Manali - Getting there!

This is actually the stuff that I'd posted quite sometime back - which quite strangely was ripped off & put into another thread!! I'm not sure how that happened! If some mod is behind it then - Please dont do that agiain coz I dont like it.
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Hi all,

A lot of IMers often post queries on how to get to Manali from Delhi, Chandigarh & such. Why not put together some reliable info for everyone to use? Please post details of ur journey, including necessary contact numbers, addresses etc. For eg. if u've trvelled by a taxi/bus - post the contact details of the taxi/bus operator,fare etc. If u've hired a bike then post the details of the lender, the security deposit amount, documents required etc.

cheers
sabby

HPTDC ( Himachal Tourism Development Corporation ) -- Details

Has daily bus service from Delhi to Manali

Note: Online booking not available, also booking has to be done from the city of departure only!!!

2 Non A/C Dlx Buses

Fare : Rs.550
Delhi Departure : 18:30 & 19:00
Manali Arrival : 10:00 am Approx

2 Volvo A/C Buses

Fare : Rs.850
Delhi Departure : 18:30 & 19:00
Manali Arrival : 10:00 Approx ( Gets delayed Pretty often )

1 A/C Sleeper Bus

Fare : Rs1,100
Delhi Departure : 19:00
Manali Arrival : 10:00 Approx ( gets delayed pretty often )
P.S - Even though the HPTDC guys will tell u this is a sleeper Volvo - truth is it aint no Volvo & the A/C is pretty bad - it isnt cool enough in the summer & quite surprisingly theres no heating!!! so if ur travelling in this bus in the winter carry some thick blankets to keep urself from freezing!! However despite all that its still my fave coz the beds are just great & u wake up in manali after a great comfy sleep!

Departure Point for all buses :
Behind Chanderlok Building, Janpath, New Delhi.

Contact Details:

Website :http://hptdc.nic.in/

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HRTC (Himachal Road Transport Corporation) -- Details

Operates several buses daily between Delhi & Manali

Online Reservation available. Reservation can be done 1 month in advance
http://www.himachalhotels.in/bus_booking.asp

IMer johnrx99 who'd booked online, says these guys charge a surcharge of about Rs.50 on international credit cards!

Distance - 580 Kms
Journey Time - 15 hrs approx.

Types of buses:

[Hi-Tech] - Fare Rs.358

Delhi to Manali Timetable

Dep: Delhi
05:40:00 AM
11:30:00 AM
04:40:00 PM
05:40:00 PM
06:40:00 PM
09:03:00 PM
10:15:00 PM

Manali to Delhi Timatable

Dep:Manali
01:20:00 PM
01:46:00 PM
03:30:00 PM
03:40:00 PM
03:45:00 PM
04:30:00 PM
05:05:00 PM


Super Deluxe - Fare Rs.620

Delhi to Manali Timetable
Dep: Delhi
8:25:00 PM

Manali to Delhi Timatable
Dep: Manali
04:20:00 PM


Volvo Airconditioned - Fare Rs.885

Delhi to Manali Timetable
Dep: Delhi
8:25:00 PM

Manali to Delhi Timatable
Dep: Manali
5:00:00 PM


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Raj National Express -- Details

Has daily service between Delhi & Manali. decent service & normally stick to schedules.
Online Reservation & url : http://www.rajnationalexpress.in/

Bus Type - Volvo A/c
Fare - Rs.839

Borading Points

Delhi
Cannought Place Office:
A-25/4,Middle Circle,
Cannaught Place,
New Delhi-110001
Tel-01132014068/41516545

Manali
The Mall,Manali
Tel-01902-252480/252990/251718

Delhi to Manali

Dep: Delhi - 18:30
Arr: Manali - 09:00

Manali to Delhi

Dep: Manali - 18:00
Arr: Delhi - 08:30


A word of caution on the volvo Buses!!

Please note that, apart from the operators mentioned above, there are several private operators runnig buses between Delhi - Manali, but they are ALL a bunch of crooks. Their buses are terrible except the odd Volvo & they never ever care abt the schedule & on top of that dont be surprised if you've to fight it out for ur seat even after paying through your nose for the crappy service!!

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Taking the aerial route:

One can fly to kullu form delhi, with Jagson airlines & from Kullu(Bhuntar Airport), take a taxi to Manali

Online Ticketing - http://www.jagsonairline.com/fs_himachalpradesh.htm

Please note that Jagson tends to be quite unreliable - flights get cancelled more often than not & cld ruin a perfect itinerary!!

Fare - Rs.4650
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Delhi to Kullu (Bhuntar)

Flt No.JA-211

DELHI - Dep:: 07:15
KULLU - Arr:: 08:35
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Kullu to Delhi

Flt No.JA-212

KULLU - Dep:: 10:55
DELHI - Arr:: 12:15

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Air Deccan has also started operating daily flihts between Delhi & Kullu. The details are :

Online Booking : http://www.airdeccan.net/
Fare - Approx Rs.3,500 Please check their website for the exact fare coz that varies from time to time!
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Delhi to Kullu

Flt No. DN-557
Delhi - Dep:: 10:15
Kullu - Arr:: 11:30

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Kullu to Delhi

Flt No. DN-558
Kullu - Dep:: 11:50
Delhi - Arr:: 13:10

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Catch a Train!

If you are the sort who hates 15 hr bus journeys then u can cut down ur journey time on road by abt 6-7 hrs! There are two options here -
You could travel on a train upto Pathankot or Kalka/Chandigarh & then hire a taxi or catch a bus to Manali. For people travelling to the north from Cal/ Mumbai / Chennai , if theres a direct train to the above places - this wld be the best option!

Indian Railway Info Site :
http://www.indianrail.gov.in/inet_metro_trns.html
Online Ticketing :
http://www.irctc.co.in/

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Hire a cab!

If you can afford it then it sure is a great way to travel. However there are pitfalls also. A good driver can make for a great trip but in case ur driver turns out to be a rogue then ur trip can get completely ruined. Its not wise to hire a cab at random - ask someone to recco a good taxi operator & negotiate all the details before u actually hire the cab.

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thats great information Sabby. Thank you

Thanx Bhaswaran,
Keep posting those amazing photos of urs bro!

cheers
sabby

@Sabby - Thanks a ton !!! Great compilation of really really helpful information.

I have a few more questions on this topic . I am planning to travel to Manali from Delhi on 17-FEB-07 and back on 22-FEB-07.

#1. You had mentioned that Jagson Airlines are not reliable, have frequesnt cancellations etc. I was really tempted to take Jagson airlines since they are offering Delhi-Kullu flights for 2k per person only. It looked like a very good deal and would have saved us a lot of time. Is your feedback about them based on first-hand information on reliable sources? (please do not take any offense, just double checking since the offer from Jagson is really tempting). It's really imp for me to know this since I will be on a tight schedule and wouldn't be in a position to accomodate more than 3-4 hrs of delay. (I'll be flying to-and-from from Bangalore to Delhi).

#2. How reliable is Air Deccan?

#3. You have mentioned that HPTDC A/c Volvo and A?C sleeper buses get late pretty often. Any idea how much margin should I factor in for Manali Arrival (Delhi-Manali) and Delhi Arrival (Manali-Delhi) ? Delhi Arrival is relly imp since I'll need to decide my flight from Delhi based on it.

#4. Are HRTC Super Delux buses A/C? Are they semi-sleeper / push back?

#5. Out of HRTC Super Delux, HRTC A/C Volvo, HPTDC A/c Volvo and A?C sleeper buses, what would be the BEST choice from Delhi to Manali and back. My priority order would be:

a) Heating inside the bus in Feb (I do not want to carry thick blankets with me, have to take a flight and thick blankets will unneccesarily add to extra chargeable weight).
b) Punctuality at Destination Arrival.
c) Seating Comfort: Sleeper >> Semi-Sleeper > Push-Back
d) Total journey time duration.
e) Overall trip experience - quality of bus, attitude of conductor, etc

#5. How's the rush in Feb on this route? Can I easily get bus tickets on the day of the journey on both legs, i.e. from Delhi on 17th Feb and Manali on 22nd Feb?

#6. Any inforamtion about refund policy of Jagson in case flight is cancelled? Suppose I decide to book Jagson from Delhi-Kullu and in case it gets cancelled on the D-day, I get refund and take a A/C Volvo in the night. Is it feasible?

Thanks again for your help.

R

Manali Overview

Situated at an altitude of 2,050m. The Kullu valley has an ancient town in its lap called Manali. Surrounded by towering peaks at an arm length, Manali's major asset is its proximity to the snowline. It is a flourishing orchard industry, a popular honeymoon destination and trailhead for numerous treks as well as a great countryside ideal for adventure sport lovers.
Best Time To Visit: May To October.

@Sabby - you have mentioned about a guy, Naushad, in ur posts saying he organizes amazing trips in manali. Can you tell me more about him - is he a freelancer or works for a travel agency, his fees, and his contact numbers.

Is it advisable to take 12:25 hrs flight from Delhi to Goa (Sahara) on 22 Feb if I start by bus from Manali to Delhi on 21st Feb evening?
Which bus should I take - HRTC or HPTDC?
Also, where should I get down in Delhi so that airport is nearest?
Please advise asap so that I can book air tickets well in advance.
Thanks for the help !

sabby,

Thanks for the info. Very well compiled.

Ronak.

I wouldn't rely on Jagson, i booked & paid for a flight from Bhuntar to Delhi last october at their office at Delhi airport, the day before i was due to leave Kashol i got a travel agent to ring their office at Bhuntar airport & they said yes no problem your flight is confirmed for the morning. So i got up mega early this next morn & caught the 1st bus down to Bhuntar i walked upto the airport gate where a man said can i help, it turned out he was the manager for Jagson in Bhuntar. "Sorry no flight today" he said "but... what do you mean no flight! i had it confirmed yesterday" i said "technical problems" was is short reply with no further explanation " well how can i get a refund?"
"Refund from Delhi" he replied "But this is not possible i am flying back to the u.k. in 2 days i don't have time" was my reply "Wait here i'll ring Delhi i will be back in 30mins"
That's the last i'll see of him! i thought. So i checked out my transport options with a agent in Bhuntar who said there was a bus to Shimla in 30mins. I booked the bus & went & sat in a restaurant & ordered ommelette with green chillies YUM YUM.
To my amazement the Jagson manager came back 25mins later with a fist full of rupees & gave me a full cash refund, just as he finished counting it into my hand the Shimla bus pulled up.
What i found odd was there was no-one else waiting for the plane it seems to me they take bookings & if they get enough customers its a goer if not Tough! KK

thanks for the reply KK.
Can someone answer my other questions?

Hi Ritesh,
I'm glad u found the info useful - thats why I've put it up !! Hope u have a great time in Manali. Here are the answers to ur questions

1. Jagson indeed is quite unreliable - on of my friends took it & his itinerary went haywire coz those guys decided to suddenly cancel the manali flght. If u look more closely on this forum u'll find many people quite unhappy with jagson. I wouldnt avise on flying jagson!

2.I've never travelled to manali with air deccan ( have done del - blr many times) so cant say how reliavle they are!! guess u'll just hav to ask someone whoz done the sectr with deccan!

3. I've travelled on the HPTDC sleeper - so called A/C bus & both times have reached late - once at 12:30 pm & the other time at abt 1. but many frinds I know have also reached bang on time so its a 50:50 on that just factor in abt 2-3 hrs extra - not more. The good news is that these buses invariably reach delhi on time!!

4 & 5. Unless one is on a tight budget I wouldnt recco anything less than the Volvo - for u the order of pref wld be - Volvo , volvo & volvo.

As I've already mentioned HPTDC A/C sleeper buses hav no heating!! I've seen passengers hav a tough time in the freezing winters of north!!But the beds are damn good. Since ur not willing to carry thick balnkets - I'd reccomend the semi sleeper A/C volvo ( either HPTDC or HRTC) coz they are really good. HRTC has the added advantage of online booking & HPTDC on the other hand starts from a central location in Delhi so u take ur pick. Avoid the private operators at any cost!

the journey time is at 14-15 hrs & the heating in volvo is rather good.

the bus condutors are a bunch on assholes anyway so dont expect much from them! by the way the private operators are even worse in this department!!

overall the semi sleeper volvo is pretty comfy except for the fact that u hav to sit throughout the night!

6. Very few people visit Manali in feb so u dont hav to book too much in advance - but I'd advise not to cut it too close at least to ensuer that u get the best seats in the bus!

7.Sorry no info abt their refund policy - u'll hav to call them up and ask - anyway I'm sure how things work here in India so dont take their word as truth!!

6.

Naushad has his own travel company in Manali & hez the guy to contact if u wanna do some great treks around there. he has his own Mahindra scorpios & I'd suggest u ask for this guy called OmPrakash to drive u - hez a really nice chap. We also had a very nice guy called Sharmaji to guide us during the trek - hez a very friendly chap too! Heres Naushad's contact Info -

Naushad Kaludi
Antrek Tours & Travels
1, Rambagh, The Mall, Manali 175131

Tel: (01902) 252292, 254492, 254006
Fax: 252786
Email: info@antrektours.com
url: www.antrektours.com

Hope the info helps u & Have a great holiday - u'll see lots of snow in Feb!

12:25 is good enough but if ur not really in a great hurry I'd suggest u catch the next flight. If ur unlucky u cld hit fog on the road & reach delhi an hour or two late!

HRTC has online booking so u can safely book ur tickets in advance which is a huge bonus & its quite reliable. It stats from the ISBT, Kashmiri Gate. You can get down at the alst stop & hire a taxi to the airport which should take abt an hr.

@Sabby - thanks man! You have been a real reservoir of knowledge. Great Great help.
I'll take a semi-sleeper volvo from HPTDC or HRTC. And I'll take the first bus back from Manali. I have already booked Air Sahara 12:25 hrs flight, so I need to reach Delhi by 10:00 am.

@Kullukid - your tips regarding jagson were very helpful - I am not going with them.

I'll update you guys after I am done with the trip on how these travel arrangements went.

I'll also seek more help from you in other appropriate threads on how to plan my 4 day trip in and around Manali.

Thanks once again guys. You have been a very helpful bunch and I appreciate that!