How to visit national parks (near Dealhi)

I'm cautious because to have your IRCTC registration confirmed inside 13 hours doesn't sit comfortably.

Have you paid the 100 INR foreigner registration fee?

Has your mobile number been confirmed?

the ITCTC site is payment

1) Have you told your card provider that you intend making purchases on the sub-continent?

2) As a foreigner you would have paid a fee during registration on the IRCTC - were you able to complete that transaction?

3) Are you using the "Powered by ATOM" payment gateway?

International cards (Powered by ATOM) is in a box to the right of the listed payment options.

Are you using a PC/Laptop, or attempting this on a mobile device?

"Not Booked" as opposed to pending. Sounds better. Is it?

Not to my ears. Is that the note in 'My Transactions'?

https://www.services.irctc.co.in/beta_htmls/Alerts_mone_debited.html

rego 110R paid, with same card.
phone number confrimed.
havent informed bank, but rego went thru OK and it would also fit my spending patterns anyway, so no alarms there.
possibly didnt use the ATOM. cant recall. but went thru as far as my bank doing its 6 digit pin check.
working on a computer.
Yes, the Not Booked status is under "My Transactions."

Good work getting that far.

but went thru as far as my bank doing its 6 digit pin check.

Okay, that says the financial transaction worked, but the train booking component did not; maybe due to the payment gateway, maybe something else.

Book again, with particular attention to using the "ATOM" gateway.

One other 'trap' is the IRCTC maintainance schedule. Between 23:45 and 0:30 (Indian time) the system is "closed" for maintainance. Obviously, don't bother attempting a booking at that time.

Good luck!

Congratulations!, You have successfully booked a ticket.
Now, that does sound better! Thanks for your help. I had been going through the credit card payment option, silly me, not the multi payment option where the ATOM was hidden.
So, now I have positions 1 and 2 in the waitlist, with, apparently a 93% chance of getting on. How long before I would hear anything?

Now, that does sound better!

Great; good work.

So, now I have positions 1 and 2 in the waitlist, with, apparently a 93% chance of getting on.

Which class have you booked, and on which train? And, as above, your ticket should have two sets of numbers - what is the complete number? (That said, the new IRCTC algorithm for wait list prediction should be excellent).

How long before I would hear anything?

You won't, necessarily. You can check the progress of your ticket through the queue yourself, using the PNR number. http://www.indianrail.gov.in/enquiry/PNR/PnrEnquiry.html?locale=en

And the progress is likely to be (for example)

WL 10/ WL 2
WL 10/ WL 1
WL 10/ RAC 4
WL 10/ RAC 3
WL 10/ RAC 2
WL 10/ RAC 1
WL 10/ CNF

In this case, the traveller has bought a WL ticket at position 10; work their way to WL2, and then move into RAC - Reservation Against Cancellation. When your tickets get to RAC you are guaranteed a place on the train. It may be a seat rather than a berth, and you might be uncomfortably sharing, but you are definitely on the train.

Then, with a bit of luck, your ticket changes status to CNF (meaning Confirmed). The actual allocation of carriage and berth number is unlikely to be known (or made) prior to "charting". This is usually 4 hours before the train departs - but can be earlier in the case of early morning departures. Again, you can check this online, or at the station. The traditional practise has been to paste the print-out on the train carriage door, but this is being phased out.

12904 / GOLDN TEMPLE ML
Booked in First (1A)
I have a PNR and a transaction ID. Apart from that, I have under booking status WL/1(me) and WL/2 (her).
Ah, there, I checked PNR status and it is much the same PQWL/1 and 2.
Who is the official booker for safaris?

12904 / GOLDN TEMPLE ML Booked in First (1A)

Okay. So, there is half-a-carriage of 1A berths on that train. If you wanted to hedge your bets for that 7% you might consider also booking in 2A or 3A; or at least take a look at availability. To explain, you are "hoping" that a high proportion of a small number of people cancel their 1A booking so you can get your booking confirmed. On the other hand there are 2 carriages of 2A and 5 carriages of 3A - so more travellers, and more likely to cancel. When / if the 1A tickets are either RAC or CNF you could cancel the others for very little loss.

Who is the official booker for safaris?

Notionally, the Rajasthan Forest Department. However, as I wrote above, it will be much easier (if more expensive) to have your accommodation at Ranthambore make the bookings for you. Really. Everything will be easier. The bookings, getting picked up for the safaris, everything.

If you want to get a sense of the recently introduced online booking system, take a look at this thread from last year - it will be helpful:

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/asia-indian-subcontinent/india/ranthambore-tiger-safari-online-booking-site-foreigners

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