Traveling is wonderful, but for many newbies, there are plenty of aspects of travel that can be intimidating, and few are scarier than the dreaded train station. The prospect of getting lost in a sea of travelers rushing from place to place, getting bumped with luggage or losing one’s luggage, dealing with panhandlers or, god forbid, missing the train altogether. It’s enough to put anyone off of travel forever. Thankfully, dealing with the train station doesn’t have to be a total crisis if you come prepared.
Like any aspect of travel, handling a train station requires preparation and a specific set of skills. If you have these two things, you’ll be able to get through any station with ease.
Most (but of course, not all) travelers have been through an airport once in their lives, and for many, airports seem to be far less intimidating than train stations. The first thing you must do is think about how you would behave in an airport. There are specific rules, right? The same applies for train stations, and if you know the rules, you can maneuver the station without problems.
Read about rail travel beforehand. Wherever you’re traveling to, hopefully you’ll have picked up a guidebook that has some good information about railway travel at your destination. Though every place and country does train travel a little differently, by and large, traveling by train is the same almost everywhere (with a few small changes). If you read up on how the train system works beforehand (Do you buy your tickets in advance from a window? A ticket machine? On board? Are fares charged on a zone basis or a flat rate?), you’ll feel much better about approaching the train station for the first time.
Check the timetables online. Almost every national railway has an online timetable and booking system nowadays, and most of the websites will have the option to view in English (look for a little flag or link at the top or right corner of the page). If you’re traveling very long distance, you should do this several weeks before you travel. If you’re only going a few hours down the road, you can do it the night or a couple of days before.
If possible, buy tickets online. As per the above suggestion, while you’re at it, go ahead and purchase your tickets online, if you’re given the option. This will eliminate the need to handle ticket windows, confusing machines and possible language barriers on the day of travel.
Scope out the situation & buy tickets in advance. In many places, it’s advisable to get your tickets a day or two in advance, even for short or local trips. This will provide you a great opportunity to scope out the station and get a feel for the place without the pressure of making your train. Allow yourself an afternoon the day before you travel to head over, find the ticket counters or machines and buy your tickets. While you’re there, take a look around. Examine your tickets. Can you find the platform number listed on your ticket? What about the train car number? Now, can you match your train number to the platform listings board above?
Arrive early. I am talking waaaaayyyyy early. A couple of hours at the very least. The last thing you want to be doing is rushing around through a strange train station where you don’t know where you’re going trying to make a last-minute train.
Take it easy. Find your platform first-thing so that you know exactly where you’re going. Ask another passenger waiting nearby to confirm that this is the right spot for your train. Once you’ve got that figured out, head to the newsstand for a few supplies (unless you’ve really prepared in advance and already brought them) like bottled water, snacks and a magazine or paper.
Stick to the platform. Get your supplies and sit down at the waiting area, even if it means hanging out there for hours. Once you’ve done this a time or two and feel more comfortable with train travel, you can eliminate this stage, but if you are wandering around, you risk missing the train.
Don’t be afraid of strangers. Most newbie travelers feel some hesitation in approaching a stranger and asking for help or directions. The best people to approach for help are shop keepers, security guards or policemen (in most places). If you have to approach a stranger for help, be friendly and always be aware of your belongings, just in case!
