Points to keep in mind while booking a train ticket:
--> Tatkal reservation normally opens 1 day in advance. It will open 2 days in advance if the train departs from your boarding station one day after it begins its journey. Reservations open at 10am for AC class and at 11am for Non-AC class
--> If the wait list on your desired route of travel is high, it is sometimes a good idea to start your journey 2-3 stops after the station you originally planned on boarding the train from. This way you...
more... may get confirmed tickets or a better waiting list, owing to the quota
--> The IRCTC algorithm ensures that a female passenger above the age of 45 will be assigned a lower berth, even if the booking was initially in waitlist.
--> If the train departure time exceeds 12 midnight, then you should keep in mind to put the journey date as the next day.
--> Certain trains allow you to break your journey in half by letting you rest for up to 2 days at an intermediate station which is over 500 km away from the station where the journey originated.
--> If your start and end station are the same and you intend to take 4 to 8 stops on the way then you can opt for a circular journey ticket. This will help reduce your fare quite a bit.