Calcutta to Kathmandu

undisputed

I am planning to travel to kathmandu from kolkatta.Can anyone tell me the cheapest way to go from calcutta to kathmandu?cheapest airline and airfare??or train or bus??

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steven_ber

I am going to do a long reply about the trains to Gorakhpur. (for the benifit of everyone)

The direct train from Howrah is slow and has a high chance of being delayed (due to route and timing).

So I am looking at the Howrah - Varanasi (or Mughal Sarai) - Gorakhpur route.

I will post details later.


If someone could reply with onward details from Gorakhpur to Kathmandu it would be helpful, as I have no idea.

The plane from Varanasi to Kathmandu is also a good option (and cheap if I remember right), but I've lost my plane timetable so can't give details. (I think Indian Airlines operated the flight and it departed about midday, but I don't think it was a daily flight).

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Train information.


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Alan D

From Gorakhpur you can either take a shared jeep (faster) or bus (more comfortable) to the Nepal border at Sonauli.

If you're lucky you can pick up a bus from Sonauli otherwise take a local bus to Bhairawa or Butwal which have more frequent services to Kathmandu. The journey can take up to 12 hours so it's good to make an early start.

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steven_ber

Click here for trains from Calcutta to Gorakhpur.

Two posts above that one are trains from Varanasi to Gorakhpur, I will do trains from Calcutta to Varanasi/Mughal Sarrai in the morning.

-m2-

Actually, from Calcutta, I think you are better off getting to Kathmandu from the Raxaul/Birganj border crossing although I haven't been this way myself for many years. There is a daily direct train, (#3021) leaving Howrah at 1600, arriving Raxaul at 0910. I'm not sure of the current bus situation once you cross over to Birganj but there still should be, at the least, morning and evening buses to Kathmandu taking 10-12 hours.


Has anyone gone this way recently?

iyou

It's less adventurous, but you could just fly between Kolkata and Kathmandu. I did it in 2002 for US $114 (one way). Even managed to book the ticket ahead of time. I also flew from Varanasi to Kathmandu, and that ticket was about $90, on Neccon Air. I reserved a ticket via email, and then paid for it on arrival in Varansi, at the Neccon office, which was located in a hotel somewhere far from the ghats, and I was hassled by the hotel management to rent a room and stay there even though I was just buying the ticket!

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wonderwomanusa

>Actually, from Calcutta, I think you are better off getting to Kathmandu from the Raxaul/Birganj border crossing although I haven't been this way myself for many years.<

If you do this, note that you will sleep better on the Raxaul (India) side than in Birganj, which -- the last time I was there (yes, 30 years ago) was a town full of drunks! I believe there is no alcohol sold in Raxaul -- or there wasn't at the time -- so people were a bit better behaved.

I actually don't know if it's possible to go to Kathmandu from this area; I've heard that the road washed out some years ago. The Lonely Planet guide might have some information on this.

somnath

Raxoul / Birganj is the most used rout to reach Kathmandu from Kolkata (other than flight). Most of the friends had a pleasant experience and don’t have much complain except the security checking in the train (Raxoul to Kolkata). Of course, it was before these Maoist problems and all in Nepal. I do not have the latest info.

- Somnath

ddutta

Another Option :-

Kolkata - Siliguri /New Jalpaiguri - Kakarvitta ( Indo Nepal Border )
Bagdogra Airport - Kakarbhitta (Nepal) 43km - 1 hr. ( plenty of local transport available)

Kakarvitta - Kathamandu /Pokhra Bus Service available

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Chandra

I did this one a few years ago, and it was no trouble at all. The trip from Kakarbitta to Kathmandu is long, though. And are all the roads open now?

Oh, that depends, my dear! (Had the worst bus trip ever from Sonauli to Gorakhpur. 200 people in a bus with 48 seats. )

C

Alan D

I've done it both ways - but I had a seat on the bus It kept stopping to pick up and drop passengers. The jeep was a bit packed but did the journey non-stop.

ananda2193

I did this trip in 1991, but I think it's probably the same more or less. I took a night train from Howrah to Patna.Arrived in Patna in the late morning. In Patna I went to a travel agent and bought a bus ticket to Kathmandu (maybe 300 rps. in 1991 = $15 u.s.). After about a 2 hour wait in Patna my bus left for the border(maybe 12 p.m.)Arrived in Raxaul in the afternoon. Went through customs in India and took rickshaw across border to Birganj. Got my 1 month visa on the spot.and went to a hotel in Birganj that was included in my ticket to Kathmandu. Next morning left for Kathmandu arriving about 5 p.m. This has got to be the fastest route by land. I think.

indira

Calcutta - Silliguru by train ....(Sikkim)
from silliguru to the Nepal border.....by road, local bus...
there are many small mini taxis from the border to take u to the Nepal.
I have travelled this route..

indiaguide

Just adding with d dutta route
one can fly from Bhadrapur to Kathmandu. Bhadrapur is 45 min by a share taxifrom Kakarvita.

travelbiz

Come to NJP by train take taxi to Bhadrapur and board flight o Kathmandu


Sealdah-NJP--->Rs.285
NJP-Bhadrapur--->Rs.500
Bhadrapur-Kathmandu (flight)--->Rs.2000.00