Lesson #1: Don’t believe anything people in the tourist industry in India tell you. Tourist industry includes all taxis, restaurants, passerby, or anyone who makes direct eye contact with you. If someone on the street asks where you are headed or how are you doing, briskly walk away. Even the hotels cannot be trusted. It's really a shame because tourists generally travel to learn about new cultures, and interacting with the locals is an integral part of travel. Unfortunately, almost every interaction with a local, as friendly as it may have began, ends with some sort of sales pitch or deception.
Booking a ticket from New Delhi station is as easy as microwaving a bag of popcorn. All of the information is publicly available either online or directly in the reservation offices. Simply be patient and take your time. Passports, pens, and cash are the only items required. Not sure if they accept credit cards.
We can only speak on our experiences in the New Delhi train station NDLS, but surely other stations have similar procedures. All tickets are available in person. Repeat. ALL TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE IN PERSON. Seven days a week.
The hours of operation are unclear, as there is not sign posted on the doors, nor does the internet provide such information. However, one can safely assume that the offices are open during reasonable business hours. This is actually the case in many places we have seen in India. We arrived on Sunday afternoon and there were 30-40 tickets to be called before ours, and a stream of people entered after us. So when a local tells you that the station is not open on Sunday and tickets must be purchased privately, it's a blatant lie to rip you off. Other fibs they will tell is that tickets to foreigners must be purchased online and that tickets cannot be bought on the same day. They will literally tell you anything to prevent you from seeking answers for yourself and fall victim to their scam. Even once you arrive at the train station, there are crooks outside attempting to prevent tourists from entering, flashing government IDs while claiming it is illegal to enter the premises without already having a train ticket in hand. It's another lie. Keep moving forward. Make a scene if needed. Eventually they will back off.
Once you go under the main gate through the parking lot, follow the road to the main road. To the "platform ticket" desk, keeping it on your right had side hug the wall to your right and go towards a large timetable showing all of the train destinations with their corresponding times.
To the right there is a big sign for 'tourist tickets.' Foreigners have to buy separate, more expensive tickets than the locals, therefore there are designated offices. The sign will lead you up one flight of stairs, down a long dark hallway, to a destination that looks eerily like an episode of the Walking Dead or a 1990's action movie. We half expected zombies to appear from behind the walls. Keep trekking on until you find the offices for the international tourist bureau on the right. Another way to find it is to follow other white people. Usually they are in the same boat.
Once inside the offices, the instructions are vague and unhelpful. We advise to immediately ask a worker for a travel form that requires your basic information, as well as destination and preferred seating zone on the train.
Note: You can also buy tickets to and from other destinations, so book ahead from here. We bought tickets from Agra to Jaipur two days in advance. It will save heaps of time trying to figure out the system in other train stations.
Despite paying quite a larger amount more than the Indians, the costs are still pretty cheap. Tickets range from $3-5 US for 2nd class sleepers without AC, which is fine because the wind provides enough air anyway.
The tickets we purchased were on the benches under the sleeping bed itself, but since no one was on it, Ben snagged it for himself. The benches aren't too uncomfortable and seats three. There are two benches facing each other. Window seats are preferable. There is only one electrical outlet that may or may not work. If it does, use it before the others do!
After choosing the route, one of the workers will stamp your form and send you back in line to wait for your number to be called.
Once the number is called, present the stamped form, along with your passport. Another worker will type in the information on an outdated computer, take the money, and issue the tickets. It's a fairly simple process, not unlike any other country, but you must get through the maze of thieves first.
All of our trains we have taken thus far have run on time from the start, but frequently stop mid-ride for no apparent reason. It's India. Be patient.
Cultural Norms on Indian Trains
-There is a lot of pushing and shoving, but very little yelling. It is a country of 1.4 billion people who don't have the same personal space bubble that we do in America. Don't take it personally. Trying to get in or off the trains (or busses) is like a WWF style Royal Rumble. Feel free to push people as well! It's fun!
-There aren't usually PA systems on the trains, so it's rather difficult to know exactly when to get of the train. Unlike in Europe, where announcements are usually made 5-10 minutes ahead of arrival time, and each train station has multiple, visible signs with the name of the station, it is not the case in India. Either ask a local, or check your map on your smartphone if you have internet.
-Indians are frequently barefooted. They walk in public with bare feet, eat in restaurants with bare feet, and have no problem putting their feet on the seat next to you. For us, it is uncomfortable and weird. Feet are not hands, and toes are not fingers. Having someone's dirty toes wiggling within inches of your personal space, if not touching you directly, is common. Actually when Ben was lying on the sleeper bed, he took his shoes and socks off. Because he is so tall, his feet hung over the edge. Each and every time someone walked past, his feet would rub against their head and face. No one really seemed to care!
Pieces of Advice
-Always buy snacks before any journey, short or long. You never really know when you may find the next food stand, or at least something that looks sanitary and edible.
-Stand your ground. Again, there are tons and tons and tons of people around, everywhere, all the time. Every inch on the train is a battleground. When we got on the train in Jaipur, people were already sitting in our assigned seats and refused to move. Later on the ride, the couple whose seats we were sitting in demanded that we move, but we held our ground. As unfair as it is for the last person in this cycle, that's how it is here.
-Remember that everything is temporary. We have sat with five people on a bench for three, crammed and stuffed like sardines. Smile. Talk to people. Nothing you can do or say will change the situation.
-Be grateful. Life is hard in India. Poverty is rampant, food is scarce, and drinkable water is hard to come across. It's painful to see. Oftentimes when things are tough for us here, we take a few moments and appreciate that the daily struggles that nearly everyone faces in India do not affect our lives. If nothing else sticks with us after we leave India, it is the appreciation for all the things we have in our life.
-Always keep an eye on your belongings. Fingers crossed, nothing terrible has happened to us as of yet. At all times we are either can see our bags, or in possession of them. Also, we keep a lock on them so they cannot be opened without our codes. We have heard horror stories though, and we have no interest in having our things stolen.
-The last piece of advice is inarguably the most important. No matter what the issue is, do not contradict your partner in the midst of a problem. There are a lot of situations where quick decisions need to be made. Very often the decision the partner makes will be difficult from your own. Unless that choice is clearly wrong, morally, ethically, financially, etc., do not disagree with one another. Indecision is the worst decision. There will always be time to discuss things later. Arguing amongst each other will only make things worse. This isn't just a travel issue either; it's a general rule of relationships.
Fortunately for us, we have discussed these matters before we left for our grand trip, and we are still going strong!
Hazzzzzah!
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