Désolé d'étaler mes déboires en matière de date de réservation sur le site irctc.co.in pour les trains en Inde...!
Voilà, à la base il serait trés important pour moi de prendre tel train à telle date.
Le soucis c'est que lors de ma première réservation, la transaction a échoué pour une cause ignorée... Or, aujourd'hui, pour ce train, lorsque je regarde la disponibilité je vois: RAC: 1.
Je sais ce que veut dire "RAC" mais je ne sais pas comment ça se passe en pratique... Comme nous serons deux lors de ce voyage je ne veux pas prendre le risque de ne pas pouvoir monter dans le train...
Alors, j'ai déjà réservé pour le jour d'après (c'est confirmé y a aucun soucis...) ma question est: si je réserve le premier (celui que je veux) en statut RAC, ai je une chance de pouvoir monter à deux...? Ou, puis je tenter ma chance de toutes façons et annuler le cas échéant l'un ou l'autre avant le départ?
Du coup est il facile d'annuler un e-ticket...?
Dernière question à mille euros...: Le train en question est le Bangalore - Ernakulam, je souhaite le prendre le 14 aout de nuit (c'est celui -ci qui est en statut RAC). Pour assurer mes arrières j'ai déjà acheté les billets électronique pour le 15 aout (mais ca m'embête...)... Pensez vous que je peux acheter mon billet pour le 14 en foreign tourist quota le jour même, sachant que je ne compte arriver à Bangalore que deux ou trois heures avant le départ...?
Merci d'avance à tous les experts de la indianrailway qui voudront bien m'aider!!!
Je fus, un temps, moi aussi un expert mais c'etait il y a déjà 5 ans et tout ce passait au counter au petit bonheur la chance...
Si l'on ne meurt qu'une fois...alors vivons à l'infini!
Le soucis c'est que lors de ma première réservation, la transaction a échoué pour une cause ignorée... Or, aujourd'hui, pour ce train, lorsque je regarde la disponibilité je vois: RAC: 1.
Je sais ce que veut dire "RAC" mais je ne sais pas comment ça se passe en pratique... Comme nous serons deux lors de ce voyage je ne veux pas prendre le risque de ne pas pouvoir monter dans le train...
Tu parles d'un billet RAC, quel est le statut de l'autre billet?
RAC : on peut monter à bord du train
consulter les panneaux en gare pour la transformation du rac en confirmed ou via le net avec ton numero PNR ( http://www.indianrail.gov.in/pnr_stat.html), dans les grandes gares, il y a possibilité de vérifier aussi sur des ordinateurs ou voir avec le TEE. possible aussi via ton portable si tu as un numéro indien (je ne sais si le service existe pour tous les opérateurs mais airtel par exemple offre ce service)
Alors, j'ai déjà réservé pour le jour d'après (c'est confirmé y a aucun soucis...) ma question est: si je réserve le premier (celui que je veux) en statut RAC, ai je une chance de pouvoir monter à deux...? Ou, puis je tenter ma chance de toutes façons et annuler le cas échéant l'un ou l'autre avant le départ?
Dernière question à mille euros...: Le train en question est le Bangalore - Ernakulam, je souhaite le prendre le 14 aout de nuit (c'est celui -ci qui est en statut RAC). Pour assurer mes arrières j'ai déjà acheté les billets électronique pour le 15 aout (mais ca m'embête...)... Pensez vous que je peux acheter mon billet pour le 14 en foreign tourist quota le jour même, sachant que je ne compte arriver à Bangalore que deux ou trois heures avant le départ...?
as-tu vérifié si le foreign quota est disponible pour le train dont tu parles?
car tu ne précises ni un numéro de train ni la classe de ton voyage
En fait, je voudrais acheter deux billets de train pour le 14 aout. Le statut de ces billets etaient ce matin: "RAC :1".
Je ne les ai donc pas achetés ignorant en pratique ce que veut dire ou implique le RAC ... En revanche j'ai déjà acheté mes billets pour le 15 aout pour couvrir mes arrières.
Le truc c'est que je me demande si je n'ai pas intérêt à acheter les billet pour le 14 même s'ils sont en statut "RAC", car si je peux prendre ce train ca m'arrange vraiment (et du coup j'annulerai mes billets pour le 15 qui eux sont déjà en statut (confirmed). D'un autre côté, si je te comprends bien, il n'est possible de savoir si on peut monter dans un train réservé en RAC, qu'au dernier moment... Et ça ça ne m'arrange pas du tout.
A moins que je me trompe... Si j'achète mes billets pour le 14 en RAC, à partir de quand pourrais je savoir si je peux monter dans le train et avoir des places de manière certaine (parce que c'est un train de nuit)?
Merci d'avance....
Ps: je ne sais pas comment vérifier si le quota tourist est applicable. Le train est le kanyakumari express qui par à 22 heures de bangalore.
Si l'on ne meurt qu'une fois...alors vivons à l'infini!
mais
1) tu peux monter à bord du train avec des billets RAC
2) le statut de ton billet va évoluer au fil du temps et d'ici le 14/08 il y a du temps
même des billets WL peuvent devenir 'confirmed' et cela bien avant le jour de circulation de ton train
donc il est possible de savoir à l'avance (parfois)
je te suis et j'achèterais les billets pour le 14 aussi. tu pourras les annuler à la dernière minute si ils ne deviennent pas RAC ou confirmed car je le répère c'est ok pour monter à bord du train avec des billets RAC
a l'instant , le train 6526 en est a pour le 14/08
classe 2ac - rac1
classe 3ac - wl7/wl4
classe sl - rac83
je suppose donc que tu comptes voyager en 2ac
je n'hésiterais pas et prendrais 2 places en 2ac
si tes 2 billets pour le 14 sont tous les 2 rac, tu peux donc monter à bord sans problème (c'est le règlement😉)
Oui tu as raison, je songe au 2d AC car justement il n'est pas ancore en mode waiting list et est toujours en RAC (ce qui m'a l'air mieux...).
Mon embarras vient du fait que je ne compte arriver à Bangalore que le jour de mon départ en train car je n'ai rien à y faire!!! Donc si j'achète mes billets pour le 14 j'aimerais pouvoir le prendre de manière certaine ou pouvoir l'annuler si je sais que je n'y ai pas de place.
Je rajoute pour être exhaustif qu'en fait j'amène ma compagne pour la première fois en Inde et elle n'a jamais fait de si grand voyage... Donc l'idéal pour elle serait qu'on soit tous les deux assez proches dans le train car ca sera en plus son premier train de nuit indien. D'où mes hésitations concernant le statut RAC...
Puis je réserver en RAC avec l'option "book only if the berts are alloted in the same coach" ou bien cela ne sert à rien? Ou alors si mettons que des personnes annulent et que nos places soient confirmées, aurons nous la possibilité d'être à côtés...?
Ou... t'en demande-je beaucoup trop mon cher kailash...!
Merci mille fois
Si l'on ne meurt qu'une fois...alors vivons à l'infini!
Hélas pour toi les billets en foreign quota se prennent sur place aux guichets et sur présentation du passeport.
Parfois il y a des guichets spéciaux comme pour Delhi ou Mumbai. Pour Bangalore, il me semble qu'l y a aussi un 'International tourist bureau' .
Quant à être tous les 2 ensemble si ce n'est pas le cas voir ça avec le contrôleur qui arrangera l'histoire.
Voilà j'ai un problème avec cleartrip: j'ai bien synchronisé mon compte IRCTC avec mon compte Cleartrip (OTP reçus etc etc) Mais maintenant quand je fais une…
Tous Apres avoir enfin réussi a m inscrire sur cleartrip j'ai pu effectuer ma 1 ere résa et payer en ligne ouf soulagée.. Ensuite, et c'est la que ça devient…
Quelqu'un est-il déjà parvenu à réserver un train via IRTC. com?? Je n'arrive même pas à obtenir les horaires car voici ce qu'on me dit à chaque fois pour les…
Voila au moins 10 fois que j'essaye de reserver mon train bombay-goa via le site de reservation IRCTC et tou se passe bien jusqu'au paiment!! A la dernière…
Je pars en Inde au mois de juillet. J'arrive à New Delhi très tôt le matin du 19 juillet et je souhaiterais prendre le train de nuit allant à Varanasi le soir…
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 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?
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.
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!)