CALCUTTA -> SILIGURI, INDIA
If you’ve ever heard anyone talk about Indian trains, they probably weren’t raving about what was going on the outside.

The inside of an Indian train car would put most American county fairs to shame. Men with cases full of scissors, combs and cigarettes prowl the aisles, Chaiwallahs come by every other minute and the whole spectrum of bizarre Indian snacks is available whenever you’re hungry. The cars are packed solid and, as The Foreigners on the train, everybody wants to talk to you. Unlike Southeast Asia, a lot of Indians speak fluent English and conversations will go way past the obligatory “Where you from?”

Surprisingly, the beds in fourth class are pretty comfy.