Lost and confused about itinerary.. what to see and what to give up

machadinha · Mar 9th, 2008, 14:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Preeti

but are there any other sites that may be useful in trying to figure out how to go about planning?

Not to push my own silly collections, but in the "links" link in my signature you'll find a bunch of sites that you may find helpful.

Good luck with it, and like the others said and as many more will tell you: Less is more

Don't overdo it, but you got that message now anyway I think.

Preeti · Mar 9th, 2008, 14:59

Thank you for the links Machadinha! I really appreciate it

snonymous · Mar 17th, 2008, 23:05

Avoid trains and road journeys for your mother as far as possible, except where unavoidable. You can get cheap flights makemytrip.com; cleartrip.com; ezeego1.com; yatra.com
Get a quote for a customised package from vinstring.com they are based in Delhi.
I wish you all the very best as your have planned your journey in the height of the Indian summer, most of the places on your itinerary will be like furnaces.

wonderwomanusa · Mar 18th, 2008, 05:01

Sleeper class is safe enough, but for your comfort, you will want 2- or 3-tier airconditioned carriages. The railroad will give you sheets, blankets, a pillow and a towel, so you won't have to carry those, and the berths are more padded than sleeper class.

Preeti · Mar 19th, 2008, 09:43

Thank you very much for all this useful and wonderful advice!!! I really appreciate it...

dzibead · Mar 19th, 2008, 10:03

One more bit of advice, going back to your post #9, which I meant to respond to earlier:

Don't wait till 11:00 a.m. to leave for Agra from Delhi. It's a 3-4 hour drive, so you won't have time to see much once you arrive if you leave that late, and you'll also be traveling during the hottest part of the day. Try to get on the road by about 7 a.m. -- or even earlier, if you can!

Preeti · Mar 21st, 2008, 07:28

thanks dzibead!

Preeti · Mar 24th, 2008, 13:54

Hello All!

So, after much thinking... this is what I have come up with. Please give me your input!

Day 1 – Delhi
Day 2 – Delhi
Day 3 – Delhi
Day 4 – Delhi
Day 5 – Delhi to Agra for overnight stay (hotel kamal/hotel sheela/amar nitra nawas, taj ganj)(undecided on driver or train)
Day 6 – Agra (Taj Mahal, yamuna, Fort, if time; baby taj,)(hire driver for day?)
Day 7 – Agra - Fathepur Sikri – Agra (see sikandra on the way back) (driver)
Day 8 – Agra (leave morning) to delhi – flight to varanasi (have to look at hotels still!)
Day 9 – varanasi
Day 10 – Varanasi to Delhi by flight, then flight to Aurangabad (see ellora if time permits, might be pushing our luck!) overnight stay maybe at shree maya hotel
Day 11 – Aurangabad – nanded (car or train)- Auranganad for overnight
Day 12 – Aurangabad to Delhi by flight – train to Phagwara

I am still very double minded whether to do this on our own, or to go through a compnay! One moment I feel like we can do it, then the next I get those butterflies in my stomach wondering if its' best to have it preorganized and whatnot.

Still have lots of work to do for the hotel (I want my lists beforehand!) and maybe getting some names of taxi drivers...i know its best to take things as they come, but im so worried of being unprepared and having things turn hectic/horrible

again, all and any input from my fellow IM members would be much appreciated!

Thanks so much and talk to you all soon!

puchoo · Mar 24th, 2008, 13:59

maybe you could cut 1 day in Delhi and increase it in Varanasi or Aurangabad? 4.5 days in delhi sounds quite a lot....

capt_mahajan · Mar 24th, 2008, 14:00

-crossposted with puchoo, great minds thinking alike-

Much better than your first plan

Suggestion, knock off a day in Delhi and see Ellora for sure.

And it is entirely possible to do this on your own.

Aishah · Mar 24th, 2008, 14:35

Yes, knock off a day in Delhi - it will be hot, busy and polluted, and better you get off to somewhere quieter earlier. Friends of mine stayed at Hotel Sheela in Agra and liked it - within close walking distance of the Taj. Be sure you have air-conditioned rooms.

SueJ · Mar 24th, 2008, 15:44

I can't speak for your actual itinerary, as I don't know enough about this area. But I do have input on the DIY vs use a tour company question.

By nature, I always want to organise everything myself, but over the years have realised that this is not always the best way in India - it's really hard work to sort through all the options, find a good driver, book a good quide for those 'must have a proper guide' places, decide on hotels and then get the hotels to respond to emails.....

So you may want to consider organising some of it yourself and then having a tour company for the more complex bits. I like to leave a bit of flexibility in the itinerary, so tend to pick on the bits that I may want to change my mind on and do those myself.

On that basis, if it was me, I think I'd look at a tour co for days 5 to 7 or 8, and then probably do the rest myself. This would give you a bit of flexibility around how your Mum is feeling at any time, and whether you go to Ellora.

At that time of year I'd be specifying an air con car for sure.

Preeti · Mar 24th, 2008, 23:47

Thanks everyone!

I know the days in Delhi are a bit much, but we'll only be sightseeing/shopping for 2 days. The rest is for my mom to see old relatives and take care of some bank paperwork, or something... needless to say, I'll go shopping this whole time!!

I do want to see ellora, and spend one more night in Varanasi, so Im going to talk about that with my mom tonight.

I know this is do-able, but I feel so nervous to do it on my own?

I'll still talk to another tour guide to see what they say.

A question I had is, is it advisable to book the plane/train tickets in advance, or should we wait till we get their so we can be flexible?

Also, is it better to take a car (AC for sure

) instead of the trains?

Thanks so much for all the help and support, it really helps!!

puchoo · Mar 24th, 2008, 23:51

flexible is always a good idea just keep in mind that the closer you book to when u want to fly the higher the fare....

[quote=Preeti;462744]Thanks everyone!

A question I had is, is it advisable to book the plane/train tickets in advance, or should we wait till we get their so we can be flexible?

[quote]

SueJ · Mar 25th, 2008, 00:33

I've known the price of plane tickets go either up or down at the last minute, so I guess that's a bit of a chance.

With the plane, you can't generally change unless you made a booking at the higher flexible fares. But the same is not true for trains, where you can cancel at any point up to 24 hours in advance and only lose a small admin fee, getting a total refund on the rest (and you can even cancel up to 24 hours AFTER departure for a penalty which I think is 25% of the fare, but not certain on that %).

BUT trains tend to get booked up early. So the cheat's way to make sure of seats and keep flexibility is to book more than one date on the route you are taking, and then just cancel whichever you don't use. I have always assumed that lots of people do this, since you often seem to move up the waitlist rapidly on an apparently full train at the last minute.

If you're looking to talk to another tour co I'd recommend these people very highly http://www.indianpanorama.in/

Mar 24th, 2008, 13:59	#24
puchoo Maha Guru Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: New Delhi & Himachal Pradesh (Shimla) Posts: 2,636	maybe you could cut 1 day in Delhi and increase it in Varanasi or Aurangabad? 4.5 days in delhi sounds quite a lot.... __________________ Cheers! Sidharth puchoo.wordpress.com

Mar 24th, 2008, 14:00	#25
capt_mahajan (in charge of navel affairs) Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 9,051	-crossposted with puchoo, great minds thinking alike- Much better than your first plan Suggestion, knock off a day in Delhi and see Ellora for sure. And it is entirely possible to do this on your own. __________________ . Humpty Dumpty was pushed. Indiamike moderating team ..ich bin ein oneliner

Mar 24th, 2008, 14:35	#26
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 3,807	Yes, knock off a day in Delhi - it will be hot, busy and polluted, and better you get off to somewhere quieter earlier. Friends of mine stayed at Hotel Sheela in Agra and liked it - within close walking distance of the Taj. Be sure you have air-conditioned rooms. __________________ "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

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Mar 9th, 2008, 14:59	#17
Preeti Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: . Posts: 34	Thank you for the links Machadinha! I really appreciate it

Mar 17th, 2008, 23:05	#18
snonymous Maha Guru Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 518	Avoid trains and road journeys for your mother as far as possible, except where unavoidable. You can get cheap flights makemytrip.com; cleartrip.com; ezeego1.com; yatra.com Get a quote for a customised package from vinstring.com they are based in Delhi. I wish you all the very best as your have planned your journey in the height of the Indian summer, most of the places on your itinerary will be like furnaces.

Mar 18th, 2008, 05:01	#19
wonderwomanusa Maha Guru Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 3,002	Sleeper class is safe enough, but for your comfort, you will want 2- or 3-tier airconditioned carriages. The railroad will give you sheets, blankets, a pillow and a towel, so you won't have to carry those, and the berths are more padded than sleeper class.

Mar 19th, 2008, 09:43	#20
Preeti Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: . Posts: 34	Thank you very much for all this useful and wonderful advice!!! I really appreciate it...

Mar 19th, 2008, 10:03	#21
dzibead Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,915	One more bit of advice, going back to your post #9, which I meant to respond to earlier: Don't wait till 11:00 a.m. to leave for Agra from Delhi. It's a 3-4 hour drive, so you won't have time to see much once you arrive if you leave that late, and you'll also be traveling during the hottest part of the day. Try to get on the road by about 7 a.m. -- or even earlier, if you can!

Mar 21st, 2008, 07:28	#22
Preeti Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: . Posts: 34	thanks dzibead!

Mar 24th, 2008, 13:54	#23
Preeti Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: . Posts: 34	Hello All! So, after much thinking... this is what I have come up with. Please give me your input! Day 1 – Delhi Day 2 – Delhi Day 3 – Delhi Day 4 – Delhi Day 5 – Delhi to Agra for overnight stay (hotel kamal/hotel sheela/amar nitra nawas, taj ganj)(undecided on driver or train) Day 6 – Agra (Taj Mahal, yamuna, Fort, if time; baby taj,)(hire driver for day?) Day 7 – Agra - Fathepur Sikri – Agra (see sikandra on the way back) (driver) Day 8 – Agra (leave morning) to delhi – flight to varanasi (have to look at hotels still!) Day 9 – varanasi Day 10 – Varanasi to Delhi by flight, then flight to Aurangabad (see ellora if time permits, might be pushing our luck!) overnight stay maybe at shree maya hotel Day 11 – Aurangabad – nanded (car or train)- Auranganad for overnight Day 12 – Aurangabad to Delhi by flight – train to Phagwara I am still very double minded whether to do this on our own, or to go through a compnay! One moment I feel like we can do it, then the next I get those butterflies in my stomach wondering if its' best to have it preorganized and whatnot. Still have lots of work to do for the hotel (I want my lists beforehand!) and maybe getting some names of taxi drivers...i know its best to take things as they come, but im so worried of being unprepared and having things turn hectic/horrible again, all and any input from my fellow IM members would be much appreciated! Thanks so much and talk to you all soon!

Mar 24th, 2008, 15:44	#27
SueJ Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: UK Posts: 127	I can't speak for your actual itinerary, as I don't know enough about this area. But I do have input on the DIY vs use a tour company question. By nature, I always want to organise everything myself, but over the years have realised that this is not always the best way in India - it's really hard work to sort through all the options, find a good driver, book a good quide for those 'must have a proper guide' places, decide on hotels and then get the hotels to respond to emails..... So you may want to consider organising some of it yourself and then having a tour company for the more complex bits. I like to leave a bit of flexibility in the itinerary, so tend to pick on the bits that I may want to change my mind on and do those myself. On that basis, if it was me, I think I'd look at a tour co for days 5 to 7 or 8, and then probably do the rest myself. This would give you a bit of flexibility around how your Mum is feeling at any time, and whether you go to Ellora. At that time of year I'd be specifying an air con car for sure.

Mar 24th, 2008, 23:47	#28
Preeti Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: . Posts: 34	Thanks everyone! I know the days in Delhi are a bit much, but we'll only be sightseeing/shopping for 2 days. The rest is for my mom to see old relatives and take care of some bank paperwork, or something... needless to say, I'll go shopping this whole time!! I do want to see ellora, and spend one more night in Varanasi, so Im going to talk about that with my mom tonight. I know this is do-able, but I feel so nervous to do it on my own? I'll still talk to another tour guide to see what they say. A question I had is, is it advisable to book the plane/train tickets in advance, or should we wait till we get their so we can be flexible? Also, is it better to take a car (AC for sure ) instead of the trains? Thanks so much for all the help and support, it really helps!!

Mar 24th, 2008, 23:51	#29
puchoo Maha Guru Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: New Delhi & Himachal Pradesh (Shimla) Posts: 2,636	flexible is always a good idea just keep in mind that the closer you book to when u want to fly the higher the fare.... [quote=Preeti;462744]Thanks everyone! A question I had is, is it advisable to book the plane/train tickets in advance, or should we wait till we get their so we can be flexible? [quote]

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Mar 25th, 2008, 00:33	#30
SueJ Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: UK Posts: 127	I've known the price of plane tickets go either up or down at the last minute, so I guess that's a bit of a chance. With the plane, you can't generally change unless you made a booking at the higher flexible fares. But the same is not true for trains, where you can cancel at any point up to 24 hours in advance and only lose a small admin fee, getting a total refund on the rest (and you can even cancel up to 24 hours AFTER departure for a penalty which I think is 25% of the fare, but not certain on that %). BUT trains tend to get booked up early. So the cheat's way to make sure of seats and keep flexibility is to book more than one date on the route you are taking, and then just cancel whichever you don't use. I have always assumed that lots of people do this, since you often seem to move up the waitlist rapidly on an apparently full train at the last minute. If you're looking to talk to another tour co I'd recommend these people very highly http://www.indianpanorama.in/