Best way to cross to Nepal?

Hi everyone!

Planning to 'pay a visit' to Nepal within our journey in India. I found a way to do it from Varanasi, travelling from there to a bordering town called Sunauli and then by bus to Kathmandu. I dont know if there's any more straight forward way to go there, but Varanasi seems a good starting point following our draft route. From Kathmandu we'd then travel to Siriguli, to get the toy train to Darjeeling. Does anyone have another suggestion or a comment about this one?

I reckon all this will be done between November-early december. Is that going to be too cold? we're trying to get the North 'out of the way' and heading south for the rest of the winter.

thanks!
K

I was thinking about taking an express train from Varanasi to NJP, visit Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan (at border town of Jaigon where you don't have to pay $200 a day) and then travel to Katmanadu (on bus from Kakarbhitta or fly from Bagdogra). Any thoughts or suggestions on this route??
Jane

A Nepali visa costs a $ a day which can be bought at the sunauli border`but the customs are usually in league with the bank/hotel next door and they insist that you pay in $s,not rupees,Indian or Nepali,so strongly advise that you have $s for that purpose,otherwise you have to wait until the banks open.Also discovered that 500 Indian rupee notes are not accepted in Nepal.If you change Indian into Nepali in Katmandu watch out that the brick you get has not got smaller denomination notes inside,break it open and count it.no matter how many staples are binding it together or how appealing the woman in the money changers is.If you need a further visa in Katmandu watch out for the guys pretending to be state employees offering to help you fill out the form. The toy train is slightly erratic,takes about 8 hours and can be bum numbing,wooden seats.If you got time go on the sandakpur trek,it takes 6 days but hey what's the rush? boom boom.

"The toy train is slightly erratic,takes about 8 hours and can be bum numbing,wooden seats.If you got time go on the sandakpur trek,it takes 6 days but hey what's the rush? boom boom."