Booking a confirmed train ticket

Top 10 Secret Tips No One Tells You While Booking A Train Ticket In India

Many travelers spend a lot of time trying to book a train ticket on the Indian railway’s website, only to be let down at the final moments and told to try again. Here are some handy tips to use while booking your train tickets, all targeted to ensure you have a hassle-free and quick ticket booking experience. The next time you need to purchase Indian train tickets online, here’s what you have to keep in mind.

Tips To Book A Confirmed Train Ticket

#1 If confirmed tickets are not available for your desired journey, try booking from the next 1 or 2 stops from your origin/destination. The ticket is valid from the booked stations but you can onboard and drop off the train at the desired stations. The rates might slightly differ.

 #2 While booking, it’s better to ensure that the checkbox ‘consider for auto up-gradation is ticked. If seats are available in higher classes, you have a chance for an upgrade without any extra charges.

#3 You can order food online while traveling and get it delivered to your seat. Apart from Dominos, Subway, and Haldiram’s, train food vendors such as Comesum, Zoop, RailRestro, Relfood, and Yatri are some of the authorized partners of IRCTC- E-catering services.

#4 Visit ConfimTicket (powered by IRCTC) before booking any waitlist ticket. If you find a heavy waitlist on your day of the journey, click on the alternative bulb. This will show other alternative options to book a confirmed ticket on the same train.

#5 ‘Book Now, Pay Later ’ is an option that is available for Indians only. It was introduced by IRCTC (not available in mobile apps) in alliance with ePayLater for travelers with an interest-free credit term of 14 days. Before booking through this system, you have to register using Indian identity proofs (Aadhaar Card, PAN card, etc). You can even book tatkal (last-minute)  tickets which will save you time and from payment failures. 

 

#6 Avoid buying a ticket at weekends. Weekends, like Friday and Sunday, are busy days for rail travel because people, in general, prefer to travel during the weekends.

#7 You can make up to 6 rail reservations per user in one calendar month. Link your Aadhaar information and complete your KYC to enjoy booking up to 12 train tickets. Each user is strictly permitted to book only 2 tickets during the opening hours from 8 AM – 10 AM and 2 Tatkal tickets per day per IP, not accounts.

#8 If possible, book tickets well in advance to increase the chance of getting a confirmed ticket. You can book 120 days (journey date not to be included) before the date of the departure, every day at 8 AM.

#9 For an unplanned or last-minute journey, book a tatkal (emergency) ticket. Tatkal booking opens at 10 AM every day for air-conditioned (AC) classes and 11 AM for non-AC classes, one day in advance of the actual date of the journey. You can book for up to 4 people in a single ticket.

Booking of Tatkal tickets will be completed in the first 5-10 mins after opening, for the popular routes. So ensure you’re quick to reserve a seat. We would recommend that you save the journey & passenger details in the master list and use internet banking or UPI payment options to save time. You can also save your credit card/debit card details securely for quicker payment options. Another great way to ensure a ticket while experiencing a time crunch is by using the ‘ Book Now, Pay Later ’ scheme (see point 5)

Synchronize your device time with the IRCTC site’s time. It’s always good to have a trial run one or two days before the actual booking to understand the system better.

#10 The IRCTC website will be down for maintenance from 11: 45 PM to 00:20 AM IST on all days and tickets cannot be booked during these hours. So ensure you book the tickets before or post these times.

Hope this blog helps you with the best possible chance of getting a confirmed ticket while booking in IRCTC. The best tip is always to plan and give yourself enough time to handle any curveballs on the way. Do spread the word and if you have any tips that might help feel free to comment below.

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