Egypt
Egypt spans the north-east corner of Africa and, across the Sinai, the south-west corner of Asia, with the Mediterranean to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Libya to the west and Sudan to the south. More than 107 million people live there — the most of any Arab country and the third most in Africa — and nearly all of them live along the Nile and its delta, because the rest is desert. Cairo is the capital and largest city; Alexandria, on the Mediterranean coast, is the second.
The railway follows exactly the same logic. Egyptian National Railways is the oldest network in Africa and the Middle East — Robert Stephenson engineered the first stretch of it in the 1850s, fifteen years before the Suez Canal opened — and it runs where the people are: north from Cairo to Alexandria, and the whole length of the Nile valley to Luxor and Aswan. Trains reach almost everywhere Egyptians go, from the Mediterranean to the First Cataract, they are inexpensive by any standard, and the valley line is comfortably one of the classic railway journeys of the world.
Rail journeys in Egypt
Cairo to Alexandria
Two hours down the green fan of the Nile Delta to the Mediterranean, on the oldest railway in Africa — built before the Suez Canal was even dug.
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Cairo to Aswan Sleeper
An overnight down the length of Upper Egypt — dinner, a fold-down berth, and the Nile sliding past the window from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan.
View journey →Good to know
Is it safe to travel Egypt by train?
The main Nile Valley line between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan is heavily travelled by tourists and Egyptians alike, and the overnight sleeper is a comfortable, well-established way to make the journey. As anywhere, check your government's current travel advice before you go, keep an eye on your belongings in busy stations, and book the sleeper — with its lockable cabins — rather than sitting up overnight in an ordinary carriage.
What is the sleeper train from Cairo to Aswan like?
It is run by Abela Trains in lockable two-berth cabins with a washbasin, with dinner and breakfast served at your seat and included in the fare. Cabins come in three vintages — the newest "Elite" refit, the Spanish (CAF) refurbishment and the original German interiors — so comfort varies, but all give you a bed, a door that locks and the Nile going by outside.
Can you day-trip from Cairo to Alexandria by train?
Easily. The Cairo–Alexandria line is Egypt's busiest intercity route, with more than thirty trains a day each way; the fast Talgo covers the 208 km in about two and a half hours. Many travellers ride up in the morning, spend the day by the Mediterranean and take an evening train back — a whole second city seen in a day.
Do I need to book Egyptian trains in advance?
For the sleeper, yes — cabins are limited and sell out in the high season (roughly October to April). Book directly with the operator at abelatrains.com, or through a booking agent. Ordinary day trains, including those from Cairo to Alexandria, are easy to get and rarely need booking far ahead.