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 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

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 everyone! 👋 So happy to be back in this lovely space for meeting and chatting 😊 I’m planning a 5-6 day trip to the Cinque Terre between September and October, focusing on using the train to get between the villages. I’m coming from Nice, so I could head to Genoa first… Has anyone done this route? I’d love to hear your feedback, tips, and—of course—any great deals you’ve found! Thanks so much in advance 😊 Since then, I’ve traveled all over the world and would be thrilled to help others with just as much JOY 🤗

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

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 ! 🙂

Hi there,

I’m thinking of (re)visiting Thailand in a few months, and my planned itinerary includes an overnight train ride.

My goal is to book a first-class compartment, so I should reserve it as soon as possible...

Which website (reliable, please!) can I use to make this reservation, and are e-tickets available?

Thanks!😊

Hi! I arrive in Vancouver on August 24, 2025, and I’m staying until Friday, August 29, 2025—the day I take *The Canadian* train to Toronto.

I’m exploring several things in Vancouver, including whale watching—if you’ve got any great tips, don’t hesitate! Thanks!

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

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 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’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 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 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 there,

I’m continuing to plan our next trip for this coming November.

I’d love to know if it’s realistic to leave Kinosaki Onsen by train in the morning, stop at Himeji Castle (for a visit), and then continue on to Hiroshima to spend the night.

From what I’ve seen, visiting Himeji takes about half a day, and there are coin lockers nearby to store our luggage.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi there,

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

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

Hi there, We’d like to visit Montenegro without a car and are looking for routes by either bus or train. We’ll be traveling for 12 days. Thanks!

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

Hi there,

I need help creating my IRCTC account. I tried to create an account via the website (not the app), but I’m not receiving any OTP at my email address. It asks me to verify my OTP to confirm registration, but I’ve tried multiple emails and checked spam, trash, etc.—nothing. I’m not getting any OTP at all.

What should I do now?

I want to take the train from Delhi to Agra Cantt. What are my options without an IRCTC account? I have a trip from New Delhi to Agra and another from Agra to Jaipur.

FYI: I’d prefer to avoid the bus since it doesn’t seem to stop, and I don’t feel comfortable jumping off a moving bus. Too risky for my taste.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi there, I’m heading to Sri Lanka for a month on January 6th. I’d love to know whether it’s more interesting to start in the north or the south of the country, especially for the beauty of the landscapes—by train in particular. Thanks for your help!

Hi everyone,

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?

Thanks so much,

Karine

Hi there,

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!

Hi everyone,

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.

Questionnaire link: https://forms.gle/gF1YyesVp2hkh2GDA

Thanks so much for your help! !

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 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)

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!

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, The Nakasendo trail will take us to Narai. From there, we’d like to take the train to the Mount Fuji area. Which base would be the most convenient from Narai for a 2-day trip around Fuji? Thanks in advance for your tips!

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!!