The local currency is the Egyptian pound (written as LE)
Currency conversion can be made using the link below:

 XE.com Currency Converter

Egypt Air Site

http://www.egyptair.com.eg

Getting to Egypt

You can get there by planes, trains, ferry and bus ! One airline that offers flights into Egypt is Gulf Air, and you can check flight details with them by clicking here.


Getting around Egypt

Egypt has a remarkably good - and cheap - rail network. Egyptian trains offer four classes of accommodation:

> 1st class air-conditioned
> 2nd class air-conditioned
> 2nd class ordinary (better thought of as 3rd class)
> 3rd class (better thought of as 4th class)

Fares

Fares are extremely cheap by European and American standards. Take your student ISIC card if you have one - these may give you a 33% reduction. Some very approximate one-way fares are shown below.

Cairo to Luxor and Aswan

There are four different ways to travel by train between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan :

1- Daytime air-conditioned express train with comfortable 1st & 2nd class seats. The journey takes most of the day, but just relax and enjoy the scenery. The trains run along the Nile for much of the journey, past palm trees, camels, and fellahin working in the fields. Cairo to Luxor in 1st class costs about LE 50. Cairo to Aswan costs about LE 60.

2- Overnight air-conditioned express train with comfortable 1st & 2nd class seats - see the 'air-conditioned express' pictures at this link. This saves time compared with travelling by day, but costs less than the deluxe sleeper. Cairo to Aswan costs about LE 60 one-way 1st class air-conditioned. Take a fleece or jumper - the air-con can be quite powerful..!

3- Overnight deluxe sleeper: To save time and travel in comfort, take the deluxe overnight sleeping-car train. This has modern air-conditioned sleeping-cars with 1- and 2-berth rooms, and a club / lounge car - see the photos below. The fare includes an evening tray-meal and breakfast. The sleeper train is now run by a company called Abela Egypt, and special tourist-orientated fares apply, about US$50 per person one-way sharing a 2-berth compartment or US$70 in a 1-berth compartment from Cairo to either Luxor or Aswan. Passengers travelling alone who don't want to pay the extra for a single-berth compartment will be booked into a 2-berth compartment with another traveller of the same sex. For more information on the Abela Egypt sleeper train, see www.sleepingtrains.com.

4- Slow trains: There are also 2nd & 3rd class slow trains, which are very basic and not recommended for tourists  see the 'ordinary trains' pictures towards the top of the page. Government restrictions have recently been introduced which may prevent tourists from using these trains at all, unless you simply get on without a ticket and pay the conductor on board.


Trains (other than the sleeper train) can also be used for travel between Luxor and Aswan. Most trains also call at Asyût, Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Esna. All trains call at El Giza station about 20 minutes after leaving / before arriving at Cairo.

UPPER EGYPT: Between Cairo and Aswan

Sleeper Trains. Privacy, a comfortable bed in which to sleep, a fine dinner (served with wine or cocktails at extra charge), and excellent service are the hallmarks of Egypt's sleeper trains. The sleeper trains run between Cairo and Aswan. Leaving from Rameses Station in Cairo, this train makes few stops: Giza Station, Assyuit, Luxor, Aswan. Typically the sleeper trains have about 8-12 sleeper cars. Cabins are either single or double. Rates for a single cabin are considerably higher than per person rates in a double cabin. However, the ticket price does include dinner (usually quite good!).

Current summer rates for a single cabin (round trip) are: £E241 per person in a single cabin versus £E158 per person in a double cabin. Rates are slightly higher for the "high" (winter) tourist season: £E262 and £E172.60, respectively. One-way fares in summer are: £E85.90 (double cabin) and £E101.55 (single cabin). One-way winter fares are: £E93.50 and £E143.60, respectively.

The sleeper train has an added attraction not found on other trains: a comfortable dining/drink car. It is decorated with wood paneling, brass lights, and friendly waiters attend to your every need. You might even get a little free entertainment by dancing and singing waiters in the refreshment car. The Sleeper Train leaves from Rameses Station each evening at 8:45 pm. Since your travel is mostly at night, views of the countryside are limited to early morning.

First and Second Class Cars.

Wide, comfortable seats that recline and provide an adjustable foot rest typify First Class train service (usually 3 seats per row configured with 2 seats on one side of the aisle and 1 on the other side). Although not as inviting for sleep as a bunk, these seats allow most people to stretch out enough for reasonably comfortable sleep. Second Class seats are slightly smaller, less plush, and are configured with 2 seats on each side of the aisle. They are actually quite comfortable for service up to 3 or 4 hours, but not terribly comfortable for sleeping. Service on First Class trains is quite good; though Second Class does not have quite the same standard, it is certainly acceptable. The French train from Cairo to Aswan leaves from Rameses Station at 7:30 am and provides an excellent view of the countryside. Spanish trains leave from Rameses Station at 8:45 pm and 10:00 pm. On these late trains, the only view of the countryside is early in the morning from about Luxor on to Aswan. From Cairo to Aswan, 1st Class cars are at the front of the train near the engine; whereas, from Aswan to Cairo, the 1st Class cars are at the back of the train.

Food Service.

In both classes, dinner (again good food) can be purchased for generally less than £E30. Additionally, there is ½ car that is a buffet car – a little tricky for the average tourist. However, throughout the trip, someone will come to you from time to time to offer tea, mineral water, coffee, club sandwiches, cheese sandwiches, croissants or sweet rolls. You can also ask for a breakfast tray (about £E10). Drink prices range from £E1.25 – 2.0; sandwich from 2.5 – 7.0; and sweet roll for about £E1.

Toilets.

Toilets are located at the back of each car. Don't have high expectations! They are functional and private; may or may not be clean. You will find a standard, western styled flush toilet and a sink. Do bring your own toilet paper if you do not plan to use traditional Egyptian water clean-up! Don't flush while in a station – refuse empties onto the tracks!

Luggage handling.

There are always people hanging around the train stations willing to help you with your bags. About £E2 per bag is an appropriate tip. Also, don't forget to tip the man dressed in gray (outside and later on your train car), who will store your heavy luggage (in a locked compartment at the back of the car), until your arrival. Same rate applies.

Conductor.

The train conductor will be dressed in blue with a patch or embroidered name saying "Chief of the Train" in Arabic. He will check your tickets after the first stop. A conductor will also check your tickets after stopping in Assyuit and Luxor (going from Cairo to Aswan) due to a personnel change.

Security.

All trains have security officers. Normal security is a transport police officer. On trains with a lot of tourists, there will also be a general security police officer from the tourist police. Tourist policemen will be in uniform; however, security police do not necessarily wear a uniform. All carry some type of weapon.

Timeliness.

Count on trains being on time! Egyptian trains are almost always exactly on time. Infrequently, a train may be delayed as much as one-half hour, but this is extremely rare.

Cost.

Price of a 1st Class ticket from Cairo to Aswan (one-way) is £E69; from Cairo to Luxor is £E60. Second Class is approximately 15% less than first class.

Where does the train stop, how long does it take, and how far is it?

It is about 882 km from Rameses Station in Cairo to Aswan. It generally takes about 12 hours by train (9 hours to Luxor) for the fast trains and 1 or 2 hours longer for the slow trains that stop at more villages and towns along the way. Major stops for the fast trains from Cairo's Rameses Station to Aswan: Giza (all trains stop in Giza, a western suburb of Cairo; the train crosses the Nile from the east to the west side of the river); Beni Suef; Minia; Assyuit; Suhag; Gherga; Nagha Hamaadi (the train crosses the Nile from the west side to the east side of the river here); Qena; Luxor; Esna, Edfu; Kom Ombo; Aswan.