qui pourrait vraiment me detailler de façon claire les classes de train en inde?
couchettes, non couchettes, air conditionné ou non?
services?
une idée des prix ex delhi agra? donc sur 3H de trajet environ...
ou udaipur jodhpur?8/9h de trajet
j'avoue etre un peu perdue....😉
pour la quasi totalite des trains, c'est dans cet ordre : seconde classe (non couchette avec des bancs en bois ou matelas, attention classe non reservable donc la banquette arrive a 6 voir 7 indiens a la fin + ventilo). sleeper (compartiment de 6 + 2 dans le couloir avec couchette et matelas que tu peux rabattre pendant la journee, c'est reverve donc tu as ta place a toi + ventilo) 3 ac la meme chose qu'avant + la clim 2 ac clim + compartiment de 4 + draps + un gars s'occupe de toi... 1 ac connait pas
sinon il y a aussi les express shatabdi et rajdhani, la ce sont des sieges perso avec clim + repas inclus et ca roule a 80-100 km / h. un miracle pour l'inde mais ils sont encore tres rares ces trains.
merci de tous ces details,
donc j'imagine que pour les courts trajets, (disons de 3h) il est preferable de prendre les classes type seconde ou sleeper...pour etre vraiment ds l'ambiance?
et que pour les trajets de plus de 6h, il vaut mieux prendre la 2 avec air conditionné
ps; au fait y'a il de la place pour mettre ses bagages (un sac ou valise à roulettes) pas trop loin de son siège?
2ème ps : y'a t-il des consignes à bagage ds toutes les gares (je me fais un peu de souci pour ça) sachant ke parfois, nous arriverons tot le matin ds une ville et que nous devrons tout d'abord chercher à nous loger
tu trouveras de la place pour tes bagages sous les sièges... bon, là c'est souvent le premier arrivé, le premier servi, mais généralement, on trouve de quoi loger ses sacs. on conseille souvent d'attacher son sac avec un cadenas...
et sinon, pas de souci pour les "cloak-rooms", on en trouve dans toutes les gares. généralement le tarif est de 10 roupies / bagage / 12h. donc très pratique pour se trouver un logement, par exemple, sans avoir à se traîner les sacs... regardez bien les panneaux dans les gares, et vous les trouverez sans problème.
pour ce qui est de l'ambiance en 2nde & sleeper, pas de souci, elle est assurée. mais tu sais, tu peux aussi faire de plus longs voyages en sleeper, hein... bon, bien sûr, le confort n'est pas toujours au top (quoique, finalement, quand le wagon n'est pas blindé de monde...), mais... la classe sleeper est la classe la plus utilisée par les indiens. et c'est sans doute là que se font le plus facilement les discussions.
je confirme elconcombre, rien a redire.
l'ambiance de la classe sleeper est unique, la seconde classe n'est vraiment pas conseille pour les touristes surtout si c'est leur premier voyage.
un jour, un gars avait tellement pitie que je sois dans cette classe avec ma copine, il nous a donne a manger, a boire gratuitement.😉
j'ai gardé un très bon souvenir des quelques voyages en 2nde classe que j'ai pu faire. évidemment, c'était des courts trajets, quelques heures tout au plus. mais j'y ai vécu une ambiance unique. il faut aimer le bruit, l'agitation, ne pas être regardant sur le confort (très souvent des bancs en bois... raide pour le dos !). on y est, et encore plus là qu'ailleurs dans le train, le centre des attentions des autres voyageurs, qui partagent parfois leur "meal" avec nous, qui nous posent mille questions... et comme l'anglais des voyageurs en 2nde n'est pas celui de des voyageurs de 1AC, les discussions sont parfois animées : ce sont souvent plus les mains qui parlent, et on arrive généralement à se faire comprendre !
durant les quelques mois -et pas mal de voyages en trains ! que j'ai passé en inde, j'ai pris à peu près toutes les sortes de classes, je n'ai jamais pu discuter aussi facilement avec les gens qu'en 2nde ou en sleeper. et je me rappellerai longtemps de cette famille de retour d'un mariage à mumbai, ce conducteur de train qui m'a parlé de son boulot avant de prendre son service, ce vieux monsieur qui m'a offert la moitié de son meal sur un feuille de bananier avec un sourire immense, ces chai-wallah avec leur voix perçante ("mais comment un si petit mec peut atteindre un tel volume sonore ???"), ces musiciens qui apparaissent à une gare, disparaissent à la suivante... et tous ces gens qui me posent toujours les mêmes questions...
alors, oui, ça peut être un peu dur pour un touriste qui vient de débarquer en inde. mais une fois passée la période d'acclimatation, c'est définitivement une expérience à vivre !
le train en inde, de toutes façons, est une expérience unique ! un voyage en soi...
c'est sur que pour des courts trajets, ca passe.
moi mon avant dernier trajet en seconde classe a dure 10 h avec les 3/4 de nuit entre kanyakumari et villupuram, je n'ai pas dormi, ma copine a dormi peniblement par terre coince entre les jambes de 2 indiennes.
franchement ce voyage a ete tres dur et je le deconseille a bcp de voyageur.
c'est sur que la seconde classe de jour avec un train qui n'est pas archi plein, ca se fait mais la c'etait vraiment dur dur. impossible de se deplacer...
Les express : comme son nom l'indique
Les mail : plus lent et s'arrêtent dans de plus petites gares car distribuent le courrier.
Les passengers : le plus lent, rarement renseigné et uniquement sleeper.
En pratique, les trains s'arrêtent à tout bout de champ.......cela met un temps fou mais c'est génial !!
J'ai déjà pris les classes suivantes dans les trains de nuit:
AC 1 : cabine fermée avec verrou de 2 ou 4 lits avec évier et armoire, double-vitrage fumé impossibles à ouvrir.
AC 2 thier : 6 couchettes + 2 dans le couloir + literie + rideaux
AC 3 thier : 6 couchettes + 2 dans le couloir + literie
Sleeper : 6 couchettes + 2 dans le couloir + fan
Pour la journée :
AC chair qui est la première classe fauteuil en skai.
Second class banquette en bois.
Tout les trains n'ont pas toutes les classes. Il faut se renseigner.
Quand tu réserves un train de nuit en couchettes, tu es noté sur une liste affichée dans la gare de départ ainsi que sur le wagon où tu vas. Il arrive souvent d'être en WL (wainting list) lors de la réservation mais c'est très rare d'y être encore en arrivant pour prendre le train. Si vraiment vous n'avez pas de place, il suffit de monter dans le train et demander au TT de vous trouver une place. Cela nous est arrivé une seule fois et un gentil monsieur nous a offert son lit.
Pour les bagages, il y a des consignes dans la plupart des gares. Quand aux trains, j'ai toujours dormi en me servant de mon sac à dos comme oreiller.
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Hi! I’d like to make stops across France, starting from Reims, and travel by train using the Intercités. I want to discover the landscapes and picturesque villages, and make some stops along the way. Could you give me some tips? Thanks!
I’m planning our very first trip to mainland France in January 2027. There’ll be 2 adults and 2 kids, and we’ll mostly be traveling by train.
Here’s our itinerary:
Paris
Rouen (Normandy)
Lyon
Aix-les-Bains (with day trips to Annecy and Geneva)
Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (with Chamonix and a day in Aosta)
Back to Paris
Do you think this itinerary is well-balanced? Any tips, must-see spots, or mistakes to avoid for a first-time visit?
I can’t seem to complete the payment for my trip on the IRCTC (Indian Railways) site. No matter which payment method I choose, my Visa card isn’t accepted.
Has anyone here managed to do it, and if so, could you share the method you used?
Thanks in advance!
Charlie
I’m planning a family trip in a year. Our goal: traveling to China (and maybe Hong Kong) by train.
I’m all set with the route up to eastern Turkey.
However, I’m just starting my research for the rest of the journey—namely the Caucasus (no trains as far as I know, so buses and/or ferries), then Central Asia and China.
So, I’d love to hear any info or tips (general and forward-looking at this stage) about the train route through Central Asia and China to reach the east coast.
I’m particularly interested in details on:
- How far in advance to book / any potential difficulties with reservations
- Whether there are PASS systems (or equivalent) between countries and/or if some tickets allow stopovers, meaning you can hop on and off as you please
- Day trains vs. night trains (the latter option lets you explore cities between two legs of the journey)
- A rough idea of ticket costs
...
A huge thank you to anyone who can share some info or experiences. It’s also a great opportunity to chat about adventure after (way too) many years away from this forum.
I’m planning a trip around Italy using only trains or public transport in October (hoping the weather stays nice!).
I’d obviously like to see some tourist destinations, but I also want to get off the beaten path a bit, and I’m hoping to find some help here? I don’t plan to linger too long in the cities.
Starting in the north, I’d like to visit Lake Como or Lake Orta, pass through the Cinque Terre for some hiking, spend a few days in Naples and Rome, then head down to Sicily.
Hi there,
I’ll be traveling to Japan this coming August. We’ve finalized our itinerary and booked our flight tickets. Now I’m at the stage of buying train tickets for the few segments we’ll need to cover:
Tokyo - Hakone
Hakone - Kyoto
Kyoto - Osaka
Osaka - Tokyo
Here are my questions:
a) Is it possible to buy train tickets for these segments from Canada?
b) If so, which website should I use to do this?
c) And if it is possible, will we be able to print our tickets from Canada?
d) If it’s not possible, where in Tokyo should I go to buy these tickets when I arrive?
Hi everyone, I wanted to take the Paris-Berlin overnight train with a sleeper berth, the new service operated by European Sleepers.
24/05/2026 17:45 Paris-Nord (actually 16:00 from Paris Bercy Seine) -> 25/05/2026 9:59 (actually 7:30 in Berlin)
05/06/2026 18:31 Berlin (actually 20:00) -> 06/06/2026 10:00 Paris Nord (actually 12:30)
Part of the journey was operated by bus instead of the promised overnight train.
For 2 people: 340 € round trip
A total disaster. Never again. I was really looking forward to taking the overnight train, but we faced last-minute changes and truly unpleasant travel conditions. Here are the details:
1) 2 days before departure: email announcing a change of departure station for the outbound trip—Bercy Seine bus station instead of Gare du Nord.
2) Change of schedule: 4:00 PM from Bercy instead of 5:45 PM from Gare du Nord.
3) Change of transport mode!! A bus from Paris to Brussels, then an overnight train from Brussels to Berlin. No functional toilets on the bus. No children under 4 allowed on the bus.
4) On the sleeper train at 9:30 PM: no functional toilets in our carriage, so we had to go to other carriages, even in the middle of the night, to find working ones.
5) The onboard staff, though very friendly, were as lost as we were. In particular, they didn’t know how to handle the lower berths, so people using them had less space (armrests and backrests). Berth numbers weren’t respected, so some passengers had to move. The staff also didn’t know who was supposed to join the compartment during the journey.
6) Arrival at 7:30 AM in Berlin instead of 10:00 AM. No arrival announcement. Passengers had to search for staff to get breakfast and ended up with just a coffee (breakfast = 15 €, not bad for just a coffee).
7) Return trip: drastic schedule change announced by email on 26/05/2026—departure at 7:30 PM instead of 6:30 PM, with arrival between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM in Paris instead of 10:00 AM. No change in transport mode announced.
8) Change in transport mode announced by email on the same day (05/06/2026)!! Overnight train from Brussels to Berlin, then a bus from Paris to Brussels. No functional toilets on the bus. Children under 4 banned from the bus, and families in this situation were asked to find another way—after being notified the same day.
9) The overnight train arrived at Berlin station with a 30-minute delay on top of its initial delay (scheduled for 6:31 PM, then 7:30 PM, finally arriving at 8:00 PM). The heating was blasting in the compartment with no way to turn it off. No functional toilets in the carriage. From that point on, customer service stopped responding to my messages.
10) Woken up at 5:00 AM with an announcement in all carriages about arrival in Liège.
11) Woken up again at 6:00 AM to be told we’d arrive in Brussels at 7:00 AM.
12) Arrival in Brussels at 7:00 AM and a one-hour wait for the bus to Paris. No functional toilets on the bus.
13) Arrival at Paris Nord at 12:30 PM, so 2.5 hours late compared to the originally scheduled time.
14) The overnight trains used are very old—I recognized the carriages from 20 years ago!! No functional power outlets, no Wi-Fi, no air conditioning. Five people per compartment is a bit cramped, but I consider these conditions expected (especially the air conditioning), so I’m not complaining about that. There’s already plenty to gripe about with the travel conditions.
I have little hope of getting even a partial refund. Customer service emails acknowledge the discomfort but only offer to reimburse the cost of a coffee on board if we send them the receipt... a bit weak.
I’m sharing this experience in the hope it might help others.
Hi there,
I’d like to take the Train of the Clouds from Lima to Huancayo.
I’ve heard it only runs during certain periods.
Does anyone have info on this?
Thanks!
HuancayoHuancayo
As part of my professional thesis, I’m conducting a study on the evolution of long-distance rail transport in France, particularly since it opened up to competition.
I’ve put together a very quick (about 5-minute) and completely anonymous questionnaire. Your answers will help me better understand users' expectations regarding pricing, frequency, and environmental impact.
We’re planning a 15-day trip to Uzbekistan in March—classic independent itinerary: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva. We’d like to take the train between each city, but I don’t want to lock down the whole trip before we leave.
So, my question is: is it absolutely necessary to book train tickets before departure, whether for the high-speed trains or the regional ones? Is booking really essential for the regional trains?
Hello,
We’re traveling as a family with two boys aged 10 and 12 to Cairo in February. During our trip, we’re planning to take an overnight train (with or without a sleeper) for the Cairo-Aswan route.
Do you know how I can book this remotely?
Also, I’m looking for:
- A local contact to sail the Nile by felucca for 3 days from Aswan
- A contact to guide us in Cairo
Looking forward to your tips, and thanks in advance!
Marie
Hi everyone,
I first traveled solo to Japan in 2019, exploring the Kyushu region (28 days), and I’m planning to return with my daughter (she’s an adult and it’ll be her first time in Asia) from April 25 to May 9.
I’m reaching out on this forum to ask for route ideas—this time north of Tokyo, but without heading to the Sapporo island (I’m saving that for a future trip).
I’d love to take advantage of the cherry blossom season and its festivities.
I’m looking to create a route that’s a little off the beaten path while staying within 5-6 hours by train from Tokyo to avoid spending too much time on transfers.
Thanks in advance for sharing your suggestions and experiences!
Michael
I'm heading to MEXICO IN NOVEMBER 2025. Since private guides and drivers are really expensive—over 300 € per day—I'm thinking of exploring the Yucatán by train. CAN YOU SHARE ANY INFO ON THIS? Thanks
Hi there!
We’re planning to visit Serbia (1 week) and then Montenegro (2nd week) with our kids from April 18 to May 4. We’d prefer to travel by train (overnight if possible), but we’re not sure which platform to book on or when to do it (is it too early?). If anyone has any tips, I’m all ears!!
I wanted to know if it’s possible to go from Tashkent to Almaty by train without passing through Kyrgyzstan. I’ve heard the border is often closed 😕 between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Thanks in advance!
Olivier
Hi there!
We’re planning to head back to Istanbul next year—obviously by plane—and then take the train from Istanbul to Antalya. Has anyone here already made this trip by train with TCDD?
I’d love any tips or info that could be useful for us!
I'd like to go to Montserrat on my own from Barcelona. Share your suggestions with me.
Which train should I take, where to get off, what to see once I arrive, etc.
I need to take a sleeper train from Bangkok to Vientiane in January.
I found some ticket options on 12Go Asia, but booking doesn’t seem possible at the moment. I’ve tried simulations for several dates, but no luck.
I’m wondering if it’s already fully booked, if they’ve stopped selling tickets… yet 12Go still features it every day 😕
Has anyone else run into this issue?
Can I find tickets on another site? (I tried Baolau, but no sleepers left for January 8th.)
Hi there,
I’m a bit late to be worrying about this, but hopefully someone can help me before I leave.
Tomorrow afternoon, I arrive at Lyon Part-Dieu on the TGV at 5:50 PM and take the TER to Mâcon at 6:16 PM. Is a 26-minute transfer doable? Are the TGV and TER on the same departure board? And are they on the same platforms too?
I’ve been to Lyon before but never had to make a connection after arriving.
Thanks
Starting November 15th, I’ll be arriving in Thailand, and during my stay, I plan to visit the north, around the Chiang Mai area, then head south to the Krabi region.
After Krabi, I’m planning to take an overnight train to Bangkok. I was wondering if there’s a train that leaves from Krabi or Trang, or if I absolutely have to go to Surat Thani?
Also, which official website can I use to book my ticket?
Next, since I’ll be arriving at dawn in Bangkok, I’ve planned to spend 2 days in Kanchanaburi. What’s the most convenient way to get there—bus or train? And if you know any companies or websites, that’d be great.
Hi there,
Does anyone know if there’s a bus from Luang Namtha to Boten to catch the train coming from China to Vientiane? If so, what’s the name of the company? Also, how long does the bus take to cover that distance? What’s the condition of the road like?
Thanks for your help!
Tom
I just realized there’s only one payment method accepted for booking the Mombasa-Nairobi express train ticket online: M-Pesa, a mobile money transfer service used in Africa. Would it be impossible to book as a European?
I’d love to know if any of you have recently eaten on the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
We’ve always ordered food on the train, and it was really good (and super convenient).
But in 2022, we ended up feeling like total idiots (with our 4-year-old daughter...) when we boarded the train only to find out that this service was no longer available... (It was the first time we’d traveled right after COVID.)
That’s also when we saw once again how kind Thai people are—they all offered to share their food with us, even though we were mortified. In the end, we managed to buy some instant noodles, which was better than nothing. Anyway, that’s the little story behind it.
In the following years, we’ve always brought our own meals.
I’ve read online that meal trays are back in service (could you confirm this, please?), but that the quality is really poor. I’ve also seen multiple reports that, even though you can eat well everywhere in Thailand, the train meal was the worst food travelers had during their trip...
Could you give me a recent opinion on this?
We’ll be departing from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station—do you know if there’s anywhere to buy a meal there before boarding the train?
Thanks so much for your help,
and have a great Sunday!
We’re heading to Thailand in February 2026 and we’d like to take the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Can we book two first-class tickets? I’m only seeing second-class options.
Hi everyone,
For traveling in Rajasthan by train and bus, could you give me some info: where to buy tickets, cost, purchase locations, websites, etc.?
Any tips you have would be super helpful.
Thanks
We’re traveling to Java on October 23, just the two of us.
I’ve read that it’s best to book train tickets in advance on tiket.com.
Is that true, and how far ahead do you recommend?
Are the tickets changeable?
Hi everyone,
I’m planning to travel from Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk by train this summer but I’m a bit worried about crossing the borders. How does it work? Could anyone share their experience? (I’ve found quite a few accounts of people going *from* Russia *to* Mongolia, but entering a country is never the same as leaving it—especially in this context!)
