Trivandrum to Cochin by train

Hi there!

If anyone could help it would be fantastic! My friend and I are flying into Trivandrum in March and would like to get to Cochin by train. We arrive at the airport at around lunch time.

Is it easy to reach the train station from the airport in Trivandrum?
We would like to travel 2AC. WIll it be busy?
Do we need to book in advance?
How long does it take?
How much is it roughly or do we get a car?

Any help or advice would be much appreciated!

Thank you,

Vivienne.

Airport to station is quite close. On an average it takes 4.5 hours. For choices see:
http://erail.in/?T=TVC::ERS:

Thank you so much for your reply. Will I need to book or just turn up?

The sooner you book (90 days max before the journey), the better. Use:
www.cleartrip.com or
http://www.irctc.co.in

Right, ok. Half of me was tempted to wait and get it on the day but I will do try and book it. What if I miss the train due to flight delays?
Thank you for helping!

there is train nr 2696 Trivandrum Chennai exp departs TVC at 1725 hrs arrives Cochin abt 2120 hrs costs Rs 478 for AC 2 tier berth. berths were avlbl when I just checked what dates are you looking at. you can get a prepaid taxi from the airport to the train station.

Thank you for your reply austinivor. That is very kind. We land at 05.00hrs on Saturday 27th March

As already replied, airport is about 10 km/15 minutes from the central railway station. You could either take a taxi or there are buses at fixed times from the airport. There is a board displaying their timings inside the airport. I don't know how long it will take to get out of the airport, but I think your best bet will be train #7229, Sabari Express, starts from Trivandrum Central at 0715 and arrives at 1135 at Ernakulam.

There are a number of trains serving Trivandrum-Ernakulam route, only you might not get 2AC. Oh, and Trivandrum Central bus station is right opposite Trivandrum Central railway station. You won't have trouble reaching Cochin.

Hello, thank you darklord. Very helpful. Should I book in advance or get the ticket on the day? Are they likely to have sold out?

Frankly, I have no idea; but if I were to travel in an airconditioned class, I would book the tickets well in advance.

Then again, if A/C is not a priority, you have other options.

Why do you need to go right to Kochin. Varkala is a nice place near Trivandrum where you can spend a day or two before moving on. Quilon is also nice and is close by.

Thank you for your reply pontesnm and darklord. Well, the plan is to arrive into Trivandrum, get the train straight to Cochin and stay for 2 nights, go to Alleppy and stay at a homestay for 5 nights to see village life the go to Varkala and stay for 7 nights for some beach relaxation and fly back from Trivandrum. I'm going with a female friend who has never been to India before and I thought Cochin would be nice, but I have not been for 18 years!!! I imagine it has changed alot. Should I give Cochin a miss? I have read there are some good art galleries there. Is it too touristy?

You can use erail.in to look at train tickets and availability. The problem with international flights is that there may be weather delay. If you are not changing aircraft, less chance of missing your flight. Let us know what you do. My choice for this journey would be non AC 1st class but there are no convenient trains at that time for you.

Thanks pontesm. I am flying via Kuwait so I could be delayed. The trains for 2AC have sold out too. I could get a driver to Cochin but it won't be as much fun. I might try and chance a train cancellation.

As you'll have gathered by now, trains tend to book out way in advance. So the earlier you can book the better.