Please suggest best option for transportation from Nainital to Haridwar

Hello guys,

Can anybody please suggest me best option to go to Haridwar from Nainital as We are 3 couple + 2 child (3-4 years) so we are mostly preferring day traveling instead of night.

Thanks,
Dilip



CA note: title edited. 'help' etc should be used for extreme circumstances.

Comfortable day-time options don't really exist (unless you hire your own vehicle). Your best bet is the overnight train from Kathgodam to Haridwar. You have to sleep somewhere anyway, might as well be on the train.

Hi Dilliwala,

Thanks a lot for your reply,

As per train (14119-KGM DDN EXPRESS) i will be reaching at haridwar at mid night around 2:30 AM, so what will be the options for stay till morning? as i think if we will be searching hotel at mid night then defiantly hotel will charge us too much .

There are two options; first (which I would have preferred) to stay in Railway Waiting Hall, if the Retiring Room is not available. There are few dharmashalas in 100 meter vicinity of the railway station. I would have approached either of them.

First of all thanks a lot Prakaant,

Dharamsalas is the option i was thinking, but what about safety as we will be at midnight time in the Haridwar? is Haridwar is safe?

There would be 90% of passengers of the train deboarding at Haridwar. And, everybody would be reaching some destination. Even a rickshaw wallah would be dropping you to some reliable place.

I treat Haridwar as a safe destination!

In case you do not find it comfotable, you may stay at Railway station till morning. The place becomes lively by 6:00 AM

Ah, Thanks a lot for info Prakaant.

There are hotels opposite railway station. Not so good, but not so bad either in 300-500 rupees.

dilip, what is your plan with regard to Haridwar anyway? If you were planning to stay a day or two, why not book a hotel of your choice in advance? Then no need to hunt on arrival. There's loads of hotel info on the site, just search. As Prakaant rightly points out, it's no big deal then to get to your hotel at 2.30 am, I would suggest that rather than waiting at the RS.

There's also an overnight Nainital-Dehradun deluxe bus (non-a/c if I recall correctly) operated by UTC which will probably drop you at Haridwar an hour or two later. It won't be as confortable as the train, despite reclining seats, and I certainly would prefer to arrive at 2.30 am and get a few hours more sleep in the hotel.

There is another option. You can change the route. Instead of Kathgodam - Haridwar, you start with Haridwar and then proceed to Kathgodam. Dehradun - Kathgodam Exp leaves Haridwar Jn Station at 00.20 Hrs. and reaches Kathgodam at around 07.00 Hrs. next day. It this change suits you, all your worries of reaching midnight etc. would be over.

Hi Dilliwala,

Thanks for your reply as you are right to book hotel in advance but i am planning to stay at Gujarati Samaj as i know that it is best option to stay for me.

For bus: Actually, we will have our kids with us so we are preferring train instead of bus.

Thanks for your suggestion and let me think more on this too.

Actually, I am planning my trip as below:

Rajkot to Delhi Via train
Delhi to Manali via Overnight volvo
Manali to Delhi via Overnight volvo
Delhi to Kathgodam Via train
Kathgodam to Haridwar via train
Haridwar to mathura via train
Mathura to agra (Still not plannced about transportation)
Agra to Delhi (Still not plannced about transportation)
Delhi to Rajkot via train

Let me know if any suggestion in this trip?

I have total 18 days for entire trip including transportation

I wish you could reconsider your plan. While you finalize your plan, you may redo the quoted section.

There are at least 6 trains between Ambala Cantt and Haridwar and at least three (14712, 12054, and 12064) out of these go and reach during daytime.

You may come up to Ambala Cantt from Manali and take these trains.

Prakaant, Thanks for your suggestion and i looked about your info and found that if i come via volvo from manali then i think volvo is droping me at ambala cantt at mid-night (I THINK)? and i am totally new with ambala, so dont know where do i go at that time? and catch Kathgodam train.?

Please suggest me more info if i am wrong? as what i know is that most of the volvo leave manali by evening time and reach at delhi in the next day morning time?

It would be better if you take bus to Chandigarh which reaches in the morning. You will get buses to Ambala bus stand every 15 minutes. Ambala bus stand is just opposite to Ambala Cantt railway station. There should not be any problem.

Prakaant, I am confussed

You mean i take bus to chandigarh? or ambala? or Chandigarh bus stand is opposite to Ambala Cantt railway station?