Taking the night train in Egypt is an exciting undertaking for many travelers visiting the Land of Pharaohs and Pyramids. For some, the night train connecting Upper and Lower Egypt is a matter of budgetary constraints. For others, it provides a sense of adventure or simply a practical, time-saving method to reach the next site of ancient excitement.
The reality of taking Egypt’s night train is a combination of all of the above. It can certainly function as a way to save money, and it can help you to cut costs. And, based on my experience, the boredom that comes with a lengthy overnight train will include plenty of excitement, too.
Read on for the story of my experience taking the night train in Egypt, followed by all of the tips you need to have the best journey possible.
Contents
My Egyptian Night Train Experience
The majority of my experience on the night train in Egypt from Cairo to Aswan was boredom. That’s the case with most overnight trains. Comfort is usually lacking, and there obviously isn’t much scenery to enjoy when it’s dark outside.
The boredom was preceded by some fairly tense moments to start the trip, later interrupted by meals on the train, bits of rhythmically-rocking train-sleep and brief glimpses of the Nile and desert landscapes the following morning.
The start of the overnight adventure stands out the most. Excitement for the impending rail journey was accompanied with plenty of confusion and frustration.
More night train adventures and tips!
Getting to the Train Station
Traveling with my wife, we opted to take an Uber to Ramses Station from our hostel in Cairo. The distance was walkable, but afternoon heat plus full backpacks in Cairo made the decision easy.
Uber in Cairo is extremely cheap. The total cost for a 20-minute ride (including the maximum tip the app would allow) was about $2 USD. The app also helps navigate the language barrier. If you opt for a taxi, confirm the price (total price for all passengers) before you set off. Hailing a taxi is easy in Cairo, too. No less than 10 taxis stopped for us as we waited for our Uber.
The trip from our hostel to the train station is typically one that would take a few minutes. However, traffic in Cairo can be heavy, and this was at the tail end of rush hour. To make matters worse, our driver almost dropped us off at the wrong station. There is a bus station near the train station. With traffic, crowds and the distance, we would likely have gotten lost. Thankfully, I caught the misunderstanding and he dropped us across the road from the train station.
Once we arrived, we crossed a pedestrian bridge over the packed streets of cars, buses, vans and crowds of people. The scene below appeared chaotic, but it also gave me a rush of excitement. The hectic environment is all-consuming to the senses. Coupled with anticipation for the night train to Upper Egypt and all of the sights ahead, it gets the adrenaline pumping.
We carefully stepped down a set of crumbling stairs and turned toward Ramses Station. We went through a neglected exterior security checkpoint that appeared to have been forgotten a few years before our arrival. Finally, we could see the train station free of obstructions. Having seen photos of the stunning interior beforehand, I admit, I was pretty excited.
In “Custody” of Egyptian Police
Aside from the seemingly bored armed police, a couple of tourists posing for pictures and groups of people congregating around the entrances, there wasn’t much going on outside the station.
Eventually, we found a small office that mentioned our specific train and stepped inside to find out where to go. We were told our tickets are in order and pointed in the general direction of an entrance.
As we approached the security checkpoint to enter the station – every entrance into the station requires going through security – several police officers began shouting at us. We motioned that we were going through the security line and attempted to remove our bags to pass through the scanner. The yelling only intensified. I presented our tickets, and this did nothing to help. The shouting grew louder. The heads of bystanders were turning toward us, the cause of the disruption.
Naturally, two westerners who understand a combined total of 15 words in the Arabic language have no clue what they are saying. All I can confirm is that it was loud, did not sound friendly and was extremely intimidating.
Amidst the yelling, two of the officers (one with an AK-47 hanging over his shoulder) quickly walked up to us. They snatched my wife’s backpack and aggressively ushered us into a small room near the security checkpoint where we were directed to sit down, hand over our passports and leave our bags in the corner.
We had absolutely no idea what was happening. And I’ve seen enough episodes of Locked Up Abroad to have plenty of fear instilled in me when at the thought of being detained in a foreign country.
The room was plain. The lights were bright. Aside from housing a few chairs and a desk, the room was barren. It looked like a makeshift interrogation room. At this point, despite the encouraging words I attempted to offer to my wife, there was not a single positive thought in my mind.
We attempted to ask what was going on but were met with pointed fingers to sit down and little else. My wife and I were both sneaking pictures of the room and sending them to family. Just in case.
Resigned to detention, I sat back in frustration and managed to let my imagination get the best of me.
After a few minutes, the police officers brought another group of tourists into the room to join us. Their confusion was clearly on par with ours. If nothing else, I was comforted that we wouldn’t be alone for whatever was happening next.
For nearly an hour, the room of tourists was full of confusion. I began to worry we might miss our train. We attempted to handle language barriers to determine what was happening. No one had any reasonable clue.
Fear and confusion ceded to frustration bordering on anger until one of the other tourists pleaded his case for some food. To our surprise, the officer allowed us ten minutes to grab some snacks, but we had to leave all of our belongings in the holding room.
These few minutes were encouraging. Surely, nothing was wrong if we were allowed to leave the room unaccompanied. Once everyone was back in the room with snacks in hand, moods improved despite not knowing why we were semi-detained by police.
Some time later, an officer came into the room and told everyone to gather their belongings and follow him. As we exited the room, we bypassed the security checkpoint, scanner and all.
My frustration increased as we walked through the center of Ramses Station – it was as beautiful as the photographs, and this brief walk is all I would be able to see. Our entire group was escorted by four armed police officers – two in the front, two bringing up the rear – through the station, down a hallway, outside through a tunnel and to the train platform. People moved out of our path and stared at our helpless group the entire time we were being escorted from the holding room. Finally, we reached the train, and each guard made sure that we were safely aboard the train.
What just happened?
We went from feeling as though we were under arrest, having committed some unknown crime, to confusion to feeling, once again, like lawbreakers under armed guard being transported to who-knows-where.
But we were so wrong. The officers smiled, wished us a good trip and kindly said goodbyes.
Perhaps there was some paranoia to blame for our panic. At the end of this bizarre detention by Egyptian police, we realized they were simply doing this to keep us safe. To my knowledge, there was no imminent threat or danger. Maybe they were shielding us from scams or aggressive people within the train station. Ultimately, it seems we were valuable Western tourists, and I suppose they did not want to take any chances.
The irony is that tourists are ripped off and scammed everywhere in Egypt. If my assumption that they were shielding us from such bothers in the train station is correct, it makes no sense. Why not crackdown on the aggressive behavior at every single other tourist site in the entire country? Why here?
Before I travel anywhere, especially places with spotty history in regards to safety and security, I do A LOT of research. I spent hours trying to figure out the night train in Egypt, costs, safety and so on. I read dozens of first-hand accounts and reviews about the trip and never came across a single report mentioning anything remotely close to our experience.
Ultimately, we were fine. No harm befell my wife, myself or any of the other Western tourists in our group. I believe the police were simply following orders and looking out for our safety. That being said, the communication in this matter was absolutely nonexistent. This lack of communication was confusing, frustrating and frightening. In hindsight, it makes for an interesting story, but my biggest disappointment is not being able to explore the remarkable Ramses Station in Cairo.
All Aboard!
Now that we’ve gotten the drama out of the way, let’s get to the actual train journey. For any long voyage, boredom is not a bad thing. Uneventful transportation may not make for a good story or an especially memorable experience for most travelers, but that’s a good thing. Be it via plane, boat, bus or train, the goal is to safely travel from Point A to Point B.
Of course, the more you travel, the good stories and unforgettable experiences – these come naturally.
After the confusion at the station in Cairo, we settled in for a long night aboard the night train to Aswan. We made our way into our cabin and were soon greeted by the attendant. A few minutes later, the train departed Cairo Ramses Station. To my surprise, departure was almost exactly on time.
The train rolled into a station in Giza a short time after departing from Cairo. We stopped for a few minutes. Additional passengers piled aboard, and we were soon off again.
Some time later, perhaps an hour or so, our attendant knocked on our door and entered. We were surprised with dinner. Dinner was simple but decent, certainly better than most airline meals. I was served lamb with green peppers, rice, veggies, some kind of cake, a container of tahini and bread.
During the booking process, there was no mention of whether or not any food is included on the night train. I don’t recall food being a part of the service on similar long journeys. Even though this was a slightly more expensive journey, it’s a nice touch.
After dinner, we decided to try to get some sleep. In theory, this is totally possible. The benches in the cabin are comfortable enough and easily convert to sleeping bunks. This is certainly not luxury, but it’s nice enough to get some sleep. And the back-and-forth rocking of trains helps, too.
For my part, sleeping was a challenge. At nearly 6’4” tall (1.92m), let’s just say that the whole bench isn’t quite that long. Couple that with not feeling great after a few days of overzealous eating in Cairo, and I wasn’t feeling very well. The challenge for my wife was that the cabin grew pretty stuffy and a bit warm. She likes to sleep cold, so that was less than ideal for her. Especially in Egypt.
Over the next several hours, we spent most of the time tossing and turning in a state of semi-conscious sleep. There were a handful of stops during the night (that I recall). These lasted from less than five minutes to more than 15 minutes.
When the train rolled into Aswan, we were more than ready to disembark. While a long journey on a train is far more comfortable than a long flight, getting out for some space and fresher air is a welcome change.
For whatever reason, the train took a lot longer than advertised. From departure in Cairo to exiting the train in Aswan, the night train took about 16 hours and 45 minutes. This was 3-4 hours longer than it was supposed to take. I have no idea what delayed our arrival, and I honestly didn’t notice. Regardless, we were a bit late arriving and starting our day in Aswan.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Our cabin aboard the night train in Egypt was cleaner than one might expect. Although dated, it was very clean. All seats and most surfaces were spotless. The only dirty part was the window. Most of this was on the outside, which was a bummer as I am an avid window-seat enthusiast in any vehicle, constantly looking out, around, up or down. For the two of us in our cabin, it was spacious. Other than when I tried to sleep, I never felt cramped. You can always walk the corridors if you want to stretch legs a little more.
The bathrooms were just about what I expected and have experienced on most of my long train journeys. They start out okay at the beginning of the trip but quickly deteriorate to the usual unclean, pseudo-frightening state that is a toilet on a train.
Cabins aboard Egypt’s tourist night train are air conditioned. But they are also heated. I’m not sure why. Sure, the desert gets cool at night. But not cold. And definitely not cold aboard a giant diesel train. For whatever reason, the cabin’s heater was on overnight when it was likely in the 60s outside and 70s inside the car. The hallway was much more pleasant, and it was only warmer in the tiny cabins where the heat was running.
Other than the nighttime heat wave, the temperature in the cabins was fairly comfortable during the trip. Overall, the comfort and cleanliness was better than expected. It is important to remember that this isn’t a luxurious train journey. Keep that in mind, and you’ll have a fun experience.
Meals
As mentioned above, we were surprised that we were served dinner. We bought snacks in our break from detention at the train station in Cairo, so we weren’t hungry at any point.
To our surprise once more, we were informed breakfast was coming soon. Breakfast on Egypt’s night train was much less impressive than the previous night’s dinner.
We were each given a tray of bread. Lots of bread. Three different types, all packaged and served with jam, butter and cheese. It looked a little sad but was fine. I’m rarely one for a heavy breakfast. Usually a piece of toast is sufficient. If you’re trying to carbo-load, just hop on the night train!
End of the Line
We were happy to get off the train. Overall, the train journey itself was better than I expected. After 17 hours on a train, all I could think about was a change of clothes, a shower and walking more than a few feet at a time.
We arranged for a guide to meet us at the station in Aswan. He was annoyed the train was late but was right there waiting for us. This made it very easy, which was much appreciated after the long trip. I didn’t have to think about directions or anything. It was time to explore the sights of Aswan!
Don’t be surprised by the journey. Read on for extra tips and details to prepare for the night train in Egypt!
Tips for Taking the Night Train in Egypt
Tickets & Reservations
I had a fair amount of difficulty finding the right place to buy tickets for the night train in Egypt. Eventually, I found Watania Sleeping Trains, the official site that books and sells tickets for the journey. That site is now called Abela Trains. That link is the place to get your trip sorted.
Tickets for the night train from Cairo to Aswan cost $90 USD for foreigners. The price is pretty steep considering how inexpensive most things are in Egypt. However, that high price is specifically for non-Arab foreigners. As it states on the website, there are different rates for Egyptians (about $20 USD), Arabs and foreigners. The more expensive price does include a a larger, more comfortable space. I believe the cheaper tickets do not include a bed, which sounds less than fun for the lengthy journey.
Backpacker Friendly Transportation
In general, Egypt is a fairly cheap place to visit. Like anywhere else, you can pay as much as you want for certain luxuries, but the night train can be an effective way to save a few bucks if you want to stretch the budget.
Travel Cheaper!
Flights to Aswan from Cairo average around $70 USD. You will also have to sort out more expensive transportation to/from the airports and city centers.
The train includes food, which saves a small amount of money. Further, the night train is a place to sleep. In other words, that’s a night you won’t have to book a hotel.
To be fair, the savings by skipping the flight and taking the night train are minimal. But if you want to stretch your budget at every possible chance, this is a good, safe option that is still fairly comfortable. The cheapest travel option is via bus. But it doesn’t save much time compared to the train, and it’s not going to be nearly as comfortable.
The Train is NOT on Time
Delays of a few minutes here or there are typical for trips of any length. When you start getting in the range of 12+ hour journeys, delays can be more significant. When you factor in the fact that it’s a train, delays snowball. It’s not like an airplane that can make up time. Oh, and you’re in Egypt. That’s worth some added time, too.
The best bet is to simply plan and expect for this train to be at least a couple of hours late. We weren’t in a hurry, so I didn’t really mind. This is something to pay attention to if you have any tours booked or guides waiting for you.
Do Your ‘Business’ Early
If you need to spend “extra time” in the bathroom, try to do so before you board the train or as soon as possible once you step aboard. The bathroom is bare bones, as you might expect. After a few hours, the state of the bathroom is, shall we say… gross. Yeah, it’s not a place I would want to spend much time.
The toilet is “cleaned” at some point during the journey, but this is not a thorough cleaning by any stretch. With all of the bumps, jolts and rocking of the cars, people seem to miss quite a bit.
What does make it into the toilet is unleashed directly onto the tracks when you “flush.” With that in mind, should you find yourself on any train tracks in Egypt, it may be best to walk elsewhere. Anyway, the lavatories are not great. Try to handle your bathroom business before you board the train.
More Tips!
- Bring a small fan. This is a useful item for traveling to Egypt in general. I typically advocate for packing as light as possible, but a small fan pays huge dividends in Egypt. The train can be a bit stuffy, and a small fan would have been a great thing to have.
- If you are traveling solo, you can pay extra for an entire cabin if you want privacy.
- Buy train snacks before you reach the station. You will get ripped off at the kiosks outside Ramses Station in Cairo. If you don’t speak the language, there isn’t much you can do.
- Don’t forget to tip. Everyone. Tipping culture is a big thing in Egypt, especially for tourists. And cash is king. Throw an extra 10-20 Egyptian pounds to your Uber driver. For your room attendant on the train, 300-400 pounds (~$5-10 USD) is fine.
- You are allowed to consume alcohol in your cabin, but it is not sold on board the train. If you want a quick nip or nightcap, pick up some liquid refreshment in one of Cairo’s few liquor stores. Don’t forget a cup!
- Bring a portable charger. The outlets in our cabin worked, but it took nearly the entire journey to reach a full charge.
- The train does not have WiFi. If you don’t anticipate sleeping much, plan accordingly.
Taking the night train from Cairo to Aswan is a straightforward process for a long, slow journey. For train enthusiasts, it might be more exciting. For most travelers, it’s just a reasonable way to get from one place to the next.
As with any trip, it’s best to be prepared. Use these tips so you’re prepared and know what to expect. Most of all, enjoy the ride! It’s not every day that most of us get to take a train across Egypt.
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