Crazy Passage to India?

Dear Friends..
After considerable effort I have formed a final Itinerary. Everyone I speak to wants to change it- it is driving me up completely batty We were going to wing it as far as taxis and sightseeing. I was just going to book the hotels and the trains and planes myself..but that is proving to be just about impossible. The trains have so many names and need researching to such a degree- to make sure you are on a good one with a good personality. Booking the hotels myself seems like not such a good idea according to the reports on Travel Advisor- "we arrived no booking, etc". The flights - I can probably book but they are getting sold out pretty quickly and I cannot decide if the itinerary is correct- so many people are criticizing it. The taxis- I am almost afraid now to get a cab at the airport- probably have to give up my first born child to pay for it- unless I buy a voucher at the airport (how long will that take- 60 people in line ahead of me??) and make sure not to give the voucher until the end of the trip or using pre paid car..
 It is SO complicated. We are going to Kathmandu and today I was told you cannot renter India within 2 months...so have to change itinerary. IT is a nightmare- I have spend days and days and days and days going over this itinerary. So am thinking to just hand it over to a travel agent in India- and let him handle it..and just be prepared to give him the deed to my house as well... Also I just found out there is a big celebration going on in India that will end on Oct 24 - Navaratri: The 9 Divine Nights- should I be worried about this..does everything close down? HELP
 So here is the itinerary..One last chance for anyone who is brave enough to respond to this post...

 Oct 22 - Arrive Delhi around 10pm
 Oct 23 - Delhi ( have planned to do the Salaam Baalak Trust City Walk -excited about this)
 OCt 24- Delhi to Rishikesh ( taxi to trainstation -train to Hardiwar- taxi from Hardiwar to Rishikesh) or should we just take a car. Overnight at Ashram Parmarth (i emailed them- have not heard back yet)
 Oct 25 - Rishikesh- Ashram ( yoga and more yoga)
 Oct 26 Rishkesh- Ashram (yoga and mroe yoga)
 OCt 27 - Rishikesh to Agra- ( taxi to train - either change train to Agra and then pick up and take to Taj- or car all the way?) Want to get to Taj before sunset? Overnight Agra
 OCt 28 - sunrise at Taj... tour...Fort, etc...then take overnight train to Varanasi- which one?
 AC 1st class- is that the 2 people berth sleeper? Are the better trains out of delhi- is it best to go back to delhi and take train from there. Today someone told me..dont do the train- you must fly..someone else said..if you fly it will take longer overall. overnight TRAIN
 OCt 29 day in varanasi - boat on Ganga
 Oct 30 leave Varansi for GOA- I found a homestay in GOA - has anyone ever done a homestay? My friend want to go to a Trance nightclub- any good ones for westerners? Want to visit Catholic shrines also.
 Oct 31GOA- beach and explore
 Nov 1 Goa - beach and explore
 Nov2 Goa to Kathmandu fly
 Nov 3 Kathmandu
 Nov 4 kathmandu
 Nov 5 Kathmandu fly to Delhi and connect to flight at 10pm back home

Out of Rishikesh, Varanasi, Goa, and Kathmandu, pick two to leave out

stop worrying, you will ruin your holiday. Or is this still the nice form of travel exitement? Everything will work out just fine in the end. Taxis will overcharge you, instead of 1€ you will pay 5€, but hey, will this leave you bankrupt and your holiday spoiled?*
Your hotels will have lost your booking, but next door are better options anyway.
Skip Kathmandu, you avoid Visa-Trouble and have more fun in the other places. Add the days to Varanasi and Rishikesh. India is much better with relaxed schedule.
The confusion you are now feeling is already part of the India-adventure. You cant change it, so just sit back and enjoy it.

*Just remembered, the taxi from Airport in Delhi were a bit more expensive. Can somebody give the correct price?

Saffron

A tip on trains. Use the numbers rather than the names. All trains have a unique 5 digit number - even the same train in the opposite direction has its own number. Much less risk of confusion that way. In the stations the overhead indicators on the platforms use numbers not names.

You might be lucky and get a 2 berth coupe in 1AC but there is also a fair chance that you will get a berth in a 4 berth cabin. There is no sense in going back to Delhi to do the Agra -Varanasi trip. If all of the trains from Agra are full book from Tundla - 20 km from Agra. It is on the mainline and you should be able to get a train to either Varanasi or MugalSarai - a few km outside the city.

You need to get on with booking your trains before they are booked out. Have you read this article?
http://www.indiamike.com/india-artic...ts-from-abroad

If any one has déjà vu and cannot make the connection:

Help with crazy itinerary!