Egypt - Get Around

Take the overnight sleeper train to Luxor or float down the Nile on a felucca.

The huge Nile River and Nile Valley cut through Egypt from the Mediterranean in the north to the man-made Lake Nasser and Abu Simbel in the south, passing Cairo, the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, and Aswan's Nubian villages.

To the west lie the desert oases of Siwa and Farafra, and east is Red Sea resort Hurghada. The Sinai Peninsula lies in the northeast corner with Sharm el-Sheikh on its southern tip, and Mount Sinai further inland.

Although the network does not cover much of the country, the national rail system is the preferred option for long journeys from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan. A sleeper train is comfortable enough. Fast and frequent trains run between Cairo and Alexandria, many of them air-conditioned.

A plethora of state and private companies covers every destination. Although not the most comfortable of services – roads are bad and driving worse – some vehicles are better than others. It is worth paying more for an air-conditioned service, especially in summer. Fast buses ply the roads to Sinai and Alexandria from Cairo.

Travel in style to Luxor or Aswan by boat. Ask around by any port or check out local travel agents for cheaper prices.

Taxis swarm the cities but meters are notoriously ‘broken' in Egypt, so find out the correct fare before travelling and hand over the exact amount to the driver at the end of the journey without further ado.

Walk city streets or follow one of many paths of varying degrees of difficulty up biblical Mount Sinai. Reward yourself by climbing the one to the summit for a stunning sunrise.

Buy tickets in advance but avoid road transport at night. Trek through the desert by camel overnight.

Visit the world's oldest Christian relics in Coptic Cairo; travel back to World War II and remember the battles of El Alamein in the War Museum and cemeteries; catch the digital-age library, the Bibliotheca in Alexandria.