Lis les posts suivants: http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=1890812
http://www.traveller2000.com/train/trains.asp a bien roulé pour mes parents cet été (réservation depuis la Suisse par internet - billets déposés à la guesthouse avant leur arrivée). D'autres témoignages ?
néanmoins je souhaiterais savoir si qqn a déjà essayé de réserver en envoyant un mail à passenger-ser@railway.co.th ....
sur www.seat61.com, il est dit exactement celà :
"your e-mail must include the journey, date, train number, departure time, class, seat or sleeper (upper or lower berth), number of passengers, your name and e-mail address, and whether you want to collect your tickets at Don Muang or Bangkok Hualamphong station in the city centre [...] this way normally works well, but recently several people have said they waited up to 2 weeks for a reply, so you may just have to be patient. Some people have recently reported that they haven't had a reply. If you have any problems, or need to make a booking less than 15 days before departure, try using an agency such as Thaifocus or Traveller2000 as shown below."
donc la résa par mail (qui me plait bien plutôt que de tout payer à l'avance) n'a pas l'air de marcher su per bien, mais je sais pas trop de quand ce commentaire date... d'où ma question
sinon à part traveller2000 (il est vrai recomandé un peu partout) ?
A+
MErci
Il n'y a pas de problème sans solution... et si il n'y a pas de solution, il n'y a pas de problème !
en Thailande il n'est pas possible de réserver de billets ; il faut les acheter pour etre sur d'avoir les places
et il n'est pas possible de les acheter à plus de 60 jours d'avance
sinon, n'importe quelle agence locale est capable de vous acheter les billets de train ( qu'elle paie au tarif normal, et sur lequel elle rajoute le cout du coursier pour aller a a gare et pour déposer le billet a votre hotel) ;
la question est : comment l'agence locale peut elle acheter d'avance le billet sans etre sure que vous allez bien lui payer ??
sauf a vous demander de regler d'avance aussi ??
vu les frais bancaires, il faut alors trouver une agence basée localement en Thailande mais ayant un moyen de paiement sans frais bancaire, par ex une agence locale ayant un correspondant en France qui accepte le paiement en France ( donc avec des frais bancaires quasi nuls)
donc dans votre cas pour LoyKrathong ( mi novembre) en vente depuis quelques jours seulement
en Thailande il n'est pas possible de réserver de billets ; il faut les acheter pour etre sur d'avoir les places
et il n'est pas possible de les acheter à plus de 60 jours d'avance
sinon, n'importe quelle agence locale est capable de vous acheter les billets de train ( qu'elle paie au tarif normal, et sur lequel elle rajoute le cout du coursier pour aller a a gare et pour déposer le billet a votre hotel) ;
la question est : comment l'agence locale peut elle acheter d'avance le billet sans etre sure que vous allez bien lui payer ??
sauf a vous demander de regler d'avance aussi ??
vu les frais bancaires, il faut alors trouver une agence basée localement en Thailande mais ayant un moyen de paiement sans frais bancaire, par ex une agence locale ayant un correspondant en France qui accepte le paiement en France ( donc avec des frais bancaires quasi nuls)
donc dans votre cas pour LoyKrathong ( mi novembre) en vente depuis quelques jours seulement
ok merci beaucoup pour ta réponse. J'oublie donc la résa par mail...
concernant ce que tu appelles une "agence locale ayant un correspondant en France", traveller2000 et thaifocus (cités par seat61) rentrent-elles dans ce critère ?
penses-tu vraiment qu'il faille dans tous les cas réserver à l'avance sachant que l'on arrive le 09 novembre à chiang mai et qu'on veu prendre un train CM-Pitsanulok le 13 (puis pitsanulok-BKK le 15) ? ce délai de 4 jour est-il suffisant en période de loikrathong (je pense que non, mais acheter directement sur place serait le plus facile...) ?
Merci
A+
Il n'y a pas de problème sans solution... et si il n'y a pas de solution, il n'y a pas de problème !
chiangMai Phitsanuloke ca sera uniquement un train de jour donc pas de probleme ( sauf que vous arrivez a 11h du soir ou a minuit à Phitsanuloke ( le bled total !!!) et que vous etes a 60 km de Sukhothai si c'est votre but
autant alors s'arreter à Ban Dara Junction avec un trian de jour et en profiter pour aller à SiSatchanalai
Phitsanuloke BKK de nuit en couchette départ à minuit ou a 4h du matin ? ( sachant qu'il faut refaire les 60 km de Sukhothai à Philoke), idem autant prendre le train couchette à Sila At de 23h18
quant à la période de novembre : il suffira de consulter le site officiel qui affiche le nombre de place disponibles a 30 jours
en direct sur
http://www.railway.co.th/seatcheck2/aseat.asp
c'est simple et tres fiable ( utiliser internet explorer)
notre but est d'aller à sukhotai et nous avons l'intention de voyager de jour (je suis bien conscient qu'il ne faut pas consdérer pitsanulok comme destination finale). Pourquoi voyager de jour, bah justement pour éviter les horaires d'arrivée/départ que tu annonces. Et d'autre part, je préfère une journée de trasnfert cool plutôt qu'enchainer les visites et les lieux.
concernant les horaires de jour, j'ai vu sur railway.co.th http://www.railway.co.th/English/Time_HTML.asp un départ de chiang mai à 8h45 arrivée 15h08 à pitsanulok un départ de pitsanulok à 8h59 arrivée à BKK à 15h05
ces horaires ne sont pas fiables (ils sont différents de ce que tu m'indiques) ?
Merci de tes précieux conseils
Il n'y a pas de problème sans solution... et si il n'y a pas de solution, il n'y a pas de problème !
je dois réserver des billets de train pour la période de Loi Krathong, donc il faut que je m'y prenne à l'avance...
il est apparemment possible d'envoyer un mail à railway.co.th pour réserver.
Qqn a déjà essayé ? c'est fiable ?
sinon, quelle agence en ligne recommandez-vous ?
Merci d'avance,
A+
J'ai un contact français chez Lucy Travel (soi 4 Sukhumvit, + representant de NF) qui parle français et qui pourrait s'en occupper... 😉. C'est fiable bien entendu.
"Dans vos phrases, n'utilisez qu'un sujet, un verbe, un complément d"objet direct ; Quand vous aurez besoin d'un adjectif, venez me trouver." (Georges Clemenceau)
non nous avons la meme table d'info du site officiel
les horaires que vous mentionnez sont exacts et bien ceux de Bangkok Phitsanuloke de jour
les horaires que je cites sont ceux du train Phitsanuloke Bangkok de nuit
les horaires de départ de Bangkok ou de ChiangMai sont en général fialbles
les horaires d'arrivée en fin de trajet le sont un peu moins, donc attention si vous prenez le train en milieu de parcours ( il suffit de telephoner à la gare avant )
puisque vous envisager ( tres bien ! ) le train de jour, ce que je vous conseille c'est d'aller a Lampang, d'y passer la journée et la nuit puis le lendemain faire le trajet Lampang jusqu'à BanJara Jct (dep 9h15 arrivée vers 13h ; la gare qui ets juste a 30 km de Sawankaloke, ce qui vous permet d'aller d'abord à Sistachanalai dans l'apres-midi avant de faire les 70 km jusqu'a Sukhothai
si vous allez jusqu'a Philoke, de toutes facons vous aurez 60 km a faire pour rejoindre Sukhothai !
dans mon mail je citais plus pratique d'embarquer a 10h du soir qu'a minuit, mais cela dépend essentiellement de votre mode de locomotion pour rejoindre la gare
puisque vous envisager ( tres bien ! ) le train de jour, ce que je vous conseille c'est d'aller a Lampang, d'y passer la journée et la nuit puis le lendemain faire le trajet Lampang jusqu'à BanJara Jct (dep 9h15 arrivée vers 13h ; la gare qui ets juste a 30 km de Sawankaloke, ce qui vous permet d'aller d'abord à Sistachanalai dans l'apres-midi avant de faire les 70 km jusqu'a Sukhothai
si vous allez jusqu'a Philoke, de toutes facons vous aurez 60 km a faire pour rejoindre Sukhothai !
dans mon mail je citais plus pratique d'embarquer a 10h du soir qu'a minuit, mais cela dépend essentiellement de votre mode de locomotion pour rejoindre la gare
j'avoue que pour aller à la gare de pitsanulok on sait pas trop pour l'instant... a priori bus, sinon taxi. je pense que ca devrait ok pour attraper le train de 8h59 à pitsanuloke pour BKK. qu'en penses-tu ?
sinon pour la trajet CM-Pitasnuloke et la variante que tu proposes (descendre à Bandara jct plutôt que Pitsanuloke), pourquoi prendre le train à lampan à 9h15 plutôt que Chiang Mai à 8h45, sachant que je dormirai chiang mai... ?
d'autre part, sur les horaires, le train qui part de 9h15 de lampang (=lam phun ?) ne s'arrête pas à Bandara jct...
A+
Il n'y a pas de problème sans solution... et si il n'y a pas de solution, il n'y a pas de problème !
merci pour ta proposition mais je pense que je vais me débrouiller autrement.
il est clair que si je paye pas à l'avance ma résa ne peut être garantie.... donc je vais acheter ms billets à l'avance (en ligne)
Il n'y a pas de problème sans solution... et si il n'y a pas de solution, il n'y a pas de problème !
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Comme je patauge un peu, je cherche de l'aide pour connaitre l'adresse d'un site ou d'une agence de voyages ou je pourrais directement reserver mon billet de…
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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!)
