Dehli, Agra + Himalayas or Udaipur???

Bellabaroo

First, we're traveling with two year old twins, so please keep this in mind when advising. We are in Bangalore now and this trip, which we'd like to take in February, will be our first big trip in India. We have at least 5 or 6 days to do this.

Big question: is going to the Himalayas, i.e. Shimla and/or Rishikesh safe this time of year?? Do you get there by train? Is it safe with snow and with kids?

I'd like to see everything: Dehli, Agra, something in Himalayas, and Udaipur. It's seeming though this may be too much to squeeze into one week. We probably won't make it back to the north, so which way to go from Dehli: north east or south west????

Also any tips on traveling with little ones. What to avoid, what to look for, places to stay, eat, travel by train, rental car, etc.

Wow, that's a lot of questions!

Bellabaroo

Hello. We're planning a trip for mid-february to Delhi (two days), Agra (one day), and then would like to spend three days or so in the mountains. We've thought of Shimla, but are concerned about traveling there with two small children. Is Shimla worth the trip? Is it terribly crowded and touristy? Basically, we'd like to see the Himalayas, relax a bit, and maybe go for some short hikes. We'll be with two year old twins, so everything takes longer and is more challenging all around.

Please tell me:
traveling from Delhi to Shimla: car vs. train?? how long? dangerous?

Other options in Himalayas that might be closer to Delhi? And maybe less touristy/crowded?

capt_mahajan

3 days from Delhi to go to the Himalaya is not enough.

A third of that will be spent just travelling up and down from Delhi.

Do browse the Uttarakhand forum anyway, specially Nainital, Mukhteshwar, Almora and Binsar- also Mussoorie.

You may be able to do the first and the third, not the second

karuna

You can fly Delhi - Udaipur and back. Probably easier than heading into Himachal with your timescale.

Depending on how high up you go, the Himalaya in Feb is coooold- certainly Shimla will be. Rishikesh much less so. Kasauli is closer to Delhi than Shimla and (marginally?) less touristed.

Can't get a train all the way to Shimla from Delhi in one go. The drive isn't dangerous particularly (might get snowy once you get to Shimla itself), but kids might not like it as it's twisty and turny along hillsides. Train therefore more comfortable.

But really, in a week I'd suggest sticking to Delhi Agra Jaipur and maybe at a push Ranthambhore or Pushkar.

Bellabaroo

We don't mind cold. I think the train does sound better, but how expensive I wonder?
We really want to be in the mountains, but if it takes an entire way to get there and back, not sure if it's worth it this time around. Are there really no other places in the mountains that are quicker to get to?

karuna

Rishikesh is hills rather than mountains really, that's not so bad by car or train.

Jephy_R

If you've only got a week, I'd stay away from Shimla. Last year I took the train up to Shimla which took from about 7am till 6pm and then got driven back to Kalka and a train from there to Delhi. The drive was a lot quicker and more comfortable. Shimla was absolutely beautiful in the snow but moving around was nearly impossible, you slip and slide everywhere and the geography of the place makes things worse - I think with small children you could be in for a bit of a hard time unless you gave yourself a good few days up there.

I'd recommend, Delhi - Agra and Fatehpur Sikri - Jaipur - Shekhawati Region - Delhi. There's so much to see you will be spoilt for choice.

What ever you do, I hope you have a great trip!

Bellabaroo

Thank you so much everyone.

So in Shimla, the terrain is hard to even walk around? I feel so ignorant about all these places. We want mountains, but we don't want them at the expense of being stuck in our hotel all day because we can't walk around.

What to do, what to do.

We may have to do Delhi, Agra, and Udaipur.

Thoughts on car vs. trains with these??

Dilliwala

If u are coming to Delhi, and are very keen on the hills, go to Mussoorie this time. It's a bit nearer and quicker to get to. U can take a night-train from Delhi to Dehradun (and back) which effectively cuts your travelling time dramatically (u have to sleep, u have to travel - why not do both at one time?)
It's a 1 to 1.5 hour road-trip from Dehradun to Muss.

Jephy_R

In my opinion, the car is the best way. There's lots to see between Agra and Udaipur and in a car you'd have the option of stopping and seeing as much as you want, you also gain the knowledge of your driver which is invaluable. If you go to Udaipur, I'd really recommend visiting Kumbalgarh Fort - it is a few hours drive from Udaipur but one of the most magical places I've ever visited, it's also up very high and you are pretty well in mountains.

karuna

Shimla's built along a ridge so it's easy to walk around- a couple of inclines but it's all tarmac'd.

Udaipur is a long way out. Getting there car from Agra will take the better part of a day and driving at night is not advisable. I can't find any direct trains (but the train thread will tell you more accurately than I). I still say it's not worth it unless you fly, and even then...

I quite like Dilliwala's Mussoorie idea. Delhi - Agra - Mussoorie.

Jephy_R

Not when there's a foot of snow!

ronsaik

If you cover them up well, not a problem.

If you're looking for a little peace and quiet in the hills, there are better option

Not dangerous, even with the snow and all. Journey time would be ~ 8-9 hrs by car. By train: trains go to Kalka. The train from Kalka to Shimla takes about 3 hrs, if I remember correctly. Scenic, but not practical in terms of time.

Lots, but not 'closer to Delhi'. If you just want a nice, quiet hill station then Dagshai and Nahan are good candidates. But you don't get any grand Himalayan views from these places. With three days, Chakrata would be a little stiff.
Incidentally, you could also catch the overnight bus to Manali. That would also give you the option of getting off at Aut and proceeding towards Gushaini, on the fringes of the Great HImalayan National PArk. You could trek inside the park up to Rolla - it will be a nice experience camping by the Tirthan river - or head to the Banjara Camps retreat at Shoja (I've never tried the latter though).
Again, no panoramic Himalayan views from here, but you could get the occasional glimpse of a glacier.
For the aforementioned 'panoramic views' of the Himadri, catch the overnight Ranikhet express from Delhi, get off at KAthgodam and proceed to Ranikhet or Almora.

Bear in mind that all these places would be chilly - close to or slighly below zero deg at night (and pleasant during the day). If you decide to go to Rishikesh, then that's not a bad choice either - but I'd suggest you spend some time at Devprayag or Srinagar (Uttarakhand, not J&K) instead, where the Alaknanda is magnificent.
There are many, many options even for just 3 days. Take your pick.

Bellabaroo

Overnight trains?? What are they like? Are there actual beds that can comfortably sleep two adults and two toddlers? I fear we would not be rested enough to enjoy the next day!!

also trains vs. car in terms of expense?

The camping and hiking sounds great, but with such cold weather, I don't think that's a possibility for us. Plus we just don't have the proper equipment for something that adventurous with small kids right now. If it were just me and my husband, it'd be a completely different trip. But with kids, we need some comforts, like clean comfortable hotels and decent food! And hopefully some space for our kids to run a little bit!!

This is all really helpful. Please keep the suggestions coming. Has anyone out there done this trip with kids and can make some comments too?

Cheers!

karuna

Please see the trains board for more info on trains. Also the website seat61.com/india has photos and descriptions of all Indian train classes.

Cars are more expensive than trains! There are a couple of car vs train threads on this board- the search function might weed them out. I'll take a look when I get the time.