What's the best way to travel between Cairo and Luxor?

Hi! I’m planning a trip to Egypt in July with my 14-year-old daughter. We’ll spend a week in Cairo visiting different sites, and then we’d like to take a cruise for several days (4 to 6 days) from Luxor to Aswan. Should I take the train or a flight from Cairo to Luxor? Thanks for your advice!

Best, F

Hi there, It's a trade-off between price and time: flying is more expensive but faster and less tiring, taking about 1 hour. For the train, it's an overnight trip... preferably during the day. Check current prices on the websites...

I'd personally go for the flight, but it depends! Have a great evening.

The most budget-friendly option (and also the kindest to our planet :-) ) is the daytime train. The overnight train is way overpriced. Plus, the daytime train lets you enjoy the scenery. A Cairo-Luxor ticket costs 200 EGP (~10 €) in 1st class and 120 EGP (~6 €) in 2nd class air-conditioned. However, ticket counters at Cairo station often refuse to sell tickets for trains other than the overnight one, claiming tourists are only allowed that train. But you can easily buy your ticket yourself via https://enr.gov.eg (there’s a link to switch to English). You book, pay online, and print your ticket. The system is clearly designed for foreigners too, since you enter your nationality. No issues on board with this ticket—I tested it last November. Last option: board the train without a ticket and catch the conductor as soon as they pass to buy one on the spot. You’ll just pay a small extra fee for buying it onboard. I’ve seen tourists do this without any problems. The best train is the express 980, which leaves Cairo at 8:00 AM and arrives in Luxor at 6:15 PM. All schedules are available here.

Hi there, Sure, it's no comparison to flight prices: around 100 € depending on the day.

I don’t know the prices for the overnight train; if you have them, I’d be interested: a full day on the train isn’t for us...

Have a great day!

According to seat61, the overnight train costs $80 for two people in a cabin and $110 if you're traveling solo.

Hi there! For flights: you can book a cheap flight ticket (3 months in advance) – that means a good price with EgyptAir for 80 to 120 €! Anyway, it's the fastest and most comfortable option, taking only about 1 hour! For trains: I recommend the sleeper train, which costs $80, and the trip from Cairo to Aswan takes around 10 hours! But I wouldn’t recommend the seated train – it stops at more than 10 stations, takes over 11 hours, and costs around 15 €. Safe travels! MoMo

Our train was 5 hours late—so much for saving a day of travel! For 10 times less, we should’ve just traveled during the day. When we asked the local company selling train tickets for compensation, they blew us off!!!!

There's an overnight bus you can take near the station: 10 € round trip. Not comfortable but practical. You can't buy a regular train ticket at the station—only sleeper trains for 150 €.

Several trains run daily between Cairo’s Ramses Station and Luxor, from 8 AM to 11 PM.

Hi everyone, I think you might have missed the date on this post—it’s over 5 years old! But no worries. Thoutmosis