After leaving my Nile cruise on Day 4, I needed to arrange transport back to Luxor for my three-night hotel break.
Having been quoted $140 (£111) for a private taxi, I chose to try the three-hour VIP train service.
I booked my ticket at Aswan station the previous day, which was a relatively painless experience, taking around 20 minutes.
I paid the $25 (£20) fare with US Dollar cash and was issued a handwritten paper ticket, with a reserved seat in the first class carriage.
The following day, I arrived at the station around an hour in advance of the 3:15pm departure and spent several minutes hunting away importunate baggage handlers, whilst making my way to the platform.
I boarded the train around a half hour later, only to find someone already occupying my reserved seat. I attempted to enlist the assistance of the train manager, but the only English word he seemed to know was ‘tips’. Incidentally, ‘baksheesh’ is also one of the only Middle Eastern words that I know, this being a recurring theme in this part of the world.
Figuring that what is good for the goose is good for the gander, I took a seat on the opposite side of the train.
The seat I ended up occupying was in fact a superior seat, as the train is configured in 1-2 seating, with the single seats on the side with the direct river views.
The train takes a routing along the eastern bank of the Nile, meaning that the best views are from the left side of the train on northbound journeys, or the right side on southbound journeys.
The train was equipped with a lavatory, which seemed to double as an unofficial smoking room.
I availed myself of this a couple of times, although I was rather glad I didn’t have to use it for its intended purpose.
My train departed Aswan promptly at 3:15pm and arrived in Luxor around ten minutes late at 6:40pm.
In addition to the four VIP trains, there are around fifteen departures per day between these two stations, using Russian and Spanish built express trains.
Overall, this was a pleasant journey, passing the Nile Valley scenery, and an interesting and relatively comfortable way to travel between Aswan and Luxor.