Je prépare activement un voyage mon voyage en Inde qui débutera le 1er Février. Je partirai de Mumbai fin février (après avoir fait un circuit organisé dans le Gujarat), et mon objectif est de rejoindre Calcutta dans la première quinzaine du mois de mai. Pendant ces deux gros mois, je voyagerai seul, avec mon sac à dos, à petit budget.
D'un autre côté, j'ai lu sur voyageforum des voyageurs qui conseillent de réserver tous ses trains à l'avance, car ceux ci sont souvent complets. D'autres pensent le contraire : http://voyageforum.com/v.f?do=post_view_flat;post=4252604;page=1;search_string=inde%20reservation%20trains;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=10
En bref, est-il possible de se rendre dans une gare et d'acheter un ticket pour le prochain train facilement (et si oui, 1h30 à l'avance suffit-il ?) ? Ou bien est-il indispensable de réserver au moins la veille ?
Par ailleurs, d'après vous le India Rail Pass est-il rentable pour 3 mois (285 USD en Second Class / Sleeper Class) ? Dans tous les cas je me procurerai la bible Trains at a Glance dès mon arrivée à Mumbai, afin de gérer plus facilement mon voyage en temps réel.
En vous remerciant par avance pour vos réponses éclairées,
mkdj
encore une arnaque à la charité des écrivains sur VF ! ....
Paco
"les hommes sont aujourd'hui convaincus qu'ils volent .." René Char
Des souvenirs j'en ai d'autres, mais je les perds, car on démolit mes repères ..
salut :)
apres quelques voyages aux indes (chaque etat ayant ses particularités propres), jte conseille vivement de te procurer trains at a glance, com tu l'as dit, 35-40 roupies, ds les gares(les grandes en general, ya des especes de bookshop), ça te permet d savoir quels trains existent, et y en a bcp!.. ya un ptit temps d adaptation pour comprendre comment marche ce bouquin, ms une fois q t as compris, il est pas tres lourd, c bien pratique qd t arrives ds des gares ou l anglais se fait rare.. et aussi qd tu vois les coms que les agences de voyage prennent.. (tu as dit petit budget).
concernant la reservation, a delhi , oui, pourquoi pas, ils ont un tourist office a l etage (coté paharganj, avec un systeme de file d'attente interessant ;) c etait encore vrai en mars 2013 ptet ça a changé depuis)
a bombay aussi, a victoria(ça a changé d nom il m semble que c est CST maintenant ms c est a confirmer) ya un tourist office a l etage, la gare est grande ms c est assez simple. jte parle d tourist offices car les gens parlent anglais en general, ça peut faciliter les choses qd c blindé ou si tu perds patience.. ou pas! ;) ya pas mal de trains et courts trajets où tu prends ton billet un peu avant le depart, et là fo faire la queue, prevoir un peu de temps(ils st nommbreux).
pour les + longs trajets, et trains de nuit, si tu reserves, que tu as de la place, tant mieux, s ils te disent "non available", là tu peux demander "foreign quota"(pr les etrangers), si ya encore pas d place, tu peux demander tatkal(+ ou - urgences, ms aucune preuve ne m a ete demandée, par contre des fois ils veulent une photocop du passeport) et ça c est en vente 24h avant j crois. et on m a parlé d un autre moyen, c est "emergency" quota(là c est urgences du coup), et là tu fais la queue 2h avant j crois.pour le "emergency" faudra q tu t renseignes.
et sinon, tu chopes un billet sans reservation(qtu achetes meme si ya pas d place, ça devrait diminuer l amende au cas ou) et tu montes ds le train et te trouves une place comme tu pourras, j ai trouvé les gens curieux en general, et ils t invitent volontiers a t asseoir avec eux, si c est un train de nuit, tu peux dormir au sol, entre les banquettes..)
sur le trajet delhi varanasi(entre autres), des flics peuvent etre ds les trains de nuit pour les vols.. j ai jamais eu d ennuis avec mes sacs, au pire t achetes une chaine et un cadenas, et tu l attaches aux crochets faits pour sous les banquettes. tout ça est a peu pres valable pour la sleeper classe(c est largement assez confortable, du coup j n ai pas pris les "ac" air conditionné).
sur les longs trajets, choisir la banquette du haut te permet d aller te reposer qd tu veux, si tu choisis celle du bas, t es a la fenetre, c cool aussi.. ms t es pas tout seul, et du coup tu devras attendre que tes collegues de compartiment veuillent aller dormir pour utiliser ta banquette comme lit.
sur certains trajets, tu as la nourriture et d l eau ds le train, et comme le train s arrete assez svt qd meme(sauf express si j dis pas d betise) ds les gares en general, tu as a manger. fo juste etre reactif qd le train repart.. si tu aimes le tchae, et q tu as le choix ds le train, les sans sachets jles trouve bien meilleurs! ;)
beaucoup de blabla desolée, ms ça m aurait aidé d savoir certains d ces trucs avt d arriver la 1ere fois ;)
si tu cherches a bombay pour dormir, ya la salvation army(a colaba, quartier des touristes, ds la rue derriere le taj mahal hotel) c est relativement propre, et ya des dortoirs pas trop chers..(250 rps, c est cher pour un dortoir ms bombay est assez cher il me semble nivo room), tu peux aussi aller te doucher et laisser ton sac pr la journéé pr 100rps. sinon a victoria train station(=CST jcrois) aussi ya cloackroom et douches(10rps/jour pr le sac et douches pour les hom j sais pas, pr les nanas c gratos il me semble, ou 5rps ptet.. jsais plus!)
pour en revenir a ta question reserver ou pas, renseigne toi des rassemblements religieux aussi... ça brasse bcp de monde, ds les gares aussi! sinon jte conseille de faire au fur a mesure, ça te permet d profiter pleinement de ton voyage et de prendre le temps là ou tu aimes.. et o pire, ya les bus ;) jtrouve q c est bien pratik, ms là, tout depend du chauffeur(des chauffeurs selon)...et d l etat du bus..
j pense a rien d autre là... en esperant q ça puisse te servir un peu! ;)
en tout cas bon voyage!!! ;)
Un énorme merci pour ton témoignage, qui me donne toutes les informations dont j'avais besoin, et plus encore (notamment l'aspect nourriture à bord du train). Je reviens sur un point :
et sinon, tu chopes un billet sans reservation(qtu achetes meme si ya pas d place, ça devrait diminuer l amende au cas ou)
Quand tu dis ça, tu parles uniquement des long trajets (= trains de nuit) qui afficheraient complets, même en passant par le foreign quota, tatkal et emergency ? Si j'ai tout compris, le système en Inde est similaire à celui de l'Allemagne par exemple : on paie non seulement son trajet, mais si on veut une place assise (ou couchette) garantie, on paie en plus la réservation. Mais il est illégal de voyager dans un train de nuit sans réservation, c'est ça ?
Merci encore pour ton aide, et bonnes fêtes de fin d'année !
PS : Pour les deux autres, je n'ai pas compris cette histoire de charité. Si vous avez une remarque à me faire j'accepte la critique, tant qu'elle est détaillée et constructive.
salut mkdj !
avec plaisir, si ça peut te servir c est tant mieux ;)
les billets sans reservation c est + pour les courts trajets (enfin jte conseille ça pour les courts trajets, et plutot de jour, car faudras q tu te trouves une place tout seul et t auras ptet a bouger quand des nouveaux gens monteront ds le train avec des reservations) apres pour moi ça restait exceptionnel, ms ça depanne..
apres selon le controleur, il te trouvera une place ou pas.. le mieux c est d essayer de reserver qques jours avant
(qd tu arrives ds une gare avec 'trains at a glance' sous le bras, tu chopes un "reservation form" que tu remplis a l aide de ta bible et eventuellement du "inquiry counter" où tu peux te renseigner de la disponibilité des trains, et apres seulement tu vas faire la queue o guichet), si tu as un ticket W/L (waiting list) c est bien de te presenter a la gare 2h avant le depart de ton train, d aller voir le "station chief master" (ou o guichet ds les ptites gares, sinon t essaies de trouver le controleur ds le train (bon courage! ;) ou sur le quai quand le train s arrete ds une gare des fois tu le vois, le controleur tu le reconnais , en general pantalon blanc et veste marine ou noire avec un badge IRTC, une longue liste de passagers a la main, et des gens qui le suivent pour choper une place qd c plein)
j crois qu en effet c est pas conseillé de monter ds le train sans ticket pour des longs trajets, cela dit ya pas mal de monde sans ticket aussi (mais t es quasiment sur d croiser un controleur, sauf peut etre ds les wagons 'second' ou c est un peu l anarchie, ms là encore ça peut depanner..) c est pour ça qu au pire je prenais un billet sans reservation, comme ça si le controleur est cool et qu il te trouve une place, tu paies juste la difference, des fois tu paies rien de +.. c est encore un peu mysterieux pr moi ;)
dans tous les cas comme le disait une autre personne dans une discussion similaire, c est juste un coup a prendre, apres ça roule tout seul!
ne connaissant pas l allemagne, je ne peux pas te dire si ça marche pareil, ms ça ressemble un peu au systeme dont tu parles.
au cas où la gare soit loin d ou tu es posé, tu peux tjrs utilisé les agences de voyage, au maxi j ai payé 100 roupies de com.. 100 roupies j trouve deja ça limite, svt c etait plutot 50 .. mais + que 100 c du vol! (a moins qu ils aient des taxes ms j suis pas sure..)
pour la bouf et l eau tu as donc des gars qui passent ds tout le train avec plateau t as de tout, et sinon les gares donc ou y a svt des ptits stands. tu as un staf qui bosse ds le train, tu les reconnais, ils ont tous la meme chemise. en general ya un wagon ou ils preparent la bouf, tu peux y aller acheter directement, ms fo tomber o bon moment, ça part vite. ce wagon bouf je ne l ai pas vu ds chaque train... 1 mystere de + ! ;) et sur certains trains express, le billet est + cher, ya que des sieges assis, ça va + vite, et d fois t as la nourriture et l eau comprise.
pour la clope, les toilettes a fenetre depannent si ya trop d monde pres des portes. mais bon, ptet tu fumes pas ;)
ah oui, j oubliais, les banquettes des sleeper meritent parfois un bout de tissu en guise de drap.. et/ou une tenture en couverture peut etre agreable... ya pas mal de courants d air.
pour le pass a plein de dollars, j sais pas si c vraiment utile, c est chouette ms pas tjrs ultrareposant le train.. et en 2 mois j suis pas sure q tu depenses autant en prenant tes billets au fur et a mesure.
voila.. :)
jte souhaite un chouette voyage, et plein de bons moments la bas, en cette terre mystique!
hesite pas si d autres questions te viennent :)
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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
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
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!)
Can anyone tell me how to book train tickets online? We're planning to travel from HANOI to HO CHI MINH CITY by train, making several stops along the way. I'd also like to find the schedules and the stations where the trains stop.
There are four of us, and we've already planned stops in HANOI / DONG HOI / HUE.
I’m heading to Japan for the second time with my 20-year-old son. During our first trip, we spent two weeks in Tokyo and Kyoto (plus the surrounding areas).
This time, we’re planning to stay in Tokyo for at least 4-5 days and then head to the island of Naoshima.
I’m looking for suggestions and advice:
Is getting to Naoshima from Tokyo complicated? If so, do you have any recommendations for a stopover somewhere? Given that we’d prefer not to move every day, we’d rather settle in one place and then explore on day trips...
Do you think it’s possible to do something like this:
5 nights in Tokyo (Shinjuku)
3 nights in Kyoto
2 nights in Naoshima (or is one night enough??) and if one night is enough, where could I spend a second night on the way back to Tokyo?
2 nights in Tokyo (I’d love your advice on staying in a different neighborhood—last time we stayed near Ueno Park)—keeping in mind we’re flying out of Narita.
I’m considering maybe skipping Kyoto, which I love but has apparently become *very* touristy...
Not really keen on Osaka... since we’ll already have done Tokyo as our "big city." I’d prefer towns where nature is present... (a bit like Kyoto, which offers all that...)
For info, we’ll be traveling by train.
Thanks in advance for all your suggestions and help!
I have one last little question:
Is cash still widely used in Japan, or not at all anymore?
We’re planning this *very* last-minute—I know! But we’d love to spend 4 days soon (within the next 10–12 days) on a city getaway with our young adult kids. Ideally by train, and for this short trip, we’d prefer not to spend more than 4–6 hours in transit, leaving from Lausanne (Switzerland). We’ve been considering Milan, Strasbourg, or Freiburg im Breisgau, but I’ll admit I’m feeling a bit lost...
Venice was our original plan, but the connection changes in Domodossola or Milan are making the travel time longer this year.
It’s peak summer, so there’ll be tourists and it’ll likely be hot, but oh well...
Any suggestions? We love wandering around, taking photos, exploring cities on foot, trying out restaurants, and keeping things low-key.
