Train Travel Hacks

So, you are planning to take the long way to your next destination by travelling through a train? We believe trains are the most fun, convenient and pocket friendly way to travel and why wouldn’t it be? You get to see the ever changing scenery from sitting anywhere unless you spend your time snoring, you aren’t strapped to seat belts and can move around freely, can get down at stations, roam for a while, get something locally famous eatables to munch on and everything else possible that you can’t do otherwise travelling through other modes. But above all, knowing travel hacks that would make your traveling easier. Here’s some tips and hacks for you to have a better train traveling experience-

1. Book train tickets as early as possible
   Yes, as we all know, here in India, train tickets get booked so fast! So, if you want to be on the safer side, plan at least 6-8 weeks in advance but in peak time, even that could prove to be too late. Reservations begin 120 days (4 months) prior the date of journey, so book as soon as you could. Do not overlook the matter of checking PNR status and train running status of your journey.



2. When booking on Tatkal
   Make sure you are online dot at 10 am if you want to be certain of getting a seat. 10 am is when booking for 3A, 2A, and First Class takes place. In case you are traveling by second class sleeper, the Tatkal time for that is 11 am. And of course, Tatkal booking can be done just one day before the date of travel. Note- It is one day and not 24 hours, so for a train leaving at 11pm tomorrow night, Tatkal booking has to be done at 10 am today.
   
   Tatkal reservation can open 2 or more days in advance: Tatkal reservation opens 1 day in advance at 10 am for ac class and at 11am for non-ac class. But if the train departs from your boarding station one day after it begins its journey from its originating station, then Tatkal reservation will open 2 days in advance for your journey. For example, the tatkal ticket from Delhi to Mumbai in Punjab Mail (12138) opens 2 days in advance because the train departs from Delhi on the 2nd day of its journey! Similarly, advance reservation period, in this case, is 121 days and not 120 days. For more tips on booking tatkal tickets on IRCTC go to Tatkal Booking Tips .



3. Do not wear any valuables
   It would be better if you try not to wear any valuable assets on the journey, whatever class you would be traveling in. Ensure you keep your sack with valuables, including laptop bag on the side of your head, and not towards your feet or on the side table.



4. Travel light and pack smartly
   All things considered, you do have to carry your baggage and oversee it through the journey. It is best to use a bag on wheels, as you would have a great deal of carting around to do at the station. Try ‘Less Luggage More comfort’ rule.



5. Railway Wi-Fi
   Try to use Indian Railways’ Wi-Fi as railways has made free Wi-Fi services accessible at major stations and save your mobile data for the journey ahead.



6. Charger
   Always keep your electronics such as phones and laptops charged and keep a 3 pin plug to charge your electronics whenever necessary. Carry power bank with you as you are most likely not to get the chance to charge your phones or laptops at the stations or in trains either.



7. Opt for vegetarian meals
   Opting for vegetarian meals is actually a better option than non-vegetarian meals as vegetarian food helps you feel better all throughout the journey as you get to consume fresher and healthier food. You could opt for Jain meals while traveling too. You can ask the pantry staff to serve you Jain meal and they would serve you freshly prepared as fewer people ask to be served Jain meals instead of vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals. If you are allergic to dairy products, like paneer and curd, you can always tell the pantry staff about it and can ask them to prepare some other vegetable for you.



8. Carry your ID on mobile
   In case of unfortunate events, your ID card would help to identify you. Carrying PAN or Aadhar cards’ physical copies isn’t a necessity anymore as now we have the option of downloading the e-aadhar on our mobile phones and show it to the TTE and hence, you would not have to worry about losing the physical copies.

9. Carry dummy wallet
   You should never overlook the dark side of traveling in the trains as there are so many chances to lose your things including valuables, bags etc. We strongly suggest you carry a dummy wallet with old business cards and little amount of money in it and keep the rest in separate bags. Never stash a large amount of money in your wallet and travel as wallets are the easiest things to steal by the muggers.

This is all for now. We hope these tips and tricks would prove to be helpful to make your journeys better as well as hassle-free. To check the PNR status, train seat availability or running status of any train just download trainman app.