I love experiences and challenges (who doesn't?) and I don't shy away from them, especially when they involve new places to explore and people, novel experiences, the unpredictable, planning, dear friends and room for new stories . Probably, the biggest arrogance made by me and my friends, since we traveled like this, together through Egypt and beyond, was to travel by train through Egypt.
14 hours by Night Express from Cairo to Aswan
And well, to make the experience even more thrilling and why not admit it, to save a few pennies, we bought tickets for the express train (seat train), not the deluxe one.
I wanted to get to Abu Simbel for a long time, but the long distance and the not so friendly transport conditions kept me away from this wonderful place. But better late than never.
The temple at Abu Simbel is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in Egypt so far.
And I'm extremely happy that I did now. The beauty of the place compensates for any effort, fatigue, stress, nerves, distances, etc...
To get to Abu Simbel, there are not many options. Or rather, not exactly in my favor. Yes, there are airports at both Abu Simbel and Aswan, but the number of times I've checked flights to these destinations, the prices have been well above my budget.
I excluded the road option from the start, so I was left with the train option. In addition, I know that many travel agencies do tours using this means of transport, and I found the train option even more authentic than the plane one. Nostalgic for "Death on the Nile" ??? There is also the option of a cruise!
So let's see:
- how to organize such a trip, on your own or through an agency
- what types of trains are there; what do we choose
- how can I buy/reserve tickets?
- how long does such a journey take?
- what are the costs?
- but especially how are the conditions?
- my recommendation 🙂
I did the documentation and organization of the route myself
…. clearly, consulting with my friends and making decisions together. But you can also contact a local travel agency.
I started to really like the preparations before a trip, I like to look for information, to ask left and right, people who have also done what I want to do and of course to read the impressions of bloggers travel. That's why we exist, right? I can't get used to this labeling yet 🙂 And in this situation, I found the most accurate and detailed information on seat61.com, a site that I also recommend to you. "Browse it" if you need information about trains.
And precisely because I like doing this job and it becomes an integral part of a trip, it always falls to me to take care of research, reservations, etc. I'm not complaining, I repeat, I love doing this! And while doing it, I once thought that I could go to another level and offer consulting for those who are looking for it. Who knows... there is still a long way to go! Until then, I'm doing it for myself and my loved ones.
If you don't want to bother with the documentation and take the right one, I understand you perfectly, call a specialist! That's why there are consultants in the field and travel agencies. And for Egypt, for a situation like this, I recommend you call a local one. There are a lot of them, you don't have to look hard for them.
You can travel from Cairo to Aswan (and back) with 4 types of trains:
- Deluxe sleeper train (SLEEPER) – operated by the Ernst Watania company. This is where all the recommendations for tourists who want to do this night route go. You will have a choice between 1-2 beds, comfortable, with enough space to sleep during the night. Thus, in the morning when you arrive at your destination, you will be ready for new explorations. Of course, convenience comes at a cost, but we'll talk about that a little later.
Air-conditioned - Day Express (EXP) – the day version of the one I traveled with
- Night Express (EXP) – I traveled with this from Cairo (Ramses Station) to Aswan. Theoretically, the scheduled time was about 12 hours, but in practice I did a little over 14 hours.
- Ordinary slow train (ORD – 2nd and 3rd class without air conditioning and ORD+ for 1st class where it has air conditioning). These are mainly used by the locals, they are quite slow and easy to understand, the conditions are clearly inferior; compared to the previous two, not to mention the first one.
Between Cairo and Aswan there are 9 daily trains (excluding deluxe).
Depending on your schedule, or how you prefer, how you can withstand the road better, you can choose between 9 daily trains that connect the two cities.
I chose the night one, Express AC, number 988.
Attention!!!
There are also a number of restrictions for tourists!
For the return train I could not buy the tickets online! I picked them up straight from the train station in Aswan, the day before! I stood in line for about half an hour, surrounded only by Egyptians who looked at me strangely. Who knows when I will see a white tourist in line again?! It is customary for those with money (tourists) to pay someone, to take their tickets, in order to avoid queuing.
Theoretically, tourists are not allowed, or recommended, to travel overnight from Cairo to Aswan and vice versa, except by Deluxe Sleeper Train.
Well… easy to understand, since a seat in a double berth costs about $100.
And from what I've been reading, since I haven't scoured the Internet on all sides.... at the station, in Cairo, at the ticket office, foreign tourists are not sold tickets for the Night Express. They send you to the Deluxe desk, or for the day train, which leaves Cairo in the morning and arrives in Aswan in the evening.
I didn't want to waste a whole day on the road, so I didn't risk it and bought the tickets online. That's how they are sold to tourists and residents without problems. Don't ask…. please, to each their own idiocy!!!
Although, after my experience of staying all night on the train, unable to sleep, to be honest, I'd choose the daytime one. At least I have something to see the whole way. The railway runs along the Nile and contrary to what I thought, or better said I imagined, there are human settlements all along the route. As long as the Nile is, there are smaller or larger villages, cities, towns...
Maybe if I had walked during the day, I would have endured the journey differently and I would have liked it more. But that's strictly my opinion. I can only sleep in bed, and that's really a big problem on long drives. I could see the others sleeping soundly, I was dying of spite!!!
To purchase tickets online, you must register on the platform
And attention, you cannot buy more than 3 tickets, on the same customer account, for the same train. Their site gave me a bit of a headache and I struggled to fill in all the data.
I had to start over I don't know how many times and I was worried that we might not be given grouped seats. Since there were 6 of us, we created two customer accounts with different email addresses and paid with different cards. Well… what to do? Willy-nilly, you obey their stupid rules.
Another thing that initially panicked me was that I didn't receive the tickets by email. It's just like that everywhere, when you buy anything, you get a confirmation by email, something... Not here, nothing.
And I just found them in the account created on the site. Finally, I succeeded in the end, the payment was made without evidence, I used a Visa Electron and a Master Card, both debit.
Don't forget that the tickets must be printed! Along the way, we were checked about 4 times.
I recommend you try to buy your tickets from a laptop, the site has a weird interface for mobile. And as much as I struggled on my laptop, I doubt it will work on my mobile.
On the way back it was easier, I had the tickets from the counter and got rid of this chore. But to make sure you don't have to delay your trip, buy your tickets online. You can do it up to 14 days before the scheduled travel date. Or go to the train station, or send someone local to buy them for you a few days before!
By train through Egypt. How was the 14 hour trip on the Night Express from Cairo to Aswan?
It sounds adventurous and yes… it is! I've had all sorts of reactions from people I only know online. And when I said at the beginning that this was one of the greatest arrogances in Egypt, I was not exaggerating at all.
Not everyone can do that, I know that for sure. But look, I did it and I don't regret anything. I would definitely do it again, probably on a different route, because I don't know if I've reached Aswan yet. Although, I loved it so much, and the Abu Simbel temple, I think it beats the Giza Plateau in my order of preference. But who knows???
How do you get to Ramses Station from the city?
As we had accommodation right in the center of Cairo, to get to the Ramses Station (not to be confused with the one in Giza), we took the metro. After the late check-out of the room, we harnessed our suitcases and took the subway with us. I caught such a crowd, the likes of which I have never seen in my life.
And when we got on the subway, two of us didn't have time. The doors simply closed crushing those trying to make way. We met at the destination, they came with the next subway. Then I realized that I had boarded a carriage in which there were only men. Yes, there are women-only carriages in Cairo.
From Sadat station (Tahrir Square) we went only 3 stops, where at Al Shohadaa we got off. Right in the train station. The price of a subway ticket is 3 EGP.
We arrived at the station a little earlier, to be sure that we have time to find the right platform, to have something to eat. The train left late (about half an hour), just as it arrived at its destination, two and a half hours late than the scheduled time (it was almost 10).
And that's because when we still had about 60 km to our destination, the locomotive broke down, so we stood in the middle of the field waiting for another one to come. This is… still happening.
Conditions on the train
Both from Cairo to Aswan and from Aswan to Luxor, I traveled first class. I thought, though, if it's still cheap, let's choose the lesser evil. Come on, I exaggerated! 🙂
The seats, surprisingly, were very comfortable, they reclined enough to sit comfortably. Good thing there was the possibility to rotate them, so all 6 of us sat facing each other. Much more comfortable than on the plane. I remember the 13 hour flight to Havana...wow!!! By the way, I didn't tell you about this one!
In first class, the seats are arranged two on one side and one on the other side of the aisle. Above the seats there were spacious compartments for luggage, they easily fit even large suitcases.
If you were wondering about the cleanliness, there was room for better. A lot! When I got on it was clean in the carriages and in the toilets, you don't want to know how they looked at the destination.... Phew! Oh, and the windows, well it was night and I couldn't see anything anyway.
But overall it was good. Don't be afraid, such an adventure once in I don't know how long, it doesn't do any harm. Or of course, opt for the Deluxe Sleeper Train!
All night long, a gentleman passed by with a bag of sandwiches, tea, coffee. And in the places where they stopped, they hurled each other with various items for sale: boiled lentils with lemon, chips, etc. Grab some food and drink before getting on the train! On the train, the possibilities are limited.
The distance between Cairo and Aswan by rail is almost 900 km and it takes about 12 hours.
Yes, yes, exactly! And it goes well, only that there were so many human settlements along the railway, the Nile in fact, there were many sections where it was slow. In addition, a lot was lost in the railways. Yes, it makes stops in almost all towns. It doesn't stay long, but normally, it takes a while, until some go down, until the others go up.
Normally, the scheduled time is 12 hours. If I left Cairo at 19:30, I should have arrived in Aswan at 07:30. It's just that we were late, we had the problem with the locomotive, but also what was delayed on the route.
My takeaway from this experience
It's hard for me to comment on this, because as uncomfortable and tiring as the ride was, I really enjoyed the experience. It was my train adventure through Egypt. I can't encourage you to do the same. Do as you feel! And if you don't have problems sleeping (and not that it's noisy, it's not!), then it's perfect! You arrive at your destination in the morning and have a whole day to visit.
I don't want to be misunderstood! I am not encouraging anyone to do the same as me. When you arrive in Egypt for the first time and maybe you have never been to an Arab country before, it is very likely that this option will not seem safe at all. But in my case, after 10 tours of Egypt, I see things differently, in addition there were 6 people, who kept crossing this country. There are no more impediments for us.
Yes, I know… you're probably wondering: what about safety? Everyone decides and risks! Any movement, wherever it is in the world, is a risk. You are not completely safe anywhere, not even in your home. But by following a few rules, avoiding crowded places, street or religious demonstrations, you can also avoid those unwanted events.
And a strictly personal opinion, I assume, it's just my opinion, I believe and feel safer traveling on my own, among ordinary people, than when I would travel with an organized group of tourists. I think you'd be more likely to be the target of an incident then.
You can opt for the deluxe train, with sleeping berths, which I understand is much cleaner and normally more comfortable.
If you are traveling without a limited budget, you can also opt to fly to Aswan or Abu Simbel.
So there are variants, choose what you think suits you best!
I know many of you have been looking forward to this article and I hope I was able to answer all your questions. I hope I didn't miss something important. If you have any additional questions, feel free to leave them in the comments at the end of the article. I will surely answer each one separately.
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