India trains are not only a conveyance

THE TRAIN JOURNEY	India trains are not only a conveyance, they are an odyssey through India. Having found your seat/bed relax sit back and enjoy the show. The endless swarms of peddlers selling everything you could ever want for your train journey chains/pad-locks, blow up pillows towels the mysterious "paper soap" pens, torches, cigarettes, books, toys for the kids and so on. Amongst all the peddlers juggling for position are the food vendors, ( sadly now mostly licensed By India Railways ) offering their delights at the top of their voices, "CHAI CHAI CHAI GARAM" " CUTLET CUTLET " These vendors offer all sorts of delicious snacks samosa, bel puri, banana fritters, sweet coconut, fruit, fresh roasted peanuts and of course Chai (milk tea Indian style) You will grow to love these guys as they offer a tasty alternative to Train meals. So keep your eyes open and follow your nose who knows what you might find. More….. http://www.goneindia.homestead.com/GONEINDIAHORSESTRAINS.html
	How cold are a/c trains in India? - (6 replies) Travelling in Delhi/Rajasthan during December, would a a/c compartment during the night actually be heated or would it be very cold? Is a non-ac seat better/warmer during the night?
	1. A/C Trains In the air con compartments (2 tier and 3 tier) it is much more refreshing during the day. During the night time it is cooler (sometimes cold!) but you do get blankets supplied in these compartments so you shouldn't have any problems. The a/c compartments are not heated (certainly not in my experience). In the sleeper class compartments (non air con) it is warmer (sometimes very stuffy and humid, especially when the train stops at a station) but there is also more going on. All the chai sellers and magazine sellers and every other type of seller gets on the train and shout out their wares "Chai, Chai, Coppeee!" They are not allowed to go into the air con compartments. Personally I prefer the sleeper class - not only is it cheaper but it is also more of an experience! Though you will need to have you own sleeping bag or blanket. Hope this is of some help.
	2. ABSOLUT value for money in 3AC. Think of their best train Rajdhai Express covering about 1500 KMS from New Delhi to Mumbai for Rs.1500 in 17 hours including tea,dinner,breakfast and bed set. sam
	3. ac 3 Tier Value for money and it is cleaner than 2nd class. Cold at time but they do provide blankets. But if you want to share the unique experience of train travel in India 2nd class is what you should take "I would rather regret the things I have done than regret the things I never did."

Saptarishi [Wed 16 Oct, 05:27] PST (Gumly Gumly -17)	4. confusion confounded Hi, There is a difference between second class and second class AC. In AC u have AC second class and AC first class. AC first class has been virtually removed but some trains still have them (they are as expensive as flight tickets). In AC second class u have 2-tier and 3- tier. AC 3 -tier is cheaper than AC 2 - tier. In winters AC is switched on but u will have to use a blanket and the coach is not warmed in winters. This is because the temperature is set to around 20degree C in all trains in all AC coaches at all times through out the year. If u travel by second class (non AC ) u will have to take a sleeping bag but then there is enough body warmth in the coaches that you dont freeze to death.
Jabberwocky [Wed 16 Oct, 11:40] PST (Gumly Gumly -17)	5. ac in summer, open air in winter AC trains normally keep their thermostat at 22 degrees celsius. so in winters they ARE warmer, but not really worth it (since the non ac is not so bad). In summers, they are Definitely worth travelling by.
FluffyWashington [Wed 16 Oct, 14:17] PST (Gumly Gumly -17)	6. 2nd class sleeper!!!! Cheaper, more interesting, cool at night....Why travel in India if you seperate yourself from the people?