Train fares.

Steven and Shimla, you guys are the greatest! I think I shpould print out this post and just hand it to the Reservations office in Mumbai, with a warning... "no problems or I'll shoo these two on to you!"

Steven, I am now thinking of not getting an Indrail Pass, but staying with point-to-point, so I probably won't need to take you up on your earlier offer. Of course, I haven't costed the new route yet, so next week I may be back onto you, having changed my mind yet again!

Thanks, Alan.

Delhi - Agra = 200 Kms

2A = Rs 525
3A = Rs 341

Agra - Jodhpur - Jaisalmer = about 920 kms.

2A = 1277 + 80 (SS) + 30 (SF) + 50 (RF) = Rs 1437
3A = 798 + 60 + 30 + 50 = Rs 938

SS = Safety surcharge
SF = Superfast Charge (aka Supplementary charge)
RF = Reservation fee (x 2)


Jaisalmer - Jaipur - Delhi = about 920 kms.

2A = 1277 + 80 (SS) + 30 (SF) + 50 (RF) = Rs 1437
3A = 798 + 60 + 30 + 50 = Rs 938
Same distance as other journey.


Total

2A = 525 + 1437 + 1437 = Rs 3399 = US$ 73.39

3A = 341 + 938 + 938 = Rs 2217 = US$ 47.87

Even a 7 day Indrail pass costs US$ 135 for both 2A + 3A.

thanks for the information. I have plans to travel in india again, and this should prove useful

My husband and I are going to be travelling during the Christmas season as he is doing some work in India and this is the only time off we will have. Unfortunately any other time we would be more spontaneous but as this is high season we have to really determine our schedule. The train routes are really the only thing we are having difficulty agreeing apon, and even though I have gone through all the routes on line I can't quite figure it all out.

Could anyone please enlighten me on the following intinerary
and does this special fair apply seeing as we are traveling huge territories.


Nagpur, Varanasi, Bikaner, Jaislamer, Udapur, Diu, Nagpur
all from Dec 19th in aproximately 2 weeks. Does this seem crazy or what!
Hoping for Bikaner for Christmas and Diu for New years.
I am going crosseyed with all the research I have been doing!


Thank you all and YES I have read every search option and sticky available

Hi superfemale & welcome to indiamike.com

Your starting your trip on Sunday 19th. December, your husband has to be back at work (Nagpur?), and you have approximately 2 weeks, so it is safe to assume that your husband has to be back at work on Monday 3rd. January.

Your suggested itinerary would be crazy; you would spend far too much time on trains.

I have done a kind of itinerary and added rain times.

Sun 19th - Depart Nagpur at 11:55 am.

Mon 20th - Arrive Varanasi at 08:10 am, then night in hotel.

Tue 21st - Hotel.

Wed 22nd - Depart Mughal Sarai (12 km from Varanasi) at 10:10 am.

Thu 23rd - Arrive Bikaner at 11:35 am. then night in hotel.

Fri 24th - Day in Bikaner, depart 01:00 (sat morning)

Sat 25th - Arr Jodhpur at 06:00, depart 06:40, arr Jaisalmer 12:45 pm. then night in hotel.

Sun 26th - Depart Jaisalmer 23:15.

Mon 27th - Arr Jodhpur 05:15, dep Jodhpur 10:45, Marwar Jn. 13:15, depart Marwar Jn. 14:25, arr Udaipur 22:00.

Tue 28th - Hotel.

Wed 29th - Depart Udaipur at 19:45.

Thu 30th - Arr Ahmedabad at 04:25, dep Ahmedabad at 08:15, arr Veraval at 17:10 (Veraval is about 70 km from Diu, take a Taxi)

Fri 31st - Hotel.

Sat 01st - Depart Veraval 07:30, Arr Ahmedabad 16:40, then depart Ahmedabad 18:00.

Sun 02nd - Arr Nagpur 12:10.



I'm getting tired just looking at all them trains.



If you left out Jaisalmer the itinerary looks a little better.

Sun 19th - Depart Nagpur at 11:55 am.

Mon 20th - Arrive Varanasi at 08:10 am, then night in hotel.

Tue 21st - Hotel.

Wed 22nd - Depart Mughal Sarai at 10:10 am.

Thu 23rd - Arrive Bikaner at 11:35 am. then night in hotel.

Fri 24th - Hotel

Sat 25th - Depart Bikaner 05:00, arr Jaipur 11:55, dep Jaipur 20:00

Sun 26th - Arr Udaipur 07:20

Mon 27th - Hotel

Tue 28th - Depart Udaipur at 19:45.

Wed 29th - Arr Ahmedabad at 04:25, dep Ahmedabad at 08:15, arr Veraval at 17:10

Thu 30th - Hotel.

Fri 31st - Hotel.

Sat 01st - Depart Veraval 07:30, Arr Ahmedabad 16:40, then depart Ahmedabad 18:00.

Sun 02nd - Arr Nagpur 12:10.




EDIT NOTE.

I,ve just read your almost identical post, only a couple of changes, 'fly to Delhi' (from Varanasi) & '2.5 weeks' instead of 2.

I'm glad I'm not a travel agent, 2 small changes in 2 days, but it changes so much.

I'd still say forget about Jaisalmer, also, a flight would be better used between Jodhpur and Udaipur.

New Itinerary.

Sun 19th - Depart Nagpur at 11:55 am.

Mon 20th - Arrive Varanasi at 08:10 am, then night in hotel.

Tue 21st - Hotel.

Wed 22nd - Depart Mughal Sarai at 10:10 am.

Thu 23rd - Arrive Bikaner at 11:35 am. then night in hotel.

Fri 24th - Hotel

Sat 25th - Hotel.

Sun 26th - Depart Bikaner 09:45, arr Jodhpur 14:50, dep Jodhpur (by plane) 19:20, arr Udaipur 20:00.

Mon 27th - Hotel

Tue 28th - Depart Udaipur at 19:45.

Wed 29th - Arr Ahmedabad at 04:25, dep Ahmedabad at 08:15, arr Veraval at 17:10

Thu 30th - Hotel.

Fri 31st - Hotel.

Sat 01st - Depart Veraval 07:30, Arr Ahmedabad 16:40, then depart Ahmedabad 18:00.

Sun 02nd - Arr Nagpur 12:10.
---------------------------------------------

Or if you wanted to replace Bikaner with Jaisalmer (though you would lose a day in Jaisalmer and it would be replaced with a day in Jodhpur).

Sun 19th - Depart Nagpur at 11:55 am.

Mon 20th - Arrive Varanasi at 08:10 am, then night in hotel.

Tue 21st - Hotel.

Wed 22nd - Depart Mughal Sarai at 10:10 am.

Thu 23rd - Arrive Jodhpur at 10:15 am. spend day here & depart at 23:15.

Fri 24th - Arr Jaisalmer at 05:15.

Sat 25th - Hotel.

Sun 26th - Depart Jaisalmer 06:45, arr Jodhpur 14:15, dep Jodhpur (by plane) 19:20, arr Udaipur 20:00.

Mon 27th - Hotel

Tue 28th - Depart Udaipur at 19:45.

Wed 29th - Arr Ahmedabad at 04:25, dep Ahmedabad at 08:15, arr Veraval at 17:10

Thu 30th - Hotel.

Fri 31st - Hotel.

Sat 01st - Depart Veraval 07:30, Arr Ahmedabad 16:40, then depart Ahmedabad 18:00.

Sun 02nd - Arr Nagpur 12:10.

Holy
I was actually getting tired too! I know we were discussing that if we were going to fly, we would like to actually land somewhere we want to be, rather than get on another train again. I am thinking about skipping Jaislamer and going right to Udapur, especially if we will be in Bikaner anyways. Then down to Vereval. The leg between Varanasi and Bikaner is that via a train, and do I still need to go to Delhi first to transfer on? I could also fly right from Varanasi to Jodpur if neccessary.
Thanks again for all of your knowledge, people like you make it all the more enjoyable for people like myself to navigate India.

Mughal Sarai to Bikaner is a direct train.

To get from Varanasi to Jodhpur by plane would require changing at Delhi, after 2 flights you wont feel like getting a train to either Bikaner or Jaisalmer.

I dont think it would be worth getting a plane to Delhi either, by the time you get to the airport at Varanasi, then get from the airport at Delhi to a train station, you would still have a 10 hour train journey, you would be better to just get on the train and put your feet up.

You could get a plane (Jetair) from Diu to Mumbai, then either a plane to Nagpur or one of a couple of well timed overnight trains.

The plane departs Diu at 12:15, goes via Porbander and arrives in Mumbai at 14:50, it costs $100 single and there are no flights on saturdays.

Jetair also fly from Mumbai to Nagpur daily at 19:20, getting to Nagpur at 20:35.

Hi Steven!!!! Don't be mad at me...but can I ask you for another itinerary? I'm having the same problem as superfemale, I just can't find the way to do all this...

The places I wanted to go are:

Kalkota - Varanasi - Kahajuraho - (Nepal, Kathamdnu and Tibet, Lhasa) - Delhi - Kampur - Agra - Ladhak - Amristar - Shirinagar - Jaipur - Udaipur - Jodhpur - Jaisalmer back to Delhi and go home , not necessarily in this order...

So, I have 44 days to do all this...I was thinking about departing from Ktm and going directly to Ladhak, but I don't know if it's worthy...and also taking some flights (the fewest flights the better, as I'm going on a budget) ....maybe from Ktm to Ladhak...I don't know....

Can you help me????

Thank you ssooooo much!

Michellemm

You should only be getting a train every third night or you will be exhausted, a quick count using your itinary says you should have about 40 of your days in India, if you wish to include Nepal and Tibet you will need to forget about a few places in India.

Let me know what you decide and I'll be happy to give my opinion on the best route, as I know other members will also gladly help.

If "superfemale" finds it difficult, then it sure will be impossible for you!!!

I agree with Steven, you'll have to omit a few places.

So, considering I have to forget about some of the places in India , which ones from that list above you think I should leave out???

Leave out Khajuraho, Kanpur, Ladakh and Srinagar.

Opinions will widely differ on this, perhaps confusing you more ! Which places to leave out is purely a subjective thing.

Well, my focus of this trip is getting in contact with the Indian culture and religions...also wanted to see beautiful forts and temples...maybe this will clarify abou which cities I should leave out....

It will save you a lot of money and hassle to leave Nepal & Tibet for another trip, also going from the heat of India and up to the Tibetan (mostly above 4000 metres) then back to the heat of India, wow, easier said than done.

Hi Steve,

I plan to visit the following places:

Dehli
Agra
Khajuraho
Varanasi
Jaipur
Pushkar
Udaipur
Jodpur
Jaisaimer
Bikaner
Amristar

Do I need to buy a JIT for my trip? Could you please suggest an itinerary (with train leaving and arrival time) covering all these places? Thank you very much.