india in march

laney6

Hi all, well ive just gone into panic mode!
I was looking up about transport in india and i suddenly thought i should perhaps check with the experts on here.
So here goes, i have booked my flight,manchester to delhi on the 14th march.
I have booked into the "eleven"guesthouse for five nights.I then intend to travel to Jaipur by train for a further five nights staying at the umhaid bhawan{all booked}
From there to agra for one night{by plane}
Then finally to Varanasi for a few nights before flying back to Delhi.Thought that i had it all sorted until i read the thread which said thatDel-var-agra--jaipur-delhi made more sense.
So fellow travellers, what do you think?I dont fancy the overnight train from varanasi to delhi hence the thoughts of flying.
Its my first time planning a trip like this so please be patient with me.
I really would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions on this.
Happy travels, laney

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laney

laney6

Sorry i meant to say from jaipur to agra by train and then plane from agra to varanasi.
laney

bigjed

You are going to be in Delhi for 5 nights right away?? You might want to think about going elsewhere for a few days, somewhere less Delhi, and spending more time in Delhi at the end of your trip once you are more used to India (if you've never been there before)- We found Varanasi hectic but not as bad as Delhi. Delhi freaked us right out. We escaped to Shimla within days of arriving. We felt more up to New Delhi later in our trip.

Overnight trains are no problem. Make sure you are in any a/c sleeper class and relax. Flying is fine too, but obviously more expensive.

We're taking a car round Rajasthan in October for two weeks, was going to train, but didn't like the thought of pre-booking 60 days in advance over the internet! We won'tbe in any one town for more than two nights. It may be a bit rushed, but we want to see HEAPS.

Yes, using Delhi as a hub is a good idea. Delhi-Varanasi-Agra-Jaipur-Delhi 0r Delhi-Jaipur-Agra-Varanasi-Delhi are both options.

laney6

THanks for the speedy reply bigjed.
I get into delhi late afternoon so the first day will have gone,i thought i would take my time round delhi and the guesthouse is in a nice area.It means i can relax when i arrive after a long journey.
I have been to goa and kerala in the past and i know that this trip will be totally different.
Any suggeastions for anywhere else to visit if i chose not to stay in delhi that long.
Look forward to hearing from you, laney

bigjed

there are so many places around Jaipur you can visit - even Jodphur isn't far away, so I'm thinking you may be limiting yourself by booking five nights in Jaipur when you could have two nights there, two nights somewhere else before going to Agra.

If you are in a nice area of Delhi that may help making Delhi a little easier to deal with. Our experiance was of Karol Bagh which is a little like staying in New Delhi's arse. Silly thing is - we are staying there again in October! It's close to our car rental place - so it's won't be so bad, and I know what we're in for!

machadinha

I'm not sure if that sequence would matter much, unless it works out better owing to train or flight timings perhaps. It's just a circular route as such, I can't see how it would matter much if you do it clock- or counterclockwise.

I think I saw the threads pass by that you're referring to, and that they had to do with onward plans people had after it. I.e., ending up in Varanasi when they really meant to continue into Rajasthan or something.

I may be overlooking something mind, but that was my impression.

(Digging around now: I think it came up on a couple of threads just recently, but there was one person meaning to go Delhi-Agra-Varanasi-Jaipur-Delhi, which just wouldn't have been a logical sequence one way or the other. Don't let it get you confused )

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laney6

Thanks for that,im going to read up about jodhpur in my LP now.Just dont want to spend loads of time travelling and not absorbing the atmosphere.Hence the first few nights in delhi will be to get over the jet lag{not as young as i was} and hope fully see some of the sights,oh! and the shopping too.
I feel better about the itinerary i have planned now, as you say ,it doesnt really matter which way i do it! so that has settled my mind .
What about Varanasi?How many nights would you recommend there?
I have 18 days to do this trip so time is not an issue and i am very flexible.
Thanks again,I do appreciate all your help.
Laney

machadinha

Oh, boy... impossible to say, always, isn't it Some people seem to positively hate Varanasi; others will obviously love it. I spent nearly two weeks (or thereabouts?) there myself on two visits shortly after the other (on an extended trip where one needs and wants a break once in a while, mind), much enjoyed myself.

What can I say, this is all so subjective. You now have Delhi/Varanasi/Agra/Jaipur.

Delhi: Quite hard on many first arrivals. You may want to get out of here asap, on the other hand you don't want to stress yourself out any more than necessary, so let's say a couple of nights to acclimatize and arrange an onward ride if you haven't already.

It's a great city with many fine sights mind, it just may be hard to appreciate at first. You may be much better able to do so at the end of your trip, so allow for some time on your way out as well. Also nice for unwinding before you leave, doing some final souvenir hunting, and so on. So say a few nights again. (I realize with 18 days you may want to minimize both, but OK. If so, try to allot some time to the city at the end, it deserves it.)

Agra and Jaipur: "Tout central" as someone recently and aptly called it here.

Agra I've never been; should be combined with nearby Fatehpur Sikri by all accounts. This should take around 1.5 days, that is to say doing both in one day is said to get (too) cramped. Agra is said to be just a large congested city, and touting in both is said to be heavy indeed. For this reason, few seem to want to stay here any longer than strictly necessary to see the sights. (One feels tempted to prove them all wrong and hang out here for weeks, doesn't one. I mean it's home to some 1.5 million people, you'd think there must be something to it.) But anyway for now and for all practical purposes, it seems safe to assume the tourist scene here is just too much.

Jaipur: Didn't like it, aggressive touting again, and just another congested big city to boot. Many seem to agree with me; others seem to love it. See for yourself. It must be famous for a reason, and I should add I'd never meant to end up here, so this won't have improved my impressions. I'd check out the sights here (and there are arguably some very nice ones), then move on.

Varanasi: Would recommend a few nights here. There are some good sights in the vicinity too.

As you can see, this could leave you with some time to visit a few more places. I'd recommend sticking to this general area, 18 days ain't much, and it will be over before you know it. Don't pack it full of ever more and more distant destinations. But a few more sights on the way might be doable yes. Trying to fit in some smaller/less visited places will obviously leave you with the more even view of India (which ones, you will now ask. I don't know, read around some and see what you come up with, you can always ask for feedback here.)

laney6

Thanks for that.
Yes its difficult to decide on what to do,other peoples opinions are subjective.Whats right for one will be wrong for another1
When i planned this trip it was to see the major sights in all these places.the idea being to stay and relax in good guesthouses along the way.
I dont want to rush round and then need another holiday when i get back to the Uk.
Varanasi is a place that i really want to spend a few days at to absorb the atmosphere,its a place where i will hopefully come to terms with some emotional stuff that i have had to deal with recently.
Just wondered if Jodhpur would be a good place to stop at for a couple of days?Any thoughts appreciated.
Look forward to some more replies.
Thanks again,Laney

machadinha

Yes, I didn't respond to Jodhpur before, as I was unsure how close it would be for you.

My usual comment is I much enjoyed myself there, the fort is magnificent and could easily merit two visits, and just strolling around town and the bazaar some is fun (others report favorably on bicycling or moped'ing around the countryside here some), so I'd recommend staying a night or two here, yes. Others recommend less, and there's arguably not a whole lot to do as such (well, truth be told and if you don't mind me saying so, there often isn't in many Indian places. Not exactly nightclubbing country here or anything -- off to bed early to see more temples & stuff in the morn, rather.) I just liked it.

I suppose like BigJed suggested it could easily be added to your route yes.

safari vala

jodhpur is a must see in rajasthan

laney6

Thanks for that.I have been reading my bible{LP] and yes i quite like the look of jodphur.Next question, would it be easy to travel to agra from there?
Laney

Darmabum

Varanasi is a must. Quintessential India. I've spent over a year there over the course of three trips. The last two have been Varanasi - only - for six months each.

And as for flying - flying is flying, anywhere and everywhere, pretty much the same. But a train in India . . . after Varanasi (which is, IMHO, #1), one of THE Quintessential Indian Experiences.

And as for your "bible" . . . as with all religious texts, a good place to start . . . just don't keep your nose buried in there for too long . . . . . . my favorite source of information (and misinformation) are my fellow travelers . . . The Bible was written years ago . . . even by the time the new/updated version comes out, it's out . . . but to talk with someone who's just been there . . . Have a Great Trip! Great places on your agenda.
Mach's tips are good ones, I'll second the motion - when in doubt, slow down. Jodhpur was worth a day . . . Agra (the Taj) worth a full day . . . Fatepur Sikri OK, but I'd give it up to have more time in Varanasi. Jaipur did nothing for me. And Delhi, yes Mach, perhaps save it for the end . . .

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machadinha

Thanks for affirmative words Darma, always nice to know one isn't talking a complete pile of $%^ And for appreciative words by Laney, btw.

I should think so, yes. http://www.trainenquiry.com/ (Use their "Find your train" button to the top left) would suggest there are direct trains, including overnighters, from Agra Fort station to Jodhpur that take around 11 hours, always barring any delays. Take note of running days.

This site won't necessarily be totally up-to-date, but it gives an indication. Always check any alternate results with the offical site at http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/ . It's harder to deal with, but is the most reliable.

In the "travel links" link in my signature (post #6 above) you'll find some more travel sites to hopefully help you in your travel planning.

Good luck with it! It's fun to plan, innit, and you have plenty of time yet, so at least you didn't leave it to the last minute. Chances are you'll have reshuffled it a thousand times over the coming year

ps And thinking some more: To throw in Jodhpur, you might want to take a close look at the entire sequence again. I'm not sure if fitting Agra-Jodhpur inbetween the rest would make the most sense. Can you rewrite the route you now have in mind, so maybe others can comment too? (Er, oh I see now, you had in mind Jodhpur-Agra anyway. Oh well, it should basically work the same the other way around Less splendid on the overnighters, it would seem. And taking an hour longer in that direction Never mind me, I'm no good at numbers.)

laney6

hi, well this is getting complicated or what?
Right!my original plan was to travel from delhi{5nights}-jaipur{5nights}agra{2 nights} and then varanasi [ 4nights} and then back to delhi for my flight.
Now im thinking delhi as planned or is that too much?Then jaipur three nights,jodphur two nights, agra one night and Varanasi for a few nights before returning to delhi for the last night.
What do you think?
I am not the sort of person who likes to cram in too much and i would rather spend quality time at a few places rather than cram in loads and feel frazzled at the end of the holiday.
All for now, really appreciate everyones help.
Laney