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Train operator:

Kenya Railways (no official website, but see www.eastafricashuttles.com/train.htm)

Time:

GMT+3 all year.

Currency:

£1 = approx 137 Shillings;   $1 = 65 Shillings    Currency converter

Tourist information:

Kenya has a serious crime problem in the cities.

Check security advice at www.fco.gov.uk 

Recommended guidebooks 

Page last updated:

29 January 2008  

If you are willing to brave Kenya's cities (check www.fco.gov.uk for advice), Kenya Railways provides the classic and very enjoyable way to travel between Nairobi and Mombasa.  Indeed, spotting big game from the Nairobi-Mombasa night express has always been one of Kenya's great travel experiences, so make sure you factor the train journey into your itinerary.

Nairobi ► Mombasa				Mombasa ► Nairobi
Days of running:		Mon, Wed, Fri		Days of running:		Tues, Thurs, Sun
Nairobi	depart	19:00		Mombasa	depart	19:00
Makindu	arr/dep	23:15		Voi	arr/dep	23:20
Mtito Andei	arr/dep	01:11		Mtito Andei	arr/dep	01:50
Voi	arr/dep	04:00		Makindu	arr/dep	03:50
Mombasa	arrive	08:25*		Nairobi	arrive	09:00*

This train is the JAMBO KENYA DELUXE, Nairobi-Mombassa.  What's the train like..?

It has 1st class 2-berth sleepers, 2nd class 4-berth sleepers, restaurant car, 3rd class seats.

* Expect an actual arrival around 11:00.

Look out for impala, giraffe, ostrich and other game whilst taking breakfast in the restaurant car in the Mombasa to Nairobi direction.  Nairobi to Mombassa is 530km (329 miles).  The train can run late, so to be on the safe side, don't plan any tight connections at the other end..!

Fares, Nairobi - Mombasa
1st class	About 3,375 Kenya Shillings (£25 / $50) per person sharing a 2-berth compartment, including dinner and breakfast in the restaurant car.  Children (aged 3-11) 2,085 Kenya Shillings, children under 3 free.
2nd class	Around 2,490 Kenya Shillings (£20 / $40) per person sharing a 4-berth compartment, including bed & breakfast.  Children (aged 3-11) 1,640 Kenya Shillings, children under 3 free.

How to buy tickets.

Is this train daily or three times a week?  Historically, the Nairobi-Mombassa train has always run daily, but a few years ago it was reduced to running 3 days a week.  Daily service was later re-instated, but as from August 2004 it is again reported as running only 3 times per week, but please double-check this locally.

Nairobi ► Kisumu				Kisumu ► Nairobi
Days of running:		Mon, Wed, Fri		Days of running:		Tue, Thurs, Sun
Nairobi	depart	18:30		Kisumu	depart	19:00
Naivasha	arr/dep	22:30		Nakuru	arr/dep	02:55
Nakuru	arr/dep	01:05		Naivasha	arr/dep	04:55
Kisumu	arrive	07:45*		Nairobi	arrive	08:00*

This train is the PORT FLORENCE EXPRESS, Nairobi-Kisumu.

* Expect an arrival 10:00-11:00.

It has 1st class 2-berth sleepers, 2nd class 4-berth sleepers, restaurant car, 3rd class seats.  See the photos & information below.

Fares, Nairobi - Kisumu
1st class	About 2,335 Kenya Shillings (£17 / $32) per person sharing a 2-berth compartment.
2nd class	Around 1,640 Kenya Shillings (£12 / $24) per person sharing a 4-berth compartment.

There is no train service into Uganda at the present time.

Both the Nairobi-Mombassa "Jambo Kenya Deluxe" and the Nairobi-Kisumu "Port Florence Express" have 1st class sleepers (2-berth), 2nd class sleepers (4-berth) and 3rd class seats with restaurant car serving full meals, snacks, drinks and beer.  Advance reservation is required.

1st class converts from seats to sleeping berths at night with full bedding, with 2 berths per compartment plus washbasin.  The 1st class fare includes dinner and breakfast in the restaurant car.  2nd class converts to bunks at night, 4 bunks per compartment plus washbasin.  3rd class consist of basic seats.

Take your own insect repellent, a bottle of mineral water, and toilet paper.

As well as the photos below, these short videos give an idea of what the journey is like:   Watch video 1   Watch video 2.

Above left:  Relaxing in a 1st class 2-berth sleeper on the Nairobi-Mombasa train. (shown with berths folded away and sofa folded out) Above right:  The Nairobi-Mombasa express...  Photographs courtesy of David Pinney

On board the Nairobi - Mombasa train...		A meal in the restaurant car is included in the 1st class fare...		...before retiring to your sleeper.
These three photos courtesy of Audrey & Jeroen

Traveller's reports:

Traveller Dave Siviour used both the Nairobi-Mombassa & Nairobi-Kisumu trains in late 2007, and has the following advice:

• I booked our tickets via East Africa Shuttles (thanks for the link!) and they did the bookings as requested and took payment from a standard faxed form with my credit card details.  They delivered the tickets to our hotel which was a help, although on their downside they failed to produce both prearranged transfers to and from the airport which hardly helped confidence for the first visit to a new country!

• The tickets for 1st & 2nd class sleepers need to be checked at the station and a boarding card collected which gives details of the coach number (which is the actual carriage number!) and berth numbers.  The tickets also have a receipt for breakfast and or dinner and this is collected by the steward on the Nairobi-Kisumu train (who is also the sleeping car/bedding attendant) or taken to the restaurant car on the Nairobi-Mombasa service.

• Quoted arrival times are varied, all ticket offices said arrival at both ends would be 'around 1100' and this was true to form on the Nairobi - Mombasa run although whether the Kisumu - Nairobi was considered 'early' after arriving at 1000 is anyone's guess!  I never saw a printed timetable or display at any station. Nobody seemed to mind the late running as it gave a chance to take in the lovely scenery along both routes.

• The condition of the train on the Nairobi-Mombasa route was much better (although they were the same type of carriages) the lights worked throughout and the general repair of the compartments was better. On the Kisumu service there was only one first class sleeper (although to be fair we were the only first class passengers outward and only 2 more on the return) and in this and the second class sleepers the lights gave out around 2 hours into the journey and the 'western' style toilet in both coaches was broken leaving only the 'hole in the floor' type. Sleeper compartments B-C & D-E have interconnecting doors which allows the compartments to open out into two which is quite nice, especially when the compartments are used as 'day coaches' with the late running.

• The food on the Nairobi-Mombasa run is noticeably better, with an extra fish course, better quality and more of it.  Probably because the train is busy enough to have plenty cooked whereas on the Kisumu service as we were the only dinners it was cooked to order and was 'adequate' rather than good.

• The entrance to the platforms at Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu are all guarded by security guards.  Although it didn't stop us wandering willy-nilly onto the platforms it did seem to deter non-travellers, taxi touts and ne-er do wells that seem to hang around station entrances. Mombasa and Nairobi all have left luggage facilities which seem to be open even on the days when trains are not running. Nairobi station has a good station buffet 'platform side'  operated by Rift Valley Railways open all day (even when trains aren't running) serving good quality cheap food.

• On arrival at Kisumu the train from Nairobi detaches two of the three third class 'day coaches' and works a branch service to Buture.  Although it is third class travel, with the locals and their chickens and bags of maize and slow (6 hrs for 140 km round trip) its a lovely branch with fantastic views of Lake Victoria as it climbs into the surrounding mountains.  Although there is no marker to indicate it the line crosses the equator near to Kisumu, as far as I know the only scheduled passenger service to do so.  The 'connection' both ways will always make as the coaches are part of the Nairobi train - there seemed to be no spare coaches at Kisumu.

• Security on trains seems OK with police (armed) travelling on all trains (although not that visible apart from the odd pass through the train). The biggest annoyance is the compartments cannot be locked from the outside, as although there is a lock the sleeping car attendants say they don't have keys.  There is no luggage facility in the restaurant cars so its just a case of keeping you valuables with you.

• On hot evenings the windows have to be kept open to keep some air in the compartment (albeit with a security/mosquito mesh in place). This makes the compartment noisy - ear plugs are recommended.

• Tipping seems to be expected among the service staff.  The steward on the return run from Kisumu was a particularly surly client who made no effort, including claiming there was no coffee on the train until we saw the tins in the kitchen, kicked us out of the restaurant after dinner in the evening at 21:00 even through we wanted some more drinks because 'he wanted to go to bed' and never collected the bedding in the berths until we nearly arrived at Nairobi.  He then made a point of hovvering expecting a tip on arrival until turning his back in disgust when he realised he wasn't going to get one.  The steward on the Mombasa run was more blatant picking up a pack of crayons we were throwing to local lineside kids saying 'I'll have these for my children!'.

• Although security is a perception I found we had no problems (maybe because there were 6 of us!) provided you keep you wits about you, take sensible precautions and don't engage the more obvious scam merchants or hangers on.

Traveller Victoria Green used the train both ways in September 2007:  "The journey time given when you "check in" is now 17 hours - i.e. arrival time is midday at either end.  And if you're lucky you'll usually arrive half an hour or so earlier than that, rather than, from what I've heard, several hours later than the old  9.00 estimate.  The train is certainly slow!  We took it both ways, and I would say the Mombassa to Nairobi run is the better for spotting wildlife en route - after breakfast I managed to get pretty decent photos of ostrich, impala and gazelle out of the windows of the moving train.  Your description of the basicness of the facilities is true, as there are few working lights in the carriages, no working fans (but the windows do have mesh screens so you can open them) and it's all looking a bit run down.  I've heard the train company has recently changed ownership and they have plans to improve the service and introduce higher speed trains on the line, so things may change."

Traveller Sue Waterman travelled from Nairobi to Mombassa on the Jambo Kenya Deluxe in June 2007:  "Your recommendation of East Africa Shuttles was spot on - they were excellent !  We love night trains and have taken them all over the world, so we couldn't resist a Nairobi to Mombassa one with character. And we weren't disappointed - this one was was an adventure !  We were in 1st (apparently 2nd class has separate men’s' & ladies carriages and we wanted to be together), and the first surprise was getting stuck with our backpacks on in the very narrow corridors.  Backpacks off we walked sideways to our door.  There is no longer any electrical power in any of the carriages except the restaurant car & engine - we discovered this at 6.30 when it got really dark, and at 7.00 an employee came around with big fluorescent lanterns - very necessary to go to the pitch dark washroom on a moving train...  They ran out fairly quickly, but fortunately we also carry a key ring size compact fluorescent Coleman Lantern which more than proved its worth that night.  Walking to dinner with our lanterns was a little like camping trips in childhood - great fun.  And the dining car was incredible: 1950s original china and cutlery, bent, chipped and faded but still being laid out formally for dinner as it had been under the Brits.  Seats let down to surprisingly large & comfortable beds, certainly among the biggest & most comfortable we've ever met - but with no power I'm glad we were there in winter because that top bunk would have been hot in summer.  We arrived only two hours late - lots of stops and starts and one truly hair-raising downhill stretch coming off the escarpment in the night when we reached some pretty high speeds and we woke up wondering if the brakes actually worked - and in the morning along the way into Mombassa it seemed as though every child (and lots of adults) along the way was coming out of their villages to wave to us.  A great adventure..!"

You can book the train when you get to Kenya at the station reservation office at Nairobi or Mombasa.  Or you can book it in advance before you get to Kenya, through one of several travel agencies:

•  www.eastafricashuttles.com/train.htm.  You can e-mail them to book at  info@eastafricashuttles.com. 

• www.kujasafaris.com, email info@kujasafaris.com, tel. +254-020-313371.  Kuja Safaris charge a $5 booking fee on top of the normal ticket-office price, but may waive this if you also choose to book hotels, safaris or tours through them.

• Also see www.kenyasafaripackages.com/train.htm

The best place to find train, bus and ferry times for any country in Africa, Asia, America and Australasia is the famous Thomas Cook Overseas Timetable, published every two months.  It's essential for every serious overland traveller, and an inspiration for armchair travellers..!  It costs £13.50 from the bureau de change section of any branch of Thomas Cook, or you can order online at www.thomascooktimetables.com.

You'll also need a good guidebook - which for serious independent travellers means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  Both provide an excellent level of practical information and historical background.  Click here to buy the Lonely Planet guide to Kenya or here to buy the Rough Guide to Kenya at Amazon.  Or buy direct from the Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide.

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