When Indian trains are hardest to book
When trains in India are hardest to book, and when to book so you are not caught out. Festival dates come from the Government of India holiday list and follow the lunar calendar, so every date here is approximate.
Festival weeks coming up
- Navratri begins · about : Nine days. Many families keep a fast and avoid onion, garlic and grain.
- Diwali / Mahavir Nirvana · about : Temples are full and trains to Palitana and Pawapuri book out weeks ahead.
- Diwali · about : The hardest week of the year on Indian Railways. Book sixty days out or not at all.
- Chhath Puja · about : Trains to Bihar and eastern UP are effectively unbookable for ten days around this.
- Guru Nanak Jayanti · about : Gurudwara sarais around Amritsar and Nanded fill completely.
Our calendar lists dates up to 24 Nov 2026; later festivals are added when the next official list is out.
Calendar checked · Source: Government of India (DoPT) 2026 holiday list
When booking opens
- Reserved tickets open 60 days before the journey (counted from the train’s starting station), at 08:00.
- Tatkal opens one day before, at 10:00 for AC classes and 11:00 for sleeper; online Tatkal needs Aadhaar OTP.
- For a festival week, book the day the window opens. Waitlists that clear in a normal month often do not clear then.
When does booking open for my date? How festival waitlists cleared
Railway rules checked · Source: IRCTC and Railway Board notices
Weather by month
We haven’t checked month-by-month weather for Indian cities yet, so we do not say which month is “best” for the weather. Each city guide lists its festivals and stays.
Questions people ask
How early should I book trains for Diwali or Chhath?
On the day booking opens, 60 days before the journey at 08:00. Around these festivals trains to Bihar and eastern UP fill within minutes.
When does Tatkal open?
One day before the journey from the train’s starting station: 10:00 for AC classes, 11:00 for sleeper.
The next festival rush is Navratri begins, around 2026-10-11; booking opens 60 days ahead at 8 in the morning.