Egypt Night Train 2026: Cairo to Aswan Travel Guide
Navigate Egypt's wonders! This guide breaks down transportation from Cairo to Aswan, including the Abela night train, flights, and buses for 2026.
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Navigate Egypt's wonders! This guide breaks down transportation from Cairo to Aswan, including the Abela night train, flights, and buses for 2026.
Your journey's smooth sailing starts here with <Travel Lubricant>.
Today, we're diving into one of the essential modes of transport for your Egyptian adventure: the night train.
Let's compare it with other transportation options, learn how to book the night train, and more!
Egypt How to Book the Night Train Abela |
How to Get from Cairo ➡️ Aswan
There are three main ways to get from Cairo to Aswan: by plane, train, or bus.
Since both trains and buses offer overnight travel,
let's explore the pros and cons of planes, trains, and buses.
Category | Operator | Pros | Cons |
Plane | Local Airlines (EgyptAir/Air Cairo) | Fast (approx. 1 hour 30 min) | Expensive (up to ~$104) + airport transfer cost |
Night Train | Abela | Can save on accommodation costs | Expensive (approx. ~$90) Slow (13 hours) |
Bus | SuperJet | Affordable (approx. ~$14) | No restroom Older buses |
Night Bus | 12GO | Affordable (approx. ~$21) Can save on accommodation costs | Slow (14 hours) |
✈️How to Book a Plane Ticket
Compare and book after checking various sites like Google Flights, Skyscanner, Naver Air, etc.
🚃How to Book the Night Train (Abela)
① Sign Up
② Select Departure Station / Arrival Station / Date / Seat / Foreigners
③ Select Train
④ Enter Passenger Data / Meal / Passport Information
⑤ Card Payment (Visa / Master)
🚌How to Book a Bus (SuperJet)
🚌How to Book a Night Bus (12GO)
How to Book the Night Train (Abela)
1. Sign Up
To book the night train, you first need to sign up.
Click "Sign up" in the upper right corner of the homepage.
Fill in the blanks as shown in the picture.
① Account Type >> Personal
② Identification Type >> Passport
③ Country >> Republic of Korea
*Heads up, the country list might be a bit jumbled, so look for it near Japan and Italy!
After entering your address in English and clicking "Register Now", your registration will be complete.
1-1. What if registration isn't working?!
Sometimes, perhaps due to a website error, the "Register Now" button might not be active.
If this happens, simply download the "Abela" application on your mobile phone.
① Main Screen > Account > Register
② Enter Personal Information
You can refer to the images above in the registration section and fill in your information.
2. Making a Reservation
Train reservations open daily for a 2-month window.
(For example, if the current date is 3/20 ➡️ reservations are possible until ~5/19)
I wasn't able to register on PC, so I'll be explaining based on the 'Abela' app.
This is how to travel from Cairo to Aswan,
since Aswan is the final destination, you can also alight at Luxor.
Fill in the blanks as follows, then click "Search Now".
From >> EL-GIZA
TO >> ASWAN (Aswan)
*If you wish to alight at Luxor, select LUXOR
Trip Date >> Select your desired departure date
Train Type >> Bed
Nationality >> Foreigners
2-1. Select Your Train
Usually, 1 to 3 trains will appear.
The sleeper compartments on night trains are divided into upper and lower berths,
The price is ~$137 for a single / ~$95 for a double.
*For single occupancy, this means using a double room alone
A slight inconvenience here is that while departure times from EL-GIZA station are provided,
Aswan or Luxor station arrival times are not shown.
2-2. Checking Train Times
You can check train times on the Abela website,
via the link below.
After checking the train number you wish to board,
on the website, you can check the train schedule using the train number.
*Note: Egyptian trains are famous for 'delays'.
They sometimes depart on time..
3. Enter Passenger Information
After confirming the train number, departure date, departure station, and arrival station,
please enter your passenger information.
① Select Is Family (2 people) / Not Family (1 person)
*If you select Not Family when there are 2 people, you might be assigned to different cabins.
② Passenger type >> Foreigners
③ Type of cabin (Train Type) >> Single (for single room occupancy) / Double (for double room occupancy)
④ Country >> Republic of Korea
⑤ Meal >> Select according to your preference
*The onboard meal is famously not great.
⑥ Identity type >> Passport / Enter Passport Number
Once all information has been entered, click "Book".
4. Payment
Only Visa and Mastercard are accepted for payment.
Click the Visa / Mastercard icon
Enter your Card Number / Expiry Date / Code (CVV, CVC)
Click "Pay" in the bottom right to proceed to the payment page.
If you see a page like the one above, payment was successful!!
Double (for 2 people) = $189
*Approx. ~$190 (as of March '25)
5. Ticket Confirmation
Return to the Abela main page and click "My travels"
Select the date range for the tickets you wish to check.
I booked the train from Cairo to Aswan
as a Double / for 2 people.
After carefully checking your information / departure station / arrival station / departure time,
confirm your Coach Order and Seat Number.
*Coach Order >> Train Car
*Seat Number >> Seat Number
If the train cars are different, you'll end up in separate cars, so you'll need to rebook.
6. Review
I'll upload my review of the Abela night train from Cairo to Aswan sometime in May.
During the Abela night train booking process for travel from Cairo to Aswan, you are instructed to select 'EL-GIZA' as the departure station. This is the designated station name used within the booking system.
The Abela night train offers two types of sleeper cabins: single and double. A single cabin costs $136.5, and a double cabin costs $94.5 per person, totaling $189 for two people.
Only Visa and Master cards can be used for Abela night train ticket payments. You can complete the payment by entering your card number, expiry date, and security code (CVV, CVC).
If you are unable to register on the Abela website because the 'Register Now' button is not active, you can download the 'Abela' application on your mobile phone to proceed with registration. On the app's main screen, go to 'Account' > 'Register' and enter your personal information.
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