Touring Rajasthan by train

Hi!

This is first time on this site so if I have posted this query to the wrong section apologies in advance.

I am travelling to Rajasthan in December.

My itinerary is as follows:

Jaipur – Jodhpur – Jaiselmeir – Bikaner - Jaipur

Can anyone tell me how many days I would need to sight see and maybe to shop in each city?

Also, is this viable by train? I am travelling with my mother who walks with a stick.

Can anyone recommend cheap safe hotels in the centre or any other good location in each city?

Are there anything’s that are must see or must do? I know the obvious such as Umaid Bhawan, forts. Etc. but have not had time to read up on other sights.

I’ve heard that Jodhpur is a good place to shop, is this so? I am looking for sarees and suits amongst other things.

Also, any other helpful information would be much appreciated as would any hints and tips, because at this moment I am petrified!

Thank you in advance.

Hiya,

Of your planned itinerary the only places I have visited are Bikaner and Jodhpur.

Bikaner is a lovely town but we found it to be fairly quiet and with not a great deal to do. If you are not interested in camel safaris be sure to let your hotel know from the offset as we found ourselves on the receiving end of a fair amount of hard selling.

Jodhpur is brilliant for shopping, my sister and I ended up staying a bit longer than we had planned simply because we couldn't tear ourselves away from the shops/markets. As for guesthouse, we stayed in the center near the clocktower. There are loads of hotels there and we just turned up and found one. May be worth bearing in mind that a lot of the guesthouse are really high buildings that involve climbing lots of floors of stairs. Also, many of the cafes/restaurants are on the rooftops of these buildings. My sister has a bad knee and struggled a bit with all the climbing up steps.

enjoy your trip.

Kindly have a look also at this "sticky" thread: The Maha Rajasthan Itinerary Info Thread.