this is basic guide to book e ticket, i have seen many people around who do not know how to do it online so here is a step by step procedure for n00bs,experts can skip this part
1)Register Yourself with IRCTC.CO.IN
2) Email Provided while registering is important as automated replies will come in your inbox, when you finish booking ticket.
3)After Registering Successfully, login to irctc.co.in , with registered user id passwd.
4) after login , you will see default index page displayed like this.
on the left menu, you will see plan my travel under services section , but when you are on the first page it will be also displayed at the middle of the page directly,so no need to click on plan my travel for the first time , later on when you will be in middle of booking , and you want to start it again then you need to click it here.
5) Next step, is to enter the journey source station,i.e from where you want to start your journey , say you want to go mumbai from new delhi.then type
From : new(if you write only three words then it will display you the options(like New Delhi NLDS),select the appropriate options , moreover if your connection speed is slow then it will take time to display, so you can wait for while , other then that you can start it again if you are facing the problems.
To : Mum (it will display options(like Mumbai CSTM) , if you have noticed, that while booking it takes short codes for station , so if you know short codes then you can directly type in(like:- Hazrat Nizammudin : short code is NZM).
Date : Select the Date of Journey(only till 90th day in advance)
Class : select your class
Ticket Type : I-TICKET or E-TICKET
understanding I-TICKET and E-TICKET is Very important at this point.
I-TICKET : if you want the hard copy of ticket , you can choose this option,An i-ticket refers to the normal Internet ticket which will be delivered at your door step in 2-3 days .For I ticket you have to book a ticket at least two days in advance to date of journey to ensure courier delivery. It can be booked in Confirmed/RAC /Waitlisted status.
For normal I-Ticket, booking is permitted at least two clear calendar days in advance of date of journey.
E-Ticket : This is the online booking, you will get soft copy in ur email and instantly while booking and then you can take print of the same through printer, and you are ready to go.
For e-Ticket, booking can be done upto chart Preparation approximately 4 to 6 hours before departure of train.For morning trains with departure time upto 12.00 hrs charts are prepared on the previous night.
Tatkal : leave this , blank if the ticket is not tatkal type.
This facility provides confirmed/Waitlisted E-tickets to passengers on payment of premium on ‘first come first served’ basis in all mail/express trains including Rajadhani, Shatabdi,Jan Shatabdi Express trains . Tatkal bookings are not allowed in 1AC
Advance Reservation Period under Tatkal Scheme is 02(two) days (excluding the date of journey) w.e.f. 01.08.2009.
we will explore tatkal booking system further.
then Click on FIND Trains, and you will be listed with number of trains , identify your train as per your requirement. and check the radio button beside train name.
6) Check on the radio button beside the train names and click Show Availability , this will give you the seat availability detail for 1 week.
7) Clicking on Show fare will give you total charges.
8)Now after all this , you are ready to go , so click on BOOK TICKET, after this you will get a form on screen , fill the details like , NAME,AGE,Birth Preference, meanwhile you can also select between ladies qouta and general qouta.
leave the other fields intact , many options are checked by default , so leave it as it is, and read before you manipulate anything.
9)clicking on Go will take you to the next page where brief summary of ur ticket will be displayed,this is the place where you can cross check everything.
Fields Marked with Red Color need to cross checked carefully, one of the most important field while booking the ticket which usually people ignore is TRAIN AVAILABILITY , which will show you the exact status of your booking ticket like seats available are 240,Waiting -44 etc.
10) lastly Making Payment , after clicking on make payment , a popup will be displayed which will give you the links to variuos banks,cards payment facility options , you have to choose one , and screen will automatically diverted to your bank url and then you have to follow simple steps to make payment , after successfully completeing all this on bank part you will be redirect back to irctc.co.in with your ticket details , and same copy also has been emailed to your inbox.
