Worried about how you'll eat or what the bathrooms will be like? The thought of being stuck on a long distance Indian Railways , sometimes for days at a time, can be quite alarming.
Here are some tips for train travel in India to make your trip on Indian Railways as enjoyable as possible.
 |
| Bhartiya-Rail |
- Spend time looking out the windows or carriage door. The ever changing landscape provides a rare and hassle free view everyday life in India.
- If you're the talkative type, you won't have a shortage of people to chat to. Finding out as much information as possible about their traveling companions is the number one way that Indians pass the time on these train trips. By western standards, their questions can be quite intrusive. You should feel free to ask the same questions back. Your companions will be pleased you've taken an interest in them and you may receive some fascinating answers.
- If you have special dietary requirements, bring food with you. Meals are usually provided on board most long distance trains, however the food served by Indian Railways is hardly inspiring. Choices are limited (usually to biriyani and thali) and don't cater to Western tastes. Someone from the catering department will come and take your order in advance for these meals.
- Food and drink vendors will also make their way through the compartments, mostly in sleeper class but also in the air conditioned classes. Make sure you carry lots of small change for your purchases. It's possible to buy food on the platforms when the train stops, but don't count on a station arriving at mealtimes.
- Be prepared to go to bed early. Indians love to sleep when they have nothing better to do and most people will start retiring for the night around 9.30 p.m.
- If you're a light sleeper, bring some earplugs or headphones. There's guaranteed to be at least one loud snorer in each compartment. That adds up to around a dozen of them in each carriage!
- The busiest time in the bathrooms is in the morning between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., so either get up early or sleep late.
- There's not much difference in the standard of the toilets in the sleeper and air conditioned classes, however it's the cleanliness that sets them apart. The sleeper class toilets rapidly become filthy, while the toilets in the air conditioned classes manage to retain some sort of respectability.
- There are two toilets, shared by both males and females, and a washbasin at the end of each carriage. Some are western style sit down toilets, and the others squat toilets. If you can manage them, the squat toilets can often be the cleanest and most hygienic option.
- Bring anti-bacterial hand wipes and toilet paper. You'll find them both very handy to have.
- Don't leave your luggage unsecured or your valuables on display. Your traveling companions may be honest, but thieves sometimes enter the carriages at night. Bring a padlock and chain as you'll find facilities for fastening your luggage in your compartment.
You may want to buy famous Train at a Glance book to know more about Indian Railway while Traveling
 |
| Famous-Train-at-a-Glance-Book |
