India’s railway journeys often leave travellers with stories that go far beyond reaching their destination. For one Danish tourist, it was not just the overnight train ride that became memorable. The moments leading up to it, the unexpected twists during the journey, and the reactions that followed online all became part of the experience. Her video has now caught the attention of social media, with many people relating to her story, while others jumped in to point out a detail she had missed.
How the journey began
Danish traveller Emma Holm shared a video on Instagram about her first overnight train journey in India. Along with the video, she explained that understanding the railway booking system turned out to be more complicated than she had expected.She wrote, “First sleeper train experience in India! First of all, buying train tickets in India as a foreigner is an experience in itself. When you finally figure out how to book your ticket and think, ‘Yes! We have a train ticket!’, think again. You might actually just be on a waiting list, sometimes a very long waiting list.”
Travelling with just one confirmed ticket
Emma said she and her two friends booked their tickets together, but only one of them got a confirmed reservation.“We booked our tickets as a group of three, and, luckily, if at least one person in the group has a confirmed ticket, the rest of the group can still board the train and travel together. That is exactly what happened to us. One ticket was confirmed, so onto the train we went.”According to Emma, the three friends spent the first few hours sitting together on one narrow berth. Later, the railway staff arranged two more berths for them.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.
‘Definitely an experience we will never forget’
Looking back at the journey, Emma said what stood out to her was the atmosphere on the train.“The trains are a mix of people, cultures, food, chai sellers, and complete chaos, but somehow, it all works. Definitely an experience we will never forget!”
Internet users had one correction and many questions
The video quickly drew reactions from social media users. While many welcomed Emma to India, several people pointed out that the coach shown in the video was a 2nd AC coach and not a sleeper coach.One user joked, “Emma, how dare you share your experience on a train?”Another wrote, “Hi, madam. This is a 2nd AC coach. Welcome to Kerala.”A third commented, “It is an AC coach in which I travelled, not a sleeper coach.”Some users also defended budget travel. One person wrote, “Do not make fun of someone because of their budget. Not everyone is wealthy. People plan their trips according to their budget.”Another added, “Travelling in a 2nd AC coach is a very good experience in India.”Others wanted to know more about her journey. One commenter asked, “How was your first railway journey in India?” Another wrote, “Which city were you travelling in?” while one person wondered, “What would have happened if you had travelled in the general coach?”Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information shared on social media. The Times of India has not independently verified the claims mentioned in the post.Thumb image: Instagram
