Mysore, Hampi,Goa, Ellora, Dec.07 : Itinerary comments please ?

Khandoma

Hello Friends,

Could you please comment on my itinerary ?

For what it's worth :
I'm no great friend of buses
I can travel in any class of trains
I don't mind long day nor overnight train rides; but I'd like to limit overnight rides to 3 or 4 total
I'm on low budget but can afford a couple of taxi rides and possibly a plane (to Aurangabad ?)
I fly in & out of Mumbai from Paris.

(numbers refer to trains)
Dec.1 Mumbai - Bangalore 6529
Dec.2 Bangalore - Mysore 2007
Dec.5 Mysore - Hassan 6201 (Belur & Halebid)
Question : I can't find trains for that date, only the next day. Are there no trains running that day ? If so, how long is the bus ride ?
Dec.7 Hassan - Bangalore by bus
Question : Couldn't find trains from Hassan to Bangalore, is that right ?
(same night) Bangalore - Hospet 6592
Dec.13 Hospet - Magdaon
Question : What is the difference between train 2847 and train 7603 ? Both run at the same time. Same train ?
Dec.16 Goa - Mumbai 2620
Dec 17 Mumbai - Aurangabad 1401
Dec.19 Aurangabad - Mumbai 1402 or 7805
Question : Are trains to & from Aurangabad safe for single women travelers ?

Many thanks for your answers !

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iloveindia1234

Hassan to Bangalore by Bus will take about 3 hours (It can be more but that depends on the kind of traffic when the bus reaches bangalore). See to that you leave hassan by 4 PM so that you can come to Bangalore, have dinner and then get on the 6592 train to Hospet (i guess that leaves Bangalore city railway station at 10.15 PM on platform 8 )

Khandoma

Thanks a lot for the quick reply, ILoveIndia !
The IR site says 10.40 PM. Anyway, times duly noted, I'll get there well in advance.
Can't believe you even have the platform number ! Wonderful. Thanks again.

iloveindia1234

The train 6592 has 2 divisions...a part of the train says bangalore-Hubli and the other part says bangalore - nanded. Make sure you get on the part which says Bangaloer-Hubli because at guntkal junction Bangalore-Hubli part of the train goes towards Hospet and Bangalore-Nanded part of the train goes towards Nanded in maharastra.
lol..i know it's a bit confusing .just wanted to let u know so that you wont be running around in the railway station. Have seen foreigners confused when trying to climb that train to go to Hampi.
And yess it leaves at 10.30 and sometimes even late. but it's always good to be there a bit early

Khandoma

Now that's useful ! I'm assuming there will be signs in English on the coaches saying Hubli / Nandeg ?
Speaking of which : I just made most of my ticket reservations (in a breeze, beginner's luck I guess) and I see that my coach number is mentioned on the slip. Is this number final ? In other words, when the train gets in, I just locate the right coach and hop aboard, armed with my printed e-ticket and passport, is that correct ? Or is there any chance that my coach number changes between reservation and train arrival, and I have to re-check with the train manager ?
(It's not my 1st time on Indian trains, but when I came to India last, there was no IR website, so this e-ticket business is a first to me). Thanks !

iloveindia1234

The coach number will remain the same and the signs are in english. Just dont worry about it. On the coach make sure it is written Bangalore-Hubli before getting in the coach. Hospet junction is reached at about 7.45 AM. The stop is just for 5 minutes. make sure you are ready along with your stuff to get down the train
And yess..you dont have to worry if you have your reservations confirmed on the eticket. Just have a identification proof (a passport or driving licence) along with the print out of the eticket.

vsp27759

There is no Train by the number 7805. Did you meant 7058?
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Whether 1402 or 7058, hope you have made your reservation in AC Coaches.

Khandoma

ILoveIndia, thank you very much for the precise info, that's just what I needed.

VSP, apologies for the typo. 7058 it is, Devagiri express.

And since you're asking, I have a question re. this reservation. I actually booked in 1A (my only 1st class ticket in the whole trip). I got a confirmation just like for my other tickets. BUT : contrary to all my other ticket reservation slips, it says :

Coach number : (blank)
Seat No : 0000

All my other tickets have coach numbers and seat / berth numbers. So I'm worried. Does this mean my berth is actually not confirmed ?
( I am NOT on WL or RAC, it is a confirmed ticket).

Many thanks for the help, greatly appreciated.

vsp27759

When Confirmed Berths are allotted in IA, the ticket says CONFIRMED. Actual Coupe/Berth would be known only when Final, Charts are taken printed.
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In 7058, the position of IA Coach would be 15th from Loco (Engine). It is a 17-Coach Train.

Khandoma

Sorry if I'm slow, let me just get this straight : at this point, I shouldn't worry, as berths will be alloted later. Is that correct ? Also, my understanding is that charting is done only a few hours before train departure, can you confirm this please ?

This is incredibly useful, thanks. I won't have time to go online and check my PNR status in the 24hrs before I reach that platform. So you are saving me a lot of hassle.

Many thanks and happy Diwali to all,