Delhi - Agra - Delhi by train or taxi?

Hello,

I will be traveling with my husband in January and am trying to figure out the best way to see Agra as we will be in Delhi.

I know that there are express trains that run from Delhi and back. However, I am thinking that perhaps a private taxi may be better as we won't be bound by the train schedule and we'll have a reliable mode of transportation while in Agra.

However, I have heard that road from Delhi to Agra by car is not pleasant. Can anyone provide any insight on this? How long should the trip take by car vs train? Is the road that harrowing?

thanks,
Shweta

hi shweta
i did this trip by train a month or so ago and it was very easy and fast...i think only 2.5 or 3 hours by shatabdi express each way.

That said, i haven't made the trip by taxi though i imagine it could easily take as long if not longer. I'm sure someone who has done will let you know soon.

My advice would be to take the train. When you're there, rikshaws from the police pre-pay stand are very straightforward.

Agra is a surprisingly nice little town...enjoy

if you can afford it, take a nice comfi taxi. Leave early and do cover Fateh Pur Sikari (this is not on many's plan) and if you've time try if you can visit Vrindavan and/or Merrut temples. If you do so, you may arrive back late in Delhi so inssure you or your husband does not have any appointments next day early morning.

Shweta,
We did Delhi/Agra a couple of weeks ago by a private car and it was good. We have 2 younger kids so this was the best way to do it for us. The trick is to leave early by 6:30 am and that way you can be back home by 9 pm. One way was about 4 hrs. The only glitch we ran into was, just past Mathura, there was a protest going on by some farmers that had blocked the highway, that lost us about an 1.5 hrs. The roads were not a problem at all. The Taj Mahal was just WOW. We skipped the Agra fort as I had seen that before and instead opted to go into Mathura to see some temples. When you are in Delhi do also see the Akshardaam Mandir.

Our ride was a Toyota Innova which was very comfortable. Seeing some of the sights through some villages was good too.

PM me if you need any details that I can't post here.

Hello Shweta!
I wouldn't recommend using a taxi from Delhi to Agra and back.The road is crowded and dangerous especially in winter when fog occurs practically every night from Dec-March.
I would recommend taking the train to Agra then hiring a taxi.There's a "fixed rate " taxi booth at Agra Cantt station.Hire of a taxi for the day to visit the Taj,Fort and Fatehpur Sikri was Rs950 when I was there in March.|Other set itineraries, both longer and shorter, are available and the price is fixed.(entry fees to the sites will be extra-also-as always- you'll have to be firm about visiting shops!)

There's also a UP Tourism daytrip by coach which takes in Taj,Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.This costs Rs1600 per person and includes entry fees.(it's a lot less for Indians!!!) This starts with the Taj Express at 10.15 (if the train is late it waits for it) and takes you back to gra Cantt station at 18.15 to connect with the Taj Express back to Hazrat Nazamuddin in Delhi.

If you're using the first option and want to maximise your time in Agra take the Bhopal Shatabdi from New Delhi at 06.15 arr.08.07 and returns from Agra Cantt at 20.30 arriving New Delhi station at 22.30 hrs.Food is served on this train and the cost is included in the fare which is Rs370 each way

We did both last week. Delhi-Agra on the 7.15 which left 10 mins late and took 2.5 hours. AC and reclining seats. We came back by car so we could see the temples mentioned and Mathura. It was supposed to take about 4 hours but with stops for sightseeing and bad traffic from Faridabad right the way to our hotel in Delhi it was nearer 6.5 hours.
The scenery by train is dull, the road was interesting but tiring.

The train is safer, faster & more comfortable. Take the Shatabdi, a pocket novel, and enjoy the journey!

Thanks for all of the input. I don't think we're up for a ton of time in the car, which seems like a likely possibility given traffic conditions. We will be arriving in Delhi the day before we plan on visiting Agra. Would it be better to purchase train tickets ahead of time? Perhaps online? Is this method ok?

You can book online from the Indian Railways website: www.indianrail.gov.in

Train No 2002 Bhopal Shatabdi leaves New Delhi at 6:15 and arrives at Agra Cantt just after 8 AM.
Book in the AC Chair car class.
Breakfast is served on the train.
In the evening the Shatabadi train arrives at Agra at 8:30 pm to reach New Delhi at 10:30 pm.

For online Railway booking click the following link directly instaed of going to Indian railways website.

As this facility (online) in provided by IRCTC and not Indian Railways:

http://www.irctc.co.in/

How much it cost by Toyota Innova?

Shatabdi would be much more comfortable than a road trip on this stretch.

It cost us RS3800 for the AC Innova for the day which also included RS100 for the driver. The trip with the train would have added a couple of hours to the trip and with younger kids doing the private taxi made most sense to us.

Will you please give me the driver details.
You got a great rate...
Thanks

When do you go? I will have to get the number from where I was staying in Delhi. The name of the company was Parmar Taxi in Karol Bagh near West Delhi.