Review: Daytime Train Luxor to Cairo, Egypt

November 29, 2023May 17, 2024 Koen 0 Comments

This review details my trip on a daytime train in Egypt, travelling from Luxor to Cairo.

Luxor to Cairo train

After an amazing Nile river cruise and wonderful couple of days in Luxor, it was time for me to travel back to Cairo.

If you want to travel by train between Luxor and Cairo, you can choose between the Abela Sleeper Train (formerly called the Ernst Watania Sleeper Train) or several daytime trains that link these two Egyptian cities.

Having previously taken the night train from Cairo to Aswan during my trip, I opted for a daytime train this time.

While I had a wonderful experience on the night train, I wanted to compare it to the daytime trains and enjoy the scenery along the route, something which isn’t really possible when taking the sleeper between Luxor to Cairo due to the early arrival hour in the Egyptian capital.

ernst watania sleeping train — *Earlier on my trip, I took the sleeper train from Cairo to Aswan. ©Paliparan*

ernst watania sleeping train compartment — *Sleeper compartment on the Cairo-Luxor-Aswan night train. ©Paliparan*

abelia sleeper — *Yours truly enjoying a cup of tea in the lounge car of the sleeper train. ©Paliparan*

Luxor station

My journey began at Luxor station, which is within walking distance of some of the main downtown hotels in the city such as the amazing Winter Palace.

There is a security check in order to enter the station, although this is a process that never really takes longer than a minute.

I made my way to my departure platform and spent some time observing all the various trains arriving and departing from the station.

You’re likely to encounter a diverse range of trains while travelling with the Egyptian Railways, as they operate a mix of second-hand coaches sourced from countries like France and Spain, alongside newly manufactured trains made in Russia, China, or locally in Egypt.

The trains are commonly referred to by their origin, such as the “Spanish train” or “French train”, for instance.

luxor egypt — *The surroundings of Luxor’s train station. ©Paliparan*

luxor railway train station — *Luxor railway station. ©Paliparan*

luxor train station egypt — *Waiting on the platform of Luxor station for my train to Cairo. ©Paliparan*

russian train egypt cairo luxor — *A brand new Russian train at the station of Luxor. ©Paliparan*

luxor station train cairo — *A stainless steel train built together by the Chinese and Egyptians. ©Paliparan*

spanish train egypt cairo luxor — *An older Spanish train at the opposite platform. ©Paliparan*

luxor station — *The Luxor station sign reflecting in the window of a Spanish express train. ©Paliparan*

egyptian railways locomotive — *Egyptian Railways locomotive. ©Paliparan*

Boarding

Some 10 minutes before its scheduled departure time, my express train bound for Cairo arrived at the station of Luxor, having started its journey earlier in the day in Aswan.

I had easily managed to book my Luxor-Cairo train ticket online beforehand, paying around $10 for a first class seat.

An amazing deal for a journey of almost ten hours, although prices for train tickets have recently gone up in Egypt after the country introduced more expensive ‘foreigner fares’ for non-Egyptian citizens, with a Luxor-Cairo ticket now costing $45 in first class.

The friendly conductor warmly welcomed me aboard, where I settled into my solo window seat on the left-hand side of the train.

Seats on express trains are reserved-only, and your seat reservation is automatically included with your ticket.

luxor cairo express train egypt — *The Aswan-Cairo express train arrives at the station of Luxor. ©Paliparan*

spanish train egypt — *My train to Cairo used older Spanish coaches. ©Paliparan*

First class

The 8.40am express train to Cairo I was booked on turned out to be an older Spanish train.

Indeed, the wear and tear throughout the coach was quite noticeable, and some of the seats appeared grubby.

First class seats have a 1-2 configuration and I was lucky I got a solo seat assigned.

Although the seats are rather worn, they do have a generous recline and are actually quite comfortable.

My seat was actually broken as it was stuck in full recline, at an angle of about 140 degrees.

While that might be great for taking a nap, it wasn’t exactly ideal for lounging and enjoying the scenery through the window.

When I addressed the conductor about the issue, he came back soon after together with an on-board mechanic armed with a screwdriver, who managed to fix the reclining mechanism within minutes.

Fortunately, the air-conditioning inside the wagon worked like charm, although you shouldn’t expect any other amenities like power sockets, let alone Wi-Fi internet, on these older trains.

first class seats train luxor cairo egypt — *First class seats on the old ‘Spanish’ express train. ©Paliparan*

first class seats — *I had a window seat on the left-hand side of the train. ©Paliparan*

seat recline — *The seats in first class have a generous recline. ©Paliparan*

Second class

During the journey, I also took a look inside a second class coach on our Egyptian train.

In second class, seats are in a two-abreast configuration and have noticeably less shoulder room and recline.

However, the amount of legroom seemed quite good and some of these second class wagons did appear to be in a much better condition than my grubby first class coach.

second class seats train egypt cairo luxor — *Second class seats on the old ‘Spanish’ express train in Egypt. ©Paliparan*

Luxor to Cairo by train
Train 2011 – Wagon 1, seat 15
Departure: 8.40am – Arrival: 6pm
Duration: 9h20m – Distance: 670 kilometres

map railways egypt — *The distance by train between Luxor and Cairo is 670 kilometres. ©OpenStreetMap/Paliparan*

Departure

Following its 10-minute stop at Luxor, the express train embarked on its lengthy journey northwards toward Cairo.

All the way up to Cairo, the railway line closely follows the course of the Nile through the densely populated river valley.

Once we passed the outskirts of Luxor, I finally caught my first proper glimpses of the river through the train’s grimy windows.

luxor city view — *View from the train as it runs through the city of Luxor. ©Paliparan*

egyptian houses — *Typical housing in the suburbs of Luxor. ©Paliparan*

river nile view egypt train luxor cairo — *The River Nile as seen through the dirty window of my train. ©Paliparan*

Agricultural fields

Although you get occasional glimpses of the Nile, the railway line mostly runs alongside one of the many irrigation canals a bit further away from the river.

Thanks to these irrigation canals, the lands of the Nile Valley are some of the most fertile in the world.

Already in ancient Egyptian times, the Nile Valley region boasted remarkably high agricultural output, even earning it the recognition as the breadbasket of Rome, as a lot of grain was exported elsewhere.

The lush green fields and palm trees of the Nile Valley stand in stark contrast to the rugged mountains and desert directly behind it.

fields palms nile — *During the journey, you will see lots of palm trees and fields for agriculture. ©Paliparan*

nile valley irrigation canal — *The train runs along one of the many irrigation canals in the Nile Valley. ©Paliparan*

nile valley egypt train luxor cairo — *The green and fertile Nile Valley contrasts sharply with the bleak desert mountains behind. ©Paliparan*

Qena

After a while we arrived at our first stop in the city of Qena.

One of the fun things about taking the train is Egypt is observing the local life in the villages, cities and on the station platforms.

qena station — *Stop at the station of Qena. ©Paliparan*

qena railway station — *Platform at the railway station of Qena. ©Paliparan*

qena egypt — *Leaving Qena behind as we continue our trip to Cairo. ©Paliparan*

Crossing the Nile

As you depart Luxor, the railway line is situated on the right (eastern) bank of the River Nile.

When the train reaches Nagaa Hammadi, it crosses a bridge over the Nile to the left bank, continuing along this side all the way up to Giza on the outskirts of Cairo.

egyptian village — *Egyptian village life as seen from the train. ©Paliparan*

palm trees — *Palm trees along the railway line. ©Paliparan*

Nagaa Hammadi

Nagaa Hammadi, which is also spelled Naga Hammady, is one of the longer stops on the route to Cairo.

Again, it was fun to watch the flurry of people disembarking and boarding the train at this station, which notably included some military personnel in desert camouflage uniforms.

nagaa hammadi station — *Passengers boarding the train at Nagaa Hammadi station. ©Paliparan*

nagy hammady train station — *An unreserved local train stands at the opposite side of the platform of Nagaa Hammadi station. ©Paliparan*

Bar wagon

On my Aswan-Luxor-Cairo express train, there was a bar wagon offering a basic selection of drinks and snacks, basically only tea, coffee, water, and a few sandwiches

The bar wagon is a fun space to visit as you are almost assured to strike up a conversation with one of the many local Egyptian passengers you can find there.

However, it’s important to note that smoking is permitted in the bar wagon, a practice that many Egyptian passengers aboard the train happily engage in!

If you prefer not to visit the bar wagon, you can wait at your seat for one of the attendants to pass by with their trolley service.

Of course, you are free to bring along your own supply of food and drinks for the ride, something which you are well-advised to do as train journeys in Egypt are long and delays are frequent.

bar wagon train egypt luxor cairo — *Express trains in Egypt often have a bar wagon where you can buy basic drinks and snacks. ©Paliparan*

tea train egypt — *I enjoyed a cup of tea in the bar wagon. ©Paliparan*

Toilet

Although at first sight the toilets on my Luxor-Cairo express train looked grim, they were actually surprisingly clean.

Sure, the toilet itself is highly basic, but the floor and toilet seat were spotless, toilet paper was available, and there was water running from the sink.

It may not look like much, but I was pleasantly surprised as I expected something way worse given how old the train felt.

train toilet egypt luxor cairo express — *The toilet on the Luxor-Cairo express train. ©Paliparan*

Slow speeds

One thing you should definitely anticipate when traveling by train in Egypt is a delay.

The ride quality suffers from the poor condition of the Egyptian railway tracks, highlighting the urgent need for a proper overhaul.

Even at low speeds – which are frequent – you will notice how bumpy and noisy the ride on an Egyptian train can be.

At seemingly random moments, our train would suddenly stop in the middle of nowhere or slow down to a crawling pace.

Views

Despite the slow speeds and grubby interior of this daytime train, I did find pleasure in my journey through Egypt.

It does give you a great insight into local life, both on the train itself and by watching all the villages and cities you come across during the journey.

While the views might not be the most beautiful ever you’ll encounter on a train, they are undeniably captivating.

countryside mosque — *Countryside mosque. ©Paliparan*

nile valley village — *Typical Egyptian village in the Nile Valley. ©Paliparan*

luxor cairo train view egypt — *View from the train. ©Paliparan*

sohag egypt — *Riding through the city of Sohag. ©Paliparan*

sohag mosque — *Sohag mosque. ©Paliparan*

Work

About halfway through the journey I started to get bored and decided to get some work done on my laptop.

The seats in first class have airplane-style fold out tray tables in the armrests, which aren’t very stable but at least big enough to place your laptop on.

As 4G roaming coverage was good throughout the entire journey, I managed to get a few hours of productive work done on the train.

folding table train — *Getting some work done on my laptop during the train ride to Cairo. ©Paliparan*

Asyut

The most important stop between Luxor and Cairo is Asyut, a city of well over 500,000 inhabitants.

The platforms at Asyut’s railway station were bustling with crowds, and many passengers boarded our train at this stop.

egypt irrigation canal train ride cairo luxor — *Riding along an irrigation canal somewhere between Sohag and Asyut. ©Paliparan*

asyut train station platform — *Crowded station platform at Asyut. ©Paliparan*

asyut egypt train station — *Local women waiting for their train at the railway station of Asyut. ©Paliparan*

On to Cairo

The rest of the journey went by fast after our departure from the crowded station of Asyut.

I worked a bit more on my laptop, and enjoyed some fabulous sunset views from the window.

sunset nile valley — *Sunset as seen from the train. ©Paliparan*

Giza station

All express trains from Luxor to Cairo stop at both of the city’s main stations: First at the station of Giza in the southern outskirts of Cairo, and finally at Ramses station, the main railway station of the Egyptian capital.

Obviously, the train station of Giza is better located if you are staying near the Pyramids, while Ramses station is better situated if you are staying in the city centre or in the medieval old town of Cairo.

giza train station luxor cairo express — *The Luxor-Cairo express has arrived at the train station of Giza. ©Paliparan*

giza railway station — *Giza railway station. ©Paliparan*

cairo ramses station — *The gorgeous central hall of Cairo’s Ramses Station. ©Paliparan*

cairo ramses station egypt train — *A Russian-built express train arrives at Cairo Ramses station. ©Paliparan*

Metro

As I previously departed from Cairo Ramses station at the start of my trip, I decided this time to get off at Giza station so I would have experienced both.

At Giza station, it was an easy interchange to the Cairo metro for the 6 stops to Sadat station for my hotel on Tahrir Square.

giza metro station — *At Giza station, you can connect to the Cairo metro. ©Paliparan*

metro train cairo — *My metro train towards downtown Cairo arrives. ©Paliparan*

Conclusion

Taking a daytime train in Egypt might not be the fastest or the most luxurious way to travel, but it offers a fun experience and provides great insights into the country.

On the plus side, I thought the seat was comfortable, and I did enjoy the conversations with other passengers in the bar wagon, as well as all the lovely views of the palm groves, fields and villages of the Nile River Valley.

However, my Egyptian express train was grubby, old, showed significant wear and tear, and lacked modern amenities.

Newer trains, like the recently acquired Russian-made coaches or the newly introduced Talgo trains of the Egyptian Railways, undoubtedly promise a significantly better experience compared to my aging express train.

If you have a sense of adventure and enjoy immersing yourself in local life in Egypt, the specific train you take won’t matter much, as ultimately you’ll have the same travel experience on the tracks.

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘Walk Like an Egyptian: A Grand Tour of Egypt‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. Red-Eye Ramblings of a Late Night Flight to Cairo
2. A Visit to the Pyramids of Giza by Camel
3. Review: Sofitel Nile El Gezirah, Zamalek, Cairo
4. Exploring the Medieval Old Town and Islamic History of Cairo
5. Visiting the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo
6. Mar Girgis: The Churches of Christian Old Cairo
7. Review: Ernst Watania Sleeping Train Cairo to Aswan
8. The Ancient Quarry of Aswan and the Unfinished Obelisk
9. A Boat Ride From Aswan to the Temple of Isis at Philae
10. A Visit to the Aswan High Dam and Lake Nasser
11. A Visit to the Nubian Village on Aswan’s Elephantine Island
12. Aswan Guide: A Visit to Egypt’s Most Stunningly Located City
13. A Half Day Trip From Aswan to Amazing Abu Simbel
14. Nile River Cruise Guide: All Info for Your Egypt Boat Trip
15. Review: M/S Princess Sarah Nile River Cruise Ship
16. Nile Cruise: Sailing From Aswan to Kom Ombo
17. A Visit to the Ancient Crocodile Temple of Kom Ombo
18. A Visit to the Temple of Horus at Edfu
19. Nile Cruise: Sailing From Edfu to Luxor
20. Luxor, Egypt: Visiting the Sights of Ancient Thebes
21. A Visit to Luxor’s Giant Temple Complex of Karnak
22. Visitor Guide to Wonderful Luxor Temple
23. Valley of the Kings: A Visit to Luxor’s Ancient Necropolis
24. The Temple of Hatshepsut: A Visit to a Unique Mortuary Temple
25. Review: Sofitel Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor, Egypt
26. Review: Daytime Train Luxor to Cairo, Egypt (current chapter)
27. Review: Steigenberger Hotel El Tahrir, Cairo
28. A Visit to the Pyramid of Djoser and the Saqqara Necropolis
29. A Visit to the Dahshur Pyramid Complex
30. Memphis: Exploring the Old Capital of Ancient Egypt
31. From Cairo to Alexandria by Train: My Travel Experience
32. Review: Paradise Inn Le Metropole Hotel, Alexandria, Egypt
33. Alexandria: A Visit to Egypt’s Historic Mediterranean Port City
34. Egypt: Impressions and Reflections After My Two Week Trip
35. Epilogue: Safety and How to Deal With Street Hassle in Egypt