If you’re planning a trip to Luxor, Aswan, or both, you might be wondering what’s the best way to commute to or from Cairo. As a local traveler, I’ve tried and tested all transportation options: the sleeper train, Talgo train, and flights, and I’m here with a full breakdown that’ll help you make the most of your trip to Egypt.

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Luxor and Aswan Transportation Options: Sleeper Train, Talgo Train, Flights, and More

Whether you’re traveling to Luxor or Aswan from Cairo or flying in from your home country, you’ll have to take one of the following transportation options. If you’ve never tried either before, making up your mind can be difficult. Lucky for you, I’ll break down my full experience with each transport method to help you reach the most suitable decision. 

But first, what are your options? The most commonly known transportation methods to or from Luxor or Aswan are the sleeper train, which many travelers have doubts about, and regular domestic flights. In addition to those, you can also hit the road, whether via bus or car; however, I don’t recommend either of those options–more on that later.

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Trains: Sleeper Train VS Talgo Train

Sleeper Train

Let’s start with Egypt’s sleeper train, one of the most common and popular options. The trains themselves are pretty old, so don’t expect anything fancy; however, they’re fine and relatively clean. Each cabin has 2 convertible beds, the lower bunk is made up of regular seats that are later converted to a bed. You can’t convert the beds yourself, though–you need the conductor to do this for you. The cabin also has a convertible table, coat hangers, a mirror, and a sink. 

PRO TIP: Make sure to pack your own blanket as no covers are provided, and it gets chilly at night, especially if you’re traveling in the winter. 

As for the bathroom situation, it’s a shared bathroom. I honestly haven’t tried it myself, as luckily, I didn’t have to use the bathroom, but my picky friend did (I wasn’t traveling solo when I rode this train), and she said it was fine. But again, I wouldn’t have high expectations if I were you. 

Every ticket also includes a hot meal of your choice. Personally, I’m not a fan of food on trains in Egypt, in general, so you might want to bring snacks with you if you’re a picky eater, as it’s a long ride. The Cairo-Luxor train takes around 10 hours, and the Cairo-Aswan train takes around 12 hours, with the stops and all.

Overall, I didn’t mind the experience; to me, it seemed “adventurous,” if that makes any sense. The only thing that really bothered me was how often we were bothered by the conductor’s aggressive knocking and lack of patience. To be honest, most times he knocked, he had a valid reason, but he wasn’t patient when we didn’t open the door instantly, which was pretty frustrating. The cabin was too small, so getting through our luggage to the door took a few seconds, which apparently seemed inconvenient to him. I mean, I could’ve been changing my clothes as well. Also, he didn’t like it when he wanted to set up the beds when we weren’t ready to sleep–we told him we had work, but it still wasn’t ideal for him. 

You might be wondering, “but Nadine, this train sucks, why would I book it?” In most cases, aside from the sleeper train’s “adventurous” nature, travelers book it mainly for budget reasons, as trains are cheaper than flights. However, the price difference isn’t that big of a deal for foreigners as their train tickets are way more expensive than Egyptians’. 

For Egyptians, the sleeper train ticket costs EGP 1,050 per person for a 2-person cabin and EGP 2,050 for a single cabin. On the other hand, foreigners’ tickets for the sleeper train range between USD 90 and 130 depending on the cabin type: double or single occupancy. 

How to Book Egypt’s Sleeper Train?

The sleeper trains in Egypt are not operated by the Egyptian National Railways company but by a third party called Abela Trains. They have their own website and offices at the train stations. To book the sleeper train, you can either do it in person at the train station or via Abela Trains’ official website. 

P.S. While researching, you might come across a popular online booking platform for ground travel services. However, it’s important to note that this is a Zionist company. At Curls en Route, we uphold our ethical stance and do not support or endorse such businesses.

Talgo Train

If you think that the sleeper train is the only option to Luxor or Aswan, you’re wrong. There are a lot of different trains; there’s the Talgo train, the VIP Special Express (that’s just a name; there’s nothing premium about it), the Spanish train, and the Russian train. For a long and tiring ride like this one, the Talgo train is the best option from the regular seating trains as it’s the newest one, introduced in 2023.

The Talgo train is a modern air-conditioned one with 2 options: 1st class and 2nd class. The seats feel a lot like those of an airplane, so I just considered my ride like a long-haul flight. The main difference is that the seats in 1st class are bigger.

Each seat gets access to an electric socket and a USB port to charge devices, as well as a small bin. There’s also a food and beverage serving cart that passes by every now and then–you can get something and expect the steward to return later for payment. 

As for the bathroom situation on the Talgo train, they’re regularly cleaned between uses, so using the toilet wasn’t an issue at all. To be completely honest, though, I did have one incident where I couldn’t use the bathroom because of the previous occupant–let’s not get into the gross details. The cleaning guy did get in to fix the mess he made before I could use the bathroom, but I honestly just couldn’t. Other than that, you should be fine. 

How to Book the Talgo Train?

The Talgo train is operated by the Egyptian National Railways, so you can either book it online via the website or app or in person at the train station. Here are a few things you need to know about booking the Talgo train, though:

• Train tickets are released 2 weeks before travel dates, so booking before that isn’t an option.
• Online booking is, unfortunately, available for Egyptians only, so if you’re a foreigner, you have to book the Talgo train at the station beforehand.
• Online booking is full of bugs, and it’s not a very user-friendly process, so you want to try booking as soon as the tickets are out just in case.
• If you need to return your ticket for whatever reason, you need to return it and request a refund the same way you booked it. So, for instance, if you booked a ticket online and you need to return it, you must return it online and not at the train station, and vice versa. There will be a penalty fee, of course. 

Which Railway Stations to Ride From

The main railway station in Cairo is Ramses Station; however, trains heading to Upper Egypt usually take off and arrive at Giza Station and the newly opened Bashtil Station. The train will pass by both train stations anyway, but if your location in Cairo is close to both, Bashtil is much cleaner and nicer. Just bear in mind that if a train is heading to Luxor or Aswan from Cairo, it will take off from Bashtil first, then Giza. 

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Domestic Flights 

The fastest and most convenient way to travel to Luxor or Aswan from Cairo, or vice versa, is taking a domestic flight. The Cairo-Luxor flight takes around an hour, while the Cairo-Aswan flight takes around an hour and a half. Taking a flight will save up to 9-11 hours of travel, depending on where you’re going. Flights are usually more expensive than the Talgo train and the sleeper train, though, especially if you’re Egyptian, since train tickets are more expensive for foreigners. If you’re a foreigner, a flight might cost you the same or slightly more, depending on many factors, like your travel dates and airline. Speaking of airlines, those that operate domestically are EgyptAir, Nile Air, and Air Cairo. 

The best time to go to Luxor and Aswan is from October to April, when the weather is warm and pleasant. Temperatures during these months are ideal for sightseeing and outdoor activities like hot air ballooning in Luxor. The peak tourist season, though, is from December through February, especially during Christmas break. For cheaper flights and fewer crowds, I’d avoid the holidays if I were you: Christmas break and the local mid-term vacation, which is usually from the end of January till mid-February. 

As for summer months, from May to September, that’s the low season; avoid that time at all costs! These are the hottest months in Egypt, and Upper Egypt (the south) is the hottest region in the entire country. Temperatures soar above 40°C (104°F), so both Luxor and Aswan will be unbearable. You can still travel to Egypt during that time as it’s a year-round destination, but it’s best to go to a beach town like Dahab or El Gouna.

Your best shot, budget-wise, would be the shoulder season, which is during the spring or fall months: March, April, October, and November. The temperatures would be higher than in winter, but still comfortable to travel, and you’ll manage to find cheaper flights during these times. Not to mention that, of course, there will be far fewer crowds than in the high season.

Booking a Domestic Flight in Egypt

I personally love using Skyscanner and Google Flights to look up domestic flights. For my top hacks and tips on how to find cheaper flights, make sure to read this guide. 

Other Transportation Options

Aside from domestic flights, the Talgo train, and the sleeper train, you can also take a bus or drive. However, I don’t recommend the Upper Egypt bus unless you’re completely broke and don’t mind sitting in a bus for 12 hours with zero legroom. 

As for driving, if you’re a foreigner, I don’t recommend driving in Egypt altogether. Driving here is an extreme sport, and since you won’t be used to the driving culture here, I don’t think it’s wise. If you’re Egyptian and decide to go on a road trip, as far as I know, the Upper Egypt roads were recently renovated, but you need to be careful as you pass through Qena, as I heard it’s not the best part of the road. 

Final Verdict

All in all, if I’d choose again between a flight, the Talgo train, or the sleeper train, I’d opt for the flight for comfort and convenience. If you don’t have a lot of vacation days but have the budget and plan your trip in advance so you can find good flight deals, you should be good to go. On the other hand, if you can’t manage to find cheap flights and you don’t mind wasting 10-12 hours of travel, then you can opt for the train, whether it’s the sleeper or Talgo train. 

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