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I've read that trains in India are very busy and its best to book in advance. So where is the best website to book online? I've found the site www.cleartrip.com and www.makemytrip.com - both of which seem to have a straight forward website, however I found loads of reviews that basically condemn them (i.e. http://www.mouthshut.com/websites/Cleartrip-com-Reviews-925062909)

The journeys I need to book for November are:

Delhi - Varanasi Varanasi - Agra Agra - Jodhpur Jodhpur - Jaipur

Is it best to book online? If not what's the best way of booking?

Jonik
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David Masters
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4 Answers4

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Have a read of the How to Book Indian Train Tickets from Outside of India section of Seat61. It details exactly what you need to do to get an account (depending on the credit card you plan to use), how to get it verified, and then information on booking the tickets.

It's fiddly, takes a couple of days, but I can confirm that it works as I used it last month to book tickets!

(You'll end up using the official booking sites, either IRCTC or ClearTrip depending on your credit card, but the process of registering for them as a foreigner without an Indian mobile phone is fiddly so you'll need to follow the Seat61 advice!)

Gagravarr
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Please use the Official Site where you can book railway tickets in advance up to 4 months. Please try to refrain from using other travel sites as they might charge extra money.

I've been using this site for a long time. Also, you can use eRail to find comprehensive information regarding the trains, travel time, average speed, fares etc.

hippietrail
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user3422
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There is an official website (irctc.co.in) maintained by the Indian Government to book railway tickets online.

This is used by most of the people in India (if not all), including me. I don't think there should be any problem for people from outside India, though I also admit I never confirmed it.

makemytrip & cleartrip simply connect to the api's provided to them, plus they add a fee.

loxxy
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Yes, you can book Indian Railway tickets online through the official site of India Railway, i.e. https://www.irctc.co.in. You just need to have an account in that site to access all its facilities.

Arran Alston
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