Bangalore: hotels near the railway station.

AlanJ · May 15th, 2008, 20:06

Just about everyone who has written about budget accommodation in Bangalore has conceded that, while the cheapest hotels are to be found around the railway station, this is not much of an area for a tourist to stay. However, in our case it does seem a logical choice; we arrive on the plane from Singapore at about 2130, and the next morning we want to be up good and early to catch a train to Mysore before 0600. A hotel at the railway station, even if not particularly salubrious, would make this plan do-able.

So, my question is: does anyone know which is the best of a bad lot? Is there a hotel around the area which the locals favour, and not just because it has ladies who rent by the hour? We don't need luxury, as we are backpackers... but we are a family of four, and my two school-age daughters have never been to India before, so I don't want this first-night hotel to be TOO disastrous, if you know what I mean!

Thanks for all suggestions!

wonderwomanusa · May 15th, 2008, 22:43

I, an older woman travelling alone, am comfortable at the Royal Lodge, which is a few minutes by ricksha from the Bangalore Station; see the hotel section for more info. And they have a website, which may find by Googling.

There's a good veg restaurant across the road for breakfast.

Manzey · May 15th, 2008, 22:54

wonderwomanusa.....u can probably provide the url which u provided the few days ago for royal lodge. Also, there are few decent hotels near hotel kamath yatri nivas.
http://www.kamatyatri.in/ itself is a decent hotel and it should be ten mins walk to the railways station from here.

AlanJ · May 16th, 2008, 09:12

Thanks for both those replies... I will check the websites!

yearningtotravel · May 16th, 2008, 17:19

AlanJ,

Kamath Yatri Nivas would be quite good. Also keep in mind that you will reach your hotel only by 11:00 pm (it takes time to get your bags at Bangalore Airport). If you are planning to catch a 6:00 am train to mysore you will have have leave your hotel before 5:30 and if you are planning to walk, 5:15 would be better. It is proabably 1km walk from Kamath to City Railway station.

AlanJ · May 16th, 2008, 20:13

Thanks, yearningtotravel, for those tips. Kamath Yatri Nivas looks wonderful on the website, but the pictures -- open spaces, gardens, trees -- somehow didn't look like what I expected to see around the main railway station! Your tip that it was about a half-hour walk brought that into focus..... I suppose that's not such a great ask in the cool of the morning, but the hotel itself seems a bit above what we expected, and certainly the rates are an eye-opener..... even though I have heard that I should expect this in Bangalore.

Wonderwomanusa, I found the website for Royal Lodge quite easily, and I must say that the hotel looks ideal for what we want; there's a not-to-scale map which looks like walking to the railway station would be a breeze (of course, these hotel maps have a habit of blithely omitting twenty blocks if they don't help their claim about being near the train and bus stations!) The rates are more in line with our budget, and the only (small) drawback is that they don't mention anything about family rooms, not even a triple... so if we choose Royal Lodge, we may have to take two rooms. That's no real hardship (except on the hip pocket), so the chances are that this will be the one we contact, unless someone else responds with a suggestion which includes a family room! Thanks so much!

yearningtotravel · May 16th, 2008, 21:04

The trees that you see in the picture are from a kamat yatrinivas in other location. This one has no trees. BTW, Royal Lodge and Kamat are quite close to each other. Royal Lodge is definitely easier on your wallet though.

AlanJ · May 19th, 2008, 11:19

Yearningtotravel, you just spoke the magic words... "easier on the wallet". I guess I'm just a plain ordinary cheapskate, but I just hate spending money on luxury hotels (with features I don't have or want in my own home) when I could be putting that money into more sightseeing, or even a return trip (as this one is, to India; my aim this time is to show my children some of the great things I saw in 2004).

So the Royal Lodge (or the nearby Rama Krishna Lodge, which was mentioned favourably on another website) are looking better by the hour!

Thanks for your help!

Alan

jeet · May 21st, 2008, 09:39

you can also try Amar Hotel just opposite Majestic Bus stand. For a double bed room it should cost around Rs 500.

AlanJ · May 22nd, 2008, 06:11

Thanks, Jeet, I had never heard of this one, so I'll check it out.... opposite the bus stand sounds great; I am thinking now that rather than try to get the early train to Mysore, we may be advsied to just turn up at the bus station and grab the first available bus... I guess between two such major centres, there'd be early-morning buses leaving about every fifteen minutes. Does the Majestic Bus Stand have buses to Mysore?

jeet · May 22nd, 2008, 23:40

Yes, Alan bus journey would be rather a better option. There are plenty of buses from Majestic Bus stand through out the day. Go to the KSRTC bus stand section and ask for the volvo or Airavatha buses(A/C). Very comfortable and 1 ticket would cost you Rs 190. Journey time 2.5 - 3 hours.

AlanJ · May 23rd, 2008, 04:51

Thanks, jeet, I think this will be the way I'll do it. Everything seems to be working out just great, so thanks for the help and sage advice!

tstan · May 23rd, 2008, 06:50

Hi Al
You must be flying the Tiger!

The new airport will be opening tomorrow - about 40km from the city- so there are bound to be the usual transport scams there.

The Majestic bus stand is just east of the Bangalore City railway station (note that there are three main stations in Bangalore)and it is possible to walk from the station to the Majestic district by an elevated footpath which overlooks the concentric layout of the bus stand. There are quite a lot of guest houses close to the bus stand and you can be sure that there would be a scheduled Volvo bus service from the new airport to the bus stand. There are are quite reasonable retiring rooms at the railway station - they even have family rooms - and these are very convenient for those early morning departures. Of course these rooms are only available if you are travelling by train.

Mysore is a delightful place. Don't try taking any photos at the palace though!!

AlanJ · May 24th, 2008, 10:50

Hi, tstan!

Yes, we're Tigering to Bangalore from Singapore...after Jetstar-ing from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur; between KL and Singapore is still to be worked out. These convoluted routes are practically essential for Aussies nowadays, as using one of our regular airlines -- by that I mean Qantas -- to fly direct into India doesn't leave you much change out of $1700.

All that information about the bus stands and the railway retiring rooms is so useful that I immediately copied it and added it to my itinerary. With Wikimapia in front of me, I can practically se everything you are describing. Thanks so much for all your help... if this was a city we were visiting half-way through our itinerary, I wouldn't be planning it with such meticulousness -- in fact, it's often more fun just to arrrive and improvise -- but on a first night in a new country -- especially when arriving at night -- it is nice to know exactly where you're going and waht you're going to do! My wife and I have been to India before, so probably nothing could change our opinion of it as the greatest destination on earth, but it is the first time for our two teenage daughters, and I do so want them to enjoy it as much as I... so the first night and their first impressions is a particularly important time.

Thanks to yoy and to everyone who has answered this thread so prolifically... I really do feel very "at ease" about our arrival now!

Except that I don't know how I will be able to resist taking photos of the Mysore Palace. What's the penalty? Not deportation, I hope!

Manzey · May 24th, 2008, 11:11

Its approximateley 35kms from new airport to Majestic area where you are planning to stay. Volvo bus from new airport to Majestic bus stand are available every 15 mins or so. It might make sense to check whether its cheaper for 4 people to take a taxi or take a bus since the fares of volvo bus is not that cheap either.
Check the other thread Bengaluru International for more info on the new airport.
Hope ur daughters enjoy the India trip as much as u do...

Cheers...

May 15th, 2008, 20:06	#1
AlanJ Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 36	Bangalore: hotels near the railway station. Just about everyone who has written about budget accommodation in Bangalore has conceded that, while the cheapest hotels are to be found around the railway station, this is not much of an area for a tourist to stay. However, in our case it does seem a logical choice; we arrive on the plane from Singapore at about 2130, and the next morning we want to be up good and early to catch a train to Mysore before 0600. A hotel at the railway station, even if not particularly salubrious, would make this plan do-able. So, my question is: does anyone know which is the best of a bad lot? Is there a hotel around the area which the locals favour, and not just because it has ladies who rent by the hour? We don't need luxury, as we are backpackers... but we are a family of four, and my two school-age daughters have never been to India before, so I don't want this first-night hotel to be TOO disastrous, if you know what I mean! Thanks for all suggestions!

May 21st, 2008, 09:39	#9
jeet Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 35	you can also try Amar Hotel just opposite Majestic Bus stand. For a double bed room it should cost around Rs 500. __________________ Have fun, Jeet, http://www.bangalorebeats.com/bangaloreblog/

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May 15th, 2008, 22:43	#2
wonderwomanusa Maha Guru Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 2,861	I, an older woman travelling alone, am comfortable at the Royal Lodge, which is a few minutes by ricksha from the Bangalore Station; see the hotel section for more info. And they have a website, which may find by Googling. There's a good veg restaurant across the road for breakfast.

May 15th, 2008, 22:54	#3
Manzey Manzey Join Date: May 2008 Location: Bangalore / Gurgaon Posts: 73	wonderwomanusa.....u can probably provide the url which u provided the few days ago for royal lodge. Also, there are few decent hotels near hotel kamath yatri nivas. http://www.kamatyatri.in/ itself is a decent hotel and it should be ten mins walk to the railways station from here.

May 16th, 2008, 09:12	#4
AlanJ Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 36	Thanks for both those replies... I will check the websites!

May 16th, 2008, 17:19	#5
yearningtotravel Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 13	AlanJ, Kamath Yatri Nivas would be quite good. Also keep in mind that you will reach your hotel only by 11:00 pm (it takes time to get your bags at Bangalore Airport). If you are planning to catch a 6:00 am train to mysore you will have have leave your hotel before 5:30 and if you are planning to walk, 5:15 would be better. It is proabably 1km walk from Kamath to City Railway station.

May 16th, 2008, 20:13	#6
AlanJ Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 36	Thanks, yearningtotravel, for those tips. Kamath Yatri Nivas looks wonderful on the website, but the pictures -- open spaces, gardens, trees -- somehow didn't look like what I expected to see around the main railway station! Your tip that it was about a half-hour walk brought that into focus..... I suppose that's not such a great ask in the cool of the morning, but the hotel itself seems a bit above what we expected, and certainly the rates are an eye-opener..... even though I have heard that I should expect this in Bangalore. Wonderwomanusa, I found the website for Royal Lodge quite easily, and I must say that the hotel looks ideal for what we want; there's a not-to-scale map which looks like walking to the railway station would be a breeze (of course, these hotel maps have a habit of blithely omitting twenty blocks if they don't help their claim about being near the train and bus stations!) The rates are more in line with our budget, and the only (small) drawback is that they don't mention anything about family rooms, not even a triple... so if we choose Royal Lodge, we may have to take two rooms. That's no real hardship (except on the hip pocket), so the chances are that this will be the one we contact, unless someone else responds with a suggestion which includes a family room! Thanks so much!

May 16th, 2008, 21:04	#7
yearningtotravel Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 13	The trees that you see in the picture are from a kamat yatrinivas in other location. This one has no trees. BTW, Royal Lodge and Kamat are quite close to each other. Royal Lodge is definitely easier on your wallet though.

May 19th, 2008, 11:19	#8
AlanJ Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 36	Yearningtotravel, you just spoke the magic words... "easier on the wallet". I guess I'm just a plain ordinary cheapskate, but I just hate spending money on luxury hotels (with features I don't have or want in my own home) when I could be putting that money into more sightseeing, or even a return trip (as this one is, to India; my aim this time is to show my children some of the great things I saw in 2004). So the Royal Lodge (or the nearby Rama Krishna Lodge, which was mentioned favourably on another website) are looking better by the hour! Thanks for your help! Alan

May 22nd, 2008, 06:11	#10
AlanJ Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 36	Thanks, Jeet, I had never heard of this one, so I'll check it out.... opposite the bus stand sounds great; I am thinking now that rather than try to get the early train to Mysore, we may be advsied to just turn up at the bus station and grab the first available bus... I guess between two such major centres, there'd be early-morning buses leaving about every fifteen minutes. Does the Majestic Bus Stand have buses to Mysore?

May 22nd, 2008, 23:40	#11
jeet Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 35	Yes, Alan bus journey would be rather a better option. There are plenty of buses from Majestic Bus stand through out the day. Go to the KSRTC bus stand section and ask for the volvo or Airavatha buses(A/C). Very comfortable and 1 ticket would cost you Rs 190. Journey time 2.5 - 3 hours.

May 23rd, 2008, 04:51	#12
AlanJ Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 36	Thanks, jeet, I think this will be the way I'll do it. Everything seems to be working out just great, so thanks for the help and sage advice!

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May 23rd, 2008, 06:50	#13
tstan power brake keep distance Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: sydney Posts: 190	Hi Al You must be flying the Tiger! The new airport will be opening tomorrow - about 40km from the city- so there are bound to be the usual transport scams there. The Majestic bus stand is just east of the Bangalore City railway station (note that there are three main stations in Bangalore)and it is possible to walk from the station to the Majestic district by an elevated footpath which overlooks the concentric layout of the bus stand. There are quite a lot of guest houses close to the bus stand and you can be sure that there would be a scheduled Volvo bus service from the new airport to the bus stand. There are are quite reasonable retiring rooms at the railway station - they even have family rooms - and these are very convenient for those early morning departures. Of course these rooms are only available if you are travelling by train. Mysore is a delightful place. Don't try taking any photos at the palace though!!

May 24th, 2008, 10:50	#14
AlanJ Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 36	Hi, tstan! Yes, we're Tigering to Bangalore from Singapore...after Jetstar-ing from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur; between KL and Singapore is still to be worked out. These convoluted routes are practically essential for Aussies nowadays, as using one of our regular airlines -- by that I mean Qantas -- to fly direct into India doesn't leave you much change out of $1700. All that information about the bus stands and the railway retiring rooms is so useful that I immediately copied it and added it to my itinerary. With Wikimapia in front of me, I can practically se everything you are describing. Thanks so much for all your help... if this was a city we were visiting half-way through our itinerary, I wouldn't be planning it with such meticulousness -- in fact, it's often more fun just to arrrive and improvise -- but on a first night in a new country -- especially when arriving at night -- it is nice to know exactly where you're going and waht you're going to do! My wife and I have been to India before, so probably nothing could change our opinion of it as the greatest destination on earth, but it is the first time for our two teenage daughters, and I do so want them to enjoy it as much as I... so the first night and their first impressions is a particularly important time. Thanks to yoy and to everyone who has answered this thread so prolifically... I really do feel very "at ease" about our arrival now! Except that I don't know how I will be able to resist taking photos of the Mysore Palace. What's the penalty? Not deportation, I hope!

May 24th, 2008, 11:11	#15
Manzey Manzey Join Date: May 2008 Location: Bangalore / Gurgaon Posts: 73	Its approximateley 35kms from new airport to Majestic area where you are planning to stay. Volvo bus from new airport to Majestic bus stand are available every 15 mins or so. It might make sense to check whether its cheaper for 4 people to take a taxi or take a bus since the fares of volvo bus is not that cheap either. Check the other thread Bengaluru International for more info on the new airport. Hope ur daughters enjoy the India trip as much as u do... Cheers...