Tina's Battle to Book Train Tickets 30 Days Before Eid for a Comfortable Journey Home to Yogyakarta
The surge in homecomers ahead of Eid al-Fitr is becoming increasingly visible at Gambir Station in Central Jakarta. Thousands of people are thronging the station, including young mothers struggling to manage toddlers in their bid to return home comfortably.
One such traveller is Tina (28), a resident of South Tangerang, preparing to depart for Yogyakarta with her husband and infant. She disclosed that this is the first time her young family will be taking the train for their homecoming journey.
“This is the first time (taking the train home). We usually go by car. I wanted to experience it, to be honest,” said Tina at Gambir Station on Monday (16 March 2026).
“Besides, we didn’t have a baby last year, so it wasn’t complicated. I reckon travelling by car with three of us would be quite troublesome,” she added.
To secure train seats, Tina and her husband prepared from the moment ticket bookings opened. Fortunately, they managed to obtain tickets before they sold out within moments.
“I’ve been monitoring since a month ago when they opened bookings 45 days in advance. They sold out incredibly quickly. Then I saw the 16th (March) still had availability at Gambir, so I booked immediately,” she explained.
Tina acknowledges that travelling with an infant requires extra preparation. She notes that the large bag they are carrying is almost entirely filled with baby essentials.
“The baby requires the most preparation. Baby items like formula, nappies, clothes, and the pushchair,” she described.
Additionally, she must ensure all her child’s needs are met during the journey to prevent the baby from becoming fussy on the train.
“I’ve brought toys, snacks for her, and prepared meals too. She’s well-behaved when travelling by train,” she said.
A similar story comes from Lia (35), a mother of two from Cikarang who is also heading to Yogyakarta for the homecoming period. Lia chose train travel because her children frequently experience motion sickness when using buses.
“I chose the train because it’s faster and there’s no traffic. We haven’t taken a bus in ages. The children get headaches on buses. They’re actually cheerful and happy on trains,” she said.
Nevertheless, Lia acknowledged that she initially struggled to secure homecoming tickets after losing the ticket “race” at the nearest station to her home in Cikarang. Fortunately, she managed to obtain tickets at Gambir Station.
“Getting tickets for the 16th was difficult, and our home is in Cikarang. The trains from Cikarang and Bekasi were fully booked, so I got tickets from Gambir. I had to take the local train here first,” she explained.
During the journey to her hometown, Lia said she prepared provisions modestly. She emphasised that her focus is primarily on the essence of gathering with family and relatives during the Eid celebration.
“The important thing is being able to visit and reconnect with family back in our hometown,” she concluded.