India Rail, Train Travel Tips and Tricks
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Train travel in India can be intimidating for a fist timer.
It can be confusing and overwhelming, but once you figure it all out, it isn’t so bad at all.
The easiest way to book a ticket on India Rail is to do so online at http://www.irctc.co.in/ Make sure to have a printer handy to print out your ticket. You can read more about how to book India Rail Tickets online at our post Figuring Out India Rail Travel
However a trip to the train station is always an adventure.
The first thing that you will need to know about train travel in India the class system.
For overnight bookings you will definitely want to be comfortable. You need to know that difference between classes when you book your ticket or you may end up on a very uncomfortable journey.
Here are some tips to help make your India Rail bookings easier
India Rail Classes:
1AC – Air conditioned, private room with locking doors. T or 4 berth
2AC – Air conditioned two tiered beds, 4 people to a berth
3AC - Air conditioned, three tiered beds, 6 people to a berth
CL - Chair Class padded reclining seats with air conditioning
SL - Sleeper Class, Non air conditioned tiered berths.
2nd class – unreserved seating, free for all
1,2 and 3 AC are travelers best bets for overnight trains. They are clean, cool and comfortable. Plus they are quiet and you won’t be breathing in the fumes from the trains when they enter a tunnel. A local man from India that was riding in 3 AC with us said, “SL is loud and you go insane listening to clickety clack, clickety clack.”
How to Book your Train Ticket – from the train station.
1. Go to the computer reservation desk.
2. Get a form. Go right to the front of the line and ask for a form first thing. You aren’t budding in line, you just need to get that piece of paper.
3. Get in line and fill out the form while standing in line. Otherwise several people will get ahead of you while you fill out your form at the table and it can be a very long wait.
4. Know the name of the train station that you want to go to. Stops are not always the same name as the city and the ticket agent may not know the stop that you want if you simply say Goa because there are several stops for Goa.
5. There will most likely be a waiting list when you book your tickets. India rail tickets are always sold out and you will rarely get a seat that day. Being 1 to 10 on the waiting list is a very good chance that you will get your seat confirmed if you are booking on 3AC class. 2Ac may be a different story as there aren’t as many seats. Sometimes even higher numbers will be confirmed. The sooner you book your train ticket in advance, the better chance that you will get on the train when you want to.
At the Train Station
Getting on the right car of the train can be just as confusing as anything.
We got on the wrong car our first train trip because we didn’t know where to look for our number. As we learned however, the India rail system is very well organized and if you know where to look, you will be able to find what you need.
1. Go to the computer to confirm your booking seat number. Punch in your PNR number and the screen will give you all the
A Good Nights Sleep
information that you need.
2. Write down your information on your train ticket and go to the electronic board to look for your train number and car number.
3. Proceed to the engine number that coincides with your train and car by number. It will be listed on the board as well. Stand and wait at the engine number on the platform until your train arrives. India trains are very long containing several boxcars, so you want to make sure that you wait at the right spot.
4. Don’t take too long to board. Sometimes trains wait awhile at the station, other times they leave without warning.
Most likely people will be sitting in your seat, Just tell them your number and they will move, or simply make room for you.
5. Know the names of a couple of stops before yours. There aren’t announcements on most trains and you simply have to keep an eye out for your stop. Know the time that you arrive and start watching for the stops before yours.
6. Gather all of your belongings ahead of time and be prepared. Like #4 on this list…trains in India can sometimes stop for a long time and other times not so long at all barely giving you time to grab your bags and get to the door.
Tips
One or our Berth Mates, Father Yaunon
1. Put your luggage under your seat right away. It fills up quickly and if you set it above on a bed, you won’t have a place to put it later.
2. Bring a chain lock or pack safe. On a 3AC Sleeper train, you could be 3 beds high and not notice anyone come into your berth. While you are sleeping, you will never know who will walk through. Having your valuables locked to a pole or bed will give you a more relaxed sleep.
3. Food is provided, but not included. Water, chai and sodas are available for sale. You will never go hungry. There is always someone going through offering food and drink. If you don’t want to buy food on the train, bring your own snacks.
Have an alarm. Nobody is going to come and wake you up when your stop, it is all up to you.
Taking the train in India is the easiest and most comfortable way to travel through the country.
Our Seat mates, Churchill and Dalti
Train travel in India can be a lot of fun and it is a wonderful way to get to know the people of India. When you are stuck in a berth staring at each other with your knees almost touching, you have no choice but to chat and get to know each other. By the time your stop comes, you won’t want to get off the train because you have made such great new friends in the lovely country of India.
Thanks to all of our new friends that helped us, by giving us information on rail travel, coming to check on us before our stop, buying us soup and translating all the conversations going on around us.
We will never forget our first overnight sleeper train on India rail and luckily our ticket booking wasn’t the nightmare that we have always heard about.
17 Responses to India Rail, Train Travel Tips and Tricks
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This is where my PacSafe came in so handy! On overnights I locked it up to the bed like you said and got a nice rest (or as nice as could be since I was in Sleeper most of the time!
Glad you guys have it all figured out already – I have to admit…it took me a bit longer!!
.-= Shannon OD´s last blog ..A Little Choice…Uluru’s Base Walk and Personal Choice =-.
Hi Shannon, I don’t think we have it figured out yet. We are stumbling along hoping for the best:) I agree with you about the pacsafe. We are sooooo glad that we brought them, even if they do add extra weight to the luggage.
Trisha, yes it can be confusing. We have only taken the train twice, so we are certainly not experts yet. But we will keep sharing the information as we learn more. Cheers!
I’ve always loved traveling by train, but it sounds like it’s a real adventure in India! It also sounds like it could be very confusing and possibly frustrating for beginners, so it’s great that you share such good, detailed advice.
.-= Trisha Miller´s last blog ..Suzy: Week 17 Goals – Writing eBooks =-.
You guys are awesome – thanks for the tips! Currently trying to book train tickets on line and are stumped on what to choose as payment. I have a Citi Bank MC but it is not working currently. Thoughts?
We have tried using Citibank and TD Visa and neither work. We tried this after the post went up, so I am glad that you asked the question. I am thinking that our Canadian cards will not work. We even tried entering from two different gateways. We have another card CIBC that we are going to try, but I have a feeling that it will not work. We have an email into India Rail, we will see if they get back to us, as the site states that cards from all countries are accepted…hmmm
Good to know. I am going to try an American Express card today and see if that works. Thank you guys!
Everything in India is an adventure and seems harder than it is until you give it a shot. This is a good read for first time train riders in India, it’s a great way to travel around there.
.-= Anil´s last blog ..The Cheesiest Travel Photo Contest Part 2 – Entry #9 =-.
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I know this post is a bit old, but I thought I’d comment anyway:
1) I don’t know if you know but you can actually book tickets from the Internet. It’s much easier IMO than doing it at the station. Here’s the official site: http://www.irctc.co.in. You can also get a schedule of any train on that site, which is handy sometimes.
2) I prefer 2AC or 1AC. They’re both cheap anyway (compared to most countries) – ~$50 for 2AC and $100-$200 for 1AC.
Thanks Sam for adding the information. We wrote a post later about the irctc.co.in and thank you…you reminded us that we should have linked the later post with all of the other information that we have learned to this one.
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hi,
i always wondered what foreigners think about india when they visit.
its nice to read that tourists do enjoy my country despite all the hurdles they face the moment they land at the airport. and yes indian rail is the best mode of transport in india (reaches even the remotest corners of the country).
one thing about the credit cards not being accepted on the website, try and open a bank account before coming to india (try the american express, citibank etc). would certainly save u guys a lot of hassle.
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Wow, so many different travel classes! I notice they focus on the A/C alot. Does it get really hot on the train over there? Thanks for the tips! If I ever find myself in India for some reason, I’ll definitely travel by rail!
.-= Ryan Cowles´s last blog ..Taking a Train Across the Country – Part Two =-.
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Great post!
I just spent 7 weeks in India and traveled extensively by train. I found the official India Railways website to be really difficult to use (it constantly crashed) and then wouldn’t accept non-Indian credit cards, so I could even purchase a ticket. Instead, I used Cleartrip, which is a commerical site that’s much easier to use and accepts foreign credit cards.
I just posted an article on everything I learned about train travel in India that folks may find helpful: http://www.howtotraveler.com/2011/05/india-by-train-a-comprehensive-how-to-guide/.
Cheers,
Brad