mais le billet est nominatif (PNR). Dès lors que le billet est nominatif, une agence ne peut acheter à l'avance sans connaître l'identité du client. Ni ne peut revendre un billet.
Sans doute me suis-je trop avancé, car à lire les motivations des nouvelles règles d'annulation (cf. www.indianrail.gov.in/refund_Rules.html), on lit :
2. The Objective of the new changes in the refund rule are as Under:
(...)
(iii)Discourage touts/agents on black marketing of tickets.
Dans ma compréhension révisée, les professionnels de la réservation semblent avoir la possibilité de procéder à une réservation ferroviaire sans renseigner immédiatement le nom du bénéficiaire.
Le doublement des frais d'annulation devrait réduire ces détournements.
je suis a la lettre l explicatif IRCTC mais pas moyen qu ils m'envoyent mon OTP number
J ai parcourus le forum en long en large en travers je ne sais pas quoi faire
j ai comme seule reponse :
Greetings,
This message has been automatically generated in response to email sent by you having subject:
"Mobile OTP"
There is no need to reply to this message right now. Your email has been assigned ticket ID .
Please include ticket ID:
in the subject line of all future correspondence about this issue.
A lire ce que tu as reçu, c'est un accusé-réception confirmant que ton email a été bien reçu et indiquant sa référence de dossier (ticket ID).
Relancer à l'adresse care@irctc.co.in si tu n'as pas de réponse sous 48 h, en indiquant bien le ticket ID en objet (car ainsi ton email est automatiquement affecté à la personne en charge de ton dossier, connaissant donc ta demande).
on vient de m'envoyer le numéro
J avais déjà fait 2 relances
pour la 3eme et dernière j ai agrandit la taille du passeport peut être était il moins lisible
le principal est que le problème soit résolu je vais pouvoir commander mes billets
Pourriez vous me dire les différentes classes de train 1AC 2 AC 3 AC sleeper
Je comprends bien 3 classes 1 étant la meilleure mais es ce normal que les couchettes soient moins chères ?
Bonjour Guillaume,
En ce qui concerne les différentes classes dans les trains :
-First class (1ères classes), les plus chères et il n'y en a pas beaucoup par train (quelquefois pas du tout), il s'agit de compartiments couchettes (4) fermés par une porte verrouillable (convertibles en sièges dans la journée), air conditionné
-AC2Tier et AC3Tier : couchettes convertibles en sièges, avec air conditionné, mais sans porte , fermées par des rideaux. La différence est le nombre de couchettes ( deux superposées de chaque côté plus deux le long du couloir) ces deux classes sont bien et assez confortables pour passer une bonne nuit. Les draps, couvertures et oreillers sont fournis (comme en 1ère, bien sûr)
-sleeper, c'est la classe populaire, il n'y a pas d'air con, pas de draps et beaucoup de monde entassé, c'est pourquoi c'est la moins chère. ça va très bien pour les voyages de courte durée ou si vous êtes habitué aux conditions spartiates...
-AC Chair, n'est présente que sur les trains de jour car ce sont des sièges alignés comme dans dans nos trains corail. C'est très bien, certains offrent même le journal, eau et petit repas...
- Il y a encore la general class, très populaire et pas chère du tout.
Voilà, voilà...
Je te donne le lien pour un tutoriel bien utile pour s'inscrire sur cleartrip, peut-être cela va-t-il t'aider à résoudre ton problème. Il y a juste une petite erreur, il faut mettre un n° de tél bidon mais ne commençant pas par 0.
docs.google.com/...=drive_web&pli=1
En espérant que cette fois, tu y arrives, bonne inscription et bon voyage
-sleeper, c'est la classe populaire, il n'y a pas d'air con, pas de draps et beaucoup de monde entassé, c'est pourquoi c'est la moins chère. ça va très bien pour les voyages de courte durée ou si vous êtes habitué aux conditions spartiates...
C'est ce qui se rapproche le plus de la seconde classe en France. Même disposition des couchettes qu'en AC3, mais sans la climatisation.
En conditions normales, il n'y a qu'une personne par couchette et personne ailleurs. Contrôle des passagers oblige, avec amende très onéreuse en cas d'infractions.
C'est la classe que j'utilise quasi tout le temps, sauf si manque de place ou absence d'offre (cf. train Shatabdi ou Rajdhani), même en mars/avril. En période chaude, la climatisation mérite sans doute d'être privilégiée.
Par contre, si le train est vraiment saturé, il arrive qu'à défaut de pouvoir accéder l'un des wagons General, cela déborde sur la classe Sleeper. Je l'ai moi même fait entre Agra et Delhi. Dans un tel contexte, il pourra être nécessaire d'être incisif pour faire libérer votre couchette, ce que j'ai vécu entre Ahmedabad et Abu Road. Le squatteur a fini par s'allonger à même le sol à côté de ma couchette.
En journée, les couchettes sont relevées et le compartiment est utilisé comme la seconde classe en France.
- Il y a encore la general class, très populaire et pas chère du tout.
Là, c'est vraiment populaire. Moins cher que Sleeper (37 Rs vs 69 Rs / 100 km en mars 2015 pour le trajet Vasco da Gama -> Hospet), mais la différence n'est pas si flagrante que celle entre Sleeper et AC3.
En général, 2 wagons General par train, 1 à chaque extrémité. Les banquettes sont en bois. Sauf exception, ces wagons sont saturés de monde, et cela s'apparente alors plus au wagon à bestiaux. Voir photos in http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=6596096#6596096.
Il y a d'autres classes, dont par exemple la First Class, appellation trompeuse, car s'apparente à la Sleeper Class. A ne pas confondre avec la "AC First".
A signaler aussi les Passenger Train, des trains régionaux sans réservation, qui sont constitués uniquement de wagons General, donc à classe unique. Généralement pas saturés.
Les anglophones trouveront moult informations et photos illustratives sur www.seat61.com/India.htm#classes. Le site web seat61 constitue une excellente introduction à tous les réseaux ferrés dans le monde.
merci Fabrice de ces précisions. N'ayant jamais voyagé en sleeper (toujours AC2 ou 3Tier), je ne connais pas très bien les conditions de "confort" de cette classe. Par exemple, je ne sais pas s'il y a des draps et oreillers comme dans les AC. Pourrais-tu éclairer ma lanterne, c'est toujours utile...
En classe Sleeper, la disposition est celle de l'AC3, mais sans climatisation et sans le moindre service complémentaire. En particulier, pas de drap, oreiller, ou couverture. Rien d'autre que la couchette.
J'y dors sans drap, dans ma tenue du jour. Mon sac-à-dos d'appoint (toujours près de moi, avec mes "trésors") et ma polaire (ou autre vêtements épais) me servent d'oreiller.
Je n'ai jamais eu besoin de couverture... sauf pour le train de nuit Golden Temple, Delhi -> Amritsar. A mi mars, j'ai gelé même avec lacoste + chemise de jean + polaire, il parait que c'est courant sur cette ligne. Idem pour le retour.
Autre différence, dès lors que cela n'est pas climatisé, il n'y a pas de vitre à la fenêtre (appréciable pour photographier depuis le compartiment), laquelle est dotée de barreaux pour empêcher l'accès depuis l'extérieur. Il est possible de descendre une sorte de volet, par ex. pour se protéger du soleil ou pour réduire l'entrée d'air la nuit.
Les couchettes supérieures sont aux premières loges pour bénéficier des grands et puissants ventilateurs. Avec de l'espace au-dessus de la tête, mais pas d'accès à la fenêtre.
Les couchettes inférieures sont les plus accessibles, mais la plupart du temps, j'ai été sollicité par des seniors pour échange avec des couchettes intermédiaires.
Les couchettes intermédiaires n'ont pour elles que l'accès éventuel à la fenêtre (si le volet n'a pas été descendu), car l'accès n'est pas plus aisé que les supérieures et l'espace est plus réduit.
Lors de mon dernier voyage, j'avais réservé en priorité des couchettes inférieures, mais à l'expérience, je privilégierais les couchettes supérieures. Au moins tant que je ne serai pas un senior avancé en âge.
Je déconseille les 2 couchettes latérales car on y subit le roulis du train. Plus exposées aussi à la fréquentation du couloir.
Fabrice
P.S. : pour les non-anglophones, l'anglais "tier" signifie "niveau" et non "tiers" (une traduction erronée dominante en informatique, cf. architecture dite "3 tiers", aberrant !). AC2, c'est donc un compartiment à 2 niveaux, AC3, un compartiment à 3 niveaux, sous-entendu de couchettes.
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.
