The trains in India are overwhelming but really convenient and a welcome change to transport after spending so much time on buses through South America.
We had no clue on how to book a train in India, let alone how to catch it and where to catch it. The train station in Delhi is a huge place of organised chaos, and throw being blonde and white into the pictur it’s even more chaotic.
We tried to book our tickets online, but without an India. Phone number we couldn’t register, so we headed to the train station in Delhi where they have a tourist office that will book all the tickets for you. Ignore the millions of people coming up to you telling you the tickets are sold over here or there. We learnt generally if someone is being overly helpful they are setting you up for a scam. The office booked all our tickets auickly and easily, without commission.
You have to book some tickets at least a few days in advance, especially the popular routes to be guaranteed a seat. Otherwise you are placed on a waiting list and sit around hoping someone will have cancelled their ticket and you will move up the list and make the train. We heard that apparently if your waiting list number is single digits you have a good chance of getting a seat.
The trains range in a class level. Sleeper class being the lowest and AC1 being the highest class. We chose to travel our first few trips in AC2 and AC3. Not knowing what to expect and expecting the worst, we were pleasantly surprised. AC 2 had two 4 beds in a bay, 2 bunks on each side. They gave us a blanket, sheet and pillow and each bah had a privacy curtain. Food is served on the train for an extra fee, but we decided to eat before boarding. AC3 is similar, but with 6 beds in a bay and no curtain.
AC2 train cabin
There are a number of toilets on the train, a few western style but mostly squat toilets. Carry toilet paper, as with everywhere in India, and bring earplugs because the snorers are at their peak on the train! The trains also regularly run late. Our first trip was 5 hours late to arrive at the destination, and our other train was 2.5 hours late at picking us up. You can check the status of the train online.
We vowed to do one trip on a sleeper class, but when we saw it, people hanging out the doors, squished in like sardines, we may have changed our mind. But who knows, we may be very low on cash near the end of the trip and have to do it. I’m sure it’s a great experience, just maybe one I’m just happy to hear about from other travellers.
Leave a Reply