Egypt Sleeper Train Cairo to Luxor and Aswan: my review!
There is a regular sleeper train in Egypt that goes from Cairo to Luxor or Aswan and back. I recently took this overnight train in Egypt, from Cairo to Luxor, and have a lot to share! Let’s talk about:
How to book sleeper train tickets online
Cairo to Luxor sleeper train price
Booking sleeper train tickets in person
Boarding the night train
Sleeper train Cairo to Luxor review
The benefits and drawbacks of taking the overnight train (hint: I dont’ think it’s a good idea, most of the time)
How long it takes by train from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan
Alternatives to the sleeper train (fly, normal train, or bus)
Before I jump in – if you have any questions I do not answer in this post, drop a comment and let me know! And if you have taken the sleeper train in Egypt, leave a comment to share what your experience was like.
And if you don’t know me already, my name is Gus, and I started Egypt Adventures Travel to help people have great trips to Egypt! I also lead group tours, private tours, and help create customized itineraries. You can learn more on my website.
How to Book Sleeper Train Tickets Online
Forgive the typos, but you can book Cairo - Luxor - Aswan Sleeper Train tickets, online!
The easiest way (in my opinion) to book tickets for the Cairo - Luxor - Aswan sleeper train is online. The train is managed by Abela Train Services, which is different from Egyptian National Railways, so you need to go to Abela’s website in order to book tickets online. At the making of this video, for foreigners, only sleeper train tickets can be purchased online; traditional train tickets in Egypt (like for the train between Alexandria and Cairo) must be purchased in person at Ramses Train Station in Cairo (or at any train station). See my other YouTube video for more information about the train between Cairo and Alexandria. Egyptians, of course, can book any train tickets online.
Cairo - Luxor sleeper train ticket website: https://abelatrains.com/Home
In order to book your train tickets, you will need to select your departure city (I recommend leaving from or arriving to Cairo’s train station, Ramses, instead of Giza’s train station), destination city, train type (bed if you want to be able to sleep), Foreigner for your nationality, and foreigner for ticket type.
Once you do this, you will see all of the options you can book. As you can see, none of these trains are nonstop – they will all stop at several stations along the way, which made it really hard to get a good sleep!
Once you find the schedule and ticket that works best for you, you’ll be prompted to read Abela’s terms and conditions. After approving these, you’ll be prompted to create an account with them.
When you are booking your train tickets, after you create an account, they will ask for your personal information, and they will also ask what cabin type you want – I selected the single cabin, because I was traveling alone.
You will see all the overnight trains that are available, and the cost for each type of ticket.
Cairo to Luxor Sleeper Train Price
The private cabin ticket cost me $130 USD one way, actually more expensive than the one hour nonstop flight, more on that later, and a double cabin will set you back $90 USD per person, so $180 total. You’ll also select what type of meal you want.
You just need the ticket on your phone and your passport and luggage – that’s it! No need to print it off.
Book Night Train Cairo to Luxor Tickets in Person
You can buy sleeper train tickets in person, here, at the Abela Office in Ramses Train Station in Cairo.
While I think it is much more convenient and fairly easy to book your tickets online, there is an in-person office for the sleeper train at Ramses Train Station. Note that it is in a different location than the foreigner ticket reservation office for buying normal train tickets – the Abela office is on the outside of Ramses Station, just before the entrance to the station, so you can’t miss it.
The sleeper train tickets, when purchased for a foreigner, must be paid in $USD or another foreign currency, like Euros. You cannot buy these in Egyptian Pounds. Visa or Mastercard are the best ways to pay.
Taking the Sleeper Train from Cairo to Luxor
When you follow the flow of traffic at Ramses Station, it will take you to this side entrance, where you will pass through security and enter the station.
When it’s time to take the sleeper train from Cairo to Luxor or Aswan, I recommend arriving to Ramses Train station at least 30 minutes to 60 minutes before your train’s scheduled departure time. The train station area is very busy, very hectic, and it can be easy to get turned around or overwhelmed.
You can take the Cairo Metro to Ramses Train Station, getting out at Shohadaa Metro Stop, and then following the signage to exit at the train station. It’s important to follow the signage in order to get out at the most convenient exit right at the train station, because otherwise you could end up in a totally different part of Ramses, which could take you a long time to figure out how to cross the snarl of streets to get to the train station.
If you take a public bus, Uber, taxi, or private transfer, have them drop you off close to the train station, and then follow the flow of traffic and people to enter the station complex. You’ll walk around the side of the building, and enter the station on the left-hand side. On your way, you’ll pass the Abela Sleeper Train ticket office.
You will put your bags through a scanner, and the security guard might ask to see your train ticket (show it on your phone) and your passport. Then, once you are inside, you can check the display board to show you which platform to go to, or you can find an employee and show them your ticket on your phone; generally, employees in Ramses understand enough English to help you find the sleeper train platform.
There are snacks and water available at the train station, but I recommend buying things ahead of time if possible, because the prices inside the train station are 4-5 times higher than what is outside.
Once you get to the right platform, an employee should be able to show you to your train car, and once inside your car, there is an attendant who speaks English well, and will help you find your sleeping cabin.
Sleeper Train Cairo to Luxor Review
There is a lore more to see on my YouTube video, but here I am, inside my private cabin on the Cairo - Luxor Sleeper Train!
Like you will see from the YouTube video, the Sleeper Train is pretty outdated. It’s much, much, different from the new, modern Talgo trains that go between Cairo and Alexandria, for example. The train is clean, maintained, and the staff are wonderful! It’s just not a nice, new experience, like taking a modern train in Egypt or elsewhere in the world.
In the sleeping cabin, you will have one electrical outlet, a bottom seating area that will be converted into a bed if there are two of you in one cabin, a top bunk bed, a mirror and sink area that does not have much water pressure at all, and an area to store luggage, bags, and hang clothes.
The sleeper train cabins also have towels, a bar of soap, and bathrooms in each train car.
I found the journey from Cairo to Luxor to be pretty noisy, uncomfortable (the mattress was not great, and the blankets were not great either), and it was hard to sleep with the train stopping at several stations along the way. Almost once per hour we stopped completely, which usually woke me up, and about 20-30 times throughout the night the train whistle was used, which also usually woke me up. I was definitely more comfortable than I would have been in an overnight bus or a traditional train seat, but I did not find the experience to be restful or comfortable.
Should I take the Cairo - Luxor - Aswan Sleeper Train?
Overall, I do not recommend taking the sleeper train from Cairo to Luxor or Aswan, or the reverse journey. Here’s why:
The train doesn’t save you much money, really: train tickets are $130 USD for a single ticket, or $90 per person for two sharing one cabin. The cost of flights between Cairo and Luxor or Aswan are usually around the same price, sometimes cheaper, and taking an Uber to the airport in Cairo is usually $5-10 maximum, plus a taxi from the airport in Luxor or Aswan should be between $10-20. Plus, flying is way more comfortable and fast – just one hour! Even though the train saves you one night in a hotel room, are you actually going to be able to sleep with all the noise and the uncomfortable mattress? Plus, budget hotels in Egypt are not expensive, so you can always get a room in a budget-friendly place and sleep in a calmer, more comfortable atmosphere. If you are really on a budget, just book an overnight bus, which I’ll share about below.
The train is not modern and is not comfortable: I explained earlier, but I did not get a good night’s sleep at all on my train ride. I arrived to Luxor feeling groggy and tired, and would have preferred flying and getting a hotel for the night.
The food is not good: The train includes a dinner and a breakfast, which you can see here. Dinner was ok, but I would never consider paying for a meal like it and only ate it because I had no other options, whereas breakfast was really not good; I only ended up eating around 1-2 things from the breakfast tray.
The food was so dry it was almost inedible - I wish I had bought a falafel sandwich beforehand and brought it on board with me!
You don’t see much: A lot of times, travelers tell me that they want to take the train to “see the countryside”, but you don’t really end up seeing much. You board the train at night after it’s already dark, and you arrive to Luxor or Aswan in the morning. At the most, you might only have 1-2 hours of daylight to look out the window.
There is the potential for delays: The sleeper train is usually (somewhat) on time. On my trip, we only arrived 30 minutes later than originally planned. However, sometimes, these trains can be delayed by hours, and I heard that a few months before I took my train, some guests were delayed by 8 hours when they took the sleeper train. Delays on domestic flights in Egypt, longer than a couple hours, are almost unheard of.
Even though I don’t recommend taking the train, there are still some benefits:
It’s more carbon-friendly than flying: Traveling by train is a much better way to reduce your carbon footprint than taking a plane.
The service is great and friendly: While on the train, the attendants are very helpful and make the experience more enjoyable.
You can experience traveling by train in Egypt: For some travelers, experiencing rail travel is very important, and the sleeper train lets you do this. However, if you have the chance, I much more recommend taking the train between Cairo and Alexandria than taking the sleeper train to Luxor/Aswan.
It will save you a small amount of money: Taking the sleeper train will save you around $50 USD compared to taking a flight and getting a budget hotel.
It is more central: Taking the sleeper train means you can go to Ramses Station in the heart of Cairo, and get our at Luxor or Aswan train stations, which are very centrally located, instead of the airports, which are far outside the city centers.
How Long is the Sleeper Train from Cairo to Luxor/Aswan?
The train is supposed to be 8 hours from Cairo to Luxor, and 11/12 to Aswan. When I took the sleeper train, it took us around 8 hours and 45 minutes to get from Cairo to Luxor, and delays like this are very common on the sleeper train. The reverse journey has the same durations: around 8 hours from Luxor back to Cairo, and 11/12 from Aswan back to Cairo.
Sleeper Train Alternatives: Fly, bus, or normal train
There are three great alternatives to the sleeper train:
Flying (my favorite): Taking a flight between Cairo and Luxor or Aswan is very, very easy. Multiple flights per day leave from Cairo and go nonstop to both Luxor and Aswan. Flight prices are very reasonable, many times cheaper than the ticket for the sleeper train, and you can take Uber to Cairo Airport for only around $5-10 USD. I love getting on a flight, and in just one hour (or an hour and 15 minutes for Aswan) I have reached my destination. I then can get a budget hotel if I want to save some money, and get a very good night’s sleep, instead of taking the uncomfortable train.
Take a bus: There are plenty of buses that go between Cairo and Luxor/Aswan – I prefer taking Go Bus, as they are the most tourist-friendly, tickets can be purchased online, and the bus stations are very conveniently located.
The bus will usually end up being faster than the train, and the tickets are much, much cheaper! You can even book an overnight bus is you want to save the money on a hotel for a night, although, like the train, you will probably not get a very restful sleep. The buses often play movies all night at a high volume, and the air-conditioning is often set very low – bring warm clothes!
Take a traditional train: This would be my least-recommended option, but you can book a traditional train ticket between Cairo and Luxor/Aswan. Tickets are $25 USD for foreigners, one way, in second class, and $35 for first class. I recommend first class for the wider seat and more leg room. The train will still have the same potential for long delays, so be ready to adjust plans if necessary.
What do you think about taking the sleeper train in Egypt? Would you consider the sleeper train between Cairo and Luxor or Aswan? Leave a comment and let me know! What questions do you have that I didn’t answer about the sleeper train – ask me below! Have you taken the sleeper train? Let us know what your experience was like!
