Delhi to Amritsar - plane or train?

Hi all,

I have been reading this site for awhile and this is my first question. I will be visiting India for the first time in January. I was looking into travel between Delhi and Amritsar and it looks like you can fly Indian Airlines or take the train (Shatabi Express). The flight is 1 hour and I hear the train takes 5-6 hours.

I was wondering if anyone has any recommendation as to which is the better mode of transport between Delhi and Amritsar. Also, has anyone flown on Indian Airlines or taken the Shatabi? If so, I'd love to hear what you thought of it - service, timeliness, overall experience, etc.

Thank you!

The flight may take an hour, but you'll be tied up with airport business for several hours going and who-knows-how-long in Amritsar, so why not take the train? There's no rush!

I took the Shatabdi from Puri to Delhi last winter (24 hours, more or less) and the service and food were both very good -- and it was on time, but THAT depends on the weather.

Northern India, of which both Delhi and Amritsar are part, has dreadful fog in the winter, and sometimes trains or flights are cancelled or late, so with either mode of transportation, you're taking your chances at that time of year. (It's also very chilly and damp, so you'll want warm socks and maybe your fleece jacket. You'll be given sheets, warm blankets and a pillow if you take the night train).

Hi Daisy, welcome.
I have travelled on the Shatabdi from Delhi to Beas, just short of Amritsar about 5 times and it is great, once in Feb, Mar, Oct and twice Dec, other trains at similar times but not in January.

If this is your first trip then depending on your purpose of going to Amritsar, I would say while it will be an experience both via the drawn out Air India route, all airports are the same, the train journey may be only a few hours longer but the experience could be more enriching. There is the scenery and the people obviously, the weather may be quite bleak and foggy as well as the burning of the stubble from the Chappati grass and rice. It all makes for a picture of the life of the country at that time, something that possibly should not be missed so long as you are cossy and warm.

wonderwomanusa, that must have been the Rajdhani you were on; not the Shatabdi!

Shatabdi Expresses are basically superfast intercity expresses which cover the two-way journey on the same day. The Rajdhanis are long distance expresses, connecting New Delhi with different cities of India.

Am off now, to catch a Rajdhani to New Delhi !!

Bye for now !

>>wonderwomanusa, that must have been the Rajdhani you were on; not the Shatabdi!<<

Oh, Shimla, you are probably right. And darn, I'm not in India so can't keep them straight this year! <sigh>

Get the train, nice and quick we get it a month ago.
Amritsar was another dusty old indian city but the golden temple and the people were amazing.
One tip , inside the golden temple u will notice stairs going up and u are allowed up the stairs and u should not miss it, i had a great time up on the roof!!!!!
Very good restaurant is crystals, great food and not to expensive

Yes just had dinner at Crystals the other day (near Hotel Airlines--NOT nice!) and it is great. Don't miss the border ceremony--should be Rs 500 for a car out and back, including waiting time.
The Shatabdi is great value for the money and by the time you figure in the time it takes arriving early to the airport etc it really doesn't take that much more time. The food is good and they keep it coming.

Hii,
I think you should take the shatabdi, it is a nice cozy train. And as one of the persons say here, taking a flight is a lot of hassle in this weather in delhi. have a nice time, and yes go to the border of India and Pakistan and see the ceremony, it is really worth it
cheers
girish

Thank you for all of the tips! I think that the train sounds like the better option.

What is the best way to get Shatabdi tickets? I know booking in advance is a good idea right! I am planning to travel with my 16 month old son to Jullundhar. In the past we've always hired a car but am a little nervous about that this time so was thinking about the train.

Where is the closest train station to the airport? Also what about luggage? We will have at least 4 big suitcases and probably 2 carry on's as my parents are also going to be with us.

Thanks,

CP

My brother got the train tickets - I believe he booked them online. The only thing is, you have to have them delivered to an address in India. We had ours sent to an uncle in Delhi, which meant that we had to meet him before we could get on the train.

I highly recommend the Shatabdi! We got executive class tickets - still pretty inexpensive and great service, good food, not crowded. We traveled within India by car, train, and plane and I thought the train was the best way to go.

As for luggage, in the train stations there are porters who carry your bags - make sure you negotiate the price in advance though, and just a warning - they may try to get more $ out of you later - be firm. In the executive class car there are luggage racks right above the seats for your bags. Hope this helps!

Hi Daisy,

Thanks a ton for your help and information. We don't have any family in Delhi so not sure how we can come around this but I would like to travel via the train. Do you know how long before traveling executive class you should book your train?

Thanks,

CP

To answer your first question, you can have the tickets delivered at your hotel. For this, you have to book your hotel in advance and know its full address, including the PIN code. Then inform the manager, who'll keep your tickets in custody when they are delivered.

How much in advance should the tickets be booked depends on the month in which you'll be travelling. If you're travelling in "off-season", then you can book the EC class tickets just a day before and get confirmed seats.

Apart from hiring a car is there any other way to reach the Wagha border? Also any recommendations for a decent accommodation? Anything else that I should not miss in the city?

The cheapest way is to take a shared taxi, which would cost about 70 r. There are many taxis like this near the Golden Temple.

Although it's quite uncomfortable, you can meet very nice people this way.