Rajasthan golden triangle??

Hi people
we only have about 6 days to spend in the Delhi area before we go up north. We would like to do the golden triangle tour (we are 2 adults and 2 teenagers traveling in July) and I would like to ask the "old hands" if we should do it by train , or hire a car and driver. How much should such a tour cost, and which companies are safe/honest/reliable?? There are so many on the net it is hard to know.Also should we book from here ,or wait till we get to Delhi?
If we wanted to add Udaipur would that be feasible in that time frame or would that be pushing it?
thanks guys

What exactly is the Golden Triangle? I keep hearing about it and then get confused about where is actually is...is it Delhi agra and somewhere else?

It's one of those marketing expressions -- the third corner is Jaipur, i think.

The better known 'golden triangle' is where Laos, Thailand, and Burma come together and was/is a major source of opium/heroin.

BTW, like your nick and I'm not dyslectic or anything, but keep reading it as UltraViolent . I notice Alan D once referred to you as Ultra Velvet.

m2

I sometimes write it as UltraViolent...must be something freudian in it

So can't anyone help me you lot?? I mean I like UV's nick too but I still need the information!

Don't hire a "tour". Don't do train either. Hire a car and driver for that short time and get yourself the Lonely Planet or some other such guide, but the car driver will help and take you to interesting places. Cost for a car (an Ambassador without A/C) should definitely be under $25 a day, including driver's expenses (room and board). There are many safe tour companies that will rent you a car: look in the Internet or ask your Delhi hotel; I don't know Delhi well, sorry. Go to Fatehpur Sikri (near Agra) as well as Agra; it's the abandoned ancient capital that was founded before Agra, and it is a magical place. In Agra do the fort, not just the Taj Mahal. Skip Udaipur in that short a time. That's my advice. Contact Lily from this board for Jaipur accommodation and general help with Jaipur.

Ok piglet. I'll have a go!

The Golden Triangle as I understand it is Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. You could do it independently in the time you have but to be on the safe side it might be better to trust your arrangements to a reputable travel agent.

One of the members on the forum here is one such person and unless I'm a very poor judge of character he should be able to arrange everything perfectly for you. It would be cheaper to do it for yourself but with two teenagers around who wants problems?

Try

namasteindiatours.com

And see what he can offer.

BTW UltraViolet, sorry for getting your handle wrong. Can't explain it, even in Freudian terms

Here is a link to Namaste India Tours profile that Alan mentioned. Lu Ann and Jawahar who run it could probably give you an exact price on what it would cost. Actually as I write this one of my friends is with them now....shouts out to Angela if she's reading this.

I don't know about Udaipur though, six days is a little tight since there is plenty to see and take in doing the "Golden Triangle" route. Usually it would start from Delhi and head to Agra and you would see the Taj, Agra Fort, and some other things there. Then stay a night in Agra. Next morning head off to Fatephur Sikri for a short stop and then to Jaipur. Plenty to see and do in Jaipur.

After Jaipur usually you can include a stop at Pushkar which is not very far away and also good. A stay at the Pushkar palace is a treat and not terribly expensive (good buffet if they still have it).

Udaipur usually isn't included in a trip like this since it's a good ride from Jaipur or Pushkar but it's a fun place to go. Honestly with the time frame of six days I would probably pass on Udaipur and take the trip in a slower more leisurely pace. You won't run out of things to do just by staying in the Golden Triangle route.

I did the trip many years ago...great fun...shared the whole ride with two Japanese woman who didn't speak a word of English.

I think at that time (around six years ago) I paid around $35 USD a day but that was inclusive of hotels and driver. The hotels where pretty decent, hot shower, tv, etc... and a great room in Pushkar Palace.


Mike

Delhi-Jaipur-Agra: it's such a common itinerary that it is known as the "tourist triangle" to those in the business. But "Golden" triangle sounds better for marketing purposes. And just to be different, we call it "The Golden Circuit". It is a well-worn path for a reason. It can be comfortably done in under a week and encompasses some wonderful attractions and a fairly good slice of Indian culture.

The details of our package are similar to the packages offered by many tour operators. See http://www.namasteindiatours.com/page6.htm

We think the best way to do this is by car, but then, that's how we make our living. But it really is. You can certainly do it cheaper by bus/train but if you have limited time, car is a much wiser choice. And no one would debate that it is the most comfortable way. The roads between these three cities are some of the best in all of India (which still isn't saying much).

When you get prices for this itinerary be sure you ask exactly what is included. There really are taxes and tolls that have to be paid. It's not just a way to wrangle more money out of you. And like most cities, you can't park for free. Quotes should include these miscellaneous expenses, but ask to be sure. Your quote generally will not include entrance fees.

People think that if they make their own hotel arrangements, they will pay less. I can tell you that is rarely the case. But if you want to hire just a car and driver you can usually do that as well. It should be about Rs 7 per km. We charge a Rs 200 night charge per night out on the road. Our drivers do not sleep in their cars.

If one company greatly underbids another, that is a warning signal that they have other, less pleasant ways that they'll be using to extract a fair price from you. But it won't feel fair.

Don't underestimate the advantage of the insulating properties of an automobile. And I'm not talking about from the weather. Especially if you are a first-timer, and/or are traveling with young people, your car can be a wonderful refuge when you need a timeout from interacting with touts, monkeys, hawkers, beggars, snake charmers, cows, mischevious school boys, pilgrims, giggling school girls, saddhus, honeymooners and palm readers.

And don't try to add Udaipur. That is hard for me to say because it is my favorite city. You just don't have time.

Hope that helps. Lu Ann