Train travel is a comfortable traveling option for travelling in India. Unlike buses and airplanes, trains are spacious. There is plenty of space to walk around freely. Most of the train travel time, we spend in sightseeing from the window and munching on food. Train travel is within budget for families and many common people. Hence, many people prefer to travel in train in India.
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Why Train Travel is better
Train travel and flight journeys have been in constant comparison with each other.
- Though flights save more time, they are more expensive than trains. Most people cannot afford such a hefty airline fare.
- Train travel is more comfortable with an ample amount of leg space and a berth to rest. Airlines do not provide that facility.
- You are served fresh and warm food during your train travel. Do you know? Shatabdi Express in India is famous for its hot and quality food served. Rajdhani Express and Toronto Express are also well known for their tasty food.
- Train travel is the best time to indulge in a bit of socializing. Long journeys are the best time to make friends.
- Long journeys also provide a relaxing opportunity to read. All lovers of fiction and non-fiction can read some mind-blowing novels and self-development books. If you come under the category of an introvert, books are your best friends.
A flight journey offers the sight of white clouds from a window seat most of the time. But during train travel, we get a lot more. Trees, fields, rivers, villages, and mountains. We should get ready to witness the real sights of a country. Leaving all of them behind you and moving forward towards your destination makes it a surreal experience. At night, you can gaze at the stars amidst the cold breeze that kisses your cheeks.
Train Travel Packing List
Before going on any trip, a packing list is a must. And especially for a long journey like train travel, a packing list is indispensable. Here is a list of things to carry while traveling on the train.
Comfortable Clothes
Tip: Remember to add loose clothes to your train travel packing list.
Uptight clothes never suit train travel. Choose clothes that reflect confidence and also provide comfort. To be relaxed throughout the tedious trip, it is important to wear breathable clothes. Wear loose clothes, preferably track pants and comfortable tops.
Tight clothes will not allow us to sleep in peace at night. And we do not want to spend the whole night shifting from one side of the bed to the other. Also, carry a pair of loose fitted clothes. If traveling in an air-conditioned tier, then it would be wise to pack a hoodie or a pullover. Wear your pullover at bedtime and you are ready for a cozy sleep in the AC.
Sleeping Mask
Tip: Do not forget to include a sleeping mask in your train travel packing list.
A sleeping eye mask is best if the light switches are not under your control. During a train trip, you have to share your compartment with a lot of people. Privacy is not possible in trains. People keep moving, switch the lights on and off. Some people read at night. Some sleep early. Some need lights while some do not.
Hence, it is wise to carry a sleeping mask if you are an early bird. Even if you do not sleep early, the lights are on all night with people reaching their destinations or beginning their journeys. To avoid all the mess and to get your goodnight sleep, a sleeping eye mask is essential for a train journey.
Books
Tip: Pack that long-pending book you always wanted to complete.
Train travel journeys offer bountiful time to read the books you have held in your bookshelf for so long. Add at least one book in your train travel packing list.
If you are too shy to indulge in long conversations but also cannot tolerate the boredom that comes along being an introvert, books can be that escape for you. The Sherlock Holmes detective stories, the long Harry Potter series, Gillian Flynn’s intriguing suspense stories, and the Agatha Christie suspense novels will make your journey a thriller ride.
By just sitting on your berth by the window you can be a part of all these thrilling mysteries that will rattle your brains with some unimaginable twists.
Slippers
Tip: Pack a pair of lightweight washable slippers.
The train travel packing list should also include a pair of slippers. We cannot just roam around the entire time in your train traveling in boots or shoes.
Slippers will allow your toes to breathe and be free. A pair of slippers is necessary for a visit to the washroom. And we do not want to spoil our expensive shoes by staining them. They also serve well when we want to sit casually with our feet down. So, your list of things to carry while traveling on a train should have slippers on number one. It will make your journey altogether more comfortable and easier breezy.
Indoor Games
Tip: Pack a pair or two of indoor games in your train travel list.
A small board or card games will make the train trip fun and lively when traveling with friends and family. Adding games to our train travel packing list will make it easier to interact and spend quality time with family that we often do not get amidst hectic life.
By playing games on train travel, people of all age groups ranging from grandpa to grandchild can have their fair share of fun. Games like monopoly, uno, ludo, snake and ladder, chess, scrabble, etc are best for amusement during the trip.
Card games can include 7-10 people at a time. They suffice to involve the whole family in the light-hearted, fun spirit of the game. This pack of games is a train travel must-have for big groups of people traveling together. It is the best way to kill time in multiple day-long journeys. So, do not forget to add them to your train travel packing list.
Earphones
Tip: Add a noise cancellation earphones to train travel list.
Everyone loves music. We should surely add a piece of earphones in your train travel packing list. Noise cancellation earphones help quiet down the surroundings. The crowd will dissolve under the crazy beats of the songs.
Besides, in trains, listening to loud music is not suggested as it may disturb the other passengers. A piece of earphones in your train travel packing list can save us from the embarrassment and trouble.
We can enjoy all our favorite and guilty pleasure songs without anyone knowing or judging us. We can listen to our favorite albums and adjust them to our desired volume and base. Take care not to set the volume very high as it may damage your ears.
For long train journeys, check out some latest podcasts with stories, meditation, news, sleep music channels. They will make the train ride an interesting one. It also helps you feel less lonely if you are traveling alone.
Train Travel Essentials
Apart from the ones mentioned above train journey packing list, here is a list of train journey essentials that we must never forget to carry while traveling on a train. These are the train travel must-haves that you should always possess along while boarding a train. It includes the essentials without which we cannot complete your journey.
Tickets and identity cards
While traveling by train, train ticket and identity cards are the most important things in the list of train travel essentials. Travel without producing identity cards in airports or trains is impossible. Identity proof is a mandate to start with train travel. There are times when people forget their tickets or ID cards and rush back home to get them.
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They are of utmost importance in a train journey. Make sure to keep them handy on the cloud in digital form too.
Mobile phones and gadgets
The most important thing for any person these days is the mobile phone. Humans have become so dependent on these electronic gadgets that they just can step out of the house without their phones, tabs, laptop, etc.
All our work is dependent and stored on tablets, laptops, and mobile phones. Thus, they are also an unmissable part of train travel essentials.
Here is a list of the latest portable travel gadgets. Take a look.
Sometimes even when we are traveling, we have a lot of workload and deadlines to meet. In such cases, a laptop, mobile, a tablet is an essential part of the list of things to carry while traveling on a train.
These two come under the list of supremely important things that you should carry during your train journey. Other train travel essentials include:
Loose Cash
Carrying some loose cash is very important during a train journey. Online payment methods usually do not work on trains due to network issues.
The local fruit sellers, and shopkeepers at the stations also take only loose cash. We do not get small change easily in trains or stations as the stations only have a stoppage of 5-10 minutes. There are chances of missing our train if we get busy at the station exchanging money for just a bottle of mango juice.
Thus, it is much better and convenient to carry some loose cash. We can comfortably order food and buy any other essentials that we might have forgotten at home.
Snacks and Food Items
Food is necessary if you don’t want to starve on a train journey. It is undoubtedly one of the train travel must-haves. We should carry a small exclusive bag for food items. This helps in avoiding their leakage resulting in the spoiling of other items.
If we do not prefer having train food, homemade food should be on our list of things to carry while traveling on the train. Carry food that can remain fresh for a comparatively longer period than the routine food we eat in daily life.
Toiletries
Essential items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet paper, and soap are train travel must-haves. They should be on the list of things to carry while traveling on a train.
Toilet paper is the most basic human need. Everyone gets a nature call now and then. If you have a long trip, toilet paper is an indispensable part of train travel essentials. Many passengers use train toilets. Thus, it is crucial to maintain hygienic conditions. Carry toilet paper, napkins, and paper soaps as it is an essential part of your train travel must-haves.
Sanitizer
Another pocket-friendly important thing on the list of train travel essentials. Sanitizer helps before having meals or coming back from the washrooms.
Sometimes there is no proper supply of water in trains. In those situations, sanitizer becomes essential. It is a train travel must-have especially in times like these where there is widespread community spread of viral diseases.
So, do not forget to add a hand sanitizer in your list of things to carry while traveling on the train. It is from a hygiene aspect an important part of the train travel must-haves.
Locks and Chains
An immense part of travel is security. This mandates locks and chains a part of train travel essentials. Include this in the list of things to carry while traveling on the train.
Traveling with so many co-passengers and also occasional visits from local vendors makes locks, and chains one of the train travel must-haves. Secure bags with locks. Tie all the bags with chains and lock them again for extra security.
Nowadays, new code locks are in the market where you can simply lock with a security code. We do not require a key for these locks. They save us from the trouble of keeping the keys safely throughout the journey.
Sanitary Napkins and Panty Liners
The most important part of female hygiene is menstrual hygiene. Always carry a pack of sanitary napkins during a train trip. Even when you are traveling with your family and friends anyone can need a sanitary napkin, anytime. To save them or yourself from the trouble and anxiety, carrying a sanitary napkin is advisable. Make sure to not carry loose pads as they always have changes of getting contaminated. Carry a well wrapped, sealed pad. It is a part of train travel essentials that you cannot afford to miss.
Pantyliners are another train travel must-have that you must carry on a long journey. In a one or more than one day journey, you do not have the option of taking a shower to feel refreshed. In these situations, it is important to maintain hygiene in intimate areas.
Panty liners can be used to maintain feminine hygiene. They can also be used if you are anticipating periods. It can save clothes from staining. In train journeys, you cannot wash clothes and also cannot keep the stained clothes in your bag.
It is wise to use a panty liner in case your date is nearby. They are light and comfortable. You will not even feel them, and they will allow you to be yourself and genuinely enjoy the journey.
Wet Wipes
Sometimes, usually in the morning, the washrooms are very crowded and busy. It may even take an hour or more for our turn. In such cases, if we want to feel instantly fresh, wet wipes come handy. They save us from the trouble of waiting in line to reach the washbasin.
Sometimes there may be no water in trains. Even in those situations, we can stay prepared with a pack of wet wipes in the bag. It is pocket friendly and much better than a regular napkin or handkerchief.
If you are traveling with kids, wet wipes can be really handy as children constantly touch things they should not and drop food on themselves. Thus, wet wipes are another essential requirement in the list of train travel must-haves.
All these things will make a train journey better, comfortable, and memorable. We can feel safe and secure and will be prepared for any unplanned situation. We can spend time enjoying the ride, reading, listening to music, or playing games.
We can focus on the journey enjoying the greenery, the people waiting for the train to pass on the road, children waving at us, and miles and miles of fields with loads of beautiful landscapes. They help us spend quality time with ourselves, our friends, and our family.
A journey is equally important as the destination. So, we should enjoy it as much as we can. With all these train travel must-haves, when we look back, we will miss the journey more than the destination.