Pitfalls of Traveling Solo in 1AC as a 27M
Recently, I had to return to Mumbai from Jammu after a vacation. Direct flights were ridiculously priced, starting at around 20k. So, I decided to take a train to Delhi and then fly to Mumbai from there. I booked a seat in First AC, thinking it would be a comfortable journey.
Here’s what I learned:
No Lower Berth if You’re a Solo Young Male Forget about getting a lower berth in First AC if you’re traveling alone and happen to be a young guy. The charting process isn’t first-come, first-served, so you’re almost guaranteed an upper berth. Not a dealbreaker, but still annoying.
Unwanted Cabin Companions You either end up in a cabin with a family whose kids are a constant source of noise or with middle-aged people who snore through the entire journey. Either way, peace and quiet are out of the question.
Unbearable Noise from Other Cabins To make things worse, there was this one particularly loud child in another cabin who screamed the entire time. I was this close to walking over and telling the parents to control their kid.
After this experience, I’ve decided never to travel solo on a train for more than four hours again. If I ever do, it’ll only be on a Vande Bharat!