Delhi Advice Please!!!

Jamna20

I will be travelling to Delhi around the 16th/17th March from Punjab, not sure what day yet, will decide when we get there. For this reason I am not going to book a hotel in advance, but am concerned about trying to find one when we get there. I will be travelling into Delhi via the Amritsar Shatabdi which I beleive comes into the NEw Delhi station.

Can anyone provide some advice on what I should do. Bearing in mind that I will have a big suit case with me. I will be flying to Goa on the 18th and therefore staying near the airport is an option, but I also want to see some of old Delhi, so was thinking perhaps I should book into a hotel near Old Delhi, spend the rest of that day looking round the city and then get up early the next day and get a taxi to the airport. My flight is at 11.20am. If I leave my hotel at around 8.30am, will that be enough time to get to the airport by 10.20am?

Will places be open for a good breakfast at 7.00am?

I am also worried about taxi drivers ripping me off as I don't know Delhi at all, any advice on this.

Any advice on how to find a decent hotel once I get there?

Thanks

JO

lonelyaztec

Do as per what the Lonely planet suggests.

It is the tested and proven thing to do - with respect to where to stay, what to eat, what to do and how to.

Carry cotton clothes, Delhi gets hotter after March, and so does Goa.

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shere

There are plenty of hotels ranging from cheap to expensive on NH8 (Gurgaon Road). You can get a room from anything from a few hundred RS to 7 or 8 thousand at the Radisson. The beauty of NH8 is that it is very close to the airport(s).

If you could fix your dates in advance you could not only save money (by pre booking hotel using one of the many hotel sites on the internet) but you could sort out your transport in advance.

Last year me and a cousin drove to delhi in our own car, arriving in Delhi for 7am. He then slept the day in a pre booked hotel. I had arranged a car for the day via Namaste India to see Delhi. The driver arrived on time as requested and we then proceeded to visit various places around Delhi. The price for the car and driver was very reasonable and the good thing was the driver knew where everything was (which a driver from Punjab would not know, they usually just about get you to Bangla Sahib). The driver stays with the car so leaving your suitcase in the car is not a problem.

If you got the 5:10am train you could be in delhi for about 11am. Then stick your luggage in a pre booked car and see everything you want in Delhi. When you get tired get the driver to drop you off at the hotel.

jyotirmoy

Shere has given a good suggestion. Even if you stay in a centrally located place which I would suggest for the night, reaching airport next morning is not a problem. Start atleast 2 hours before the departure time.

Jamna20

Thanks for this Shere, How far is Gurgaon Road from Old Delhi, it's just that I am interested in Visiting Chandi Chownk.

jivan

There are actually lots of places in the by-lanes of Chandni Chowk. If u want to see the old-delhi charm with kites flying (last time 5 yrs. ago) & having all kinds of indian foodie. I remember distinctly a by lane by the name of something to do with papad. The whole lane was full for foodies. Of course Indian so can't keep up with western standard of hygiene but if hot then usually nothing happens.

jyotirmoy

It is very far from Chandni Chowk. Try Pahargunge or New Rajinder Nagar for budget accomodations, refer the hotel threads.
The lane mentioned by jivan is called Paratha wale Gali. The eateries here are famous for the amazing varietirs of Parathas, also try Rabri.

Jamna20

Thanks for all of this.

What time do the food places stay open until in the Evening. On the 23rd I fly into Delhi from Goa at 8.15pm and it will take about 1 hour to get from the airport to central Delhi. By the time we have checked in to our hotel etc and ready for some food I think it will be about 10.00pm. Will we be able to go out and get some food at this time?

shere

Please be realistic. Its not that far. You can easily be picked up from the railway station, visit what you want and stay around NH8. You could easily drop off your luggage at a hotel and visit Chandni Chowk.

The thing about NH8 is that it is close to the airport. Sometimes the traffic in Delhi can be chaotic. It once took me 2 hours to get from the outskirts of Delhi (approaching form Rothak) to Connaught Place (morning) and on another occassion in the evening it took 4 hours to get from the outskirts to IGIA. So staying on NH8 is ideal for someone who needs to catch a flight.

Jamna20

Shere,

You keep refering to NH8 what exactly does this stand for? Sorry to sound so ignorant, I don't know Delhi or its abbreviations at all.

shere

National Highway 8.

I think you should be able to find a place to eat around 10pm. Again there are plenty of places on NH8. If you cannot find anything go to the Radisson and use the restaurants there, they are open 24 hours.

Jamna20

Thanks for all your replies.

abracax

I'll go with the recommendation to stay near the airport. It's not hard to get a bus/scooter/taxi from there to Connaught place, and then catch the subway to Chawari Bazaar, which is right in the middle of Old Delhi. What you want to avoid is getting stuck en route from Paharganj to the airport by a traffic jam, or a strike, or a parade, or a VIP motorcade, or a disaster of some kind, or....

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jivan

like that abracax, it seems u have become an indian