Shimla

kraken

Hi there!

I´m planning 3 days in Shimla (October) and have a few questions:

Is the train connection Delhi-kalka-shimla easy?

Any suggestion about acco ?

What short trekkings (one day) are worth?

thanks a lot for any help!!!

Salud
Juan

tstan

Buenos noches Kraken

It is very easy at the time of year you will be travelling to Shimla. Get the train from Old Delhi Station (just north of the Red Fort and Jama Masjid) not New Delhi station which is in the main backpacker area of Paharganj. There is a convenient overnight train which leaves at about 10.30pm and arrives at Kalka at about 6am. The little diesel train departs soon after you arrive and it is a truly delightful journey, arriving about the middle of the day.

There are plenty of things to do once you get there. I suggest that you check out one of the guidebooks - LP, Rough Guide or Footprint - and I would personally recommend a guesthouse near the Mall which is a ridge overlooking the town.

One could easily spend a week in this delightful place without the shadow of boredom ever appearing. However, I will leave it to another member of the forum to extol the virtues of the town!

kraken

Hi !

Thank you very much for your help, I have the Lets Go guide but not too clear about the train connection.Your information is very helpful.

I was in your country in 2000 and I enjoyed it very much.

Salud

Juan

ddutta

New Delhi - Kalka - Simla. There are quite a lot train between Delhi - kalka. The best is Shatabdi Express (super first ) There are 3 Shatabdi trains .

1)2005 New Delhi Kalka Shatabdi Express 17:15 (Dep) 21:15 (Arr) Daily

2)2037 New Delhi Kalka Shatabdi 07:40 (Dep) 12:00 (Arr) Sat only

3)2011 New Delhi Kalka Shatabdi 07:40 (Dep) 12:00 (Arr)
Sun,Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri

4)4095 Nizamuddin Kalka Himalayan Queen Express 05:05 (Dep) 11:20 (Arr)
Daily


Kalka - Simla

1)241 Kalka Shimla Shivalik Express 05:30 (Dep) 10:15 (Arr) Daily


2)251 Kalka Shimla Mail 06:30 (Dep) 11:55 (Arr) Daily

SHIMLA

Thanks, tstan!! I couldn't agree more regarding spending a week there without getting bored.

kraken,

Shimla is a haven for those who love long walks. There is nothing better than strolling under the shade of great pine trees with the cool wind blowing in your face and admiring the heritage buildings of the town.

The Eastward and Westward heritage walks and their detours will certainly keep you occupied for a week!

Get lost in Shimla's vibrant and colourful lower bazaar in the mornings, or read your favourite book on a sunny seat on the Ridge with the music of the gentle trot of horses ringing in your ears. Or walk along the brightly lit Mall in the evenings licking an ice-cream and watch the town's myriad colours unfold.

Stop for a few minutes at Scandal Point - Shimla's famous gossip corner - and take in the scene !

I recommend Hotel Crystal Palace, near the lift on Cart Road, for a comfortable stay. The choice of a hotel will depend on your budget, of course.

The overnight train tstan mentioned is the Howrah-Kalka Mail, which leaves Delhi Jn. station at 22=50 and reaches Kalka at 05=00 the next morning. You then take the connecting narrow gauge Shivalik Deluxe Express, which leaves Kalka at 05=30 and reaches Shimla at 10=15.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
Whoever said money can't buy happiness didn't know where to shop !

guerik

The connection is insanely easy once you arrive at Kalka - the "toy train" is very distinctive and you could spot it a mile away (clue: looks like a toy train :P )
I have a soft spot for Shimla as it was the first place I stayed in, other than New Delhi. There's a monkey temple* high high up on a hill - well worth the walk just for the views and the insane amount of monkeys up there. It's also a pleasant walk up along the ridge to the viceregal lodge, and there's a nice chai stand hidden off to the side of the lodge.

*If you go, stash away any plastic bags and hide your glasses. The monkeys are clever and know that there's food in the bags, and they also steal your glasses away! Shimla has tons of monkeys around the place anyway, so stashing away plastic bags is probably a good general tip.

kraken

Hi!

thank you very much for your advices ,this web is amazing !

and you guys are great!

I´ll keep in mind all your information and suggestions.

Thanks again , I´ll inform you about my trip

Cheers
Juan

jimsamara

The daily Himalayan Express (4095) leaves New Dehli station at 6am, arriving Kalka at 11.20am. You can then get the 12.10pm train to Shimla.


Timetable

SHIMLA

This is also an option, yes, but the entire day is wasted in transit, as the connecting train from Kalka reaches Shimla only at 17=20 !!

Its better to leave Delhi the previous night by the Kalka Mail and reach Shimla by 10=00 a.m. the next morning. One night halt at Delhi is also avoided.

jgbrowning

Yeah, we had a big monkey come into our room, take our bag of lycees off the top of our TV, and look at my wife as if to say, "You gonna do anything about this, Mrs. Higher Primate?"

We also got sneak attacked by a little monkey who crawled through the bars on our windows to grab our bannanas in our room (which he messily ate on our bed) while we were out grabbing lunch one day.

joe b.

lobo

Im lookimg forward to going to shimla i love walking around and taking in teh scenary

Shimla , are the long walks easy to negotiate? anything to look out for or stay away from?

kraken

*If you go, stash away any plastic bags and hide your glasses. The monkeys are clever and know that there's food in the bags, and they also steal your glasses away! Shimla has tons of monkeys around the place anyway, so stashing away plastic bags is probably a good general tip.[/quote]


Hi mate!

I have a question: When you talk about monkeys; do you mean they steal the sunglasses in your pocket or even my glasses on my face??..I.m concerned about that ,I need my glasses !!

Thank you

kraken

SHIMLA

lobo and kraken,

The long walks are very easy to negotiate and affoard a lot of pleasure !!

Do stay away from monkeys, they can be areal nuisance, particularly on way to and at Jakhoo Temple. And yes, they are capable of snatching away your glasses from your face, so do be careful.

Another point to take care of is when walking along Cart Road - it is narrow, the fence is broken at places, it has quite a few blind curves and the traffic is heavy - take extreme care please.

lobo

Shimla Im looking forward to seeing shimla, Im going to dalhousie as well which some claim is even more beautiful.
long walks and scenary cant wait

And cheeky monkeys

SHIMLA

Lobo,

Dalhousie is beautiful in its own right, but cannot be compared to Shimla. Shimla, being the capital of the state and more easily accessible from the mega cities of Delhi and Chandigarh, is more vibrant and crowded. Shimla combines the luxuries of a city with the beauty of a hill-station.


Dalhousie is still quite undeveloped to the extent that during off season, you won't get even your daily newspaper there!!! Of course, you may not mind this at all, when on a holiday!

Do visit Dalhousie; and also Khajjiar, Chamba and Bharmour. Chamba is absolutely charming !!!