Trains in India 1st Class

My wife and I are planning a trip to india in September and are considering flying to Mumbai and then taking a train to Agra. We then want to visit the Taj and return to Mumbai and perhaps then on to the Goa region.

My wife is not too keen on Rail travel and has lots of concerns about cleanliness etc. This rases the following questions.

1. Can anyone help me on how good/bad the 1st class is.
2. Can we get a 2 berth sleeper booked in advance?
3. What is the accommodation like?
4. How long is the trip to Agra?

We also have some questions about the weather and accommodation in Agra

1. Weather in Mumbai, Agra and Goa.
2. Average cost for a good 4 or 5 star hotel.

I hope you mean AC-1st class ...there are not much trains left in India which have only 1st class ....from Mumbai there's only one train which is having AC-1 & goes through Agra Cantt.,Train No.2137 Punjab mail depart from Mumbai CST 7:40 pm...reaches next day @ 5:50 pm to Agra Cantt. covering 1350 KM in almost 22 hours.

http://www.seat61.com/India.htm

http://www.indiamike.com/india-artic...-indian-train/

Why not fly? It's a 22 hour train journey - a plane would have you there in about 3 hours. Internal air services in India are good.

Thanks for info,from swapnil, guess I had better not ask any more questions as Mr lunavadalad doesn't believe that people should travel or stay in any comfort.

If you want to see the Taj Mahal, fly into Delhi, then head south. Agra is only a few hours south of Delhi.

1st class and 5-star mean something different in India. Really good Western hotels are as expensive or more than in the US - $300 a night. or more. Try the Taj or Oberoi.

A train trip is a must in India. 1AC is comfy, but it's not like flying 1st Class, or 1st Class trains in the US.

? I think you may have misinterpreted his signature; signatures if they have one show up on any member's posts though (once every page), it wasn't directed at you. (So my reading tips below I didn't compile just for you, nor are they meant to suggest you should read more. It is indeed just a signature.)

The links he gave you were in fact pertinent and you should really check them out. (S/he's also an experienced India traveler I think, you could learn a thing or two from such people.) Getting hold of a guidebook also springs to mind, I suspect you can afford one. You can compare some titles from the library before buying to see which one you like, doesn't matter if they're outdated, the general info & their general approach doesn't change much.

Travel agencies, travel bookstores, India tourist offices abroad, and such can also be a good resource, etc. And then there's this thing called the World Wide Web, which probably brought you here.

I don't get that at all from his posting. The tag line is standard boilerplate, not directed to the OP at all. There is a quote from Lincoln that covers this but I'll run for cover..

If you expect evil, you will surely find it..

Thanks for the support. Was not able to undertand the reaction to some helpful links.