Train travel in:
Train travel in Egypt . . .
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Train travel in: |
Train travel in Egypt . . . |
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How to buy tickets: Online...Direct online booking of Egyptian trains is not possible, so you'll have to buy tickets either through one of these suggested local travel agencies by email, by phone or email to Abela Egypt (if you want the Cairo-Luxor sleeper) or at the station when you get there as described below. In fact, there does now seem to be an online reservation facility on the Egyptian Railways website (www.egyptrail.gov.eg, click 'English' then 'Reservation services'), but (a) this only covers the Cairo-Alexandria route at present and (b) it does not appear to accept non-Egyptian credit cards (I've tried!). Feedback from anyone who has successfully used this facility would be welcome. How to buy tickets: At the station...It's easy to buy tickets at the station ticket office when you get to Egypt, although a degree of patience is called for... Cairo main station has several booking windows, one for each class and group of destinations, so check that you are joining the right queue. You can pay for train tickets in Egyptian pounds, except for the deluxe Abela Egypt sleeper which must be paid in foreign currency (dollars, euros or pounds sterling) at the Abela Egypt sleeper office. Alternatively, if you don't mind paying commission, you can use a local travel agent to buy tickets on your behalf. Except during busy periods, it's normally easy to get 1st class tickets on the day of travel or the day before. The deluxe overnight sleeper train from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan often has places available if you book a day or two in advance, but at peak tourist times it can get fully-booked by tour groups, so pre-booking from outside Egypt is recommended if you cannot afford to take a chance. How to buy tickets: From www.osoris.com, www.safariegypt.com, www.egyptlegend.comIf you want to book Egyptian train tickets in advance before you leave home, you can book by e-mail through several Egyptian travel agencies. Reputable agencies include www.egyptlegend.com/trainreservation.htm, www.osoris.com, www.egyptiants.net, www.safariegypt.com and (in Luxor) www.sunrisetours-eg.com. Osoris charges fares about $10 higher than the normal ticket price, plus a $5 booking fee if you collect the tickets from their office in Cairo, a $25 booking fee if you want them delivered to your hotel, $25 for delivery to the airport to meet your flight, or $20 to meet you with the tickets at Cairo railway station. They also make a 6% credit card charge. To book, e-mail them at egypt@osoris.com, call + 20 2 302 8561 or fax + 20 2 3464146. Feedback on agencies, good or bad, is always welcome. Both Osoris and Egyptlegend have been recommended so far by travellers, though one negative comment has been received about Egyptlegend. How to buy tickets for the Cairo-Luxor-Aswan sleeper: call + 20 2 574 94 74 or fax +20 2 574 90 74
The best way to book the deluxe sleeper train between Cairo, Luxor
&
Aswan is direct with Abela Egypt who run
these trains, by phone, fax or email. Times & fares are on Abela Egypt's website, www.sleepingtrains.com.
You can in theory e-mail your booking request to reservation@sleepingtrains.com,
but travellers report that they don't usually get a reply.
Instead, fax your request to + 20 2 574 90 74 or
phone their reservation office on + 20 2 574 94 74 or + 20 2
574 92 74. Travellers report that the reservations
office responds to faxes quickly. They will give you a
booking reference and you can pick up the tickets and pay
for them (in US Dollars or Euros) at the Abela Egypt sleeper
reservation office at Cairo station. You must collect
them at least 24 hours before departure. If you cannot
pick up tickets at least 24 hours in advance, the
alternative is
to book through a travel agency as recommended above, paying
slightly higher fares plus a booking fee. Learn Arabic numbers...A top tip for train travel in Egypt is to learn Arabic numbers. The indicator boards at main stations use Arabic numerals to show train numbers, departure times and platform numbers, not western numbers. If you know Arabic numbers, you can read these, making it easy to find your train from the departure time, even if you can't read the destination. Similarly, your ticket will show your train number, date of travel, coach number and seat or berth number in Arabic numbers, not western ones. Arabic numbers are written left-to-right, exactly like western numbers, even though Arabic words are written right-to-left. To print these Arabic numbers, right-click the image and click 'print picture'. Cairo - Luxor - Aswan government tourist restrictions...Since the terrorist attacks in Egypt some years ago, the Egyptian government has put restrictions on which trains foreigners may take between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, allegedly so that the government can assure tourists' safety. Details are difficult to confirm, but tourists are definitely allowed to take (1) the Abela Egypt overnight sleeper trains, (2) the 07:40 air-conditioned daytime express and (3) the 22:00 overnight seats express, but not (it's reported by several travellers, much to their annoyance) the 11:00 air-conditioned express or any of the 2nd or 3rd class non-air-con ordinary trains. It's also possible that you will be sold a 1st class ticket but not a 2nd class one. Insist on the specific train and class you want, and be prepared to argue your case if necessary. If you want to travel on a slow ordinary train, one way to get round the restrictions is to board the train without a ticket and pay the conductor when he comes round. Another option if you have any trouble at the ticket office is to find a local Egyptian travel agency willing to book for you. There are no tourist restrictions on other routes, for example Cairo-Alexandria, where you can take any train you like.
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