Booking Train tickets

porter

I would like to pre book train tickets out of Delhi for the day after we arrive later this year.

I know I can buy them once we arrive in Delhi but if the train (to Jaipur) is full we may have to wait another day or so in Delhi . As we only have three weeks has anyone any good (or bad !) experiences of booking and getting tickets through agents in Delhi ?

Thanks

indiamike

Last time I was in Delhi instead of waiting in the line at the train station I used the travel agent inside the Anoop Hotel on Main Bazaar. I used other agents before and they were okay but they always tried to sell me a tour. The guy in Anoop Hotel was great and even though the train I was buying for was supposedly sold out, he still came through with the ticket that very day.

Inadvertently I missed the train because it came late and at another platform and I was busy drinking my Wimpy's milkshake and not paying attention.

The station master wouldn't budge on giving me a refund or exchange the ticket, so I went back to Anoop and he refunded the whole thing to my surprise.

From then on I used them for bus tickets and train tickets religiously.

Mike

KathSF

I also arrived in Delhi with the intent of getting out of there (and to Jaipur) ASAP. Went directly to the foreign ticket reservation office, and saw a queue that would've taken about an hour and a half to navigate (I timed it for 20 minutes). So I rethought my guesthouse's reccomendation that I take a bus to Jaipur, took a rickshaw to Bikaner House (where the Rajasthan State busses leave from, almost hourly), where I bought a bus ticket and was quite pleased with the journey.

The bus was completely comfortable (as was the seated and covered outdoor waiting area). My pack was stored in an under-bus compartment. We had a "chai and dinner stop" about 3/4 of the way through, at a comfortable "government-run" rest area (clean bathrooms and cheap, decent food), and didn't make any other stops, so the whole trip took somewhere from 4-6 hours (don't remember).

Anyway, I generally prefer trains, but found the bus more convenient, as cheap, and quite comfortable when compared with a long queue at the train station. Just be sure to take the Rajasthan State bus (only bus that leaves from Bikaner House), as it was better than any of the private busses I took in India. And choose a seat near the front (you'll see why, and seat assignment is given at the time of ticket purchase).

__________________
Happy trails!

aversion

the first time i arrived in india, i went to the train station in delhi and booked tickets for agra the next day and through to varanasi over the next few days. i felt quite proud of myself that i had managed to arrange everything in advance but of course that was against the nature of india...

i got to agra fine, stayed there for three days, visited fatephur sikri (amazing) did all that, then went to the train station to find out that my train had been cancelled... i ended up having to stay in agra for another two days before trains started leaving again and then it was a complete disaster of a trip (23 hours to varanasi!) but a lot of fun in hindsight!

that was back in '94 and things weren't quite as well organised as i found them to be on subsequent trips. I would also recommend the agent in the anoop hotel, i always stay there (or the satyam) in delhi and always find them to be genuine and helpful.

lady2byrd

Considering the fact that most of our (my husband and I) travels are at short notice, we find it very convenient to have our ticket reservations done by agents.
Even during the peak summer rush when my husband was almost stranded (due to the recent elections)at Madras, agents have come to his rescue (within a few hours) with confirmed reservations.

In Kerala I have noticed a considerable number of local people using agents. I suppose it would be more so in the larger metros...... and these agents invariably deliver!

Its strange that in the forums there are numerous enquiries by travelers seeking info on how to go about it.
All that needs to be done is to contact an agent through the hotel reception (not a tout!) and the ticket would be delivered at your hotel/lodge for a few extra rupees.
These agents are mostly genuine as they are attached to the hotels

indiamike

I agree with Lady2byrd, your hotel will hardly ever treat you wrong and they want your return business. Almost every hotel will try to take care of their guests and will usually look out for you.
Yes sometimes it may be a few rupees more, it does also prevent you from being overcharged by a tout if your not familiar with what the price should be.

Mike

Loosecat

found it strange why people would go stand in a queqe, especially when its hot as hell, for hours on end when you can pay a agent maybe 50 rps tops to organise it for you.
You can either sit back and wait in comfort or use the time by having a look around.
Cheers............

steven_ber

you have 2 options to guarantee getting on your train, it depends on what class you want to travel in.

2nd class (non a/c) - just turn up and fight your way on, no reservation needed.

any other class - search for a ticket agent on the web,

http://www.indiarail.co.uk/index.htp

is a site based in wembley, london.

this site can guarantee you reservations, BUT only tickets available are indirail passes (12 hrs, 24 hrs, upwards)

you could take the slow overnight train from delhi (sarai rohilla)
and save on the cost of a hotel.

the train departs delhi (sarai rohilla) at 23.00 and arrives at jaipur at 10.40.

12 hour indirail pass would cost :- sleeper class $us 11,
or second air conditioned $us 26, ...........enjoy.

rajennair

i need 2 or 3 tier AC tickets for three person from Mumbai to Cochin on 16th og oct 2006 or any available date.

cyberhippie