3 wks-delhi, dharam,amritsar,rajast,agra?

steven_ber

There are so many options that it's mind boggling, but I just can't seem to fit another Itinerary around the dates and places you need to be.

There is a risky overnight train from Bhatinda....

Train 5609 departs Bhatinda at 23:15 and gets to Lalgarh (outskirts of Bikaner) at 05:45, this train has 2 & 3 tier air con, but it starts it's journey in Assam and has a high chance of being a few hours late.

Train 339 departs Bhatinda at 21:30 and gets to Bikaner at 05:40, but this is a slow train stopping at all stations, and it only has Sleeper Class.

A taxi from Amritsar to Bhatinda should do the journey in about 4 hours, though it's better to assume 5 hours.

There is a well-timed overnight train from Amritsar (18:00) to Jaipur (09:30) on the day you want to leave Amritsar.

There is a daily overnight train from Amritsar to Agra.

there are just so many options.

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machadinha

<cross-posting with Steve>

I really don't know (nor if I'm covering something already mentioned above, if so, sorry), but looking at http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/maps/all_india.htm I wouldn't be at all surprised if there's a decent bus connection from Amritsar to Bikaner, which might solve at least this problem. If there is, buses are usually frequent (as in very frequent to a couple of times a day).

I did Jaisalmer-Barmer (car), Barmer-Ahmedabad (bus) then A'bad-Mumbai (train) in what won't have been much more than 24 hrs. to 1.5 days max. I think, by way of some very vague comparison (and yes, I was younger and a little more flexible than today, perhaps ) That first stretch at least are/were really backroads btw, from this map your connection would seem (potentially) much better (and shorter!)

Buses in Rajasthan are very convenient btw, easy to catch too. I hear the rails system is improving there, but it used to be a lot of narrow-gauge (= slower) and/or roundabout routes there. On my second trip there I did just a few train rides I think, mostly buses.

(--> btw Weren't the northern hills to be something of the highlight of this trip? Seems we're drifting off as usual The whole route looks very nice to me in any case; if doable, I don't know.)

ps Buses just aren't so well represented on the web yet so it's always hard to say, but you could see if this thread Online bus ticket reservation sites yields anything useful to you.

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tacita

mach and steve,

thanks...i've come up with another possible solution, i think, albeit through delhi(!), which isn't really so bad:

take the overnight train (#2904) from amritsar (21:35) to delhi (7:10).

take the bikaner express (#5609) from delhi (8:50) to bikaner (station: loharu), arriving 12:30.

it feels like backtracking, but i'd be arriving in bikaner not much later than i would even if there were a direct train from amritsar, and it would be far more restful and efficient than taking a bus, or a combination of bus/train from amritsar to bikaner. and i can pick up my itinerary from there.

what do you think?

mach, how did i miss that great rail map!? ...brilliant!

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machadinha

Heheh. Another fine one is at http://www.samit.org/irmap/index.htm btw. Did you notice the new "links" link in my signature yet? Might have some stuff for you.

No comments on this route, except that going over Delhi would seem no real drama to me no. I guess like you mentioned then work your way westwards, going Agra-Jaipur-Pushkar-Bikaner etc.

I hate to say it but if you need to drop something I think Udaipur is a little out of the way and not so splendidly connected... (On the other hand, if you do go out there, do try to throw in Chittaurgarh, it needs just a day but is really amazing.) Going this way, maybe consider Jodhpur instead then back to Delhi or something. Plus those other places you had in mind then. I think dropping U'pur may make the rest more feasible, although I haven't quite got a "grip" on this itinerary yet, if you know what I mean, and I don't know some of those places.

machadinha

btw You'll realize you'll find at least Rajasthan esp. that time of year (quite) a bit more touristed than say Sikkim or West Bengal I think? Just so you won't be too disappointed. I think you've picked some nice off-beat places too though.

nb On the preferred route, I guess actually going by what you had in mind after Delhi (Bikaner etc.) would make sense too.

tacita

thanks, mach. so it would look something like this, if i plan only as far as the cattle fair in nagaur, which runs from 2/13-2/16

so,
- sat eve, 2/2, arrive delhi from NY
- sun, 2/3 to tues, 2/5, in and around delhi
- tues nite, 2/5, overnight train to pathankot, bus/jeep to dharamsala
- wed afternoon, 2/6, to saturday, 2/9, in and around dharamsala/mcleod ganj (for losar festities)
- sunday, 2/10, bus/jeep to amritsar
- sunday eve, 2/10, and monday, 2/11, in and around amritsar (golden temple; border closing ceremony, atari)
- monday nite, 2/11, overnight train from amritsar to delhi (#2904), delhi to bikaner [station: lalgarh] (#5609), arriving bikaner @ 12:30, tuesday afternoon, 2/12
- tuesday night, 2/12, bikaner hotel
- wednesday nite, 2/13, desert safari from bikaner
- thursday, 2/14, bus/taxi from bikaner to nagaur for cattle fair, etc., arriving thursday p.m.; thursday night
- friday, 2/15, nagaur to....???

this next part's a blur-maybe i won't plan these next five days at all, which would be fun, as i don't "have to" be anywhere until...

- 2/20 to agra, from, e.g., jaipur?, train #5631, leaving jaipur 8:40am, arr. agra fort 1:25 pm; hotel near taj wed nite, 2/20; agra thursday, 2/21 for full moon and holi
- fri 2/22 or sat 2/23, agra to delhi for 11:55 pm flight back to NY

machadinha

Looks good to me (I think -- it's always hard to say right, I mean my own itineraries rarely work out ), not too hurried. If Nagaur is where I think it is, maybe try something like Chittaurgarh*-Bundi (which I think you'd really like)-Jaipur from there, or throw in Jodhpur indeed. Jaipur's ff'ing hectic btw, just so you know (and apparently Agra is too, haven't been). They both must have their merits though.

I guess keeping those five days somehow flexible would be very good to let it depend on if you want to do more or less at the time, so good idea. Oh, be wary of last-minute connections on the way out btw, although Agra's not that far from Delhi. Going back there the day before would be my preferred way, although an early'ish ride should do it.

* Bringing you close to Udaipur btw... maybe it would be doable really, it's just hard to say. So in other words, yes, maybe you can go by the original plan. Like I think others said, I don't think you'd need to backtrack U'pur-Mt. Abu if you don't want to. I think Jenk mentioned a night train to Jaipur right? Over Kota, which is the stop-off point for Bundi... (And note that older guidebooks won't list as many train options for Udaipur, as its connectivity has been improved just over the past recent years I believe.)

Jenk mentioned this site minus the URL btw, http://www.indiagroove.com/ .
Two others are http://www.trainenquiry.com/ and of course the official one at http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/ , featuring the map mentioned above. It's good to check train results from other sites with the latter one to make sure; it's harder to deal with though.

tacita

awwww...you're peach, mach!

thanks!

btw, i'm going to agra only to see the taj mahal under a full moon. holi was incidental. i hope to find a hotel that will allow me to watch the mayhem from a safe distance, and that also has a roof terrace/restaurant with a view of the taj. i'd like to get dusk and dawn shots and visit the actual place but, that aside, have no special interest in agra.

machadinha

Yeh, that's what most visitors seem to do... Throw in a visit to nearby Fatehpur Sikri btw if you hadn't planned it already, highly recommended by all it seems (again, I've not been there. What! You've been to India and not seen the Taj! How dare you! ) Doing both should take about 1.5 days I gather; taking it easy never hurt no one right Seriously, I hear e.g. a day (dawn?) and night view of the Taj like you mention are well worth it since you're there anyway. Apparently it's relatively costly for foreigners these days but hey, you only live nine times right. Support your local mausoleum, or something.

Oh and do watch after yourself with Holi a little, will ya. Two or three white lady friends of mine had a good time with it in I think rural Orissa, with the funny colorful pictures to show for it, however even they reported young (and not-so young) men getting just a little overly boisterous and retreating to the safety of their hotel room at some point I think, and with all those dire cautions about it, you'd think there must be some truth to it. I guess stay close to your hotel and see how it develops or so, or watch it from a rooftop, indeed.

steven_ber

You've got confused somewhere.

Loharu is a lot closer to Delhi than Bikaner, it's also on a metre gauge line, so no longer connected by train to Delhi.

tacita

ok, back to the drawing board...

tacita

how about #4791? to bikaner jn, departs from "rewari"...how far is that from delhi proper?

steven_ber

Where are you getting your info from Janice?

Rewari is about 100kms from Delhi, that is the closest the metre gauge trains come to Delhi, so if the train starts at Rewari, it's likely to be a slow metre gauge train.

Also, other parts of the metre gauge line will soon close for gauge conversion.

steven_ber

A couple of options

Train 5609 departs (old) Delhi at 16:35 and gets to Lalgarh (outskirts of Bikaner) at 05:45, this train has 2 & 3 tier air con, but it starts it's journey in Assam and has a high chance of being a few hours late.

You can check many hours in advance if the train is running late, it's not such a bad option from Delhi.

Or Change Agra around in your Itinerary, you lose the 'moonlit Agra' (if it's still available), but it's an option.

You can get an overnight train from Amritsar to Agra, see Agra, then an overnight train from Agra (or Bharatpur if your going to see Fathepur Sikri) to Bikaner or Nagaur.

shashank.aggarwal

I wanted to mention Rewari, but I doubt how comfortable or feasible that would be...

There are frequent Local Passenger Trains connecting Delhi - Rewari..its a 3.5 to 4 hours ride..

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