Train from Alexandria to Cairo

Train from Alexandria to Cairo at a glance

Here is what the train from Alexandria to Cairo looks like with Egyptian National Railways (Talgo and express): direct, with no change of train, about 2 hours 30 minutes from platform to platform, about hourly, roughly 210 km. You board at Alexandria Misr Station and step off at Cairo Ramses Station. Haqqi Tours checks the seats for your dates and tells you the cost before anything is booked.

• Route: Alexandria to Cairo (about 210 km)
• Operator: Egyptian National Railways (Talgo and express)
• Journey time: about 2 hours 30 minutes
• Connection: direct train
• Frequency: about hourly
• Departure station: Alexandria Misr Station
• Arrival station: Cairo Ramses Station
• Classes: second class and first class
• Booking: form on this page, confirmation by WhatsApp, e-ticket by message

Departure: Alexandria Misr Station

Your journey starts at Alexandria Misr Station. Platforms on long-distance routes are announced shortly before departure, so watch the boards; larger stations have separate halls for high-speed and regional trains, and we tell you which one applies to your ticket. Alexandria has a main railway station at Misr Station and trains to Cairo take about 2.5 hours, but the airport has no rail link; taxis and shared vans reach the centre in 45 to 60 minutes. A private car is the simplest choice with luggage, for a late flight or for a direct run to Cairo on the Desert Road or to El Alamein on the North Coast.

• Cafés, kiosks and left-luggage are available at Alexandria Misr Station for early arrivals
• Haqqi Tours arranges a private transfer from your hotel in Alexandria to the station on request
• Ask us which hall or level your train leaves from - big stations have more than one
• Arrive 20-30 minutes early; the platform is shown on the boards shortly before departure

Arrival: Cairo Ramses Station

The train arrives at Cairo Ramses Station - Cairo is the largest city in Africa and the Arab world, spread along both banks of the Nile with the Giza pyramids on its western edge; Cairo International Airport (CAI) lies about 20 km north-east of Tahrir Square in Heliopolis, and the new Sphinx Airport serves the Giza side. From the platform you are minutes from taxis, local transport and the city itself. Haqqi Tours can provide a private transfer from Cairo Ramses Station to your hotel in Cairo with a driver waiting at the platform exit, which for a family with bags is the easiest way to finish the Alexandria to Cairo journey.

Many passengers continue from Cairo to somewhere else the next day. We provide those tickets too, so one WhatsApp conversation covers the whole itinerary.

Classes and what it is like on board the Alexandria to Cairo train

Tickets on the train from Alexandria to Cairo are sold in second class and first class. The lower class is comfortable and is what most travellers book; the upper class adds wider seats, more legroom, quieter coaches and, on some services, a welcome drink or at-seat service. Egyptian National Railways (Talgo and express)'s trains on this route have luggage racks, power sockets at most seats, toilets in every coach and, on longer services, a café or bar coach. Haqqi Tours explains the difference for the exact train you are booking so you pay for what you will actually use.

• Bicycles, pushchairs and large luggage accepted within the railway's rules, which we explain
• Pets are allowed on many services with a small ticket - let us know if one is travelling
• Reserved seats with tables, power sockets and luggage racks
• Toilets in every coach; a café or bar coach on most long-distance services

Children, luggage and groups on the Alexandria to Cairo train

Haqqi Tours books family and group travel on this route every week. Children's fares depend on age bands set by Egyptian National Railways (Talgo and express), which we apply automatically; a pushchair folds into the luggage space; a table of four keeps everyone together. Larger groups - a school trip, a company, a wedding party - get seats reserved in a block and, where available, a group rate. There is no luggage allowance to worry about on the Alexandria to Cairo train.

Things to do in Cairo after the train

Cairo is the largest city in Africa and the Arab world, spread along both banks of the Nile with the Giza pyramids on its western edge; Cairo International Airport (CAI) lies about 20 km north-east of Tahrir Square in Heliopolis, and the new Sphinx Airport serves the Giza side. Arriving by train puts you in the middle of it: a felucca on the Nile at sunset, Coptic Cairo and the Hanging Church, Saqqara and the Step Pyramid, the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum are all reachable from Cairo Ramses Station by public transport or a quick taxi. For the first meal, try ful and ta'ameya for breakfast, grilled kofta and kebab in Khan el-Khalili and molokhia with rice.

We offer tours and transfers in Cairo as well as the train ticket - one conversation, one plan for the whole trip.

Best time to take the train from Alexandria to Cairo

The train from Alexandria to Cairo runs all year. October to April is the comfortable season; summer is very hot, and Cairo traffic is heavy in the evenings and lighter in the early morning and on Friday mornings. If you can travel outside those weeks, the same seat costs less and the train is quieter. Whatever the month, early booking is the single biggest saving.

Train, plane or bus from Alexandria to Cairo?

For most passengers the train is the best way to get from Alexandria to Cairo: about 2 hours 30 minutes centre to centre, no change, no airport time and no baggage fees. A flight only wins when the distance is very long; a bus is cheaper on some days but slower and less comfortable, and arrives at a bus station rather than the centre. Haqqi Tours provides flights and transfers as well, so if the train is not the right answer for your dates we say so.

Return train from Cairo to Alexandria

We book the return leg from Cairo to Alexandria just as easily, and generally on the same confirmation. Booking both directions together lets us compare a return fare against two singles and choose the cheaper combination for your dates. Tell us the day you want to come back on the form and we send both directions with the cost.

How much does the train from Alexandria to Cairo cost?

"How much is the train ticket from Alexandria to Cairo?" is the first question we get, and the honest answer is that it depends on when you travel and when you book. Fares open months ahead at their lowest level and rise as seats sell; peak days, holidays and the first and last departures of the day sit higher; first class and flexible tickets cost more than a fixed second-class seat. Haqqi Tours offers the current cost for your date in a few minutes of receiving the form - no estimates, the actual fare.

What we do include in the price we send: the ticket itself in the class you chose, the seat reservation where the rail company requires one, and our service - checking the timetable, booking, sending the electronic ticket and answering questions before and during the journey. There are no hidden extras added at the end.

Cheapest train ticket from Alexandria to Cairo: how to pay less

Getting the lowest fare on the train from Alexandria to Cairo is a matter of timing and flexibility. These are the levers Haqqi Tours pulls to find you a cheap train ticket:

• Let us know if your dates are flexible - moving by a day, or by an hour, often halves the fare
• Ask about children's, youth and senior fares - most operators on this route discount them
• Book both directions together - a return or two singles, whichever comes out cheaper on your dates
• Choose a fixed-departure ticket if your plans are certain; flexible tickets cost more
• For families and groups, ask about group fares - four or more travellers often unlock a lower rate
• Book early - fares on this route open weeks or months ahead and the lowest tiers sell first

We are happy to be asked "what is the cheapest way to get from Alexandria to Cairo by train?" - it is a question we answer many times a day, and the answer for your travel date comes back through WhatsApp.

How to book train tickets from Alexandria to Cairo with Haqqi Tours

Here is how to book a Alexandria to Cairo train ticket with Haqqi Tours: use the form above - date, one-way or return, passengers, class - and send it. Quickly we write to you in the WhatsApp chat with the departures that day, the seats we can hold and the price. Once you confirm and payment is arranged in the same conversation, we issue the ticket and send it to you as a PDF or a booking reference, whichever the railway uses.

• Step 1 - fill in the form: date, one-way or return, adults and children, class
• Step 2 - we message you on WhatsApp with the available departures, the seats and the cost
• Step 3 - you confirm the departure you prefer and we arrange payment in the same chat
• Step 4 - we issue the electronic ticket and send it to you; we stay in touch until you arrive in Cairo

If plans change, the same WhatsApp thread handles it. We explain the change and cancellation terms of the fare you chose before you pay, so there are no surprises later.

Timetable of the Alexandria to Cairo train

About hourly - that is how frequently the train from Alexandria to Cairo runs with Egyptian National Railways (Talgo and express). The fastest services take about 2 hours 30 minutes; some departures are slightly slower where they make extra stops. The first trains of the morning suit a full day in Cairo; the late-afternoon departures are popular with passengers who want to sleep in their own bed and arrive in the evening.

We recommend booking a specific departure rather than an open ticket on this route: the fare is lower and the seat is guaranteed. If your day changes, we can typically move you to another train through the same WhatsApp chat.

Is there a direct train from Alexandria to Cairo?

Certainly. The train from Alexandria to Cairo is direct: you board at Alexandria Misr Station and step off at Cairo Ramses Station without changing. That makes it one of the easiest journeys to book - one ticket, one seat, and the luggage stays with you on the rack. A direct train also means there is nothing to miss if the departure runs a few minutes late.

Why book your Alexandria to Cairo train ticket with Haqqi Tours

Haqqi Tours is a licensed tour operator that books train tickets from Alexandria to Cairo week in, week out. We provide the ticket in your name, the seats you want, the cheapest fare for the date you travel, and a human by WhatsApp in Arabic and English before, during and after the journey. Around the train, we offer transfers, tours and hotel-to-station drivers in both cities. Fill in the short form on this page; we message you with seats and the price; you decide.