J'ai parcouru en long en large et en travers cette rubrique sur l'Inde et j'ai glané de précieux conseils ! Alors, merci à tout les posteurs ! J'aimerais avoir votre avis sur l'itinéraire que je me suis préparé. J'ai 21 ans et je voyage seule donc j'aimerais commencer... comment dire... "soft" au tout début.
Mon itinéraire est le suivant :
Arrivée à Bombay le 10 décembre - train pour Goa. A Goa, je comptes passer 3 jours à Vagator puis 3 jours à Agonda. Ensuite, direction le Karnataka avec 3 jours à Hampi puis 2 jours à Mysore. Je prends ensuite le train en passant par Ooty (peut-être y passer une journée) puis aller à Cochin pour 4 jours. Ensuite, Trivandrum (3 jours), Trichy (2 jours), Pondicherry (5 jours) Mamallapuram (2 jours) Madras (2 jours) puis je reprends l'avion (je préfèrerais le train pour des questions écologiques mais j'ai pu lire que c'était un voyage vraiment très très long et fastidieux) pour Bombay. J'y passe 3 jours avant de revenir en France. Mon retour pour la France est prévue le 18 janvier à 5h45, ce qui me laisse 4 jours de battements!
J'ai essayé de faire un compromis entre mon envie de tout voir et mon envie de prendre le temps. Sans compter mon billet d'avion, j'ai prévu un budget de 1000 euros (me permettant de manger, dormir et voyager ds le pays). Ce budget et ce périple vous semblent-ils convenables?
Dernière question, j'arrive à Bombay à 4h15 + 1 h de douanes = 5h15. J'ai trouvé un train pour Madgaon à 6h55 mais je ne sais pas quelle est la meilleure solution pour prendre ce train qui est à Mumbai CST (ancien Victoria station). Est-ce que ces horaires sont trop courtes? Il y a un autre train qui part à 8h50. EN fait, ma crainte, c'est pour l'arrivée : 18h45 pour le premier train, 19h25 pour le second, sachant que je ne serait pas à Vagator.
Je vous remercie par avance de vos avis et réponses. Et excusez-moi si ces questions vous semblent trop récurrentes, je n'ai pas réussi à trouvé les réponses que je souhaitais par le biais du moteur de recherche.
je ne connais pas bien le grand Mumbai mais je me demande si pour gagner un peu de temps à ton arrivée si tu ne pourrais pas prendre le train pour Madgaon à Thane plutôt que Mumbai cst : cela te ferait un départ à 07.43 plutôt que 6h55.
Dadar : le train est à7h10
est-il plus facile de se rendre à Dadar depuis l'aéroport ou à Thane????🙁
un itinéraire comme le tien, je pense te donnera l'occasion de découvrir pas mal de choses, et surtout l'envie de revenir ! un mois, ça passe très très vite !
donne toi tout de même l'occasion de changer de route, de changer tes plans au dernier moment, selon l'envie, l'humeur, ce que tu entends à droite à gauche durant ton périple.
un budget de 1000 euros me paraît largement suffisant pour un mois. tout dépend évidemment du confort que tu recherches, mais il est tout à fait possible de vivre pour 15€/jour. donc 450€ pour un mois. et j'inclus là-dedans l'hébergement (hôtels ou GH petits voire moyen budget), la nourriture et les transports (comme tu souhaites prendre les transports en commun, ça te reviendra bien moins cher qu'un taxi, que tu pourrais d'ailleurs prendre occasionnellement, que ce soit pour te rendre dans telle ou telle ville, ou une ballade d'une demi-journée).
pour goa, je te conseille de réserver pour l'hébergement, depuis la france. comme ça, pas de souci pour se trouver une piaule, la nuit... il est très facile à goa de se déplacer en bus. il te suffira de demander, toutes les villes, même petites, sont desservies par au moins un bus. et en général, il suffit de lever la main au bord de la route pour qu'il s'arrête (bon, c'est vrai que des fois, il faut faire un peu le mariole, avec le bras levé pour que le conducteur te voie....😊😊)
pour le trajet jusqu'à CST, tu trouveras des prepaids taxi à l'aéroport. il faut bien compter 1h30, en prenant une petite marge (et encore, il est bien possible que la circulation commence à se densifier déjà à cette heure matinale...). et s'il faut aussi prendre en compte la difficulté pour se repérer dans cette gare immense... je prendrais, je pense, le train de 8h50, et dans une classe relativement confortable (genre 3a), histoire de se poser un peu pour les premières heures en inde...
le train que tu prends doit avoir pour départ CST. donc il partira sans doute pile à l'heure.
Je vous remercie pour ces conseils! Je vais revoir mon trajet vers Goa et chercher un hotel pour le mercredi soir. Je ne comptes pas voyager ds le grand luxe donc, merci également pour ces précisions de budget!
alors pour le budget, tu peux diviser au moins par deux si ce n'est plus.
pour le programme, faut vraiment savoir qu'en Inde, les trains sont beaucoup beaucoup plus souvent en retard qu'à l'heure (pour ne pas dire plus) donc je te conseille vraiment de ne pas faire de plans précis... et puis surtout, c'est un pays qu'il faut découvrir en prenant son temps, au rythme des Indiens, et comme ils disent: "India, no problem"! à condition de laisser venir, sinon ça risque d'être le stress si tu veux absolument tenir ton planning...
bon voyage, ça va être génial!
eliseinindia
Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man/woman whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him/her
Merci pour ces conseils ! C'est vrai que ce planning me semble aussi chargé mais je me laisse la liberté de le modifier sur place! En fait, c'est toujours plus rassurant, pour un premier voyage seule, d'avoir un planning.
Autre petit point, si quelqu'un fait le Mumbai Goa le 10 décembre, et qu'il accepte de partager un petit bout de train avec moi, j'en serais ravie ! Je n'ai pas de grande crainte pour l'ensemble de mon séjour mais je pense qu'après 12h30 d'avion, le décalage horaire, le train à prendre (qui semble si compliqué en Inde) pendant 11h 🏴☠️+ l'arrivée à Vagator, un compagnon de route français me serait d'un grand réconfort!
t'inquiète, ça sera palpitant, tu vas en prendre plein la vue!
moi je suis en france là. j'ai plus tes dates en tête mais si tu allais au kerala, j'ai un très bon ami qui se marie le 25 janvier...
Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man/woman whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him/her
J'ai pu lire sur le forum que tu partais sur L'inde en décembre, je projette de partir en février et je voulais savoir s'il était facile de trouver un train pour Goa au départ de Mumbaï, la durée du trajet ? et le prix ?
Merci pour ces infos.
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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 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.