The Train from Cairo to Aswan

The place was a madhouse; it was jam-packed with people. People frantically ran up and down the platform, searching for a few inches of space to push themselves into the teeming cars. Fights broke out, curses were shouted, both men and women attempted to carry absurd and unwieldy items onboard. The trains left with doors open, and passengers were hanging from the handrails, passengers hanging on to the hands of other passengers the only thing keeping them from falling onto the tracks.  And photography was strictly prohibited.

This was the scene as Alexis and I arrived at the Cairo Train Station in Egypt. As part of our December 2019 tour of Egypt, we took the overnight train from Cairo to Aswan. I must admit that I was looking forward to the overnight train experience. My train experience was limited to the NY/NJ Path, NJ Transit, and the NYC Subway.   When planning the trip, I pictured myself in the dining car with white-jacketed servers brining cold martinis and relaxing before entering a luxurious sleeper car.    The train station in Cairo is earthy, that is old and dirty, and the trains were old. The station had a significant police presence, as did much of Egypt. There is an ever-present fear of terrorism in Egypt, although I never felt unsafe. 

The station was packed with Egyptian commuters on the platform waiting for the second or third-class commuter trains that travel the same route south.  We learned these second and third-class trains cost only a few bucks per ticket, but they are packed in like sardines, reserved for local Egyptians, don’t have to air-condition, and often have only standing room. The trains had seen better days.

The sleeper train arrived and left on time. Space in the compartment was limited with two large luggage bags. A lower and upper berths were lowered into place one hour after the 19.45 departure.

The cabins were tiny! Once the conductor put the bunk boards down, there was barely enough room to stand beside the bed. I refer to the bunks as boards for a reason… The food was inedible, consisting of carbs and some gelatinous material that was supposed to be meat. The washrooms were at the end of the train car they were unpleasant.

I tucked into bed. The blanket was thick, the bed firm, and the pillow soft. Every so often a lamp along the rail would shine a light into the compartment. Or I’d hear a bit of commotion as we’d reach one station or another in the middle of the night.

Around midnight, it was time to drift off to sleep. The train rocked back and forth and clicked clanked against the track every few minutes. To be honest, I was probably too excited about the train to sleep.

As dawn light began to pour through blinds, the attendant rapped on the door to signal that he would be bringing breakfast. I was groggy from several hours of drifting in half-sleep. I should mention Alexis slept like a baby.

With the swaying of the train and track noise and frequent stops in the first few hours, sleeping wasn’t easy, but a few good hours were managed to arrive reasonably refreshed. Breakfast delivered was tea or coffee with a croissant, jam, pastry, bread roll.

Now, our tour included a return overnight train ride back to Cairo after our lower Egypt tour.  I was so glad that we would leave the tour for a side excursion to Sharm el-Sheikh by plane.

Sharm el-Sheikh is an Egyptian resort town between the desert of the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea. It’s known for its sheltered sandy beaches, clear waters and coral reefs. A different Egyptian experience. 

I like to think of myself as a traveler, not a tourist, and I was glad for the opportunity to experience a piece of Egyptian life up-close and personal. The station and the sleeper car provided an authentic travel experience.  I was glad to have taken the sleeper train, but it’s not something, I needed to do more than once.