With the festive season just around the corner, including much-awaited celebrations such as Diwali, Durga Puja, and Chhath Puja, followed by Christmas and New Year, the rush to book train tickets for hometown visits is about to begin. As the joyous occasions draw near, passenger demand is expected to surge, making it challenging to secure confirmed train tickets. Whether it's reuniting with loved ones for traditional festivities or embarking on year-end vacations, planning and booking well in advance becomes imperative during this bustling and competitive period, ensuring a smoother and more enjoyable travel experience for all.
Explore our list of tips and tricks to book your train tickets quickly without much hassle this festive season.
Consider booking a Tatkal ticket if you need a last-minute train ticket in India. This is a particular type of reservation service offered by Indian Railways that allows passengers to book tickets with relatively short notice. Tatkal tickets can be booked a day in advance, starting at 10:00 a.m. for AC classes and 11:00 a.m. for non-AC classes on the day of the train's departure.
However, it's important to note that they are subject to limited availability and higher fares than regular tickets. When booking a Tatkal ticket, be prepared to provide proof of identity. Remember that Tatkal tickets are non-refundable, although there may be exceptions in certain circumstances. You can book Tatkal tickets online and offline, but it's essential to act quickly, especially for popular routes and peak travel times.
If you are on a browser, cleaning the cache data and having the browser fast and smooth will increase your chances of booking and make the process trouble-free. Make sure you have disabled any ad-blockers and anti-virus that you might have running in the background.
The Quick Tatkal IRCTC Train Ticket booking app is a comprehensive solution that helps you with PNR status checks, live train status updates, and quick booking of both general and Tatkal train tickets on the IRCTC Website and IRCTC Rail Connect app. This app follows the best automation practices to make booking easier and faster.
The app's unique feature is that it quickly pre-fills all the required credentials to book a Tatkal ticket. In order to use this feature, you will need to download the IRCTC Tatkal Automation Tool from your browser and log in to your IRCTC account. Once you save your passenger details, you can follow the steps to book the Tatkal ticket as soon as the Tatkal window opens. This way, you can book the Tatkal ticket based on your preferences without hassle.
Furthermore, having your social media accounts logged out from the apps and keeping a clean RAM memory will help smoothen the process of booking.
IRCTC offers a range of payment options for ticket purchases, including credit cards, debit cards, digital wallets, and UPI. However, inputting extensive card details for credit or debit card payments can take up a lot of time, resulting in the unavailability of the desired tickets. To speed up the booking process and secure confirmed reservations quickly, you should maintain funds in your IRCTC e-Wallet.
You can conveniently deposit money into your IRCTC e-Wallet using net banking or debit card transactions. Doing so can expedite ticket bookings and increase the likelihood of efficiently securing your desired travel plans. This emphasises the importance of speed and efficiency in the booking process.
Beware of frauds and malwares when involved in online banking. Do not share OTPs and sensitive information with fraudsters calling under the garb of authority.
Experienced and adventurous travellers often use the strategy of split booking to reduce their travel costs. Instead of purchasing a single ticket for a lengthy journey, they divide the trip into multiple legs and book separate tickets.
For instance, when booking your ticket from Raipur Junction to Patna Junction, you first secure a ticket from Raipur to Tatanagar Junction. Subsequently, you board another train from Tatanagar Junction to Patna Junction. This method involves buying two tickets instead of one, which can result in significant cost savings and booking confirmation. It's essential to ensure your chosen train has scheduled stopovers at the stations where you intend to change trains or make bookings. This strategy is precious during festive seasons, providing potential savings while maintaining a travel experience similar to a direct booking.
Always remains prepared on where to go and how to reach there from a layover. Just in case, keep a track of alternatives, like buses and public cabs, if you happen to miss your train at the interchange.
When the issue is about reserving a ticket on the IRCTC website, you can book at any time of the day, from 00:20 a.m. to 11:45 p.m., subject to availability. However, to have a smooth booking experience, it's best to avoid booking during peak hours. The peak hours for online and offline booking are from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. During high-traffic periods, such as when tickets are released for sale or during rush hours, the booking process can become slow and prone to technical glitches due to the heavy website traffic.
To avoid any failure and increase your chances of getting desired seats or travel options, it is advisable to book tickets during off-peak hours, which are typically early in the morning or late at night when website traffic is lower, and the booking process tends to be smoother and quicker. It is always advisable to book much in advance for a confirmed ticket. You can also approach ticket booking agents in dire times.
You have the option of bringing your pets on board both premium and non-premium trains. However, if you don't want to leave your pet alone in a cabin or lodge, you must book a first-class AC compartment that allows pets inside. When booking your ticket, you can select a cabin with four seats or a coupe with two. To ensure a cabin or coupe, you must go to the Railway Reservation Office and submit an application, along with a copy of your ticket, identity proof, and your pet's health and vaccination certificate.