Aswan to Luxor by train or road
 

Hello there!

We are a group of 9 (6 adults, 3 kids aged 14, 8 and 6) and are going to Egypt in December. Has anyone here done the journey from Aswan to Luxor by train or road? I would have loved to do a cruise but unfortunately it is not fitting within our budget and I keep hearing from tour operators that for December, since it is such a popular time, either most of them are already booked or super expensive. Can someone please share your experiences on road and train trips? Based on the research I have done, I could gather the following. Please clarify, correct and answer questions and help me decide! The major difference right off the bat with the train via road is that one would have to skip Kom Obo, Edfu and Esna templates on the train route. However, I am wondering perhaps that is okay for our group since we are trying to balance it with kids. We will be doing several temples in Luxor and I am thinking perhaps we can make the tradeoff of skipping temples along the way in favor of a quicker and more fun and relaxing train journey with the kids.

By road:

1. If you visit the temples, it can take 9 hours. Without temples, about 3 - 4 hours.
2. The traffic can be hectic and chaotic
3. Not much to eat along the way. Pack a lunch at departure.
4. How about reliable restrooms? That is, conveniently located and semi-clean?
5. Is the scenery pretty?
6. Are there any hidden local gems along the way?

By train:

1. Takes about 3 hours
2. Con is that you cannot stop and visit the temples along the way
3. Get some food on the train
4. Reliable restrooms.
5. Scenery - Very pretty
6. Have to arrange for transportation from hotel to train station at either end.

For your needs, I would probably take the train. As we took a cruise, I can’t say what the actual experience is like but having seen the temples you would miss, I’ve seen the temples between Luxor and Aswan. While they are all very impressive, I suspect kids (depending on their ages) will get very tired of seeing so many. And if you’re going to visit Aswan, you’ll still have more than enough temples to visit. Though I will qualify my recommendation for the train and say that if you’re interested in temples, Edfu is magnificent and Kom Ombo is wonderful and also has a crocodile museum on site which was really amazing to see. Crocodile mummies!

It really depends upon what your group is looking for. I would put most of my time in Luxor. The Karnak temple complex and Luxor temples are astounding to see, though will likely be busy. And the tombs - OMG. Visiting the tombs at the various locations are an amazing experience. While the Valley of the Kings is likely to be crowded (and the tombs there are astounding), try to also see some of the other valleys, such as the Valley of the Nobles and Valley of the Artisans (Workers). Those will be much less crowded and are wonderfully intimate.

Thanks Progol! I think the train is looking very appealing. Although I do hate to skip the temples along the way. So much to see, so many decisions, such less time! hahaha. Will have to plan a second trip.

I’d love to go back, too. There’s so much to see that one visit doesn’t begin to capture everything that there is to see. So we see what we can and enjoy it. It’s a rich dessert of sights to see and experiences to have! And to share it with kids should be a delight!