How To Go To Luxor
Getting To Luxor
1) By Air
Egypt Air (238 0581; Corniche an-Nil; h8am-8pm) Egypt Air normally operates flights to Cairo, Abu Simbel (via Aswan) and Sharm el-Sheikh. But at the time of writing, due to low volume, there were flights only to Cairo. Even if service is restored, the Abu Simbel flight is hardly worthwhile, as it involves a long wait in Aswan.
2) By Bus
The ZANAKTA bus station (237 2118, 2323218) is out of town on the road to the airport, about 1km from the airport. Tickets for the Upper Egypt Bus Co(232 3218, 237 2118; Midan al-Mahatta) buses can be bought at its office in town, just south of the train station. Some buses leave from there as well.
Buses heading to Cairo leave at 6.30pm from the town office and 7 pm from the bus station ($20, 10 to 11 hours), but booking ahead is Essential.
Five daily buses head from the bus station to Hurghada ($20 to $25, five hours) from 8.30am to 8 pm. All stop in Qena ($5, one to two hours) and Safaga ($10, four to 4½ hours) and go on to Suez ($20, 10 hours). For Al-Quseir and Marsa Alam, change at Safaga. A bus to Sharm el-Sheikh ($28, 12 hours) and Dahab ($30, 17 to 16 hours) leaves at 4.30pm from the town office via Suez. It is often full so try to reserve in advance.
There are frequent buses to Qena ($14) between 6.30am and 8 pm, but you pay for the taxi to get to the bus station so it’s cheaper to take the service taxi. There is a daily bus to Port Said at 7.30pm ($20, 12 hours) via Ismailia ($20). To go to the Western Desert oases take a train to Asyut, from where there are several buses a day to Kharga ($24) and Dakhla ($20).
3) By Super Jet
(236 7732) runs buses from Luxor bus station at 8 pm to Cairo ($20, eight to nine hours) via Hurghada ($24, four hours).
4) By Felucca
You can’t take a felucca from Luxor to Aswan; most feluccas leave from Esna because of the Esna Lock. But unless you have a strong wind, it can take days to go more than a few kilometers in this direction.
5) By Servees & Microbus
The station for service taxis and microbuses on the east bank is behind the train station. Foreigners advised not to use this service, however, they can take taxis from Luxor to Aswan (E£600 to E£750) via Esna (E£150), Edfu (E£290), Kom Ombo (E£450), Hurghada (E£900) and Qena (E£300). There is no service to Asyut. The drivers are always ready to privatize the car to make special trips up the Nile to Aswan, stopping at the sights on the way; expect to pay about E£450 to E£500.
It is possible to take a private service taxi to Kharga via the direct road, avoiding Asyut, at E£700 for the car (maximum seven people).
6) By Train
Luxor Station (Midan al-Mahatta) has left-luggage facilities, plenty of card phones and a post office. The Watania Egypt Sleeping Train (2372015, in Cairo 02 3748 9488; www.wataniasleepingtrains.com) goes daily to Cairo at 7.15pm and 10.30pm (single/double including dinner and breakfast US$80/120, child four to 19 years US$45, nine hours).
No student discounts; tickets must be paid for in US dollars or euros. For day trains headed north to Cairo (1st/2nd class $45/25), the best is 981, at 8.25am, stopping at Qena (for Dendara; 1st/2nd class $25/15), Balyana (for Abydos;$25/15, three hours) and Asyut (for the Western Desert;$25/15).
All train tickets are best bought in advance, but if you buy your ticket on the train there is a surplus of $5.
