Transportation The trip from Cairo’s Ramses Station by train to Minya takes three to four hours. Fare in air-conditioned first-class is LE17.10 (students LE9.50); second-class with air conditioning is LE7.10 for students. Service taxis leave regularly for Minya from Giza Station (one way LE5.5O); the 250km trip takes about four hours, depending on traffic. Service taxis are slightly cheaper than trains but less comfortable, especially after a few hours. Unless you’re within 150km of Minya (for example, at Beni Suef, Mallawi, or Assyut), your best bet is probably the train.

The Minya train station (tel. 32 30 35) lies at the center of town by the canai. about five blocks west of the Nile. Minya has three bus/minibus/service taxi stations. One is directly south of the train station (to the right as you exit), on the right side of the street; service taxis to Samalut (60pt) depart from here. Further down the train tracks there is an overpass (al-kubri, the bridge). Hidden underneath it, all the way across the street, are more taxis and minibuses, headed for Cairo’s Ahmed Hilmi Station, Assyut, Abu Qurqas (LEI), and Mailawi (LEI). A bit further, buses depart for Assyut, Beni Suef, Hurghada, and Cairo’s Ramses Station. To reach the third transportation center continue along the train tracks to the bridge over the canal. Go right, then left over the bridge. Pickup trucks to Abu Qurqas are perhaps more frequent than the taxis at the overpass, and slightly cheaper (50pt).

Mallawi can be reached by train from Cairo or Luxor-the trip from Cairo takes about five hours-or by local transportation from closer cities such as Minya or Assyut. You can shuttle between Minya and Mallawi by bus, taxi, or pickup truck, all of which run fairly often and take about an hour. Third-class trains run between the cities, stopping at local villages all day as well. Although they take 15 minutes longer than buses or taxis, trains are cheaper and sometimes less crowded. Fares between the cities run around LEI. In Mallawi, with your back to the bank (see above), the yellow train station is across the canal to the right. Buses and minibuses to Minya leave directly across the street from the bank.