Originally posted by: diplomacyIs it true these tickets must be paid in foreign currency? Would dollar do?

You can pay in rupees, but you are supposed to have an ATM slip or an exchange certificate to show them when you book the ticket. In reality they rarely ask for it but sometimes they do.

Just to re-emphasise earlier comments (I’ve been away for a while) about the Foreign Tourist Quota (FTQ).

DO NOT RELY ON THE Foreign Tourist Quota, be aware of it, but don't rely on it.

India now runs 13,000 trains a day; there is a FTQ for about 100 of these trains.

There can be over 1200 berths on a single train; the FTQ consists of between 2 and 6 berths on each train (only 100 or so trains).

These berths may not be in the class of your choice, and they may have been booked weeks before the train's departure date.

I wanted to do a list of the FTQ berths and trains, but couldn't get enough info.

can you book a ticket for someone who is not here under this scheme? My husband will be arriving soon and I want to try to save some time, by having everything bought and ready before he gets here. I am planning to book for Varanasi(this is an overnight journey yes??)

In my experience buying tourist quota, you can book tickets for other people, but you have to show their passport to get the tickets. I am not sure if you could produce a color copy instead. Try calling the foreign tourist rail ticket office in your city and see what they say.

Have you already tried booking tickets and none were available so you are trying for foreign quota? You know you can book regular tickets as a foreigner, right?

Originally posted by: Kathaknikki 

can you book a ticket for someone who is not here under this scheme? My husband will be arriving soon and I want to try to save some time, by having everything bought and ready before he gets here. I am planning to book for Varanasi(this is an overnight journey yes??)

When do you need the tickets for?

next thursday

You do not need to show a passport to book rail tickets.

Originally posted by: NYTim 

You do not need to show a passport to book rail tickets.

If you are booking under the foreign tourist quota, you most certainly do.

Yes, however I think you could just enter the passport information, then the person would just have to have the right ID on them during the actual journey (so that passport).

Not sure though; this would be assuming it can be handled electronically (and you would hence get an E-ticket),* I'm not sure of that, as I don't live there. (To others, the Foreign Quota can't be booked from abroad.)

Have you tried to simply just book it online (or through an agent, or at the train station) & see how far you get? (Or just give them a ring, as Mitzi suggested?)

* I'm pretty sure it was a possible option with Indian travel agents I've recently dealt with though. Which would then have logically resulted in an E-ticket, so without me showing any ID until during the actual journey. Provided they're bona fide they'll have certain privileges over the average customer though (and you'll be showing them your passport if I recall), so I still can't be sure.

And also, if the ticket is available anyway, you just buy it as normal. Foreign quota is only if there are no seats left, it's a good, standby if you're desperate.

Can someone book tickets for me on the Foreign Tourist Quota before I am in India ?

Originally posted by: LVA 

Can someone book tickets for me on the Foreign Tourist Quota before I am in India ?

No, they can't (and so my musings above were spurious). Let's continue this on the other thread you started on it, OK: Foreign Tourist Quota.

Originally posted by: CaribeanGrl 

can you book a ticket for someone who is not here under this scheme? My husband will be arriving soon and I want to try to save some time, by having everything bought and ready before he gets here.

Get him to scan his passport (the photo page) and send it to you via email, print it out and take it with you to the foreign tourist desk in whatever city you're in, I assume you'll be buying tickets for the both of you, so put your name first, I can't see there being a problem with booking.

And what Mach suggests is probably true, if you just enter his passport details it's likely to be OK (as long as you're buying the same tickets for yourself and your husband doesn't have an Indian name), but I've not tried it myself, so can't be 100% sure.

I am planning to book for Varanasi(this is an overnight journey yes??)

I think everywhere is an overnight journey from 'The world is but my stage'.

Do you know what train you'll be taking? and if that train has FTQ in the class you want to travel?

There's a lot of confusion regarding the FTQ.

FTQ tickets can be booked 90 days in advance, it's not a last minute quota.

FTQ has so many advantages over normal tickets.

1, they're unlikely to be booked more than 5 days in advance (even a couple of days sometimes) as they have to be booked in India and only at Foreign Tourist desks, and many tourists don't know about them, and just as many are crazy enough to think you can just turn up and book a ticket for a train the following day.

2, they allow you to break Indian Railways own rules and quotas, for example, you can book from intermediate station to another intermediate station on a Rajdhani. (and I've yet to find a Rajdhani without FTQ)

3, The FTQ berths are kept together, so, you want a 3-tier air con berth, you look for the general quota availability, there are 4 berths remaining, do you book them.....do other checks first, how many total berths in 3A for that train (do an availability check for a date 85 days ahead to check this), you find there are 90 berths, so what chance of those last remaining 4 berths being together, you got it, no chance, so if you find there are 4 berth for the FTQ, you'll know that these berths will be together.

I'm sure there are more advantages, but my head isn't in 'train booking' mode today.

First, a very heartfelt appreciation for starting this forum. Over time I've found that real answers to real questions come from real people with experience. Hands down to them...:rolleyes:

Now my concern, I'm trying to book a ticket from Delhi to Jodhpur. In the foreign tourist quota, it shows an availability of 4 for my date of departure and for the next 30 days too! This can't be right. Does anyone know if its 'really' just 4 available or its just a default number. If so, how long before departure does the actual availability show or open up and approximately how many berths are alloted to foreign tourists?

Thanks
Sam