Middle East - Anthony Ham [131]
There are sometimes buses to Aswan (originating in Cairo) at 4am and 3pm (E£15), though the train is a much more reliable and comfortable option.
If you wish to head to Al-Kharga and the Western Oases, you’ll need to catch the Cairo-bound train to Asyut and change for a bus to Al-Kharga there.
If you are travelling to the Red Sea coast, you’ll need to catch a Hurghada-bound bus to Qift (minutes before Qena), from where you can hop on the 11am, 3.30pm or 6pm bus to Al-Quseir (E£15, three hours) and Marsa Alam (E£30, five hours).
Convoy
It is usually compulsory for foreigners with private transport (including private taxis) to travel out of Luxor in a police convoy. At the time of research you were forced to travel by convoy to Aswan, Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Hurghada, Dendara, Abydos, Qena, and part way to Marsa Alam and Al-Quseir. There are 10 checkpoints between Luxor and Hurghada and nine between Luxor and Aswan, so your chances of travelling outside the convoys are close to zilch.
The convoys to Hurghada leave at 8am, 2pm and 6pm daily, travelling via Qena and Safaga. The 8am convoy also stops at Dendara and Abydos, and the 2pm stops at Dendara but not Abydos. If you’re travelling to Al-Quseir, you need to travel the first part of the trip with the Hurghada convoy.
Convoys to Aswan leave at 7am, 11am and 3pm. The 7am convoy makes stops at Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo. If you’re travelling to Marsa Alam, you need to travel the first part of the trip with the Aswan convoy.
All convoys leave Luxor from a road off the Corniche, north of the general hospital and Luxor Museum (Map).
Cruises
The best times of the year for cruising are October/November and April/May. During the high season (October to May), an armada of cruise boats travels the Nile between Aswan and Esna (for Luxor), stopping at Edfu and Kom Ombo en route. You should be able to negotiate a decent discount on the usually high cruise price if you make your way to Esna and deal directly with the boat captains rather than booking through a travel agency. Feluccas can also be organised from Esna, but most travellers prefer to travel the other way (Aswan to Luxor), as this is how the current runs. Click here for more information.
Service Taxi
The service taxi station (Map) is on a street off Sharia al-Karnak, but because of police restrictions you will have to take an entire car and travel in convoy. This means paying about E£400 to Hurghada and E£250 to E£300 to Aswan. Be at the taxi stand 30 minutes before the convoy is due to leave.
With some gumption and perseverance, you may be able to persuade the police to let you travel the new direct road to Al-Kharga. If you can convince a taxi driver to take you, he will charge anywhere between E£400 to E£800 for the trip (three to four hours) due to the extra police hassle involved.
Train
Luxor’s train station (Map; Midan al-Mahatta) is conveniently located in the centre of town and contains a post office and left luggage facilities.
The Abela Egypt Sleeping Train ( 237 2015; www.sleepingtrains.com) services leave at 8pm and 9.30pm daily, arriving in Cairo at 5.45am and 6.45am the next morning. The trip costs US$60/80 per person one way in a double/single cabin and includes a basic dinner and breakfast. Children four to nine years old pay US$45. There are no student discounts and tickets must be paid for in US dollars or euros.
The only other Cairo trains that foreigners are allowed to take are train 981, departing at 9.30am; train 1903, departing at 9pm; and train 997, departing at 11.30pm. All trains stop in Qena (E£18/13 in 1st/2nd class) and Asyut (E£36/22 in 1st/2nd class). The trip to Cairo takes approximately 10 hours and costs E£91/40 in 1st/2nd class. Student discounts are available on all three services.
Foreigners are permitted to take three daily services to Aswan. These are train 996 (E£41/25 in 1st/2nd class), leaving at 7am; train 1902 (E£41/25), leaving at 9.20am; and train 980 (E£41/25), departing at 5pm. The trip takes three