From Mumbai to Aurangabad

sweetbirdofyouth

I plan traveling from Mumbai to Aurangabad this Christmas: I would like to take a train from Mumbai on 1st January 2009, spend two days visitin Ajanta and Ellora and ,then, come back to Mumbai. I have been in www.erail.in looking for trains from Mumbai to Aurangabad and I saw a lot of trains between these two cities....The Tapovan Express (06:10) the JAN SHATABDI EX (13:50),etc.it seems that it´s easy to move on from Aurangabad, apparently.
As we can´t book online the train tickets, do you know, by your own experience, if those trains are reliable and easy to catch even if we buy the train ticket the same day or one day in advance? Do you have any other ideas or suggestions?

Thanks

wabat

Why can you not book online ?

http://irctc.co.in/cgi-bin/bv60.dll/...rvices/home.do

sweetbirdofyouth

Do you think is compulsory to book previously? is it neccessary? Will it be difficult/impossible ot travel from these two cities if we plan to buy the train ticket the very same day?

wabat

Its not compulsory to book --- suggest you look at availability of trains on erail.com .. eg CC on 2071 for period 12/11 to 18//11 shows wait lists 4 out if 6 days and 1 seat avail on 14th etc see below


S.NO. DATE(DD-MM-YYYY) CLASS-CC CLASS-2S
1 12-11-2008 W17 0283
2 13-11-2008 w4 0364
3 14-11-2008 0001 0462
4 16-11-2008 w12 0402
5 17-11-2008 w4 0548
6 18-11-2008 0004 0530

Check for other trains and make up your own mind re booking in advance

for Tapovan express on 1 Jan - currently 41 seats avail but not much on 2 and 3 Jan....

have a look in erail.com

wilson

I would seriously consider pre booking, in the last 6 days I have used Mumbai, Pune, Manmad and Aurangabad staions ... they are all heaving with people trying to book tickets for same day travel. So much easier if you know that you are on, which seat you have etc and just turn up. Just my personal preference...

chris

wabat

Totally agree with you Wilson... if nothing else one less thing to do in country if you have a plan as OP seems to have - at least to extent that they know what day they want to travel.

While there are a few trains to choose from they are not all equal in terms of good start / arrival times.

sweetbirdofyouth

Thanks, I'll follow your advices!

AprilFlower

When you are making reservations take a look at coming in to one train station and leaving out of another. Jalgaon station has more trains to Mumbai(and other places) is closer to Ajanta caves where as Aurangabad is closer to Ellora and other sites.

edwardseco

Smart thinking, I'll have to file that tip away..