Least amount of flying required

[cwistyred]

Good Evening,

I posted this on the River and Canal cruise forum, but I thought I might get some additional advice here.

Good Evening,

I have been doing quite a bit of research to find the best tour/cruise in Egypt for next spring. Many of the different company's seem to have great itineraries. My problem is that flying is a big problem for me. To be able to fly at all I seriously have to take a decent amount of tranquilizers. This makes me groggy and I sleep. Most all the trips down the Nile require flights to Luxor, flights to Abu Simbel and then back again. I cannot fly this much. Has anybody used any tour company that uses overnight trains or buses to get to the different cities? I see that a few might use a train for one segment but still require you to fly back. I have been looking at 12 to 16 night trips

Any help with this?

Thanks everybody

[sboston06]

Can you contact one of the frequently recommended tour companies and ask to have an overnight bus instead of flights? I'm sure they will be accommodating, though you might pay extra for the service.

 

Good Luck! I hate flying too - though it's more because of blood clots than anxiety!

[Hlitner]

I would recommend the tranquilizers over the train from Cairo to Luxor. As to Abu Simbel, the only good option is to fly from either Cairo or Aswan (Egyptair). Abu Simbel must be visited early in the morning when the sun is at the proper angle to light the site. In fact, the daily flight (it goes from Cairo to Abu Simbel with a quick stop in Aswan) arrives at Abu Simbel at 6:30 am. Most depart back to Aswan or Cairo on the 10:45 am flight. It is hard to justify spending an overnight in that very isolated outpost.

 

Hank

[Sekhmet]

As to Abu Simbel, the only good option is to fly from either Cairo or Aswan (Egyptair). Abu Simbel must be visited early in the morning when the sun is at the proper angle to light the site................. It is hard to justify spending an overnight in that very isolated outpost.

 

Hank

 

I'd agree if time is tight. However, if not (or maybe just to bear in mind for subsequent visits, as one trip to Egypt is never enough!:D), there are a few ships which cruise over a week from Aswan to Abu Simbel and back. It is also possible just to do one-way (3 or 4 days). It is a very relaxing time, and a perfect complement to the usually frantic one week Aswan - Luxor cruise.

 

There are other advantages - your first sight of Abu Simbel is from the water, which is how it was designed to be seen, and you have an overnight by the temples which means in the morning you get the chance to visit the site in comparative peace before all the daily flights arrive.

 

The cruise visits other sites along the lakeside en route - there were about 40 temples and other buildings rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser, not just Abu Simbel.