Bonjour aux voyageurs,
Pour la troisième fois, nous allons en Inde. Jusqu'à présent nous prenions une voiture avec chauffeur, solution certes très confortable mais qui limite le contact avec les gens.
Cette année nous souhaiterions prendre le train. Ma question est très simple: le confort annoncé par exemple (1st class, AC, sleeper) est-il différent d'un train à un autre. Me conseillez-vous de réserver à l'avance pour janvier 2015. Nous sommes deux adultes.
Ci joint notre itinéraire prévu.
Par ailleurs, si nous choisissions une voiture avec chauffeur ( nous avons eu des devis très différents) comment trier le bon grain de l'ivraie? D'après certains internautes il y aurait des publicités déguisées parmi les messages.
Merci par avance de vos conseils
Notre itinéraire :
Journée du ..
Déroulement
Nuit à
Mercredi 7 janvier
Trajet de New delhi à Gwalior
Gwalior
Jeudi 8 janvier
Gwalior
Gwalior
Vendredi 9 janvier
Trajet de Gwalior vers Orchha
Orchha
Samedi 10 janvier
Trajet vers Khajuraho
Khajuraho
Dimanche 11 janvier
Visite des temples
Khajuraho
Lundi 12 janvier
Trajet vers Varanasi
Varanasi
Mardi 13 janvier
Varanasi
Varanasi
Mercredi 14 janvier
Varanasi
Varanasi
Jeudi 15 janvier
Varanasi
Varanasi
Vendredi 16 janvier
Trajet vers Kolkota
Kolkota
Samedi 17 janvier
Kolkota
Kolkota
Dimanche 18
Kolkota
Kolkota
Lundi 19 janvier
Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (taxi)
Nuit en bateau ou dans la réserve
Mardi 20 janvier
Retour de la réserve
Kolkota (aéroport)
Mercredi 21 janvier
Trajet vers Darjeeling
Darjeeling
Jeudi 22 janvier
Darjeeling
Darjeeling
Vendredi 23 janvier
Darjeeling
Darjeeling
Samedi 24 janvier
Retour vers Delhi (avion)
Delhi (aéroport)
J'ai beaucoup voyagé en train avec ma compagne et uniquement dans la classe sleeper. Dont le confort est pareille dans tous les trains, la seule chose qui peut varier, est la propreté (je vous conseille d'emporter avec vous un sac à viande). Si vous avez de la chance vous tomberez sur des wagons qui ont été rénovés récemment. Cette classe à l'avantage d'être pas cher du tout et d'être plein de vie (vendeur, locaux qui viennent vous parler, ...).
Si possible je vous conseille de réserver à l'avance, très à l'avance. Ce qui est possible avec l'application mobile "cleartrip". Sinon en arrivant en Inde il existe des "quotas pour touristes", à réserver dans une gare uniquement.
Jusqu'à présent nous prenions une voiture avec chauffeur, solution certes très confortable mais qui limite le contact avec les gens.
Cette année nous souhaiterions prendre le train.
En sus du contact avec les habitants, le train a d'autres avantages :
- transport plutôt sûr (tout particulièrement la nuit, comparée à la route),
- possibilité d'y "dormir" la nuit (appréciable quand on est contraint par le temps et que l'on parcourt de grandes distances),
- très économique.
le confort annoncé par exemple (1st class, AC, sleeper) est-il différent d'un train à un autre.
J'ai l'expérience de SL et de AC3 en Inde du Nord (Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Penjab / Haryana, Jammu).
Ce sont strictement les mêmes wagons dans les différents trains utilisés. De ce que j'en ai vu, c'est aussi le cas pour AC2. Pour AC1, je n'ai pas vu les compartiments, mais je pense que c'est la même chose. C'est plus simple à gérer opérationnellement d'avoir le même type de matériel partout.
SL et AC3 ont exactement les mêmes compartiments. Hormis les fenêtres, car elles sont inamovibles en AC3 du fait de la climatisation. En mars, la classe SL m'a tout à fait convenu, car il ne fait pas encore très chaud la nuit en Inde du Nord. J'ai même eu froid la nuit entre Delhi et Amritsar.
Je confirme que l'état de propreté est variable. Sans doute selon la classe (il y 30% de passagers en moins en AC2 par rapport à l'AC3), mais aussi selon l'état d'avancement du train sur son trajet. La propreté risque d'être compromise après plus de 24 h de trajet, même si une équipe de nettoyage passe lors de quelques étapes.
Elément à prendre compte dans la définition de votre voyage, le possible retard. Réduit en général en début d'itinéraire, mais cela peut devenir très conséquent au bout de 6 heures de trajet. Le site indiarailinfo.com indique pour chaque train et à chaque étape le retard moyen (cf. avg) constaté au départ et à l'arrivée.
Me conseillez-vous de réserver à l'avance pour janvier 2015.
Le même site indiarailinfo.com indique pour chaque train, chaque date, et chaque classe, la disponibilité en places ou la taille de la file d'attente.
Selon les directions, c'est complet plus ou moins à l'avance. Mieux vaut ne pas tarder trop après l'ouverture de la réservation pour cette date.
En sus du quota tourist (réservable uniquement en quelques gares, et sur place car contrôle du passeport), il y a aussi la possibilité des billets de "dernière minute" appelé Taktal et mis en vente 48 h avant le départ.
Pour les réservations par Internet, voir le mode d'emploi publié par un forumiste. Créer un compte dès maintenant, même sans réserver la moindre place. Cela évitera un éventuel contretemps fâcheux.
Bon voyage
Fabrice
S'exposer à l'Etranger lointain amène à mieux connaître et comprendre sa propre Culture.
Je rajouterai encore 2-3 petites choses :
-il y a de plus en plus de nouvelles lignes et de nouveaux trains plus confortables et plus modernes, surtout sur les grands axes. Certains trains ont meme 2 etages maintenant comme certains TGV en France !
- la possibilite de reserver dans le quota Tatkal n 'est maintenant offerte que 24 heures avant le depart
- le cout des annulations a augmente mais reste pplus que raisonnable, ne pas hesiter a reserver plusieurs trains quand on n'est pas sur de son coup, quitte a annuler quelques jours avant le depart
L'ouverture a la reservation (tous quotas confondus) varie entre 90 jours et 30 jours a l'avance.
- la possibilite de reserver dans le quota Tatkal n 'est maintenant offerte que 24 heures avant le depart
pour un train qui part a 20h par exemple , ont peut réserver un billet tatkal le jour d'avant à partir de 10h ( ouverture de la billetterie tatkal tous les jours en Inde ) du matin , bien plus de 24 h
de la meme facon, un train qui part a 8h du matin ne pourra etre reserve en Tatkal qu'a partir de la veille a 10h 9heure d'ouverture du quota), c'est a dire moins de 24 heures avant..........
Mon expérience : depuis plus d un mois ici, j ai toujours pris le train en passant par des agences. Tu payes une commission qui doit avoisiner la centaine de roupies. Le côté pratique c est que tu n as pas à attendre des heures durant, à faire la queue, etc et surtout le côté flexible de la chose, j entends par la si t as un peipin, si tu dois changer une date pour une raison ou pour une autre .... En faisant ainsi, j ai toujours été en classe 2AC et jamais eu le moindre souci, super bien dormi. Pour les petits trajets, j ai toujours pris mes billets le jour même. Je me suis retrouvé une seule fois en journée se voyager debout, ou nous devio.s être 3 ou 4 au m2 !!! Je n ai jamais pris le bus de nuit, on me l a déconseillé.
Bonjour chers collègues voyageurs
Merci beaucoup pour vos sympathiques et précieux messages. j'ai cru comprendre que pour réserver un billet avec IRCTC il fallait une carte American express. Connaissez-vous une autre possiblité?
Par avance, merci
Bonjour,
Avez-vous visité les Sunderbans comme vous l'aviez programmé ?
Je cherche des renseignements sur cette région car nous passerons quelques jours à Calcutta en février et sommes intéressés par cette visite.
Merci Christiane
Bonjour,
Avez-vous visité les Sunderbans comme vous l'aviez programmé ?
Je cherche des renseignements sur cette région car nous passerons quelques jours à Calcutta en février et sommes intéressés par cette visite.
Merci Christiane
Bonjour Chrisitane,
Non finalement nous avions changé nos plans en raison de problèmes d'avion : c'est l'Inde et il faut parfois faire avec!
En tous cas bon voyage
Alain
Nous partons ma fille et moi pour 15 jours (du 21 mars au 6 avril) et nous voudrions avoir des renseignements sur les transports par train, pouvons nous…
Je suis étudiante en BTS Ventes et Productions Touristiques et je dois organiser un voyage en Inde pour une autre classe de BTS qui part du 6 au 17 février…
Je souhaite établir mon budget pour une escapade d'un mois et demi en inde, j'aurais voulu avoir plus de précisions concernant les tarifs pour les transports…
Je commence par Rishikesh dans le Nord de l'Inde et en Février. Pourriez-vous m'en dire quelques inconvénients rencontrés à cette période. Est-ce que je ne…
Chaque année, sauf celle-ci, nous allons en Inde du Sud au kérala. Depuis plusieurs années, j'essaye de trouver une alternative à l'avion. Les cargos étant…
Hi everyone,
First of all, thank you for all the valuable information you share—it’s really helpful.
My husband and I are heading to South Korea from September 19 to October 6. We know the timing might not be ideal because of Chuseok, but for various reasons, we didn’t have other date options. Plus, this period coincides with some festivals we’ve been eager to check out: the Andong Mask Dance Festival, the Jinju Lantern Festival, and the Hwaseong Festival in Suwon.
Here’s our tentative itinerary:
09/19: Arrival in Seoul
09/20: Bus to Sokcho – explore the city or short hike
09/21: Seoraksan Park
09/22: Return to Seoul
09/23–09/26: Seoul
09/27: Bus or train to Andong – explore the city
09/28: Hahoe
09/29–10/01: Gyeongju
10/01–10/03: Busan
10/03–10/04: Jinju
10/05: Bus/train to Suwon
10/06: Suwon
So here’s my question: Given that several of our trips fall during or around festivals, will it be possible to book bus/train tickets once we’re there, or is there a risk they’ll already be sold out? Specifically for Seoul-Andong, Busan-Jinju, and Jinju-Suwon.
I was thinking of booking everything on our first day in Seoul.
And if it’s better to plan ahead, how should we go about it? I can’t seem to access the Korail (letskorail) or Kobus websites.
Thanks in advance for your answers and help—and sorry for the long post! :)
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?
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 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