Hi there,

Do you know if it’s possible to book train tickets from France on the IRCTC website with a non-Indian phone number? https://www.irctc.co.in/nget/train-search

12GoAsia lets you do it but adds extra fees we’d rather avoid—like an extra 9 € in taxes for two Ahmedabad–Mumbai tickets that cost 38 €. https://12go.asia/fr The same tickets are 3360 rupees on IRCTC.

Thanks in advance for your tips! Alod

Bonjour à tous·tes,

Je prévois un voyage uniquement en train ou transports en commun sur toute l'Italie au mois d'octobre (en espérant qu'il fasse encore beau !).

J'aimerai voir évidemment certaines destinations touristiques, mais aussi sortir un peu des sentiers battus, et j'espère trouver de l'aide ici ? Je ne compte pas m'éterniser dans les villes.

En partant du Nord, j'aimerai faire le lac de Côme ou d'Orta ; passer par les Cinq Terres pour un peu de randonnée, quelques jours à Naples, à Rome, puis descendre en Sicile.

Qu'en pensez-vous ?

Merci pour votre aide ! 🙂

Bonjour, Je suis intéressée par les réponses qui vous serons faites. Je vais souvent en Italie mais je ne vois pas de solution facile pour sortir des sentiers battus sans voiture. Par exemple dans la campagne toscane que j'adore, les bus sont rares... Je me dis que ça reste magnifique et sans surtourisme parce que c'est relativement difficile d'accès.😉

Bonjour, voilà une idée de voyage originale... et qui intrigue un peu. Commençons par les "Cinque Terre" ; allez-y, vous ne le regretterez pas. Du point de vue des moyens de transport, le train dessert des villages qui sont les points de départ et d'arrivée de randonnées pédestres. C'est une situation très, très rare. En général, le train ne dessert pas les villages ; il dessert toutes les grandes villes, et, pour les villes moyennes ou petites, c'est selon... En gros, c'est comme en France. Vous aurez donc à faire avec un "décalage" entre vos souhaits (sortir des sentiers battus, ne pas vous éterniser en ville) et votre mode de transport privilégié. Si vous enlevez 5 à 10 villes "phare" (Rome, Naples, Venise, Milan, Florence...), vous pouvez considérer que les autres sont "hors des sentiers battus", ce que pourrait vous confirmer la différence de fréquentation en Octobre entre ces villes "phare" et les autres. Mais l'Italie est grande, il y a à peu près autant de capitales de province que de chefs-lieu de département en France. Il vous faudra faire des choix : je vous suggérerais de ne pas chercher à aller dans toute l'Italie (du nord au sud, c'est plus allongé que la France), mais de sélectionner un ou deux (ou trois) groupes de régions proches les unes des autres. Moins de temps dans les transports, plus de temps sur place. Vous n'aurez aucun problème pour vous rendre dans ces villes (train ou bus), mais cela restera du tourisme urbain. Pour ce qui est d'aller dans les villages ou petites villes, il vous faudra prendre des bus (lignes locales). Dans le carnet que j'ai publié sur la Toscane, j'ai répondu à une question de Sinforosa sur ce sujet (c'est dans les derniers messages du carnet). "Ne pas s'éterniser en ville" me semble possible dans le secteur couvert par le carnet (*), mais il faut de la préparation pour trouver les horaires de transport, les horaires sur place (visites), les hébergements.. et du temps sur place, car on ira forcément plus lentement qu'avec une voiture personnelle. (*) J'ai trouvé des lignes de bus sur des liaisons que j'estimais improbables. Il faut choisir ou l'on veut aller et puis chercher si c'est faisable en transports en commun ; cela ne doit pas toujours être facile, à priori, quand on ne connait pas la région. Mon impression (subjective) est que les lignes de bus sont assez nombreuses en Italie du Nord et Italie centrale, donc c'est jouable. Je ne connais pas l'Italie du Sud. Les carnets que j'ai publiés sont, sauf celui sur les Dolomites, "hors des sentiers battus"... si vous y trouvez des idées. Une autre idée, au hasard : Vicenza est la ville d'Andrea Palladio (si vous aimez l'architecture). Si cela peut vous aider.

Does anyone know if there are left-luggage lockers in the new Bangkok station? Thanks.

The enr.gov.eg site says train reservations are only for Egyptians. What should I do if I want to book a first-class air-conditioned ticket (not a sleeper berth)? Thanks!

Hi there, Does anyone know more about the train from Vientiane to Bangkok? Are there any night trains, and can you leave from Luang Prabang? Do you know the schedules? Thanks

Good evening everyone. I’m so glad VoyageForum is back up and running. This forum has helped me plan so many trips thanks to all your contributions. So, I’m turning to you for advice on a trip I’m planning for March 2025, from the 7th to the 21st. I was thinking of a classic itinerary: Arrival in Delhi at 12:05 AM on Saturday, then taking a train in the afternoon to Agra. 2 nights in Agra 2 nights in Jaipur 2 nights in Pushkar 2 nights in Jodhpur 3 nights in Udaipur Then flying back to Delhi. The trip would mostly be by train (which we love) and bus. However, after reading various travelers’ comments, some cities seem less interesting, while others I hadn’t included—like Bundi and Jaisalmer—are catching my eye. But traveling by train and bus, I’m worried it might get really complicated. I’m not sure how to organize my stay anymore, especially since we love nature and peace and quiet… and I’m afraid of too much hassle if everything isn’t planned. Also, how can I book trains and buses in advance from France? Thanks in advance for your help. Magali

Hi there

I’m traveling from Geneva to Marseille in May and only have 18 minutes to change trains in Lyon. Do you think that’s doable?

Thanks and have a great day

hi, we’re planning to take the fast train from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. Is it true that aerosol sprays like Insect-Ecran are confiscated before boarding the train? Do we need Malarone for the area around Luang Prabang? We’re really looking forward to discovering this beautiful country. We’ll also take the chance to visit an elephant protection center. Thanks for any tips! Best, Monique

Bonjour Patrick,

En furetant sur les discussions sur le Japon, je me suis rendu compte que vous y allez régulièrement et fournissez de bons conseils aux voyageurs. Je me permets donc de vous écrire aujourd'hui avec deux questions pour lesquelles je ne suis pas certain de comprendre.

1. Carte eSIM. Je songe prendre un forfait avec Airalo ou encore avec une compagnie québécoise qui se nomme Simeo. Je crois comprendre qu'avec un forfait (quelle que soit la compagnie) il ne devrait pas y avoir de souci. Vous confirmez?

2. Côté paiement. Cash versus carte bancaire (Mastercard et Visa dans mon cas). Je suis habitué à tout payé par carte bancaire, mais je comprends qu'au Japon, ce n'est pas tout le temps possible et qu'avec une carte (IC je crois avec un nom spécifique dont je ne me souviens plus) que l'on peut mettre dans son portefeuille iPhone (Dieu merci, j'ai un iPhone) on peut y ajouter du cash en tout temps via Apple. J'aimerais mieux comprendre ce fonctionnement de carte: à quel endroit se la procurer pour la mettre dans le portefeuille du IPhone et comment procéder pour la recharger.

J'imagine aussi qu'avoir un peu de cash japonais avec nous serait une bonne chose.

Grand merci pour vos précieux conseils.

Mario (Québec, Canada)

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

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?

Thanks a bunch,

Mario Séguin Québec, Canada

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

Hi everyone,

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.

Thanks to anyone who wants to chime in! :o)

Hi there,

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.

Thanks

Hi, We're taking the train between Brussels - Rotterdam - Amsterdam, likely an Eurocity. I'm wondering if there's a limit on luggage (number of suitcases and size). Another question: on the Rotterdam -> Brussels route, it seems there aren't any trains on Saturday afternoons. Do trains run frequently on Saturdays and maybe Sundays in the Netherlands? Thanks in advance for your replies! :)

Hi there, We’ll be traveling as a family with our two teens (16 and 14) in Tanzania in August 2025 for three weeks. We’d like to use public transport to get around, especially the train between Arusha and Dar Es Salaam, as well as the Dar Es Salaam–Morogoro route. We’re looking for: - firsthand experiences - fares - journey durations - how to book (in advance? or on the day?) - a website to check train schedules?

Thanks for your tips!

we’ve got a 1.5-hour layover in Paris—we’re arriving by TGV and then catching an Air France flight to MONTREAL

Hi everyone,

I’m so happy to be posting on this forum again. I’m planning my trip and I’m trying to figure out the train route from Osaka to Odawara. I’ve found direct trains, but I can’t find a direct site for the specific train line (not sure if I’m making sense?!)

Because what I’ve found seems to be a “third-party” site. I can’t seem to find the official site for the specific line. If anyone can shed some light on this, I’d really appreciate it—thanks in advance!

Best,

Hi, I’d like to travel from Rabat to Tétouan. Besides the CTM option, which takes 4 hours from the CTM station, there’s the Supratours option that combines a train from Rabat to Tangier and then a bus from Tangier to Tétouan. From what I understand, Supratours is the bus company affiliated with Morocco’s national railway. My question is: where do we catch the bus after arriving at Tangier Ville train station? Is it right at the train station in Tangier Ville, or do we need to go to the bus station, which is pretty far from the train station? Thanks! Daniel

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!)

Thanks in advance! 😊

Hi everyone, I can't seem to book a first-class sleeper from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on February 2nd using the train company's official website. At first, I thought it was because I was searching too early. But now (December 3rd), it should be working. No trains show up for that date.



Is there another way to book this train ticket? Thanks so much.

Hi there, I’m heading to Laos at the end of the year. We’ll be landing in Bangkok, and from there, we’d like to hop straight on a train to Vientiane. I think the line exists now. I’m guessing it’s from the new station, which I don’t know yet. Can anyone tell me about it, as well as the visa for Laos if I take this mode of transport? Thanks

Good evening, New to this forum, I’d love to explore these two routes mentioned in the title—train travel is a real pleasure for me. 🙂

Has anyone taken the EuroCity Zurich–Munich or the Railjet Express Zurich–Vienna? How are they in terms of crowding, delays, onboard services, and scenery along the way?

Thanks in advance!

Puglia, with its charming white villages, Bari—still relatively undiscovered—and Lecce, an architectural gem, has become very popular with tourists. After discovering it in 2018, I wanted to go back.

Instead of taking a low-cost flight, I chose to travel by train. It was 26 hours of pure pleasure in every way, which I share in an article on my blog.

https://travels-of-a-life.com/les-pouilles-en-train-depuis-paris/

Important: my blog isn’t sponsored. It’s strictly personal and aims to help fellow travelers.

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 everyone, Are there any luggage lockers at Krung Thep Aphiwat Station in Bangkok?

Thanks in advance to those who can help me out, and happy travels! Jaunesoleil

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