Best way to get to Varanasi From Delhi

Jethro

Hi what is the best, or easiest way to travel from Delhi to Varanasi?

SitaParityaga

All depends on your budget and time. I was short on time, and could afford the airfare from Delhi to Varanasi. On other trips, when I had more time, the train was more fun.

Swapnil

Welcome to Indiamike Jethro,
How do you want to travel ? Fly/train/bus/taxi ?
You can search cleartrip.com for flights & train schedule.

steven_ber

Hello Jethro and welcome to indiamike

For future reference, the more details you give, the more useful the reply will be to you.

This route is one I've thought about a lot in terms of air Vs rail travel, and although I've not taken a flight on this route, the following is worth considering.


The train option.

Most budget tourists use hotels in Paharganj, right next to New Delhi train station.

Train 2560 departs New Delhi daily at 18.30 and gets to Varanasi at 07.30

A slightly better timed alternative is train 2562 departing New Delhi daily at 20.35 and getting to Varanasi at 08:50, but this train has only a few berths for Delhi-Varanasi passengers and needs to be booked well in advance.

Both trains will cost: -

Air Con First Class = Rs 1868
2-tier air con = Rs 1114
3-tier air con = Rs 820
Sleeper Class = Rs 311 (not air con)

You'd need to leave a Paharganj hotel 45 minutes before your train departs, and allow 30 minutes to get from Varanasi station to your hotel.


The flight option.

Kingfisher flight IT231, New Delhi 09:10, Varanasi 10:30, cost Rs 3539

Jet Airways flight 9W723, New Delhi 10:40, Varanasi 11:50, cost Rs 3579

Spicejet flight SG114, New Delhi 14:30, Varanasi 15:45, cost Rs 3277

(all flight costs are for Economy class, and prices should be checked before booking as air fares can vary according to demand and fuel costs)

For any of those flights you would have to allow 90 minutes to get to the airport, then you have to check in, I'm not sure of the check-in time needed, but at the very least 1 hour, and maybe 2 hours, then you have to get out of Varanasi airport and to your hotel, and this will take maybe 70 to 90 minutes.


How many 'useful' hours are used to travel?

If you choose to fly, what will you do after 19:00?

For the first 2 flights you would need to get to sleep fairly early to make sure you get to the airport on time.

So what about the morning hours, if you fly, you can't do anything in those hours as you'll be getting to the airport for your flight.

Although the train appears to take a lot longer, what would you be doing in those hours, sleeping? You'll get a good night's sleep on the train and won't be tired when you arrive in Varanasi, you also won't have the stress of the airport queues.

When you include taxi costs to/from airports, a flight is twice the cost of a First Class air con train ticket, 3 times the cost of a 2-tier ticket, and 4 times the cost of a 3-tier train ticket.

And then there's the cost of your overnight hotel if you fly.

The downside of the train is that booking can be a headache, but I think the train experience is worth this hassle.

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ananda2193

I liked the overnight train.

Paresh

There is a train, called Shiv Ganga express. That is a good one..

Darmabum

"best and easiest" . . . not always the same thing . . .

Best, because I go to India, primarily for the human experience, is the train. Any train. I rank a train journey in India (and yes, size matters, longer is better) right up there with the Taj and Varanasi, as Must Do's/See's/Must Experience. Flying IS an experience, but I believe that India moves by rail (the largest rail network in the world) . . . from bankers to baba's . . .

As Steven Ber suggested, the more specific you can be, the better (in this case, as in when you might be traveling) . . . I rode - on the same day/in 24 hours, both the Shiva Ganga Express and the Radhjani Express (Shiv Ganga TO, and Radhjani FROM Varanasi) in early April; while the Radhjani was overtly elegant and expensive, the Shiv Ganga was more than enough.

I have never flown internally in India. Over two and half years in country, five trips . . . but, as I have never allowed myself less than four months per trip in India, time has not been a concern.

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damchog

If you cant fly
try the Vishvaneth Express.Leaves N Delhi every afternoon at arriving Varanasi next morning.