Annie60

My tour includes an overnight train from Cairo to Aswan and I was curious what that will be like. What are the 'cabins' like? Are there bathrooms? Is there a dining car and what is the food like? I'm assuming it won't be like the bullet train from Paris to London.

Grcxx3

I never took the train, but here are a couple of threads that talk about the overnight train


http://tiny.cc/aMNqi

http://tiny.cc/ZLtcg

Oh - this is my first time using the tinyURL site.....so I hope this works

lerasp

we took an overnight train from cairo to luxor. we werent part of a tour, but just booked ourselves. We were in 1st class, but not sleeper. the highest class is sleeper, where you have bed. didn't see it, so can't comment. the 1st class are seats. it's 6 seats (3 together, facing another row of 3 with a table between) in a separate compartment. 1 bathroom per car. the seat recline some (and the actual seat slides out a little). they were comfy and i managed to get some decent sleep. dont' remember about a dining car - i'm sure there was, but i wouldn't eat on a train under any circumstances in egypt due to hygiene reasons. in any case, we left cairo at 11pm, got into luxor at 5am or so. easy, uneventful and peacful way to get to luxor. and super cheap - tickets were $10 each.

Annie60

Grcxx3 - thanks for the threads, I'll look into them.


lerasp - your experience is helpful.

I appreciate everyone's thoughts and help when I ask a question. You are all so helpful, thank you.

Casual_Cairo

The Sleeping Train is great. I'm a convert. I am basically pretty cheap so for years I only took the first class seated train. This was the case until one day I was at the train station in Luxor standing in a crazy long line to buy my return ticket and I saw that the Sleeping Train window was open. Then and there I decided it was a business investment to try the Sleeping Train so I'd know what it was like.

I found the Sleeping Train to be perfectly good. It is set up with bunk beds. If you share a compartment you may have the top or bottom bunk, but you can pay a premium as well and have a cabin to yourself. Also cabins can be set up adjoining so families can have some privacy but still be together.

Meals are included. Dinner is as good as any airline food and they don't ask if you want beef or chicken or fish, they give both of whatever they are serving. Breakfast is not as good unless you love bread. Breakfast comes with about 5 sorts of bread and some jam or butter to put on it.
Meals are served in your cabin. There is no dinner car.

There is however a bar car and that is where the smokers are supposed to go. It will be smokey, but it can be a party too if there is a group on board that wants a place to congregate.

The beds are semi comfortable. They are very clean. It is semi comfortable. Probably as comfortable as any train for sleeping. Take sleeping pills before going.

Have fun.

Casual_Cairo

Oh yeah...about the bathrooms -

The ones with the Sleeping Train are pretty good. They even usually have TP in them. The cabins only have a sink available. The porters watch them fairly well and keep them clean enough. If you have a pleasant experience remember to tip your porter well. He can make or break your Sleeping Train experience.


In the event your train is not the Sleeping Train, I recommend not driking too much. The toilets on that train aren't as good, and it only takes one person in your car who has the runs to wreck it for the rest of you. Best to not need it if possible.

Annie60

I definately like knowing that the toilets in the sleeping cars are not so horrendious as those I read about in the links earlier. Also, I liked the note about tipping. Good idea. This was all very good info, thank you Casual_Cairo. I'm so glad you took the chance and relayed your experience here. Nice to know about the dining and the club car. Thank you!