Practical Information

The post office is on the street to the right of Hotel Assiout de Tourisme. Adjacent to the train station is the telephone office (open 24 hrs.). The telephone code is 088. The Bank of Alexandria, along with a number of other banks, is on the same street in a square 200m west of the train station and will change traveler’s checks. (Open Sun.-Thurs. 8:30am-2pm, additional exchange hours Sun. 6-9pm and Wed. 5-8pm.) If trouble strikes, the police station is located on the Nile, 100m south of Al-Hilali St., the main street fust south of the train station (tel. 32 25 62 or 122). Assyut University Hospital on University St. is probably the best local medical facility (tel. 32 20 16). Phone 123 in case of medical emergency.

All transportation connects to and from the main square in front of the train station. More than a dozen trains per day travel to Cairo (7hr.. 2nd class A/C LE13). Eight southbound trains shuttle to Luxor (A/C, 7hr., LEU.50), four of which continue to Aswan (12hr.. LE16). Buses are more convenient to the closer cities; the bus station lies just south of the train station. Buses, some of which originate in Cairo, p;iss through Assyut en route to Kharga Oasis (7 per day, 4-5hr., LE6.75). and the 7am bus continues on to Dakhla Oasis (8hr.( LEI 1). Unfortunately, not all buses stop in the city center every day. A surer way to reach Kharga is to grab a service taxi from the stand 100m south of the train station (LE8). The wait shouldn’t be more than an hour or two. Service taxis also provide convenient, though perilous, transportation to other Nile cities. Stands for various destinations spread out to the west and south of the train station.