Hi there!
So you’re going from…
Alleppey…
…to…
Cochin!
General class trains (aka second class compartment) can be convenient and ideal when you’re only going on a short train journey.
They don’t require you to book tickets ahead of time, and you can just show up to the train station shortly before the scheduled departure time to buy your ticket before hopping on the train.
That said, it might not be for everyone!
One of the biggest things is that there’s potential that it can make for a crowded ride, although this isn’t always the case.
For examples of more train rides in India, not just general class, also see:
- Varkala to Kanyakumari train (general class)
- Gokarna to Goa train (general class)
- Jodhpur to Jaisalmer train (general class)
- Goa to Hampi train (3AC)
- Jaisalmer to Jaipur overnight train (3AC)
So…
Is it easy to get the train from Alleppey to Fort Cochin?!
So Fort Cochin is basically the backpacker area of Cochin, so you’ll want to stay overnight in Fort Cochin.
There’s no train station in the immediate area of Fort Cochin.
And with that…
What train station is near Fort Cochin?!
So the train station in Alleppey will either be referred to as the Alleppey train station or the Alapphuza train station.
The train station you’ll want to get off at when going to Fort Cochin is the Ernakulam Junction train station.
So, in doing your train searches, you’ll want to search from Alleppey (ALLP) to Ernakulam Junction (ERS).
From the Ernakulam train station, you can go in a number of ways to get to Fort Cochin… including going from Ernakulam to Fort Cochin in part by ferry!
There are a number of trains running from Alleppey to Ernakulam throughout the day.
So you do have a few choices, although I wouldn’t say the frequency of trains is that high.
But it’s a relatively short and simple ride, and you don’t need to book in advance as long as you don’t mind taking the train in general class.
Just show up to the train station on the day you want to go to Cochin and buy your train ticket and get on the train!
So, this does make it pretty easy… as long as you know what you’re doing! π
But it’s also pretty easy to figure things out.
And with trains in India, delays are possible, so you also do want to have patience in case your train ends up with a delay too.
How about a bus from Alleppey to Cochin?
The frequency of buses running from Alleppey to Cochin is high.
So actually bus might be a better option to consider when you’re doing this route.
Similar to the train, there’s no bus that will go directly to the Fort Cochin area from Alleppey.
Instead, you can take a bus to Ernakulam.
And then from Ernakulam, you can make your way to Fort Cochin.
I’ve taken the bus a couple of times on the reverse route, so you can get an idea of what it’s like to take the bus from Cochin to Alleppey.
If you just want to take the train, or you have a connecting train in Ernakulam, then taking the train from Alleppey to Cochin can work out well too.
Otherwise, I do think that bus is the better option compared to the train.
How long does to take to get to Cochin from Alleppey by train?
Officially, according to the scheduled timings, it might take around 1.5 hours to go from Alleppey to the Ernakulam Junction train station
Although the schedule of the train I took was listed as 1 hour and 10 minutes hours, and the actual time it took was around 1 hour and 20 minutes.
What are the train timings?
For taking the train in general class, I now use the app called where is my train, since it makes it easy to track train delays.
There are more train timings than this, so there are a number of trains you can choose from throughout the day.
You can check the app for more timings for trains to Ernakulam.
You can also check train timings on trainman.
I was going to take an overnight train from Ernakulam in the evening, so I took the afternoon train to Ernakulam, the 22640 Chennai Central Superfast Express train.
So…
Here are the basic things to do on the day you want to go to Cochin… aka how to get from Alleppey to Cochin by train!
- Check for train delays
- Go to Alleppey train station
- Buy a general class train ticket
- Go to the train platform
- Get on the train to Cochin!
- Enjoy the train ride!
- Arrive at Ernakulam Junction train station
- Walk to Ernakulam ferry station (or take a rickshaw)
- Take the ferry to Fort Cochin ferry station
- Walk to your accommodation in Fort Cochin! (or take a rickshaw)
- Enjoy Fort Cochin!!
Check for train delays
Go to Alleppey train station
Buy a general class train ticket
Go to the train platform
Get on the train to Cochin!
Enjoy the train ride!
Arrive at Ernakulam Junction train station
Walk to Ernakulam ferry station
Take the ferry to Fort Cochin ferry station
Walk to your accommodation in Fort Cochin!
Enjoy Fort Cochin!!
So…
How to take the train from Alleppey to Cochin
More details!
Check for train delays
So having the app called “where is my train” on your phone can be helpful!
On the morning you want to leave for Cochin, you can consult this app to see where the time is at the moment, if the train is currently delayed, and you can see what the current expected arrival time to the Alleppey train station is too.
You may adjust your arrival timing in getting to the Alleppey train station based on this info.
It can also be a good way to check what the chances of delay for your chosen Alleppey to Ernakulam train might be, because you can check the train arrival timings of previous days.
You shouldn’t make your plans JUST based on previous days, but at least it’ll give you an idea of what you may be able to expect!
You can also check the timing for “today” if it’s past the train departure time if you aren’t actually taking the train today…
You can check the timing for “yesterday”…
And you can check the timing for “day before yesterday”…
These checks can help to kind of know what to expect based on recent train delays.
And also just to give you an idea, on the day I took the Chennai Central superfast express train…
These were the scheduled timings:
- Depart Alleppey – 4:05pm
- Arrive Ernakulam – 5:15pm
And these were my actual timings:
- Depart Alleppey – 4:08pm
- Arrive Ernakulam – 5:28pm
Okay, so you now have a better idea of when you might need to be at the train station.
Go to Alleppey train station
Depending on where you’re staying in Alleppey, a rickshaw to the train station might take around 10-15 minutes.
Buy a general class train ticket
Once you get to the train station, you can head inside and go for the ticket booking counter.
You’ll say that you want to go to Ernakulam Junction.
At that time, you can also ask which platform to go to for your train.
How much does the train ticket cost?
The cost of a general class train ticket for Alleppey to Ernakulam bought at the train station was 50 rupees (less than US$1).
Go to the train platform
Your train may arrive on the other side of the train tracks.
In this case, you can take the stairs to walk across the bridge to get to the other side.
Other ways of boarding the train are not recommended!
Get on the train to Cochin!
I was taking a train that originated in Alleppey, so the train was already there when I arrived.
So which car to get on?!
You might see the AC sleeper class cars…
You might see the non-AC regular sleeper class cars…
But with your general class ticket, you’ll want to look for the car called “second class.”
These are usually towards the front end or the back end of the trains… or both.
If you will be taking a train that originates in Alleppey, then it could be a good idea to get to the train station a bit early to have a better chance of getting a seat.
I got on a few minutes before train departure timing, and while it was a full train, I was able to get a seat.
This isn’t always a guarantee though!
Enjoy the train ride to Cochin!
And once you are on the train, you can keep monitoring the expected arrival timing to the Ernakulam train station too, so you can know when to prepare to get off.
This app works offline even without data or internet.
You just need your GPS locator to be turned on!
Arrive at Ernakulam train station
When you it comes time for you to get off the train…
You might have to be a little aggressive about getting off.
This is what I was competing with in getting off the train. They basically tried to board the train as soon as the train nearly came to a stop! I had to literally push my way out.
Next up…
How to get to Fort Cochin from Ernakulam!
Walk to the Ernakulam ferry station!
So once you get off the train in Ernakulam, you can then walk to the ferry station from the train station.
It will be about a 20-30 minute walk.
Otherwise, you’ll be able to find a rickshaw right outside the train station too.
Uber is also available in Cochin.
I’ve taken an Uber from the Ernakulam bus station to Fort Cochin and it was around 200 rupees (US$3). I would expect it to cost around the same from the Ernakulam Junction train station too.
Take the ferry to Fort Cochin ferry station
Once you get to the Ernakulam ferry station, you’ll buy a ticket for the ferry to Fort Cochin.
This will be around 4 rupees (like US$0.05).
Then, wait for the ferry to come!
This ferry ride will be around 15 minutes.
See more details on getting from Ernakulam to Fort Cochin.
Walk to the place you’re staying in Fort Cochin!
Once you get to the Fort Cochin side, depending on where you’re staying in Fort Cochin, it’ll probably be around a 10-15 minute walk to get to where you’re staying.
Fort Cochin is not that big.
Where to stay in Fort Cochin
I stayed at Zostel Kochi.
Zostel is one of the top backpacker destinations in India, so I find it to be a reliable place to stay anywhere in India.
There are a couple of Zostels in Kerala.
Otherwise…
Best hostels in Fort Cochin
And for even more…
Insert future dates below (partner website) to see the prices of more places to stay in Fort Cochin!
Enjoy Fort Cochin!!
HAPPY TRAIN RIDE FROM ALLEPPEY TO COCHIN!
For examples of general class train travel, see:
For examples of AC train travel, see:
For examples of local bus travel, see:
For examples of overnight bus travel, see:
- Pondicherry to Madurai
- Madurai to Kerala (South India)
- Mumbai to Udaipur
See more backpacking India travel tips!