Train to Luxor
It sounds romantic. 🚂
I have read previous accounts of the wonders of Egyptian train travel.[1] My experience was not so great (sadly).
The best parts were 1) I was with my husband, 2) we arrived safely, and 3) we made it to beautiful Qurna!
Following is my otherwise not so wonderful experience on the National Railroad journey from Alexandria to Luxor.
Buying the tickets
Despite being married to an Egyptian for 10 years, I still had to line up under ‘Foreign Tickets’ at the rail station. What this means is that if you aren’t Egyptian you pay significantly more for the same trip, and get yelled at by locals wondering why you are in a shorter line. I responded, “I'm white, so I get to pay more!” (أنا أبيض لذلك يجب أن أدفع أكثر!)
For example I paid $67USD (3189 EGP) for a seat beside my husband, who paid 300 EGP.
2nd Class Train tickets
Alexandria to Luxor
At first they tried to sell me a ticket on a different train than my husband, but we had to practically beg to be on the same train. I wanted to travel by day, to see the countryside, but you need to book at least 2-3 weeks in advance (we only booked a week in advance) so our only option was an overnight train sitting in chairs.
On the Train
Despite being an overnight train, they kept the lights on all night and every hour there were people wondering through trying to sell food and tea (by yelling). I was also asked repeatedly to show my ticket (only me) because they probably wanted to check that I had paid the foreign price. The ticket checker is accompanied by a police officer. It was never a pleasant request either.
The seats were so dirty, oil stained at the headrest, I doubt they had ever been washed. And yes, when they turned off the power for a bit before leaving, when the lights came on I did see cockroaches! 🪳It was also very cold as they kept the air conditioning on full blast.
When finally sunrise came, it was still beautiful countryside glowing in pink (through the dirty windows). One could still see boats on the canal, kids riding donkeys to school, palm trees and farmers in their fields.
Sunrise from the train
The trip took 14.5 hours.
It definitely was not as I expected (and certainly not romantic), and I have traveled extensively in developing countries. I honestly am not sure I would take the train here again.
If you have travelled in Egypt by train, please share your experience in the comments below.
[1] Lee, Jessica (2024) The best way to get around in Egypt. Lonely Planet. Posted online September 24, 2024. DD: Perhaps she travelled First Class - but believe me there is a huge difference between first and second class trains.
