bwm

Heading to Thailand from the states and chose Cairo as a stretching point to see the pyramids and other antiquities... I'm looking for advice on how my husband and I can spend nearly 5 days in Cairo and/or the surrounding area while staying safe and interested. We keep reading about Luxor and are wondering if we should train it down there for a day or two. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Happy New Year!

bobi

GO TO LUXOR! I really enjoyed the sites in Cairo and there is enough there to keep you busy, but the Karnak temple and Luxor temple (at night!) is wonderful. And don't forget Hatshepsut's mortuary temple, my favorite, and Valley of the Kings! I know you only have 5 days but if you can stay 2 days in Luxor I don't think you will be sorry. The shopping in Luxor was really good also. Bought a wonderful rug there. Enjoy your trip and if you have questions just ask and someone on foders will answer. This site is a wealth of info.

Toby1

It's Sunshine007 using Toby1's computer.

The train takes quite a while -- I'm thinking maybe ten hours -- to get from Cairo to Luxor. You might consider a plane trip -- more expensive, but much faster. Do give yourself two days in Luxor if you go -- especially if you don't do too well with jet lag & not enough sleep.

hastern01

Definitely go to Luxor. The sights are amazing, and 5 days sounds like a little too much in Cairo. I'd go with the overnight train. It's very efficient and will save you money on two nights in hotels.

jasher

Hello,

Does anyone know if there is a website with more information on the train between Cairo and Luxor?

Cheers,
Julian

Toby1

This is the Ministry of Tourism site.
http://www.egyptnow.com/english/tran.../trainschedual

run luxor cairo train schedual & you'll find more sites with information on the train.

jasher

Thanks! Have you taken the sleeper train? What are the accommodations like? I took a sleeper train from Berlin to Paris once, and it wasn't bad (though rather overheated).

Cheers,
Julian

hastern01

This is the link for the sleeping trains. http://www.sleepingtrains.com
We took it in July, and were pleasantly surprised (in part because our expectations were very low after we read some very negative things on this board). The cabin was perfectly clean, and comfortable. We felt very safe, due to the dozens of tourist police on the train. The bathrooms were tolerable, and basically what you would expect on any form of public transportation. I would definitely recommend it because it is so efficient.

thit_cho

I would definitely recommend a visit to Luxor. On my first trip to Cairo(which was for business), I had a free day and I flew to Luxor on the first flight and in a busy day I visited the Valleys of the Kings (three tombs) and Queens (three tombs), Hatshepsut's Temple (those are all on the west bank) and Luxor and Karnak Temples (on the east bank). It was a long day, but I never felt too rushed, and after the sound-and-light at Karnak, I caught the last flight back to Cairo. I would have welcomed an additional day, but I only had one day to spare and it was worth it. Sleeper trains are not for me, and the flight was an hour or so.

Michael

grayland

What flights are available from Cairo to Luxor?
Should they be booked before arriving in Egypt?
Is the information available on-line?