We're visiting Cairo for a week in July and are thinking about taking our two young sons on the Turbotrain to Alexandria. Anyone know if we can make it a day trip, or if we're better off spending the night? And, more importantly, any itinerary suggestions?
Thanks!

I am also interested in things to do in Cairo in July. my husband is working in Cairo and my 2 teens and I are going in late June/July.

Alexandria made a good day trip from Cairo--we saw pretty much everything. We would have seen more if the weather hadn't been AWFUL the day we were there.

It'll be lovely in July.

Debbie Senters takes small groups on a nice day tour of Alexandria. You can look her up on this forum.

We researched and decided where we wanted to go, took the train, and hired a cab when we got there to take us around for a few hours. Didn't cost much, and we found a very nice
cabbie who spoke quite a bit of English.

Getting the train tickets was a pain. I kept getting conflicting information as to what time the "fast" trains were. Then, first we were told there were "no tickets", then told to stand in line (forever). I finally stood in a ticket line with a female agent and she sold us the tickets.

Not sure what the big problem was. The train was NOT full. Then we ended up on the slow train back to Cairo for some reason and got back really late. If it hadn't been so smelly and cold, we could have at least slept. Oh well, chalk it up to an "adventure." I wish we'd been sure of the day we could go; I would have hired Debbie.

We should have skipped the National museum. It's nice, but didn't have anything we hadn't seen in all the other museums around Egypt. More Greek and Roman stuff but I've seen enough headless armless statues to last my lifetime. My daughter did seem interested, though.

Her favorite thing was the catacomb tombs, and she liked the library. The villa of the birds is a bomb, although it was fun to walk over that way and see how they've sorted rubble into little piles of flooring, pottery, etc. Not a particularly outstanding Greco-Roman ruin.

Maybe your boys would like some time at one of the beaches. Or a picnic in one of the parks. If they're old enough, a scuba dive in the harbor to see the underwater ruins.

Hope you have fun.

We took a day trip from Cairo to Alexandria by train in August of last year. We were able to see most of the major sites and returned back in the evening to our hotel in Cairo. Also, during the summmer months, many of the locals vacation in Alexandria and it might be difficult getting a hotel room (not sure). Sites 1. Library of Alexandria 2. Lighthouse which is one of the seven wonders of the world 3. The Palace and Gardens (had lunch there). And it's cooler with the seabreeze as opposed to Cairo.

Mowmow - Thank you for your recomendation.
AgathaM - I'm Debbie

I'm not sure how much more Fodor's will let me say without deleting my post, so just contact me at [email protected] to find out more if you want.

Thank you so much.
Debbie

Your two young sons might like the mummified crocodile in the Museum. But hanging out at the beach might be a better idea for them.

There's a couple hotels that are on the grounds of the former summer palace. There's grass & gardens for the kids to run & play on, too.