Please help - Train from Delhi to Rishikesh (Yoga Festival Feb 29)

frodocat

Hi-
please HELP me!
anyone who is familiar with trains.


I need some help deciding if there's enough time to get off a plane arriving in Delhi 9:30 PM and make it to a departing train in exactly 1hour+45min(NZM station)11:15PM. 217A
I'm planning to book an E-ticket from the USA.

SHOULD I BOOK A ROOM AND WAIT FOR THE MORNING TRAIN?
The nzm train arrives in Haridwar at 3 AM--is it dangerous there at that hour? I will then have to find a taxi to Rishikesh at that time-

ANOTHER train leaves from New Delhi Station @ 6:50 AM following morning(217)-arrives in Haridwar 11:40AM


My Flight arrives in Delhi Intl Airport @ 9:30 PM.
is 1hr:+45min enough time to get through customs and to the
Nezamuddin Station via pre-paid taxi?

The Haridwar train leaves from NZM station @ 11:15 (217A)
Arrives 3:30 AM in Haridwar.

THANKS SO MUCH!!!

Rasika

No way will you be able to make that connection, sorry. You may well still be at the airport waiting for luggage, etc. until 11pm.

frodocat

Thanks so much for the heads-up.

I will think about getting a room and catching the morning train.
ANYONE know if it's easy to find a room near the New Delhi Sation?
How early should I arrive for my 6:50 Train217 departure?
SHOULD I have an E-Ticket OR BUY ONE there THAT MORNING?

just wondering..
How long does it take to get through customs in Delhi?
Someone had told me that it takes only 20 minutes to get through customs... (?)
Thanks again!

gobi

I agree with the above, it would be some sort of miracle to make that night train. You are much better off taking a room in Paharganj and then the 'another train' you mentioned in the morning which is a great shatabdi express and my preferred way of getting to Haridwar/Rishikesh. Then you can go by taxi, bus or even train to Rishikesh. I don't know the hotels/guesthouses in Paharganj aside from visiting a friend once at the Prince Polonia which appeared pretty clean but perhaps a little pricey. I'm sure you can search for threads about Paharganj rooms and find lots of info.

If you are sitting in the front the plane and the only flight arriving at that time, immigration can be quite quick. However, the one time I moved through in five minutes, I waited at least an hour for my checked luggage....on average immigration takes 20-45 minutes but the luggage can be quite slow in delhi. If you are in the front of the plane and have a priority tag on your bag, you're golden.

Paharganj is the 'tourist ghetto' of delhi adjacent to the New Delhi Railway Station.....lots of rooms from quite cheap to mid-range.

oh yeah, and you must get that train ticket in advance!

The main difficulty at the railway station is finding your train and car, that train is usually on the Ajmer Gate side of the station, the furthest platform from the Paharganj side, possibly platform 12. Check the board at the entrance and ask the luggage porters in the red shirts if you have any difficulty.....as you're not familiar with the place, give yourself 30-45 minutes.

frodocat

Wondering is Paharganj near the train station?
How early should I arrive to catch the 6:50 shatabdi? 217
Should I get an E-Ticket?

I Appreciate the assistance!

Indizen

Paharganj is across the road from New Delhi station if you exit from Platform No 1. The road called Main Bazaar has more hotel options than you can handle. It may be better to book your room online.
If your train leaves from platform no 8 9 or higher, it is closer to the other station entrance called Ajmeri Gate. You have to cross the overbridge.

deepti_light

Hello,

Greetings and welcome to India!

Are you travelling for the first time? Are you a Yoga practioner already? Well I wanted to tell you that I am also leaving on the !st MArch for the Yoga festival and would be there for 15 days. Ia ms taying at Vanamali's ashram. If you need any assistance on your arrival,do not hesitate to call me at 91-9871118099. I would be happy to help you.
My Name is Deepti and I am travelling witd my friend Michaela for the same.
May you reach safely and be safe!

In God,D

jyotirmoy

There is an overnight train from Delhi, it reaches Haridwar early morning. There are plenty of buses too. Take a prepaid cab from the airport to Anand Vihar Interstate Bus Terminal(ISBT) and you may get a bus within half an hour. Try to take buses operated by DTC or UPSTC.

deepti_light

Hello..Would you know about skiing at auli?have you done it before?I am planning to go to Auli for 3 days from March 10th to 13th'2008.
Any sugesstions?

jyotirmoy

Isn't mid March too late for skiing?

frodocat

hi Deepti-
- thanks--! great to meet you.
Yes first time in India!
I'm a yoga practicioner in the USA.
I will call you.my name's michael ,,
-is that your cell phone?

QUESTION:
trying to buy an eticket online IRCTC.
Getting an error after paying via credit card.
I've spent hours and hours trying repeatedly.
I cannot seem to dial the phone number correctly to contact customer service.
no luck at all
011 23345500?

SHOULD I Just get on A BUS? and buy a ticket when I arrive?
and is it safe late at night there at the bus station in New Delhi?
How difficult is it to buy a train ticket upon arrival?instead of in advance?
Thanks so much!

Nick-H

See the many threads here about booking trains by internet; you may well find an answer to your problem.

__________________
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Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

frodocat

THANKS SO MUCH for the advise!
You are the first person who had told me the name of the bus station.

I can't seem to book online via credit card for the IRCTC train.
hours online and no luck - errors/slow web page/payment page not working.------QUESTION:
IS IT EASY & SAFE to just buy a bus ticket at the Anand Vihar Interstate Bus Terminal? To Haridwar? I just don't want to have to wait for hours.
Would you recommend a bus over a train? i may have to wait all night in the train station-

Thanks again,
Frodocat

THANKS! any threads regarding the website purchase payment page reading error?
Each time I get to the payment page- I press pay -
it accepts my information- verifies my card --and the...nothing...no receipt no record of any sort-it just sits there!
I checked my bank card records and no payment is ever submitted!
hours and hours and hours of re-trying(I am persistent!)
but still no luck!
thanks again!
please let me know if you have a method that will work from the USA.

jyotirmoy

There are plenty of buses. Just get in to one and the conductor will come and sell you a ticket. There are counters at the bus stop too.

Nick-H

When that site works, it's great, but it is a victim of its popularity, and they themselves admit to a 10% failure rate.

When I use it, I pay from an Indian bank, and it works really well. I haven't booked from abroad for ages, but --- the only hint I can think of is (if I remember properly): most of the payment options are for paying direct from Indian banks.

There are two 'gateways' for credit card bookings. One is ICICI and the other CitiBank, I think. Whichever gives you a problem: try the other one! This is what worked for me in the past.