• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 2418 0

comfortable, and then factor in delays; some slow trains stop at every two-hut village along the way, and this can extend traveling time by hours. Generally, you should only consider long-distance train travel if you are assured of exotic scenery (like the Konkan Railway, which connects Mumbai with Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala, running along the Konkan coast); or if the journey is overnight (like Delhi to Varanasi) and you have reserved a first-class air-conditioned sleeper or second-class air-conditioned sleeper berth, preferably the two-tier variety. (Never book regular second class, which can be torturous, claustrophobic, and distressing if you are at all intimidated by crowds.) You will be particularly comfortable aboard the overnight Rajdhani—the superfast train connects Delhi to Mumbai for Rs 2,145 or to Kolkata (Howrah) for Rs 2,180 in the two-tier A/C (air-conditioned) class; it also connects Delhi with Chennai, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Thiruvananthapuram, Abu Road, Ahmedabad, and Ajmer. The best daytime travel train is the Shatabdi; these intercity trains have several routes between important tourist destinations (Delhi to Amritsar: Rs 665; Mumbai to Madgaon [Goa]: Rs 700; Delhi to Jaipur: Rs 485). Book a seat in the air-conditioned Chair Car class; small meals, tea, coffee, and bottled water are included in the ticket price, seats are comfortable and clean, and toilets are usually usable, but not great.

For extensive railway information, you can log on to www.indianrail.gov.in, which shows routes, availability, and prices for all Indian trains, but you cannot book online from overseas. For tips on how to maneuver this rather unwieldy website to get the information you need, see the box below. Better still, visit www.seat61.com, the online authority for train travel across the globe with a detailed, dedicated page devoted to train travel in India. Amongst many other issues, it explains in great detail how to purchase a train ticket from outside India using the government-sponsored ticketing website www.irctc.co.in. Do note that you can also purchase tickets for train journeys in India using the relatively painless www.cleartrip.com website which charges a Rs 100 booking fee per ticket, but allows you to buy your ticket using a credit card.

Purchasing tickets usually requires some advance planning, and it’s a good idea to make all-important ticket reservations (particularly for overnight travel) before you leave for India, especially if you’re coming during peak holiday season. You can make ticket reservations through your hotel or an agent (usually for a relatively small fee), or you can brave the possibility of long lines and silly form-filling at the train station; that said, check out “Booking Your Train Ticket at the Station,” below, to see if the station you’re heading to has a counter set up especially for foreigners. Not only is this an easy way to book your seat, it may be the only way to secure tickets when trains are completely full and agents can do nothing to assist.

Indian Railways Indrail Pass is a “discount” ticket for unlimited travel over a specific number of days (for example, air-conditioned chair car/first and second class: 7 days $135), but these still require reservations and are only likely to benefit travelers who expect to make two or more long-distance journeys in a short time.

In every chapter we have included telephone numbers for railway stations, but don’t expect too much information from these, if indeed you are even able to get through.

Tip: To avoid unnecessary stress while traveling by train (particularly on overnight journeys), use a chain and padlock to secure your luggage and fasten it to some part of your berth or cabin. Be sensible, and don’t leave valuables lying around while you sleep. Booking Your Train Ticket at the Station: The Nitty-Gritty

Even though you will be told that there are no special lines or windows for foreigners who want to book train tickets, we assure you that this is not the case. More important, most trains have a quota of seats specifically for foreigners.