New to India - Where to go and how to get around

Dazza

Hi, I'll be travelling to india for my first time next March for 3 weeks and I need some advice on a suitable itinerary. I'll be going on my own and arriving in Delhi on March 19 from there I would like to visit Agra, Rajasthan and if possible Varanasi. I fly out of Mumbai on April 8 so I'm not sure if I'll have enough time to visit Varanasi as I'd also like to go to Goa or another beach destination before heading to Mumbai for a few days before my flight home.

I'll be on a medium budget, might even treat myself to a high budget once in a while and would pay for a domestic flight but would also like to go on the train or even car and driver to certain places.

If anyone can help me out with an itinerary and/or advice me on suitable transport arrangements it would be much appreciated. Also if seems that I want to do too much in the short space of time then let me know as the more I read on India the more place I want to visit !!!

Many thanks

gaganseksaria

I've done what you intend to do in bits and pieces and can advise you to follow this route broadly with, in my opinion, the best mode of transport. I'm an Indian so what could seem doable to me could be far from imaginable for you but I'd give it a shot anyway.

1. Delhi - Agra (4-5 hours car drive, Rs. 5000 return to delhi, Train Rs. 1000 one way - trains are pretty alright if you book what is known as a 2nd AC compartment - try http://www.irctc.co.in/ or http://www.indianrail.gov.in/. I can see that they have e-tickets on some trains. may be they have some sort of ticket delivery system for abroad or even a ticket collection center in delhi). You could combine Agra with varanasi but it takes you way too east then but doable by train - 1/2 days detour (far away from rajasthan). think indian trains are fairly slow (about 500 kms in a night but thats good in a way because its also the best way to sleep the night off. dont know about u but i sleep the best in trains, where the sound/movement lulls you to sleep)

2. Agra - (via delhi) - Rajasthan (multiple locations). move by hired car, point to point taxi or train (safest). end your north journey in jaipur. fly jaipur - bombay. I flew Jaipur Bombay once a year ago for Rs. 2400 on Jet Airways. you need to book sufficiently in advance. You could try the other cheap airlines like Air Sahara, Kingfisher Airlines, Air Deccan, Spice Jet and see what they got. I've been out of India for a while now so have little clue what they offer etc. but you could look their websites up on google. try taking the hi-speed shatabdi or rajdhani trains wherever posisble (usually delhi - bombay). but then its also fairly cheap to fly delhi-bombay (rs, 4000 on a good day i think)

3. Bombay - Goa (Train - overnight Rs. 1400 one way or flight Rs. 1500 Air Deccan or other). You may even try a jaipur - goa route by train/plane and end in bombay. goa trains station is known as thivim/madgaon.

bus is usually not an option (unless within cities) and will also advise against point to point taxis.

whatever you do, its all safe and dandy. so take it easy and have fun.

Gagan

Casey

I think that your Rajasthan portion would be the best portion to go by car. I never have done this, but it seems that many others on this sight tend to do a portion of their Rajasthan journey by car. You can use the search function to find more information about car hire.

SHIMLA

I suggest the following :

Delhi(3 days) - Udaipur(2 days) - Jaipur(2 days) - Agra+F.Sikri(2 days) - Varanasi(3 days) - Mumbai(2 days) - Goa(4 days) - Mumbai.

Travel by train everywhere, on the above route.

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Dazza

Thanks for the response guys, I like all the ideas you've given me, if anyone else has got other itineraries then they would be appreciated too. I think which ever direction I go in, travelling by train is the probably the best option and also be a great experience.

I've been told that you can get the hovercraft from Goa to Mumbai and vice-versa, does anyone know if this is still available and if it is, is it an enjoyable trip !

aadil

Dazza: No hovercrafts operate on the Mumbai Goa route anymore!!! Sorry about that but there is the 5* Cruise Ship Super Star Libra that makes a short two or six day trip to Goa and the Lakshadweep Islands though it is not everyday but only on some fixed dates. This is also just a temporary feature started recently and I don't know till when it will be operational. The best way is by train or by bus if you don't get reservations on the train. The train is much faster as well as more comfortable too!!! And if you have less time and more money then try one of the airlines like Go Air, Deccan Air, Spice Jet, Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways, Indian Airlines or Air India!!!

About travelling in Rajasthan in March it is preferable to have an airconditioned car or bus to travel in due to the intense heat at that time of the year and also helps to keep out the dust and desert sand!!!

Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Aadil.

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Dazza

Thakns for your replies guys, I think I'll be travelling by train and possibly plane as they seem to be the best options for the short time i'll be there.

As this is my first time travelling alone, what do you reccommend I do about accommodation, should I pre-book it before I leave the UK or is it easy enough to find decent accommodation when I arrive at thses places?

Casey

I would definately pre-book a place to stay your first night. After a long flight it's nice to not have to worry about a place to stay. You can use the search engine or hotel section on IM to get information about places to stay. Many of them you can book over the internet. As for the rest of your trip, some people book a place when they arrive, some people like to pre-arrange. I like to arrange for a place to stay if I am arriving late at night. Otherwise, I find part of the fun is checking out places to stay. Either way, I have never had a problem just arriving at a place. There always seems to be a place to stay. (except maybe during a festival)

Dazza

Thanks for the advice Casey, I think I'll pre book for Delhi then work out my travelling times for the rest of the trip then decide whether to turn up on spec or not.

Casey

I pre-booked at the Master Paying Guesthouse. From all accounts it is a wonderful place to stay. They got back to me within 2 days and I arranged for airport pick up as well. It is a bit more than we will probably spend throughout our trip, but as we are arriving after two long flights with a 12 hour time difference we are more than happy to pay for the service. It is a small guesthouse that is often full, so we booked well in advance. Good luck on your trip. It's good to see other people get excited months before leaving!

Dazza

Casey: So you can tell I'm excited then lol

I can't wait to go I just wish it was next week when I was going!

Is the Master Paying Guesthouse in the centre as I have been told by a couple of my colleagues to stay near or at Connaught Place?

Casey

It is not in CP but it is relatively close. There are many hotels in CP and you can check the hotels section on this site for some good ideas. Many of them have websites and you can email them for a quote. Some of the places may not get back to you. I felt a bit silly pre-booking so far ahead, but we did it just in time to get a room where we wanted. I also ordered our train tickets to Udaipur on-line and had them delivered to the hotel. This is another benefit to pre-booking, although you can always order ahead and pick them up at the counter.

Dazza

Hi Guys,

From the advice that you have given me and also from speaking to other fellow travellers I have come up with the following itinerary, I'd appreciate you comments;

19 - 21 March - Delhi

21 March - Overnight train to Varanasi

22 - 24 March - Varanasi (possible Sarnath too)

24 March - Overnight train to Agra

25 March - Agra (Depart Agra for Jaipur)

26 - 28 March - Jaipur

28 March - Overnight train to Udaipur

28 - 01 April - Udaipur

01 - 02 April - Fly to Mumbai

03 - 08 April - Fly Goa

08 April - Mumbai then back to UK