je vais devoir réserver quelques trajets de train pour mon prochain voyage en Inde (août prochain).
Je suis térrorisé à l'avance quand je lis les différents messages en lien avec cette démarche 😕😕😕
Il semble qu'il faille s'inscrire sur un site pour valider la réservation qui se fera sur un autre site, etc......à condition d'avoir la bonne carte, la bonne compréhension de l'anglais et pis la bonne taille et pis le bon karma !🏴☠️
Moi je dis que le premier qui a l'idée de créer en France (ou en Europe) un site simple de réservations de trains pour l'Asie devient millionaire en quelques mois !
Plus sérieusement, (quoique...concernant la création d'un site d'achat de billets.....) je pense que je ne vais pas réussir à franchir toutes ces étapes (ci-dessus) car suis pas très futé avec la "chose" informatique 😠
Pensez-vous que je puisse demander à l'hotel où je vais réserver pour mes deux ou trois premières nuits à DElhi de s'occuper de l'achat de mes billets ? Oui je sais c'est lâche et petit mais bon.........
Amicalement
André
Il vaut mieux allumer une bougie que de maudire l'obscurité........
Hello Andre31,
Ben perso, à ta place, je ne réserverais rien depuis ici. Il ne me semble pas que ce soit nécessaire en août, tu trouveras facilement des places, au pire dans les tourist quotas. Va à la gare de Paharganj en arrivant et fais tes réservations, ce sera plus simple... ;)
Si tu passes par l'hôtel, ils vont te taxer une comm'...
shiva108
Infos et conseils de voyages (Inde & Asie): www.ontheroad-again.com
sur Facebook...
"En voyage, l'essentiel n'est pas la destination, mais le chemin parcouru pour y parvenir."
Merci de tes conseils Boss !
😉
c'est une période qui n'est pas touristique ? donc des places dispo ?
j'en profite pour poser quelques questions :
suis déjà allé pluieurs fois en Inde mais jamais en août (pas le choix) est-ce que je risque d'en prendre plein la xxxxxxx 🏴☠️concernant la mousson ?
Je dois me rendre à Delhi > Haridwar > Rishikesh > Varanasi >Agra >Delhi (du 01 au 22 août)
Merci d'avances aux grands Manitous de l'Inde !
André
Il vaut mieux allumer une bougie que de maudire l'obscurité........
Non, c'est pas une saison touristique, mais ce sont les indiens et non les touristes occidentaux qui bourrent les trains en inde... d'où la possibilité de recourir aux tourist quotas à cette période, dans le pire des cas. mais tu ne devrais pas en avoir besoin à cette saison, sauf en cas de jours fériés importants comme: Eid-Ul-Fitr le 9 août (fin du Ramadan)
Jour de l'indépendance le 15 août, fête nationale, Raksha Bandhan le 20 août.Donc prends tes billets dès que tu arrives à Delhi. 😉
La région que tu vises est bien balayée par la mousson, mais plus en juillet qu'en août. N'empêche qu'il faut t'attendre à te faire rincer, yes... ;) Fais gaffe aux routes coupées en montagne et aux régions inondées en plaine (routes + voies ferrées)...
shiva108
Infos et conseils de voyages (Inde & Asie): www.ontheroad-again.com
sur Facebook...
"En voyage, l'essentiel n'est pas la destination, mais le chemin parcouru pour y parvenir."
Expérience tte fraîche pour moi : pas réussi à acheter mes billets sur le net malgré recherches, échanges avec les voyageurs et avec service client des 2 sites, grrrr ; en fin de compte je suis restée ds un hotel à main bazar, quartier de panar ganj qui est tout près de la gare (tu peux y aller à pied).
Ai pris du temps pour aller à la gare (attention on essaiera de te trimballer ici et là, le bureau des touristes est au premier étage et nulle part ailleurs !) Cela dit oui les hotels même modestes proposent de faire ça pour toi moyennant une com° correcte
J'avais préalablement vérifié les dispos des trains sur le net mais une fois sur place ce n'était plus la même. J'ai dû décaller certains trajets, pour d'autres c'était ok, et pour ceux où vraiment il n'y avait pas de dispo je suis allée sur jet airways et spice jet (low costs locaux) et ai acheté des billets pas bien chers sur le net. Expérience assez dingue à la gare, bcp de monde, pas de numéro d'attente, chacun se décallait de siège au fur et à mesure que ça avançait, ça zigzagait dans tte la salle, gros bordel dont je me souviendrai avec le sourire, là il faut attendre et le spectacle est ds la salle ! Voilà bon voyage et mon seul conseil : prévoir un peu de mou entre les destinations au cas où les trains ne seraient pas dispos, et tenter aussi le bus et les low costs si ton budget le permet, ça économise un peu de fatigue mais ne pas se priver de qques voyages en train ça vaut quand même le détour !!!
🙂 Ps j'ai dormi à l'hotel Hari Piorko sur main bazaar, plutôt propre et correct avec terrasse sympa pour diner. C'est une catérgorie moyenne dans les 1500 / 1800 roupies. J'ai dû payer la taxe au début du séjour mais pas à la fin...
Vous n'y êtes pas arrivés sur www.cleartrip.com?
Pour moi, ce site à changer ma vie 😉, plus besoin d'aller attendre des heures à la gare! Site super simple, on entre la gare de départ, d'arrivée, on vous montre les différents trains disponibles, vous faites votre choix et payez par carte de crédit! Bon, c'est certain qu'ensuite, si les trains sont pleins, ça demande un peu plus d'efforts, mais sinon, c'est très très simple!
N'empêche, pour ce qui est du conseil concernant le bureau de réservation pour touristes à la New Delhi Railway Station, c'est effectivement bien important de ne croire PERSONNE qui tentera de vous amener ailleurs : monter au 1er étage, À L'INTÉRIEUR DE LA STATION, et vous y êtes!
😠 ça bloquait au niveau de la carte de crédit, même avec les numéros d'autorisation fournis par le site etc etc
Les Dieux indiens de la gare devaient souhaiter que je me rende sur place à tt prix :)
merci à tous pour vos conseils et retour d'expériences.
Je n'ai jamais essayé il est vrai de réserver en ligne les billets, mais sincérement je n'ai pas le courage de tenter le coup (suis pas un geek 😊) quand je vois les posts en lien avec cette procédure.
Bon je vais donc suivre les conseils du grand Manitou Shiva108 et puis si je me retrouve perdu, tout seul sous la pluie et dans la pénombre et bien tant pis faudra pas vous étonner !😕
Me permettrais deux ou trois petites questions complémentaires dans les jours/semaines à venir !
Amicalement
Il vaut mieux allumer une bougie que de maudire l'obscurité........
Avant de te retrouver de nuit sous la pluie, essaie de demander s'il reste des "Tatkal", des billets de dernière minute, disponibles dès 8h du mat' la jour avant le départ du train. Plus d'infos, mais contrairement à ce qui est mentionné sur le lien, les Tatkal peuvent s'acheter au guichet.
Achète le "Train at a Glance", dans n'importe quelle gare (35.00 ₹), c'est la bible du train en Inde, avec tous les horaires du pays. Y a tout sur les Tatkal en p. 294. 😉
shiva108
Infos et conseils de voyages (Inde & Asie): www.ontheroad-again.com
sur Facebook...
"En voyage, l'essentiel n'est pas la destination, mais le chemin parcouru pour y parvenir."
Achète le "Train at a Glance", dans n'importe quelle gare (35.00 ₹), c'est la bible du train en Inde, avec tous les horaires du pays. Y a tout sur les Tatkal en p. 294. 😉
c'est pas mal le train at the glance mais il n'y a pas les passenger train dessus donc pas toute les horaires ....
mais il n'y a pas les passenger train dessus donc pas toute les horaires ....
Heu... qu'est-ce que tu entends par "passenger trains" ? il n'y a que des passenger trains dans le Trains at a Glance...
shiva108
Infos et conseils de voyages (Inde & Asie): www.ontheroad-again.com
sur Facebook...
"En voyage, l'essentiel n'est pas la destination, mais le chemin parcouru pour y parvenir."
Il faut réserver ses billets un peu plus de 48 heures à l'avance si tu veux des trains type couchette AC.
Tu peux aller toi même dans une gare (là, il faut faire la queue, et les indien ne sont pas très disciplinés).
Par contre, tous les hôtels se chargent de t'emmener dans une agence ou même se charge de t'obtenir ton billet.
Pas d'inquiétude.
Il faut savoir aussi que les trains indiens ont souvent beaucoup de retard. Certaines gares ne sont pas très modernes. Les trains entrant en gare sont inscrits à la craie sur un grand tableau par un employé au fur et à mesure de leur passage.
Si tu le peux, prends des places seconde AC. la plupart des trains indiens n'ont pas de première classe.
Il faut toujours réserver au moins 3 à 4 jours avant sous peine de n'avoir qu'une place en troisième. Exotique, mais fatiguant.
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
If any of you have already taken the Tren Maya, could you tell me if you’ve run into any difficulties upon arrival when trying to reach your destination city by bus: Valladolid, Mérida, Campeche, or Xpuhil?
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’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.
