Hi there!
I am planning a trip to Egypt in August. I am keen to find out what is the most economical way to travel down the Nile to Luxor? Preferably not a guided tour but are there any independent boats between Cairo and Luxor?
Any advice would be helpful as I have never been to this region before
Regards
to the best o my knowledge there is only one expensiv boat plying that rout . we travelled from cairo to luxor two weeks ago by train .there is a daytime express ,cheap and a sleeper , expensive . we travelled by the daytime express with no problems , do not expect the same conditions as eurpean or usa trains . all bookable on line ,for detailedinstructions go to "the man in seat 61" site ....... excuse spelling and grammer as the post is sent via kindle .
Yes, best way down is a train. If you want to spend some time on the Nile, look into doing a felucca trip.
Actually your Only option is to take the train. The bus option still exists but is not easy for the foreigners and less confortable than the train. Be warned that the train is still a long travel , last time we did more than 10 hours.
I have to correct the previous posts about boat travels, sorry but THERE ARE NOT BOATS TRAVELLING BETWEEN CAIRO AND LUXOR.
As for the feluccas thats really a joke, one such travel should take more than ten days to go between cairo and Luxor, sorry fellow travellers.
There is a very expensive cruise Cairo - Luxor.
The train is cheapest, but Egyptair is not expensive and if you want to sail, you can do so between Luxor and Aswan, but it will be very hot.
The felucca is no joke after the train. Surely they meant some hours in Luxor, if that is as far south you want to travel, or a trip Aswan to Kom Ombo or a shorter distance, where you sleep onboard.
Because of the heat August is low season, so you might find an attractive offer on a cruise, but you don't have to go on their guided tours. There will be very few passengers!
"Because of the heat August is low season, so you might find an attractive offer on a cruise..."
I mean of course a cruise south of Luxor, forget about the expensive Cairo - Luxor cruise.
Yes, don't forget about the heat... personally, I would not particularly recommend August as a time to visit Upper Egypt! Especially the first week in August this year, which will be in Ramadan, so no drinking in public.
The air-conditioned second class train is the most economic sensible option, the flight is by far the most comfortable as well as much much quicker.