171 (?18 / $31)
&Cairo to Aswan
$ 100 (?65) **
$ 120& (?78) **
LE171 (?18 / $30)
&Luxor to Aswan&&
LE 26 (?3 / $5) *
Fares are one-way fares, the price is the same in either
direction.
* not sold to tourists at the ticket office, but see the section about
** fare may be paid in US$, euros, sterling or Egyptian
pounds, includes evening
meal & breakfast.&&&
LE = Egyptian pounds.& If you have an ISIC student
card this used to give a 33% reduction, it may or may not
still do.&&
Children aged 0 to 3 travel free,
4 to 9 travel at two-thirds fare, children
and over pay full fare.&&
On the deluxe
sleeper train, children aged 4
$85 one-way, children under 3 free (but
without a berth, child rate applies if you want them to
have a bed).
The d from Cairo to Luxor & Aswan:&
Sleeper train
84 & (when it's running) train 82 leave
from Giza station, not Cairo.&
You can travel between Cairo & Giza by taxi or on the
Cairo Metro,
.& Sleeper train 86 leaves from Cairo's main
Ramses station, which is obviously far more convenient for central Cairo.&
Northbound, all trains run to Cairo, not Giza.
The deluxe
sleeper train is the best way to travel between Cairo
and Luxor or Aswan, saving time
and travelling in relative comfort, and it's also an Egyptian
experience in its own right.& These trains are run by a private company called El Watania
who took over from previous operator Abela Egypt in
January 2010.&
They have air-conditioned sleeping-cars with
secure & lockable 1 & 2-berth rooms and a bar-lounge car, see the
photos below.& The fare includes a basic airline-style
tray-meal in the evening and simple breakfast.& Room service
can serve drinks in your compartment at extra cost.&
The compartments have a standard 2-pin shaver socket which can be used to
recharge cameras and mobile phones with any suitable 2-pin adaptor.&
Sleepers are non-smoking, but you can smoke if you need to in the vestibules at
each end of the carriage.& The fare is
now US$100 per person one-way sharing a
2-berth compartment or US$120 in a single-berth
compartment from Cairo to either Luxor or Aswan, payable
in Egyptian pounds, US dollars, euros or pounds sterling
or euros preferred, credit cards not accepted).
&Children aged 0-3 travel free, children 4-9 $85.& Passengers travelling alone who don't want to pay the
single-berth fare can book a berth in a 2-berth
compartment and share with another passenger of the same
sex.& For more information, see
.How to book the deluxe
sleeper:& You can now book the sleeper trains
(click Get tickets).&
You pay online with Visa or MasterCard and will receive a
confirmation email immediately after booking. In the next
day or two, you'll receive a second email from Watania with
a PDF file attached with your sleeping-car berth allocation
which is all you need to board the train& in fact, it's reported you may
now receive your tickets straight away, within 2 hours of booking,
If for any reason this method doesn't work for you, use one
of the alternative methods by phone or email
.& If you book in person at the station
a day or two before departure, you may well find places
available, but at peak tourist times such as Christmas or
Easter it can get fully-booked by tour groups, so if a
specific date is important to you, I'd recommend
pre-booking.
Boarding the sleeper train.
Photo courtesy of Steve Hounslow
sleeper, beds made up.
Courtesy of Abela Egypt
sleeper, beds folded away.
Courtesy of Abela Egypt.
Canine security in evidence...&
courtesy of Steve Hounslow
Lounge-bar car...& A modern air-conditioned
car, refurbished with old-world decor.&
Photos courtesy of Neil Bastock
Dinner & breakfast are included in the fare...&
Some people find the food OK, others find it
disappointing, but these photos show you what to
expect.& Feel free to bring your own supplies
for a picnic on the train!& Photos courtesy
of Neil Bastock.
Short account of an Aswan to Cairo deluxe sleeper
train journey.
The compartments are shown in evening mode with the
beds still folded away...
Travellers' reports:& A
journey on the Upper Nile sleeper...
Traveller Sean Sickinger
reports:& &On the ticket you're advised to be on the platform at
least 30 minutes before departure, although this doesn't mean the train will be
on time! On my trip, the train was 30 minutes late leaving Giza and nearly 2
hours late into Luxor, so factor a possible delay into your plans.& Giza
mainline station is right next to Giza metro station and there are a few small shops selling snacks or water,
plus a small
restaurant.& At the station there are small numbers hanging from the platform canopy, these
indicate the approximate location of the carriages so if you're booked in car 6,
stand next to sign number 6. Don't expect to find any Watania staff on the
platform, just wait for the sleeper train on the main platform with everyone
else.& You may be approached by people with official looking notebooks offering
to help you who ask you for your ticket, but don't show it to them - they
write down your name and destination as if they were verifying your ticket, then call their buddies in Luxor who will approach using your
name and claiming they are there to pick you up, a basic taxi and hotel scam.& Once the train arrives at the platform, Watania
staff will step out in front of
each carriage to check your ticket and make sure you get into the right car &
compartment. The onboard staff are generally very friendly and helpful.& Car
numbers are posted just inside each entrance door, but not outside the train.
After the train leaves and people have settled into their
compartments, the staff bring you your dinner, as selected when
you book your ticket.& The meals are similar to what you would get on an airline,
although fairly heavy on breads & starches!& Breakfast is served about one hour
prior to arrival at your destination, again, heavy on the bread.& Don't expect the same
level of smoothness as a European overnight train, as there's a certain amount of
jostling and vibration from the tracks, but overall this is not a bad option to
get from Cairo to Luxor or Aswan.&
Traveller Jess Painter took the
sleeper from Cairo to Luxor and back (2013):& &When boarding from Cairo to
Luxor, no-one asked for a marriage certificate, although they checked our tickets
as we boarded - onto the wrong carriage, telling us it was the right one, of
course!& They serve dinner within an hour which was a piece of breaded
chicken, rice, vegetables, potato wedges and some sort of cake.& I
preferred to eat my tuna sandwiches but my friend ate the train food happily
enough.& An hour later, just after 10pm, they come around to turn the seats
into beds.& Next time I'll ask for this to be done straight away as the
beds are much more comfortable than the seats, two people can sit on the bottom
bunk playing cards very comfortably.& The rooms have a sink so you can
brush your teeth, with bottled water if you have some, and there's a power socket so you can keep everything charged in
the case of a delay.& There is a lounge car on the train but it didn't
appear to be open, no drinks were available so people must take their own, alcohol
included if you want to sleep better!& Breakfast was very basic, something claiming to be a croissant, a
bread roll and a selection of jam, butter and cheese spread.& They also
serve tea and coffee, which I don't drink but my friend said they were
disgusting!& The toilets are cleaned at regular intervals but you have to
time it right. There are two toilets per carriage. You might go in one time and
have a horrendous greeting and decide to wait you might go in another time and
feel comfortable enough to use the facilities! They permit smoking on the trains
but not in the cabins, only at either end of the carriage. So it's best to leave
your door shut so the wafting smoke doesn't enter your cabin, even though this
can feel a little claustrophobic at times!& Very easy to pick up a taxi
from outside the station once in Luxor, it's LE20 (?2) to any hotel (don't pay
any extra), but if you can use some broken Arabic you will get them down to
LE10, begrudgingly.& The return journey was much the same except that
tickets weren't checked on the platform, again no marriage certificate check.&
Tickets were not even checked on board.& We asked for our beds to be made
up immediately, passed on dinner as it was already 10.30pm when we boarded, and
we slept right through until 8am.& I had slept badly on the outward trip,
thinking that the bunk bed was going to fall due to the rockiness of the train,
but knowing what to expect made the return journey
easier and we were so sleepy after a 5am hot air balloon ride that it was a very
comfortable ride.& We were then delayed three hours and the 'carriage host'
couldn't say where we were, how far we were from Cairo or anything so we had GPS
out on the iPhone trying to locate ourselves.& It was a very successful
journey and one I would recommend to anyone and definitely do again!&
air-conditioned express
They're not as time-effective as the overnight sleeper of
course, but the daytime air-conditioned express trains
are safe, comfortable and incredibly cheap - and best of
all, the journey is an insight into Egyptian life.&
It's a pleasant ride along the
Nile Valley, past palm trees, feluccas, camels and
fellahin working in the fields.& You will see how the
Nile makes a small strip of land green either side of the
river before the desert resumes.& The day trains have
air-conditioned 1st & 2nd class seats, see the photos
below.& You won't be sold a ticket at the ticket
office for these trains,
understand why,
but you can easily
(recommended), or
simply board any train without a ticket and pay the conductor, although you'll then need to find a spare seat.&
about a journey on these
daytime Nile Valley trains.
Luxor to Cairo by daytime train...&
This is a morning 'Spanish' train to Cairo, boarding at Luxor
station. Courtesy of Neil Bastock.
Air-conditioned 1st class
of the 'Spanish' type used on the daytime Cairo to
Luxor trains. Photo courtesy
of Adrian Smith.
Travelling o...
The night trains also have 1st & 2nd class
seats (see the photos
above) and one coach with Nefertiti class seats.& If you
don't mind sleeping in a seat, which not a very nice or
comfortable experience, these
save time compared with
daytime trains but cost much less
than the deluxe sleeper.& Cairo to Aswan costs LE 170 (?21
or $30) 1st class one-way.& Take a fleece or jumper
as the air-con can be
quite powerful.& The photos below show a Nefertiti
class air-con 6-seat compartment on the overnight Cairo-Luxor-Aswan
train. They are converted from a
sleeping-car with the berths removed and two compartments
knocked into one.&
& 3rd class non-air-con slow trains are fairly basic and
recommended for the more adventurous visitors, see the 'ordinary trains' pictures
further up this page.&
prevent tourists from being
sold a ticket for these
trains, although you could get on without a ticket
and pay the conductor on board.
Jerome Wise reports: &We took the daytime air-conditioned express train
from Cairo to Luxor, which took 10 hours or so.& It
was great fun, a bit of an adventure and a great way to
see the real Egypt.& The children (8 and 6) even
enjoyed it.& The great thing about the first class
seats is that, whilst they are in an airline
configuration, you can swivel them so you have facing and
back - great for four people travelling together.&
Traveller Ian Green took a Cairo to Luxor then Aswan to
Cairo daytime trains in 2011:& &We bought our train
tickets online at the Egyptian National Railways website
and signed up.& We
caught train 980 from Cairo to Luxor in first class leaving
at 8am (platform 8) on 30.09.11 costing 187.20 Egyptian
pounds between us and the 983 train from Aswan to Cairo on
the 07.10.11 first class, leaving at 7am, costing 226.72
Egyptian pounds between us.& The tea was lovely,
service pretty good, seats comfy. Toilets passable. Both
trains left on time, both were in the station half hour
early, but both were about 3 hours delayed getting to the
final stop. Take supplies!&
Luxor railway station.& Photos courtesy
of Neil Bastock
Visiting the temples at Abydos & Dendera...
Krys Garnett reports:& &Visiting the temples of
Abydos and Dendera from Luxor is easy by train, and much
more convenient than the convoy or bus. For Abydos take
any train headed to Cairo and get off at Qena, where the
station master will arrange a taxi and inform the tourist
police.& A policeman will accompany you in the taxi,
but you won't get a convoy.& All trains except the
Abela sleepers stop at Qena.& Visiting Abydos, take
the train to El Balyana. Again, all trains except sleepers
stop here, but it's a smaller, older station.& El
Balyana is around 3 hours from Luxor, Qena between 1 1/2
& 2 hours.&
Ord+ = Ordinary train, with 2nd
class air-conditioned and 3rd class non-A/C.
Exp = Express train with
air-conditioned 1st & 2nd class.Fare:&
LE 20 one-way 2nd class (?2 or $4).
&Cairo ►
Alexandria&
Port Said&
&Port Said
► Cairo
Alexandria&
<a name="Cairo - Suez"Cairo to Suez
Fare:& One-way 2nd
class:& about LE 7, or less than UK ?1.
Ord = Ordinary train, with non-air-con 2nd
& 3rd class.
Ord+ = Ordinary train, with air-con 2nd
class & non-air-con 3rd class.
&Cairo ► Suez
Cairo (main
Cairo (Ain Shams
&Suez ►
Cairo (Ain Shams
Cairo (main
Ord = Ordinary train, with 2nd
& 3rd class seats, basic seating, not air-conditioned.
Note A = Express train with air-conditioned 1st & 2nd class
seats, runs June-September only.& At other periods,
Note B = Sleeper,
.& Runs 15 June-15 Sept on
Monday, Wednesday, Saturday.
Note C = Sleeper,
.& Runs 15 June-15 Sept on
Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday.
Alex ► Mersa Matruh
Matruh ► Alex / Cairo
Alexandria
El Alamein
El Alamein&
Alexandria
Mersa Matruh&&
In the sleeper, Cairo to Mersa Matruh costs $43 per person
sharing a 2-berth sleeper, $60 in a single-berth sleeper.&
Day train fares not known.
There are no trains to Abu Simbel, but a bus
service operates from Aswan (275 km).& It departs Aswan
at 07:00, arriving Abu Simbel at 10:00.& It leaves Abu
Simbel at 13:00 arriving back in Aswan at 16:00.& There
are also many tourist day tours, most leaving Aswan very early
- for example, 04:00 - for about LE55 (?5 or $9).
Hurghada, Siwa Oasis
Sharm el Sheik (Sinai) - Cairo
There are no trains to Sharm el
Sheik, but there are buses to and from Cairo.& The 485 km journey takes
about 7 hours by bus.
Bus company MCV has started online booking of their
Cairo-Sharm el Sheik buses in conjunction with a specialist booking agency, see
If you manage to book online, .Go Bus Egypt
run a dozen or more buses a day between Sharm el Sheik and Cairo, they have a website (strangely hosted on
Facebook) and offer online booking, see&
The cost ranges from LE55 ($10) to LE160 ($30) depending on the class of bus.&
If you manage to book online, .
There are also buses run by the
East Delta Bus Co and the Super Jet Bus Co. although currently neither
company has a website, but try
for bus times.
Sharm el Sheik - Luxor
Sharm El Sheik is
the far side of the Gulf of Suez from the Nile Valley, so for
Luxor you either need to return to Cairo by bus, then
, or you can cross by ferry (3
ferries per week) from Sharm el Sheik to Hurghada, spend the night there then
continue to Luxor by bus.& There is a three-times-weekly fast ferry from
Sharm el Sheik to Hurghada, plus a three-times-weekly slow ferry, further
details not known.& It's reported that in 2015, these ferries may no
longer be operating, please check locally.
Hurghada - Cairo
There are no trains to Hurghada, but there are buses to and from Cairo.& The
500 km journey takes
about 7 hours by bus.
Bus company MCV has started online booking of their
Cairo-Hurghada buses in conjunction with a specialist booking agency, see
If you manage to book online, .Go Bus Egypt
run a dozen or more buses a day between Hurghada and Cairo, they have a website (strangely hosted on
Facebook) and offer online booking, see&
The cost ranges from LE70 ($13) to LE150 ($27) depending on the class of bus.&
If you manage to book online, .
Buses are also run by Super Jet or
El Gouna bus companies (no website, but try
for bus times).&
Hurghada - Luxor
Luxor to Hurghada (255 km) takes 4 hours by bus, with 2 departures daily (around
06:00 and 12:00 from Luxor, 05:00 and 17:00 from Hurghada.&
There is a three-times-weekly fast ferry from Hurghada to Sharm el Sheik, plus a three-times-weekly slow ferry.Siwa
There are no trains to Siwa.& A
daily bus links Siwa with Alexandria (590 km), departing
Alex at 08:30, returning from Siwa at 08:00.& It's
reported that there's now a daily overnight bus from the
Turgoman garage in Cairo at 18:45 to Siwa, arriving around
05:45 next morning.& The fare is around LE 60.&
It's run by the West Delta Bus co.
ferries from Egypt
There are no international
trains from Egypt, but buses will get you to Libya, there's
a ferry to Jordan and a Nile steamer from Aswan to Sudan.&
There are now NO Mediterranean ferries to Egypt, from
anywhere in Europe, at all.
Cairo - Amman (Jordan) - Damascus (Syria) - Istanbul
(Turkey)...
There is a
direct bus from
Cairo to Amman four times a week, fare around ?70 or $100, run by JETT of Jordan
() and taking
exact times & days of running northbound not known - note that
this crosses Israel, and you may be refused entry to Syria
later on if you have any sign of a visit to Israel in your
passport.& To buy northbound tickets or ask about the
schedule northbound, email their Egyptian agents,
tel. 00 202 .
Alternatively, if you want to avoid Israel, use a bus & ferry
Take a bus from Cairo to Nuweiba on the Red
Sea.& A bus leaves Cairo main bus station at around
08:00, taking about 6 hours to reach Nuweiba.& It's run
by the Shark el Delta Bus Co.
Take the daily fast catamaran
(departing 17:00, crossing 1 hour) or the daily conventional ferry
(departing 17:00 and/or 22:00, crossing 3-4 hours) from Nuweiba to Aqaba in
southern Jordan, see .& The fare by regular ferry is US$65 economy
class, $70 first class.& By fast ferry it's $75 economy class, $95 1st
class.& .& You must check in at least 2
hours before departure, and pay your fare in US$ cash.&
There may also be an Egyptian exit tax to pay, about $10.
You will probably need to spend the
night in Aqaba.& There are regular buses and service
taxis from Aqaba to Petra and Amman, costing around 3 or 4 JD,
see the .&
buses from Amman to Damascus in
Syria, see the .&
For trains from Damascus to Aleppo &
from Aleppo to Istanbul,
see the .& Check current travel advice
for Syria - you may be advised against all travel to or through Syria at the
Details of the southbound journey
from Amman to Cairo are shown on the
ferry from Nuweiba in Egypt to Aqaba in Jordan. Photo
courtesy of Elliot Bannister
Cairo - Tripoli (Libya) - Tunis (Tunisia) - Morocco...
IF you have a Libyan visa, there are
buses from Egypt into Libya.& However, at present the
Libyan government will not grant visas for independent travel
to Libya, only for people on tours organised by a recognised
Libyan travel agency.& There are buses from Libya into
Tunisia, but it's not possible to travel on to Morocco
overland, as the Algerian/Moroccan border is closed and
Algeria has security problems which make it a no-go zone for
westerners.Cairo - Aswan - Wadi Halfa - Khartoum
(Sudan):& ...
weekly Nile steamer links
Aswan with Wadi Halfa in the Sudan, from where a twice-monthly train
runs (or at least, used to run,) to Khartoum, .
Option 1:&
London to Egypt by train & ferry.
Until 1995, Adriatica Line's Espresso Egitto used to sail weekly from Venice and Piraeus to Alexandria.& Michael Palin used it in 1989 and I used it in
1990 to travel from London to Cairo and back without flying - Michael gets everywhere a year or two before I do, and
he doesn't have to pay for his own ticket.& Sadly,
the terrorist problems in Egypt ended this service.& Until
weekly from Greece
to Egypt via Cyprus, but their services were suspended
because of the problems in Israel, the ship's ultimate
destination.& Then a new weekly ferry service
started in May 2010 linking Venice in Italy with Alexandria in Egypt,
.& However,
sorry as I am to be proved right, this service didn't last more than a year - it
ran in a circle via Syria, and fell victim both to the problems in Egypt
reducing tourist numbers and the current problems in Syria.& It was
cancelled in May 2011.& But yet another ferry has started up, the only
ferry across the Med to Egypt, running twice a week from Iskenderun in southern Turkey to
Port Said in Egypt, .
Step 1, travel from London
to Istanbul by train (3 nights), .
Step 2, travel from
Istanbul to Adana by train then by bus to Iskenderun,
for the Istanbul-Adana part, and ask about buses to Iskenderun locally.
Step 3, sail from
Iskenderun in southern Turkey to Port Said in Egypt by twice-weekly ferry,
Their site is in Turkish, use Google Chrome to translate or contact their UK
office on +44 20 .& I'm still trying to get hold of the
schedule and prices.&
& any photos would be appreciated!
IMPORTANT:& This news
report suggests the Sisa ferry was suspended until further notice as from
July 2013:&
The Sisa Shipping ferry to
Egypt.& Photos courtesy of Mick Sasse
Traveller Mick Sasse reports (2013):&
&To book the ferry, I needed quite a lot of correspondence, most productively
with Aslihan Ozsen of Sisa Shipping, aslihan., tel +90 216
338 27 28, fax +90 216 338 26 58. Address: Degirmen Sok. No:18 Kat:18 Nida Kule
Is Merkezi Kozyatagi - Kadikoy / Istanbul. This confirmed when the ferry was
actually running as the dates on the website can't be relied on.& I wasn't actually
able to book it in advance, but he assured me that I would definitely have a
place, as I was scared it would get booked up.& The ticket itself I collected
(and paid for) at the agent's office, Remon Travel, at Mareşal ?akmak street
No:16, İskenderun (town centre).&
Only on arrival at my wifi-equipped hotel in
Iskenderum did I learn that the ferry that should have left on 2nd January, the
next day, would now run a day later.& I understand that this is pretty normal!& So
I spent the day in Iskenderun.& I booked the ferry at Remon Travel at a total of
YTL 320 with a 'Pullman seat' - this was more than I'd expected to pay (it includes an agent's commission),
I'd in fact wanted to book a cabin
however, contrary to what they told me in an e-mail, you can only book a whole cabin, i.e. sharing is not an
option.& Next day I reported as instructed to Remon Travel for 10:00, and shortly
afterwards a minibus took myself and about a dozen other foot passengers to
Limak port north of Iskenderun town. And then we waited... and waited... and
waited...& All was rather chaotic as there is no ferry terminal as such, the
minibus driver didn't even know where to go.& There are no facilities on the port
either, other than some toilets and a shelter.& Eventually our passports were taken, then returned to us at about
14:00.& At 15:00 we finally boarded the Insos Rodos of Hellenic Seaways, flagged
out of Piraeus.& The ferry finally sailed at around 01:00 this morning -
instead of 12:00 on 2nd January - and arrived at Port Said at 23:45.& An
Egyptian visa could be purchased on board
for USD 15 cash only - I believe Euros also acceptable - this was
straightforward and unbureaucratic. Indeed they did it while they had my
passport - good thing I had USD 15 left!& We disembarked 01:30 on 5 January - given the
hour, I inevitably was charged over the odds for a taxi (EUR10) into the city
centre. Bear in mind that the ferry docks at the city port - not the port used
by freighters, which is further away. Theoretically you could walk it, but it
would be potentially dangerous given the chaos of lorry movements and so on
around the port.
The ferry itself: As you'd guess, it's been drafted over from hopping the Greek
islands, and has the facilities you'd expect, including restaurants, bar,
disco/club, duty-free shop, but all closed out of use! I suppose that's not
altogether surprising given the nature of the clientèle. I would say that at
least 95% (possibly more) of the custom of the ferry comes from a mix of lorry
drivers, mostly Turkish, delivering freight to Egypt, which obviously can't go
via Syria these days, and, I'm afraid, Syrian refugees fleeing the horror that
is unfolding in that country. The food on the ferry is included (including
during the time you're not moving), and you won't actually starve, it is very
basic - typically a bread roll, some sort of stewy thing, water and a piece of
fresh fruit. No choice really.
In terms of accommodation, obviously given that there were quite a lot of
families with young children and babies on board, the 'Pullman seat' option
isn't really to be recommended - I thought I'd got lucky by sneaking into the
closed-down disco area and grabbing a sofa, but just as I was dropping off to
sleep I was ushered out to the common area. In a weak position, I paid out USD
145 at that point for a cabin. Bear in mind that it's cash only on the ferry!
The cabin was a twin (for single use, of course) with en suite, and was quite
comfortable with fresh laundry etc., though it looked as if it could do with a
deep clean! (Well, not by Egyptian standards, obviously...) Strangely the
fittings were largely labelled in what I think was Korean - perhaps a Hyundai
Option 2:&
London to Egypt overland via Paris, Vienna, Istanbul, Syria & Jordan...
Obviously, the situation in Syria has now
scotched this route, as all travel to Syria is currently inadvisable.& But
for when things sort themselves out in Syria as I sincerely hope they will soon,
here are the details:
You can travel overland
from the UK to Egypt via Istanbul, Syria and Jordan.&
This can be done mostly by train, with the odd bus and short
ferry ride, in about 9 nights in total, including hotel nights
in Istanbul, Adana, Aleppo, Damascus & Amman.& However, this option is more of an adventure
with many separate stages, rather than as a simple A to B
means of transport.& You may
be inspired by a
blog written about travel from the UK to Egypt this way,
.& Here are the stages, with links
to the relevant seat61 page where each stage is explained:
for details of train
travel London-Istanbul.& The journey takes 3 nights, and
departures are daily.
Then see the
pages for info on the train journey from Istanbul to Damascus
and on to Amman.& Expect this stage to take around 3
nights, depending on where and for how long you want to stop
From Amman,
long-distance bus leaves every Saturday, Sunday,
Tuesday & Thursday at 14:00 from the Abdali bus station, taking some
20 hours to reach Cairo.& It is run
by Jordan Express Tourist
Transportation (JETT), see
, telephone
+962 6 5664146.& The fare is 75.5 JD, about ?69 or
$102.& For
northbound buses from Cairo back to Amman,
timetable not known.& Note that this bus
passes through Israel, so when travelling back north there
will be problems re-entering Syria with evidence of a visit to
Israel in your passport.
A better option, avoiding Israel is to take a bus or taxi from Amman or
Petra to Aqaba for the ferry to Nuweiba in Egypt, for buses to
for more information on how to do this part of the journey.
To make a journey like this, you'll probably want to book the
London-Istanbul part in advance (), and arrange visas for Syria, Jordan & Egypt
before you leave, but buy tickets for the parts of the journey
beyond Istanbul as you go along, with no pre-booking necessary
(or in some cases, possible).& In planning a trip like
for a guidebook may seem an unnecessary expense, but it's a
tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip.&
You will see so much more, and know so much more about what
you're looking at, if you have a decent guidebook.& For
independent travel, easily the best guidebook is either the
Lonely Planet or Rough Guide.& Both books provide an
excellent level of practical information and historical and
cultural background.& You won't regret buying either of
Click the images to buy
at Amazon.co.uk
Alternatively, you can download just the chapters or areas
you need in .PDF format
, from around ?2.99 or
US$4.95 a chapter.
in Cairo, Luxor & Egypt
◄◄
Hotel search & price comparison.
checks all the main hotel booking sites at once to find the widest choice of
hotels & the cheapest seller.& It was named as the World's Leading Hotel
Comparison Site at the World Travel Awards 2013 and I highly recommend it, both
to find hotels in even the smallest places and to check that another retailer
isn't selling your hotel for less!
is my favourite booking site.& It's really clear and you can usually book with free
cancellation and so confirm your accommodation at no risk months before train
booking opens.
Hotel recommendations:
In Cairo, try the
for old-world charm and character.& I have yet to stay there myself, but it's been
recommended to me, so take a look.
In Luxor, easily the most classic place to stay if your budget
will stretch is the famous and fabulous
, from $109 or ?55 a night.&
At least have a drink in the bar!
In Alexandria, the
most famous & historic hotel is the
(from about $153 or ?100 a room),
now part of the Sofitel chain, though the
across the square is a cheaper but still a
classic choice for faded grandeur, from $80 or ?55 a night.&
Both are in a great location.
Backpacker hostels...
:& If you're on a tight budget,
don't forget about
backpacker hostels.& Hostelbookers
offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in
backpacker hostels in most
cities at rock-bottom prices.
insurance & health card...
Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential...
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable
insurer, with at least ?1m or preferably ?5m medical cover.& It should also cover
cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year, I have an annual policy myself.& Here are some suggested insurers.&
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
the UK, try
to compare prices & policies from many
different insurers.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65
(no age limit), see
you live in
Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try
If you live in the USA try
Carry a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency
exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...
It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.&
If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're
not left stranded if
your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself.& In addition,
some credit cards are significantly better for
overseas travel than others.& Martin Lewis's
explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency
exchange commission loadings when you buy something
overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use
an ATM abroad.& Taking this advice can save you quite a
lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street
bank credit card!
You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a
Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their
multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see
Get an international SIM card
to save on mobile data and phone calls...
Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're
not careful you can return home to find a huge bill.&
, which can slash costs by up to 85%.& Go-Sim
cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide,
and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.& It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty
when you get home.& It also allows cheap data access for laptops
& PDAs.& A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't
expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some
others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone
number' for life.
