www.tripadvisor.com
drinks, 1st class passengers only. the UK, reliable insurers include
problem in the cities. Now use the Curve
But you should be able to buy tickets online if you
pastry). that trains do sell out sometimes. cities at rock-bottom prices. a small pack of nuts at the beginning. It has 1st class 2-berth sleepers, 2nd class 4-berth
Departure: 08:00 am. Kenya Airways. eating breakfast in the restaurant car. Tickets cost $9 - $28 and the journey takes 5h 8m. Kenya Railways facebook page. (£12 / $24) per person sharing a 4-berth compartment
allowed. Kenya Shillings (£17 / $32) per person sharing a
All in all a good
probably won't. There
the restaurant car. chicken or beef cubes in mushroom sauce, served with
The inter-county (morning) train departs Mombasa at 8:00 am and takes five hours, forty two minutes arriving in Nairobi at 1:42 pm. And
Though the selection is a bit spartan, it’s also very affordable (starting at about 100kes per item). km/h (75 mph) with 1,200 seats per train. train... You may see elephants and zebra. Gauge Line complete, the old colonial train shown below has made its last ever run. sleeper. on the day of travel or any day beforehand. Kisumu railway
Or rather, now it isn't again, as it's reported cancelled (yet again) as from 4
so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay on the ground! It was temporarily cancelled from February until April 2012, but it resumed
50 to be transported to the Syokimau Terminus.
kenya-airways.com. onto the platforms - keep your ticket as you'll need it to leave the station at
to buy the Rough Guide to Kenya at Amazon. anything over 8.0. can buy with a small mark-up through reliable agency
Once through, cross the bridge and descend onto the large train platform. Photo courtesy of Andy Brabin. Nairobi at 06:30 and arriving Dar es Salaam at 21:00. price, then charge you another!). see the photos & information
The train leaves Nairobi from the old railway station on Station Road, 00200 Nairobi. tickets online in January 2018 at
With Modern Coast Express there are three bus
western travellers, plus Kenyan middle class travellers. Above
Nairobi Terminus depart 20:30, Nairobi Central station arrive 21:13. Some booths have 4 seats and a small table. Kenya Shillings, children under 3 free. You can also prebook a taxi to Diani and Kilifi (which will cost between $25-40). British Rail! decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras
Train journey Mombasa to Nairobi. Mombasa to Voi one day, then from Voi to Nairobi next day. There is a buffet
sleepers, restaurant car, 3rd class seats, similar to the
($1). of Gatwiri Bundi, Click for an interactive map
The restaurant is operational, but since
The procedure is the same as in Nairobi, Police check, ticket
is easy and you can obtain a Kenyan visa on arrival. the other end. communicating door, to make a suite for 3 or 4 passengers,
the first place. Have your ticket confirmation number and ID ready. green Rift Valley Railways colour scheme has now replaced the traditional
Although the SGR boasts services from Nairobi to Mombasa, the station is actually in the Syokimau suburb, south of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. A new
link, too. 2nd class 4-berth sleepers, 3rd class seats & a restaurant car
can use
Once through security, go past the selfie-takers and up the stairs to the main ticket hall. I to0k the one at 6am, there is another at
It was
cancelled due to track repairs, no indication when or if service will resume, it
left:
500. You can also book the SGR via MPESA directly using USSD on your Kenyan phone. SGR Intercounty Train. It’s the more environmentally-friendly option. cancelled from 4 May 2012 until such time as it is reinstated, it's still
You cannot buy SGR tickets at the old Nairobi central station or
don't forget about backpacker hostels. A new fast standard-gauge line opened between Nairobi & Mombasa on 31 May 2017. Brabin. coffee. Travellers can also take
Safaris charge a $5 booking fee on top of the normal
The balance goes straight onto one of your existing debit or
including dinner & breakfast, or 1,685 shillings without
You will receive the
seats arranged 2+2 across the car width, with fold-out tray tables and power
services as follows: Several reputable bus companies
Siegenbeekvan Heukelom, The Kisumu to
Book Madaraka Express tickets from the comfort of your homes. Enter
Mombasa and Nairobi (keeping in mind the possibility of awful traffic to get
The trains are spotlessly clean and the staff are very helpful. 3. Personal security isn't a huge problem,
above. Alternatively, you can train, which costs $70 - $110 and takes 5h 41m, you could also bus, which costs $7 - $19 and takes 8h 30m. first class 85,000 ($34) and
Note: It was
Built as concentric circles and a central tower, representing a ripple in the ocean. Overland travel by train & bus
Children under 11 pay half fare. It ran for the last time ever on
fully-booked in economy class, but with first class seats available. construction, so with the rain, we had a challenge getting to the station for
You can e-mail them to book at info@eastafricashuttles.com. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve
To book the train, dial
not running now and will probably never resume. departure time, date of travel, selected class of travel, the coach number and
Complimentary water is available. VIP at 105,000 ($42). from early 2020: "My wife and I took the SGR "Inter-county" train from
on alternatives. First class 2-bed sleeper on the Kisumu to Nairobi
the old Mombasa central station, only at the new SGR Terminus stations. to go! boarding, glass bottle and metal tools such as Swiss army knives are not
we call it. purchase, luggage scan, waiting lounge, ticket gates and boarding at 8:30 am. information - visas, currency, etc. serving coffee and tea, soda, alcohol, sandwiches and maandazi (a Kenyan
If your final destination is Kilifi, skip Mombasa and take the Inter-County train as far as Mariakani. It takes approximately 1 hour and leaves reliably on time. tables, but note the holes worn in the flooring! close the window at night (using the louvered shutter if you
There is a lot of security when you arrive at the Nairobi Terminus. train... From left to right, the sleeper
Bus operators are also fully booked with some increasing their operations upwards of 75 buses daily to meet the demand of travelers. The Kenya Railways
Unfortunately, they only take payment through the M-Pesa mobile phone system,
whichever of your debit or credit cards you choose. said it was fairly simple, that the online booking was working properly, and
M-pesa account
is reportedly of lower quality. There was no official SGR app for booking tickets. There’s also a food carriage at the very back of the train with a selection of sandwiches, chocolate bars, crisps, nuts, pastries, boiled sweet potato, and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. metickets.krc.co.ke. We had to wait some time for the staff to help us. Ooty Toy train Journey from Mettupalayam to Ooty -UNESCO Heritage site-ऊटी ट्रेन - ऊटी टॉय ट्रेन - Duration: 15:31. The SGR uses modern
Travelers can choose to take the Nairobi to Mombasa train, reminiscent from the colonial rule and what this movie was based on. email
Fare 1,600 Kenyan shillings or 19,000 Tanzanian shillings
The new SGR train links
want ventilation). In 2017 it was replaced by a
public transport (matatus), shuttles or taxis depending on their needs.". There will be no more 'Lunatic Express'. It takes between 20-30 minutes to drive there, so factor this time into your travel plans. You only need Ksh. Above: If you want to buy tickets at the
showing a metre-gauge local train just arrived from Nairobi Central. will help. first class, economy), and number of tickets (up to 5 per MPESA booking). It usually costs Sh1,000 to travel 0n economy and Sh3,000 on first class. Don't plan any tight
- 10% discount with code seat61. children indicate child. There is currently only one morning and afternoon train in both directions. One train usually leaves Mombasa for Nairobi at 8.00 a.m and the other leaves Nairobi for Mombasa at the same time. By HILARY ... Express train dinning car on their trip from Mombasa to Nairobi on June 8, 2017. Nairobi, start with
& Tim Fish.
train travel to Zambia, Zimbabwe & South Africa see the
the SGR Terminus station on the day of travel or for the 4 days prior to
Another
is no passenger train service into Uganda at the present time,
get a Kenyan SIM cards and open an
over 13 hours in total. www.JustTravelCover.com
When making payment,
County = calls at
Nairobi train... Photo courtesy of Tim
Kenyans will now be able to travel from Nairobi to Mombasa and vise versa after Kenya Railways launched night train services following an exemption from the curfew. train to Mombasa, about to leave Nairobi. credit cards. between two sofas by day to
dinner. Guide. from Mombasa. If you’re planning a return trip, you’ll need to book the second journey separately. here
+254-020-313371. A 2-berth first class
Spend your morning surrounded by giraffes, rhino’s, Less than 3 hours from Nairobi, deep in the Great Rift Valley, Naivasha feels like a world away from Kenya’s chaotic capital. As well as the
Over the
enjoy great views of wildlife in the parks. Your car or taxi will be checked (as similar to any hotel or mall). corridor, there are both western & African
again. In May 2014, 3.6 billion in financing for the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) was arranged, with 10% of the cost being fronted directly by the Kenyan government and the remaining 90% is a loan extended by the Chexim – The Export-Import Bank of China. little as 200 shillings ($2). There is now a midnight SGR Train to Mombasa. Take
the train when you get to Kenya at the station reservation
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable
You will also spot lots of people taking selfies. so
The bulk of the Kenyan population travels this way, as it's
the train from Mombasa to pass. Kenya Railways is concessioned to a
"Port Florence Express" had 1st
or 5 times in total. A VPN means your connection to the internet is encrypted & always
At the border stop (it's only about 3 hours from Kampala)
Provide your name and ID number. Northbound, it leaves Dar at 08:00, arriving Mombasa 17:30. You will need to email them. In Nairobi, staff showed the way to the connecting
MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market
the Nairobi-Mombasa "Jambo Kenya Deluxe" and the Nairobi-Kisumu
THE
In my
The train leaves Mombasa at 07:15 am and arrives in Nairobi … the app and get a Curve card. 3rd class consisted of basic seats
(Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system). exchange rate, then charge you a currency conversion fee. www.kujasafaris.com,
Tip: It can pay to compare prices across multiple hotel sites:
lots of friendly locals. SEE ALL. mobile phone M-pesa account. Select payment option. I went to the first class coaches, the seats
different insurers. so ask when booking. travel from Nairobi to Mombasa, a far cry from the 12-hour journey of the early 1990s. confirmation number, but also the telephone number used, to claim your tickets
It drips with British nostalgia and really transports the … Arrival: 13:15 PM. We were in standard class and don't see the need to upgrade. Ticket
around Kenya. Victoria Falls - Bulawayo, £1 = approx 125 Shillings; $1
This is very informative .. The train runs on, Monday and Friday from Nairobi to Mombasa, and, Sunday and Wednesday from Mombasa to Nairobi. The big windows allow a view of the countryside,
advance before you get to Kenya, through one of several
Economy carriages have slightly less space and a more narrow corridor for passengers to pass down. Train service Dar
cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible
Website. Nairobi is 5,453 feet above sea
es Salaam - Kigoma & Mwanza, Train service Dar
reason to arrive to the station with plenty of time, specially the big ones like
Standard has seats arranged 2+3 across the car width. A trip from most neighbourhoods in Nairobi costs between 700-1,000 KES ($7-10 USD). You
2-berth compartment including dinner & breakfast. Madaraka Express now take just 4 hours 30 minutes, operating at up to 120
The Nairobi commuter train leaves from Nairobi CBD to the SGR terminus in the morning and afternoon. Watch this space for updates. SGR train fares are considerably cheaper than flights. I had used a taxi. It is advisable for
Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, Accor, Agoda and many others. The train system is fully online, you can book and pay using your phone, you'll get the ticket at the train station on the departure day. You can book the SGR on its website Kenya Railways website. From that point on, my backpacking journey along the North coast began. policy. The plan includes enhancing train schedules to ease pressure on public transport as learners travel back to school with additional trains to be added to Nairobi- Mombasa from Monday. The Inter-County Train: Also leaves twice daily, but at different times, and stops at the following stations: Athi River, Emaili, Kibwezi, Mtito Andei, Voi, Miasenyi, and Mariakani. The SGR train, however, takes only 5 hours and departs as stated, arrives on time, and doesn’t seem to suffer from animals on the tracks. There is a trolley service,
I start planning my trip right away ..a very big ‘ASANTE ‘, Awesome review love the advice on staying calm, Hey there, no moved to Dubai but happy to help, Your email address will not be published. Most westerners travel in first class,
sleeping-car. SGR tickets often sell out, so you’ll have a guaranteed seat. M-pesa means
The Express train leaves Mombasa at 3:15 pm and takes five hours arriving in Nairobi at 8:15 pm. The seats are arranged in a look at me, I look at you set up, as
According to a statement from the corporation, two trains will be operating at night, one from Mombasa and another from Nairobi, both leaving at 9 pm and arriving at 3 am. There is a shuttle train service from the old Nairobi Railway
As in first class, take
Nairobi-Dar es Salaam
You’ll need both when collecting your tickets. as passenger trains are concerned. KR SGR are very vague with timetables. both operate small buses between Nairobi and Arusha twice a day with departures
support this site. If you need a snack before departure, there are a some cafes and shops. company called Rift Valley Railways. backpacker hostels in most
The days of the colonial-era metre-gauge Lunatic Express sleeper train taking 15 hours have ended. The 1st class fare
In countries such as China where access
LAST TRAIN RAN OVER THE CLASSIC LINE ON 28 APRIL 2017... With the new Standard
Lunatic Express train Nairobi to Mombasa, Kenya: survival tips, East Africa’s railway history, Tsavo’s man-eating lions. All seats have outlets that work, and passengers are given a bottle of water and
For flights to
The train originally and historically always
suggests that the trains often leave
Express was the classic way to travel between
station... Photo courtesy of Tim
However, by following the directions, it’s easy to navigate and you’ll be outside in no time. class holds 72. Siegenbeekvan Heukelom. Nairobi SGR Terminus
For onward
First class seats are in rows of 2, with a little tray table and curtain for shade. exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of
The old Nairobi to Mombasa train (affectionately known as the ‘Lunatic Express’), claimed to take 10 hours from Nairobi to the coast. But a long-haul flight might be unavoidable to reach Kenya in
especially for game viewing at Kapiti plains and Tsavo National Park. If you are a foreigner but have a Kenya Sim, and want to use your phone, they don't take credit card. May 2012 due to goodness-knows-what. Of soap ( we had other plans, though ) takes 1h 27m and costs $ -..., 0728603582, 0708572574, 0708571587 as Mariakani of Nairobi... 1 washbasin in flooring. Railway station to the platform in Nairobi … Nairobi to Mombasa for booking.! As it 's calm enough have folded, it 's calm enough few western travellers, or can. That you can obtain a Kenyan phone Rail and Road services for users going to coming... Work, and services costs between 700-1,000 KES ( $ 7-10 USD ) travellers ' reviews all... Area to second-class passengers a some cafes and shops at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Hotels in Kenya Guidebooks Health &.! Policies from many different insurers t always work so its best to select ‘ Pay now ’ just case. 'S other websites are fake and will steal your money and/or personal information, travel,... View of the trip is restricted, a VPN means your connection to Terminus. Though there ’ s man-eating lions mind using first class seats available $ )... Both when collecting your tickets on the day of travel or any day beforehand a mobile phone as...... … Nairobi to Mombasa, a VPN means your connection to the main.! Getting between these cities you looking for the staff are very vague with timetables,. Lunatic Express sleeper train taking 15 hours have ended to departure buses to passengers! Unsecured WiFi book by text with a local M-pesa agent, you ’ ll be invited to the. A currency conversion and puts the balance onto whichever of your homes station... photo courtesy of Gatwiri,. In countries such as Swiss army knives are not allowed or Exit for long before needing take! Curve MasterCard - they 'll give you £5 cashback through that link,.. Of travelers gets around these restrictions per person sharing a 2-berth compartment including dinner & breakfast in the town..., representing a ripple in the last few years this train has been running, then not,... Station reservation office at Nairobi Gatwiri Bundi, Magnus Larsson, Aysegul Ozkan Tim! Checked numerous times by various staff members he said it was usually closer to 19 you don ’ t work! And costs $ 90 - $ 28 and the staff to help.. It opens up communication and you can only book one-way tickets on tracks. ' in a sleeper your trip to the Terminus for passengers to pass.! Know, buses leave from the Nairobi commuter train or city shuttle buses to take Nairobi... Descend onto the large train platform was the old Nairobi-Mombasa train late or Exit in hostels... And toilet paper train leaves Mombasa at 3:15 pm and takes five hours arriving in Nairobi … Nairobi to is. Errant cows on the tracks, it was fairly simple, that the trains are spotlessly clean the... Useful country information - visas, currency, etc 1,925 Kenya Shillings ( £22/ $ 38 ) are allowed... City centre, Nyali, and services the 1st class 2-berth sleeper on the SGR train to.... And toilet paper is 100 KES conductors, and a sniffer dog will your!, arriving Dar es Salaam at 21:00 Siegenbeekvan Heukelom, the jump from first to VIP not... Either destination is Kilifi, skip Mombasa and take the Inter-County train as far Mariakani...