Booking rail tickets from abroad- a Beginner's Guide

Aishah · Nov 1st, 2009, 19:39

LOL, Sama - it's great when it finally works for you isn't it?!

magicfairy · Nov 2nd, 2009, 19:33

Hi, I am currently trying to book some train tickets and am having trouble with the payment bit. I have tried 3 cards now and they are all unsuccesful for different reasons.

Which payment option is best? I am paying with either a mastercard or visa from UK. I will contact my card providers later (cant try now as they are in my husbands name).

I have tried citibank gateway and ICICI gateway. Looked at the AXIS one but am not a customer of them so cant use that one.

Also, when i finally suss it out, I want to book more tickets. There are 5 of us(including 1 baby) in our group, so is one journey for 4 berths 1 ticket or is that 4 tickets?

What is the quota per month on online tickets? I read 4 then I read 10 on this thread.

Nick-H · Nov 2nd, 2009, 19:49

There may be two options for Axis: one is for payments from an Axis account, the other is a credit card gateway. Make sure you are using the gateway option.

vonkla · Nov 2nd, 2009, 19:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by magicfairy

I have tried citibank gateway and ICICI gateway. Looked at the AXIS one but am not a customer of them so cant use that one.

You can use the AXIS gateway without being a customer, it works fine for me and many others.

Quote:

Also, when i finally suss it out, I want to book more tickets. There are 5 of us(including 1 baby) in our group, so is one journey for 4 berths 1 ticket or is that 4 tickets?

This is one ticket

Quote:

What is the quota per month on online tickets? I read 4 then I read 10 on this thread.

As far as I know it is 10 in a month.

magicfairy · Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:04

Not sure if I am being a complete wally here (probably, I've been trying to book this ticket for a couple of hours now!)

~But I cant find the AXIS gateway. There is an option for AXIS bank, which takes you to username and password for AXIS.
The only other gateways I can see is ICICI (which takes me as far as security question but each time has said no to the password, which was correct!
The Citibank, doesnt even give me the check details page.
the only othet gateways are American Express - i dont have one
and HDFC Bank payment gateway.

magicfairy · Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:10

Could it be that they are closed?! Just realised its gone 7pm there.
Will contact card providers tonight and try again in the morning.
Wish me luck!lol!

steven_ber · Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:22

Not closed yet, they close at 11pm (IST) I think.

Make sure you add the details of the baby when booking, you never know, it could help to get all 4 of you in the same section.

What class?
Trains? From & too?

There is a reason for asking, some trains only have a very small quota between certain stations, can be as low as 2 in 2-tier air con, but there are often amazing options to solve these problems.

magicfairy · Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:28

Hi Steven,

Yes I have put the baby on the form, and also the toddler, but have put him as 5 (he is 3) so he gets a berth( I have done my homework!)

The train is #6592 Bangalore to Hospet on 22nd December- 2A.

magicfairy · Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:29

Sorry, that train is the hampi express

Sama · Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:41

the booking hours are 5 am to 11:30 pm. and I suggest people read my post #795 and make sure your credit card companies know you are trying to book on an overseas site.

or else maybe your card companies aren't as picky about "fraudulent activity" as Bank of America and Barclays Bank and American Express are here.

vonkla · Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:44

Maybe a silly remark but you do indeed use the E-ticket option?

magicfairy · Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:48

Right, they are not closed, so I try again!

Tried citibank - they say insufficent funds (not true)

Tried ICICI - they say communication problem

Tried another journey in our route - Hospet to Madgoan, still same problems.

jUST TRIED ORIGINAL JOURNEY (oops sorry forgot caps was on!) with the HDFC gateway and got a message saying could not be processed due to NOT.

LOL! that sums it up, my shoulders ache, I have the details of our train journey floating in front of my eyes, Time to give up for the day me thinks!

Well, it certainly does make me remember India well!

If anyone can point me in the right direction of this elusive AXIS gateway I would most appreciate it, thanks

Sama · Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:51

the Axis gateway is at the top of the page toward the right

magicfairy · Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:56

Aha! Sama I think you may have just pointed me in the right direction. I was using the quickbook page and there isnt a right hand top of page.

Off now to try the longer route

Fingers crossed

magicfairy · Nov 2nd, 2009, 21:06

Yippee Yippee Doo Dah!

I have just managed to book the tickets!

Gonna book the others now, whilst the going is good!

Nov 1st, 2009, 19:39	#796
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 7,617	LOL, Sama - it's great when it finally works for you isn't it?! __________________ "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:22	#802
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: South of England. Posts: 11,566	Not closed yet, they close at 11pm (IST) I think. Make sure you add the details of the baby when booking, you never know, it could help to get all 4 of you in the same section. What class? Trains? From & too? There is a reason for asking, some trains only have a very small quota between certain stations, can be as low as 2 in 2-tier air con, but there are often amazing options to solve these problems. __________________ . How to get helpful replies to your transport/Itinerary questions. Train information. RAC & Waitlists explained.

Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:41	#805
Sama a pain in the asana Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: the India inside my heart Posts: 6,425	the booking hours are 5 am to 11:30 pm. and I suggest people read my post #795 and make sure your credit card companies know you are trying to book on an overseas site. or else maybe your card companies aren't as picky about "fraudulent activity" as Bank of America and Barclays Bank and American Express are here. __________________ *MY INDIA, 2005-2008* "Once you have felt the Indian dust, you will never be free of it." (Rumer Godden, 1975)

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Nov 2nd, 2009, 19:33	#797
magicfairy Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Posts: 22	Hi, I am currently trying to book some train tickets and am having trouble with the payment bit. I have tried 3 cards now and they are all unsuccesful for different reasons. Which payment option is best? I am paying with either a mastercard or visa from UK. I will contact my card providers later (cant try now as they are in my husbands name). I have tried citibank gateway and ICICI gateway. Looked at the AXIS one but am not a customer of them so cant use that one. Also, when i finally suss it out, I want to book more tickets. There are 5 of us(including 1 baby) in our group, so is one journey for 4 berths 1 ticket or is that 4 tickets? What is the quota per month on online tickets? I read 4 then I read 10 on this thread.

Nov 2nd, 2009, 19:49	#798
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,194	There may be two options for Axis: one is for payments from an Axis account, the other is a credit card gateway. Make sure you are using the gateway option.

Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:04	#800
magicfairy Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Posts: 22	Not sure if I am being a complete wally here (probably, I've been trying to book this ticket for a couple of hours now!) ~But I cant find the AXIS gateway. There is an option for AXIS bank, which takes you to username and password for AXIS. The only other gateways I can see is ICICI (which takes me as far as security question but each time has said no to the password, which was correct! The Citibank, doesnt even give me the check details page. the only othet gateways are American Express - i dont have one and HDFC Bank payment gateway.

Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:10	#801
magicfairy Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Posts: 22	Could it be that they are closed?! Just realised its gone 7pm there. Will contact card providers tonight and try again in the morning. Wish me luck!lol!

Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:28	#803
magicfairy Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Posts: 22	Hi Steven, Yes I have put the baby on the form, and also the toddler, but have put him as 5 (he is 3) so he gets a berth( I have done my homework!) The train is #6592 Bangalore to Hospet on 22nd December- 2A.

Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:29	#804
magicfairy Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Posts: 22	Sorry, that train is the hampi express

Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:44	#806
vonkla Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Netherlands Posts: 558	Maybe a silly remark but you do indeed use the E-ticket option?

Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:48	#807
magicfairy Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Posts: 22	Right, they are not closed, so I try again! Tried citibank - they say insufficent funds (not true) Tried ICICI - they say communication problem Tried another journey in our route - Hospet to Madgoan, still same problems. jUST TRIED ORIGINAL JOURNEY (oops sorry forgot caps was on!) with the HDFC gateway and got a message saying could not be processed due to NOT. LOL! that sums it up, my shoulders ache, I have the details of our train journey floating in front of my eyes, Time to give up for the day me thinks! Well, it certainly does make me remember India well! If anyone can point me in the right direction of this elusive AXIS gateway I would most appreciate it, thanks

Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:51	#808
Sama a pain in the asana Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: the India inside my heart Posts: 6,425	the Axis gateway is at the top of the page toward the right

Nov 2nd, 2009, 20:56	#809
magicfairy Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Posts: 22	Aha! Sama I think you may have just pointed me in the right direction. I was using the quickbook page and there isnt a right hand top of page. Off now to try the longer route Fingers crossed

Nov 2nd, 2009, 21:06	#810
magicfairy Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Posts: 22	Yippee Yippee Doo Dah! I have just managed to book the tickets! Gonna book the others now, whilst the going is good!