10 Helpful Tips for Your First Indian Solo Trip by Train

Everyone should take some time off to travel independently. You learn to relax and enjoy your own company, and you get to try new things. The independence you feel when you travel solo on a train is unparalleled.

India is unique, from its extraordinary culinary traditions to the ease with which one can travel by train. India is home to the world’s second-largest rail network, and its daily ridership is estimated at 23 million. There’s a lot of forethought involved in organising a train journey, especially if you’re considering going on a solo journey. Read more to explore how to navigate the Indian trains like an expert in no time.

Moreover, with a rail app like RailMitra, you can take your trip to the next level. It’s an awesome train enquiry app that lets you monitor trains in real-time and offers to order food on train service.

10 Tips for Your First Solo Trip in India

When you’re a young traveller, you probably have a lot of questions before going on your first trip by yourself. That’s why it’s important to prepare for the jump. The only practical rule of thumb is to relax and try to fit in with the individuals you meet. The following 9 tips will be very useful on your first solo trip by train in India:

1.  Opt for an overnight train

One of India’s major travel conveniences is taking a train overnight. Why? You won’t waste a full day travelling, you can avoid spending money on a hotel, and something is enchanting about being transported across the subcontinent in the dark. The possibility of sleeping more than half the trip speeds up time. Take note that on many routes, these trains constitute the overwhelming majority of riders.

2.  Plan early for ticket booking

You can save a lot of money on railway tickets if you book them early. It’s less expensive, gives you peace of mind, and gives you more flexibility, such as selecting a window or upper berth seat on the train. As this is your first journey away from home, ensure you have everything you need to feel safe and relaxed. Window seats offer the finest views, so book your tickets ahead so you can pick them out!

3.  Pack wisely to exclude unnecessary items

Minimise your bags to one backpack and one fanny pack. You should pack a power bank, flashlight, and toilet paper. Whether you’re taking a standard vacation or a backpacking adventure, you must pack efficiently to avoid carrying unnecessary items.

Remember to bring fully charged batteries and spare memory cards to take photos. Put your devices to sleep on a full charge the day before you leave and bring a portable charger with you. Since you’ll be exploring new places on your own, and there won’t always be people around to snap your photos, remember to pack a selfie stick.

4.  Keep yourself engaged on board

You could start getting bored when travelling by train for four hours or more. It’s a smart move to bring along some amusement with you. Media like books, video games, and movies are the finest choice. You can relax with a good book and a Netflix download of your favourite movies and web series.

5.  Confirm your seating arrangement

Once you have reserved a seat on the train, your reservation information will be printed on your ticket. The train, coach, and assigned seating location are all listed on your ticket. Additionally, a reservation list for each train is displayed on the board at each station. Details about each reserved seat in each car are displayed on a list posted on the train at the coach doors.

You can verify your booking, train running status, PNR status etc. using the RailMitra train enquiry app or website. The process is simple and quick with its real-time and energy saver tool.

6.  Arrive at the train station promptly

There is always a potential that your train will be delayed, but that is no excuse for being late. The New Delhi train station is a good example of how large it can be; travellers trying to find their way to the right platform often have to weave around security checkpoints, stacks of baggage and cargo, porters, sellers, and blanketed families. Locating the departure board and walking several minutes to the correct track (which may have changed) are additional hassles.

After arriving at the right platform, check the printed seating chart affixed to the inside of your train car door with the coach number printed on your ticket.

7.  Seek assistance from the train staff

Once you’re comfortable in your seat, you should check around for railway staff to identify who to alert in the event of an emergency, make a complaint to, etc. It’s helpful to be familiar with the attendant in charge of supplying sheets and blankets to your berths, as these items may or may not be automatically delivered. If you are a lady travelling alone, they often sit near the restroom so you can tell if they are employees or a casual bystander.

8.  Relish pre-booked food and drink

Have meals delivered from your favourite restaurant! Train e-caterers provide an ‘Order food on train’ service, delivering a diverse variety of cuisines from local restaurants to train passengers on board. It is an excellent alternative if the train pantry’s dining options don’t appeal to you. You can easily request pre-ordered meals delivered to your train seat from the RailRestro website or app.

After making a reservation, you can order food to be transported to your seat at the platform by visiting this caterer’s online portal, entering your PNR, choosing the vendor, and ordering from the vendor’s menu.

9.  Consider your safety on Indian trains

You can take your family or even go on your own as a woman and feel comfortable when riding the trains in India. If you’re taking a train in India, you won’t have to worry about many problems. If you want to relax on an Indian train, you must take some simple precautions, both for your belongings and yourself. Bring a padlock or bicycle lock if you want to keep your bags safe.

10.  Keep your clothing loose and relaxed

Taking train trips, especially longer ones, can be tiresome for many. Also, train restrooms are typically smaller than those found in stations, which can be inconvenient if you need to change clothes. While waiting for or rushing to catch your train, you should wear comfortable, easy-to-move-in clothing. Moreover, adorning a comfortable outfit will be worthwhile if you travel through the night.

Additionally, the temperature aboard the train is usually frigid at night, regardless of the weather, so pack clothes that keep you warm. Therefore casual, comfy attire is suggested for staying comfortable throughout.

Info About IRCTC PNR Number

A ticketholder’s PNR number is connected to a wealth of data, including the status of their booking, confirmation of their ticket, and whether or not it is on the waiting list (WL) or the reservation against cancellation list (RAC list), as well as their arrival and departure times.

Indian Railways issues Passenger Name Record (PNR) numbers, which can be used to access useful travel-related information. In addition to providing basic information about passenger and train details, the PNR status also includes information about the booking status, such as whether the booking is confirmed, on the waiting list (WL) stage, or is under reservation against cancellation (RAC).

What information does PNR contain?

PNR contains a list of information that is stored by Indian Railways in their database. This list includes:

• Train name and number
• Boarding station and destination station name of the passengers travelling, their age, and gender
• Date of Journey
• Fare details
• Booking status (whether it is confirmed, RAC or WL at the time of booking)
• Current status (whether it is confirmed, RAC or WL at the current time)
• Seat number, Coach number, and quota
• Class of travel (1AC, 2AC, 3AC, SL etc.)
• Journey duration

How to check IRCTC PNR status online

• Visit the RailMitra website.
• Click on “Check PNR status” in the navigation menu.
• After loading the page, enter your 10-digit PNR number in the box and click on the “Check PNR Number” button.
• After loading, it will show you the details of your reservation ticket and reflect the current status of your booking.

How to get IRCTC PNR status updates in offline mode

Indian Railways provide you with PNR status update in offline mode also. You can get details in two ways in offline mode:

• Call 139 (Railways Enquiry System), and they will tell you about your PNR status.
• Through SMS, type “PNR” and send it to 139. You’ll receive a system-generated reply, and you can get status updates through this.

Meaning of different codes displayed during IRCTC PNR status verification

Specific codes are shown in the Indian Railway PNR check status. These codes have different purposes. We will look into some major ones:

• CNF – Confirmed ticket.
• RAC – “Reservation against Cancelled.” It means you can get CNF status when someone cancels their trip. It is a semi-confirmed ticket, and you can get on board with this ticket.
• CAN – Ticket cancelled
• WL – Waitlisted ticket. This means your ticket is not confirmed, and unless your ticket does not get confirmed, you are not allowed to board the train.
• GNWL – General Waiting list. In this, the chances of a ticket getting confirmed are higher.
• RLWL – Remote Location Waiting List. Chances are very much less in this category.
• PQWL – Pooled Quota Waiting List. Chances are less in this category also.
• TQWL – Tatkal Waiting list. It is less preferred over GNWL. 9. RQWL – Request Waiting List.
• RSWL – Roadside Waiting List.

How can passengers get status updates on the WL ticket?

The Indian Railway PNR Check service by Railmitra is a simple and useful resource for passengers. However, Railmitra also provides other useful tools to the waitlisted passengers, including:

Regular updates on PNR status: Railmitra offers regular updates to its users regarding PNR status through periodic notifications. This helps them to get the status update without going on the website. These updates are sent till the final status of the train is prepared, i.e., 30 minutes before the arrival.

Confirmation probability: This is probably one of the best features of the Railmitra website. It helps users know the chances of getting their waitlisted ticket confirmed before the departure of the train. It uses data analytics, machine learning, and AI to give accurate probability percentages. The more significant the percentage, the greater the chance of getting confirmed. Also, this will provide WL passengers with a rough idea of whether to look for an alternative option or wait for the ticket to get confirmed.

Other valuable features of RailMitra

RailMitra offers certain valuable features which help passengers in many ways. These are :

• Live Status update – You get a live status update of the train running.
• Fare Enquiry – You get fare details for any class of any train.
• Latest Rail News – RailMitra keeps you updated with the latest railways news.
• Seat availability – You can check whether seats are available in required trains on a particular date or not.
• Book hotels – Offers hourly hotel-stay options near your destination station.
• Online food order on the train – You can book your meal inside the train, and they will deliver to your seat.
• Train schedule – You get the train schedule of every train in India.
• Trains between stations – RailMitra will show you all the trains which connect your desired boarding station to your destination stop.

Getting about on the railways in India might be difficult, given the country’s massive size. However, with a bit of forethought and our helpful list of suggestions above, you’ll be able to navigate the Indian trains like an expert in no time.

Always carry the RailMitra app on your smartphone or access its website for quick and efficient planning and execution of your train journeys in India. Millions of Indians trust this unique rail enquiry service platform for services like searching for a train schedule, using the order food on train service, enquiring about PNR status and more.

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