A long train journey across India turned into a deeply unsettling experience for French tourist and YouTuber Victor Blaho, who has since taken to social media to share what he described as one of the most difficult travel episodes of his life. Over the course of 46 hours, Victor traveled by train from Mumbai to Varanasi, then onward to Agra and Delhi, covering vast stretches of the country in different classes, from sleeper to third AC. But rather than a memorable adventure, what he found left him exhausted, emotionally drained, and longing for home.
Victor’s candid video chronicling his journey, uploaded to his YouTube channel, shows moments of genuine discomfort, confusion, and fatigue. From overcrowded compartments to sleepless nights, from disturbing sights like rats and cockroaches to the loud and often chaotic atmosphere of Indian trains, the experience proved overwhelming. He openly shared his distress, often speaking to the camera with tired eyes and slumped shoulders, expressing how hard it was to find peace or even a clean place to rest his head.
In one moment that captured the sheer discomfort he endured, Victor showed the cramped sleeping conditions and said, “I saw a bug here… I’m not going to put my head here.” Sleep, he confessed, was nearly impossible with constant noise, bustling passengers, and lack of hygiene. Trash strewn on the floor, unpleasant smells, and unpredictable encounters added to the mental toll.
Beyond the physical discomfort, Victor also spoke of emotional fatigue. After three weeks in India, he said he felt “broken” and overwhelmed by the relentless pace of travel. One interaction particularly stood out—he found himself stuck in a long conversation with a fellow passenger who involved him in multiple video calls with friends and shared details of his multiple romantic relationships. It was one of many moments that left Victor visibly stunned, yearning for solitude and simplicity.
Despite the difficult journey, Victor’s reflection came from a place not of anger, but of exhaustion. In his Instagram post, he admitted to reaching his limits: “46 hours on the lowest train classes across India… my main emotions? Despair & borderline insanity.” His advice to other travelers was simple: if possible, opt for the highest class available. “No, I don’t enjoy suffering—learn from my mistakes,” he urged.
While his experience might sound extreme, it serves as a poignant reminder of the wide disparities in travel conditions and the need for improved comfort and cleanliness in long-distance rail travel in India. Victor’s story is not a criticism of India, but rather a raw account of a journey that pushed a traveler beyond his comfort zone, leaving him with a lasting impression—one that, unfortunately, he’ll remember not for the adventure, but for the toll it took on him.
