Railway Communication In India
Indians love to travel and do not need the Passports.
Aware of their national wealth still run back and forth – whether it is a pilgrimage to the holy places or just as tourists to see the legacy of centuries of India, or to visit a family… Anyway – the second most populous nation in the world loves to be on the go. The most common use is an Indian Railway, and this is associated with a highly powerful system of tickets.
Reservation is best done for about a month in advance, then you get a low price ticket while having the assurance of the place. For it is common to buy tickets in the “Waiting list”. If you will be late with the purchase and all the tickets for the train are on the line and the date is sold out, you can still purchase a ticket at almost the same price and get on the reserve list. Happy ticket holders often change their plans, then they give up their tickets and you get your place. If you will be sixteenth or fifty-second on a Waiting list…well if the list is long, you can not be hundred percent sure about your place, till the departure. Just pack your luggage and wait patiently, checking every thirty minutes the board with Waiting lists. Trains are coming late in India quite often, up to 12 hours or more, so get ready for the night. In this case, some sheet comes in handy for sure. As the most comfortable, most accessible, and the cheapest class to travel in Sleeper Class, some blankets can be very useful too.
But we never use the Waiting lists. We buy a ticket always in the Tatkal system, which is a little more expensive. Always about two days before departure, usually at a travel agency (ticket price plus commission).
Much more available are bus tickets. You do not have to worry about system purchases, but the sooner you buy, the better price you get. If you travel by bus for longer trips you have to put up with difficult access to toilets. Travels by bus are much more tiring.
In this case trains are much more comfortable.
