How to Travel India by Train

One of the overwhelming impressions of most first time visitors to India is of how big and extremely diverse the country is. The culture and natural environment both vary widely in different areas, so if possible it is a good idea to travel around quite a bit to get a sense of the country. Traveling by train is an excellent and extremely affordable way to do this.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Plan your itinerary. Train routes are easy to investigate in guide books, and serve pretty much all major cities as well as many smaller destinations. Taking trains overnight can be a good idea, because sleeper cars are fairly affordable and allow you to save the price of a hotel.

2. Buy your tickets as early as possible. While theoretically it is possible to buy them from anywhere using the telephone, internet or travel agencies, this process can be extremely confusing and sometimes more expensive than buying at a station. A good bet is to show up several days before you intend to depart (or even buy your departure ticket when you arrive at a station) and buy your ticket in person. There are usually English speaking employees and sometimes even a special short line for tourists.

3. Choose the class of car you wish to travel in. The class system is possibly the most confusing aspect of train travel in India because there are so many options. If you are a budget traveller, consider sleeper class, which is rather cheap but more comfortable than second class unreserved (which, for example, sometimes has unpadded wooden seats). Sleeper class is excellent for overnight trips, and good even for reasonably comfortable daytime trips because the seats are padded. If you want a little more luxury at a reasonable price, consider AC cars (which are air conditioned) such as AC three tier. If your car is a sleeper with reserved seating, consider choosing an upper berth which you will have to yourself all day (the middle berth is folded up during the day, and the lower may be shared by other passengers during the day).

4. Know what you will need to bring. Unless you are choosing a luxurious first class compartment, you will probably want locks for your bags and cables to attach them to the seats (and even if they are locked up, keep an eye on your bags whenever you can). If you are traveling overnight in sleeper class you will probably want a sleeping bag or other bedding (bedding is provided in AC sleeper cars). On the other hand, if you aren't too picky about food you can probably get away without packing any, since snack, meal and tea vendors pass through Indian trains quite frequently.

Tips & Warnings

• Indian trains generally have some type of toilet facility, if you know where to look.
• If you are a woman traveling alone, you may feel uncomfortable at times in Indian trains. You may be able to choose designated women's cars, or at least try to be seated near other women for a more comfortable experience.

[mandarshan]

on 4/29/2008 Thank you for uch a good description of train travel in india.It certainely gives lotof insight into indian travelling by train.This will help others to plan their travel

[grouch]

on 3/29/2008 Thanks. I would love to travel some day and you make it sound so wonderful. I may just have to check into the whole train thing.