Girl on her own needs advice on first ever night in Delhi!!!

Pu Qi

Hello experts!

I'm arriving at 9pm on a Sunday night and am hoping to leave on the 7am train to Rishikesh the next morning (not that I've figured out how to do that yet either!). I'd like to be near the Railway Station in somewhere that is most importantly SAFE for me and secondly CLEAN. Oh and I would really like to be picked up from the airport.

Any suggestions would be so, so appreciated. I'm slightly overwhelmed by all the choice and there always seem to be awful reviews alongside good ones!

Thank you so much

jyotirmoy

Check the hotel listings. Most will organise a pick up service. There are plenty info on pre-paid & radio taxis from the airport, please read them too.

machadinha

Notably here: http://www.indiamike.com/reviews/showcat.php/cat/13. Keep a note of their posting dates (you can order them by most recent I think.)

Oh, and welcome to IndiaMike

ps

Yes, kindly check this one for instance: http://www.indiamike.com/india/delhi...-delhi-t45409/

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Indojingai

Near the railway station, YMCA or YWCA hostels. If not, hotels in Karol bagh. There is no such thing as clean and safe places in India.

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machadinha

LOL Indo. What are you on today?! Trying to comfort the newbies, eh?

To the original poster: Just a bit of incrowd goofing around. You'll be fine: many have been before you; many will be after (some however and arguably take the first flight home. One often wonders though if they shouldn't have persisted just a little longer, and gotten out of those crazy metropolises one tends to land in. But I suppose like most places it won't be everyone's cup of tea.)

As we like to say: 26,677 IndiaMikers can't be wrong. But then as Nick might add: Three of them actually were

For some words of comfort, try:
Finally *Been To* India
Diwani Yatra -- Two Girls Travel -- Need the Hindi
Feeling Cheated and Lied To
And the very recent Gratitude

And many such threads, of course (and no few to the contrary).

kullukid

Yes there is!
It depends what your budget is, but i'd recommend the Prince Polonia in Paharganj area, it's very clean & convenient for everything inc New Delhi train station, rooms are 1100-1200rs inc breakfast & airport pickup will be around rs400,prepaid taxis from the airport cost half this, but since you are arriving at night & it's your first time i would recommend using the hotels service to avoid any hassles or scams;
http://www.hotelprincepolonia.com/
You can email them at polinter@vsnl.com
Where are you visiting in Rishi? I would recommend a visit to this Ashram at some point,
http://www.parmarth.com/home.html
there Ganga Aarti performed at sunset by the Ganges is not to be missed;
http://203.200.227.196/local_web/ganga_arti/default.htm
Have you sorted accomo in Rishi? This is a good choice, rooms from around 2-600rs top floor has some wonderful views of Ganges.
www.bhandariswisscottage.com or email info@bhandariswisscottage.com

KK

Indojingai

I did tell them about some less than worst hotels I know.

But in general, if we are all nice and happy posts to everyone, it may give first timers a false sense of the-real-India.
So I am doing a touts job here. He he.

Jupiter

New Delhi Railway Station is bang opposite Paharganj which has a choice of decent guest houses...all types....all budgets...right from $6-7 a night onwards............and on upper side you can go as high as you want.

1. When you get down at airport.....don't fall for the Cabbies who will be yelling at you to come over. Ask the locals there where the Prepaid Taxi stand is. If you are alert, you yourself will spot it when you are coming out of terminal.

2. Pre pay the taxi fare to Government counter and retain the slip with you. It will hardly cost you Rs. 200/- or around 2.5 Pounds approx. for Airport to Paharganj. (NOt to get confused, you can even say Imperial cinema hall, Paharganj. When this cab drops you at Imperial cinema hall, give him the receipt that the taxi counter gave you.....and now look around. You can see so many guest houses all around.

3. I too am staying in Paharganj area in a guest house since last 2 months now. In case you have any doubt / need any help, feel free to ask me. (You can PM me your no. / e-mail / messenger ID and I will try to give you all info)

Cheers.

* Its a very safe area. Just don't worry. But I would suggest not to rush to Rishikesh the next morning........take it easy and you will enjoy India more!

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kullukid

I would still say that for a first timer arriving at night an hotel pickup at twice the price is the safer option.Other first timers on IM have taken pre-paids at night & still ended up at a totally different place surrounded by Kashmiri's trying to extract their money from them, despite very clear instructions & all the neccessary warnings from IMers. KK

NeeliAankhen

I hope you'll get your transportation arranged by your hotel.

Also email them the day before you leave to get it confirmed.

Besides being in a different and crowded place, you'll be arriving at less than your mentally sharpest after a long flight -- I think it's really worth a lot to have somebody there on the ground who is "yours," there to get you and your stuff to the place you want to go to.

Another factor - depending where you are staying -- not all taxi drivers know where all hotels/guesthouses even are, particularly if it's a smaller place, which for me was in some places one more tension-generator. (I had hotel-sent taxi pickups at all airports and in every case I remember being really relieved and grateful to see the guy there. In every case I had a backup plan, too!! -- I had all my hotel phone numbers in my bag.)

fo_onthego

Which guesthouse are you staying in exactly? You like it there?

Jupiter

Sky View. Its on the main market road, has a neat and clean Room, geyser for hot water, TV will most Cable channels and pretty good service boys. Room could have been a bit bigger but at Rs. 250/- a day, no sweat.

Yeah, I love Paharganj. I have met many very interesting people here from around the world in last 2 months!

Well you didn't really interact after your first, apprehensive post. By now you must be in Rishikesh and we hope everything has been smooth for you.

Have a great time in India.

Hazard

Dear Pu:

I remember arriving in Delhi for the first time back in 1988. It was scary. Mind, I was 23, male, and without a lot of third world travel experience, and my plane got in at 11:00 at night.

Anyway, I recommend what I did then: Book yourself into the YMCA or YWCA. They are close to Connaught Circle, and thus a short tuktuk ride to the New Delhi station (there will be tuktuks right outside either Y in the morning).

Also, these are easy destinations for ANY cab driver. So getting a prepaid cab at the airport should work fine.

This will be cheaper than getting a hotel-booked car, though you will pay more for the room than you might in Paharganj. More to the point, getting out of a cab in front of the Y is going to be much more comfortable than trying to find your hotel in Paharganj at that hour on your first night in India. If you are coming back to Delhi, you can always go scout a place to stay in Paharganj during the day.

Those are my thoughts. Good luck, and feel free to post any follow up questions.

Hazard

kullukid

If you take a prepaid or hotel pickup they will take you right to the door of the hotel,so need to try & find your hotel, also Paharganj is full of other travellers so you won't feel isolated. KK

Dilliwala

There's no train to Rishikesh. You mean the 6.50 am Shatabdi Express to Haridwar. From there u can get plenty of transport options to Rishikesh, 40 mins away.

You can book this train on the internet. Check the Trains forum for procedures. Or visit indianrail.gov.in

The train is called Dehradun Shatabdi express, no. 2018. Book the chair car (CC).