Arrival mumbai october 12
return mumbai december 21
ten weeks
first time in india travelling solo budget, 25 euro per day
male age 32, planning staying in dorms in yha hostels
train preferred travel, third class air con, willing to travel overnight or day time,or if needed to fly,or to bus it
places i would like to see are
Rajasthan
jaiphur,udaiphur,jaisalmer,jod phur,bikaner,amber,mt abu
Delhi,arga,varanasi,lucknow,ar mistar,fatehpur sikri,shilma,dalhousie,
Calcutta,darjeeling
would also like to see three or four national parks for tigers
what would be my best route to take
Prepared to be very flexible any suggestions greatly apreciated
robc_32
1
nijkerk
Roughly speaking travel from west to east, end in Calcutta and fly back to Bombay ,your budget is pretty low, travel will eat into that + 2 months of dorms and 3rd class travel may wear you down and a minor splurge or 2 on something clean and comfortable may be wecome. Have fun !
2
kayden
It's kind of funny that nijkerk says you budget was pretty low. I was going to write and say that it's a pretty big buget, almost in the medium budget range. It's about 3 times more than I spent per day in India. On this budget you also don't need to stay in dorms. Hotels and guesthouses are just as cheap alot of the time.
For a route, it's pretty much a matter of connecting the dots on a map.
Something like:
Mumbai-Udaipur-Jodhpur-Jaisalmer-Bikaner-Amritsar-McLeod Ganj (I would recomend adding this in) -Dalhousie-Shimla-Delhi-Jaipur- Agra-Lucknow-Varanasi- Darjeeling-Kolkata-fly back to Mumbai.
3
tramps
Hi
It all depends on your interests and comfort needs. Many of the places you have listed, although mostly great places, will connect you with a network of touts, beggars and tourist hassels but they will also offer easier transport options, comfortable hotels and tourist style restaurants. If this is your first trip to India this may be the best way to approach it.
If you go off the well worn track a little you will find some really wonderful hassel free places.
Here are some of my favourites, although I haven't tried to construct a route as such. (My interests are mainly cultural and I also like rural and village India)
In Rajasthan: Nawalgarh and Mandawa in the Shekavarti region, Bundi to the south and Udaipur and Jaisalmere
In The Himalaya: Dalhousie and the Chamba valley, Ladakh, Darjeeling and Naggar in the Kulu valley, although I think the Kinnur Valley and Lahul and Spiti also sound great
In Madhya Pradesh: Sanchi, Mandu and Maheshwar.
in Gujarat: Mandvi and Paliatana
in Maharashta Karla and Baja caves, Tarkali beach and the Malvan region
in Karnataka Badami
Travel slowly
Howard
4
zoltan
Hi Rob,
I like the suggestion from Kayden, on the route to take.
However, I would also add that with only 10 weeks, you're putting a lot of places in your itinerary.
When I go, I like to spend some time in places to experience the local culture and people. You're going to be racing around a lot of the country; but that's just my thought.
Cheers
Zoltan
5
ndrx
If you would do it all by train, it could be something like this!
> Train 9707 ARAVALI EXPRESS, daily
-----
1 BDTS BANDRA TERMINUS (Mumbai) 1 Source 21:00 0 km, day 1
2 ADH ANDHERI 1 21:17 21:19 7 km, day 1
9 BRC VADODARA JN 1 03:21 03:26 381 2
12 ADI AHMEDABAD JN 1 05:20 05:45 481 2
21 ABR ABU ROAD 1 09:53 09:58 671 km, day 2
> Abu Road Station = 29 km away from Mount Abu (buses, taxi, jeep)
> Regular buses connect Abu Road to Udaipur = 185 km (à 25-30km/h = ± 6-7h
> Train 2966 UDZ JP SUP EXP, daily
-----
1 UDZ UDAIPUR CITY 1 Source 21:40 0 km, day 1
4 COR CHITTAURGARH 1 23:32 23:50 115 1
6 KOTA KOTA JN 1 02:35 02:55 286 2
7 SWM SAWAI MADHOPUR 1 04:50 05:10 394 2
8 JP JAIPUR 1 07:10 00:00 525 km, day 2
> Jaipur - Amber Fort = 11 km
> Train 4737 JP BIKANER EXP, daily
-----
1 JP JAIPUR 1 Source 22:10 0 km, day 1
8 FPS FATEHPUR SKEKHAWATI 1 01:10 01:12 156 2
9 RSWT RMGRH SHEKHAWATI 1 01:36 01:38 174 2
11 CUR CHURU 1 02:40 02:50 198 2
17 BKN BIKANER JN 1 06:55 00:00 379 km, day 2
> Train 4707 RANAKPUR EXPRES, daily
-----
1 BKN BIKANER JN 1 Source 09:45 0 km, day 1
2 DSO DESHNOK 1 10:12 10:14 33 1
4 NGO NAGAUR 1 11:25 11:27 116 1
9 JU JODHPUR JN 1 14:45 15:10 278 km, day 1
> Train 4059 DLI JSM EXPRESS, daily
-----
31 JU JODHPUR JN 1 06:05 06:45 620 km, day 2
33 OSN OSIYAN 1 07:58 08:00 685 2
37 POK POKRAN 1 10:15 10:35 815 2
40 JSM JAISALMER 1 13:00 00:00 921 km, day 2
> Train 4060 JSM DLI EXPRESS, daily
-----
1 JSM JAISALMER 1 Source 16:00 0 km, day 1
4 POK POKRAN 1 17:30 17:50 107 1
8 OSN OSIYAN 1 19:56 19:58 237 1
10 JU JODHPUR JN 1 21:50 22:30 301 1
19 JP JAIPUR 1 04:50 05:00 614 km, day 2
6
ndrx
> Train 9771 JAIPUR ASR EXP, runs on TUE and SAT
-----
1 JP JAIPUR 1 Source 19:20 0 km, day 1
8 AWR ALWAR 1 21:58 22:00 151 1
23 LDH LUDHIANA JN 1 11:10 11:35 737 2
25 JUC JALANDHAR CITY 1 12:30 12:35 793 2
27 ASR AMRITSAR JN (and the Golden Temple) 1 13:45 00:00 872 km, day 2
> Train 8101 TATA JAT EXP, daily
-----
60 ASR AMRITSAR JN 1 05:15 05:45 1835 km, day 3
65 PTK PATHANKOT 1 08:35 08:55 1942 km, day 3
> Pathankot - Dalhousie = 80 km (bus, taxi)
> Dalhousie - Chakki Bank = 70 km (bus, taxi)
> Dharamsala (!?)
> Origin CHAKKI BANK -[CHKB] Destination AMBALA CANT JN -[UMB ]
Days Of Run: M T W T F S S
1078 JHELUM EXPRESS CHAKKI BANK 23:55 AMBALA CANT JN 06:10 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
2332 HIMGIRI EXPRESS CHAKKI BANK 00:25 AMBALA CANT JN 05:07 Y Y N N Y N N
2414 JAMMU JP EXP CHAKKI BANK 20:10 AMBALA CANT JN 01:00 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
2446 UTTAR S KRANTI CHAKKI BANK 22:20 AMBALA CANT JN 02:45 Y Y Y Y Y N Y
2472 SWARAJ EXPRESS CHAKKI BANK 13:05 AMBALA CANT JN 17:50 N Y Y N Y Y N
2920 MALWA EXPRESS CHAKKI BANK 10:45 AMBALA CANT JN 15:30 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
3152 SEALDAH EXPRESS CHAKKI BANK 22:01 AMBALA CANT JN 04:25 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
4610 HEMKUNT EXP CHAKKI BANK 20:30 AMBALA CANT JN 02:25 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
> Origin AMBALA CANT JN -[UMB ] Destination KALKA -[KLK ], daily
-----
3008 U A TOOFAN EXP AMBALA CANT JN 04:20 KALKA 07:00 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
4888 BARMER KLK EXP </strong>AMBALA CANT JN 04:20 KALKA 07:00 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
2925 PASCHIM EXPRESS AMBALA CANT JN 15:05 KALKA 16:35 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
2311 HWH DLI KLK MAI AMBALA CANT JN 02:30 KALKA 04:55 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Kalka Shimla Railway Track:
-
A Shatabdi type Super fast luxury Express train, called the Shivalik Deluxe, leaves Kalka every morning at 05:30 hours, reaching Shimla at 1015 hours.
On the return journey, it departs Shimla at 17:30 hours, arriving Kalka at 22:15 hours.
Breakfast on the outward journey and dinner on the return are provided as part of the fare.
The train connects the Howrah - Delhi - Kalka Mail.
-
During the holiday season, from May 1 to July 15, September 15 to October 30 and December 15 to January 15, a Rail Motor Car leaves Kalka at 11:35 hours to reach Shimla at 15:40 hours.
On the return journey, it leaves Shimla at 11:30 hours to arrive Kalka at 16:20 hours.
The Rail Motor Car connects the New Delhi - Chandigarh - Kalka Himalayan Queen Express.
http://www.toshaliroyalview.com/shimla/</a><BR><a href="http://www.indianrail.gov.in/ks_hill.html">http://www.indianrail.gov.in/ks_hill.html</a><BR>
> Train 2926A PASCHIM EXPRESS, daily
-----
1 KLK KALKA 1 Source 10:10 0 km, day 1
2 CDG CHANDIGARH 1 11:05 11:30 38 1
3 UMB AMBALA CANT JN 1 12:20 13:05 105 1
8 NDLS NEW DELHI 1 16:30 16:55 303 km, day 1
> Train 3008 U A TOOFAN EXP, daily
-----
24 NDLS NEW DELHI 1 07:00 07:55 425 km, day 2
31 MTJ MATHURA JN 1 11:05 11:10 566 2
33 AGC AGRA CANTT 1 12:10 12:40 620 2
34 IDH IDGAH AGRA JN 1 12:48 12:50 621 2
35 AF AGRA FORT 1 13:00 13:05 623 km, day 2
> Agra - Fatehpur Sikri = 40 km (train, bus, taxi)
> Train 4202 MTJ LKO EXPRESS, daily
-----
2 AGC AGRA CANTT 1 23:05 23:30 54 km, day 1
6 LKO LUCKNOW 1 06:05 00:00 386 km, day 2
> Train 5008 LJN MUV EXP, daily
-----
1 LJN LUCKNOW 1 Source 23:00 0 km, day 1
2 LC LUCKNOW CITY 1 23:14 23:16 6 1
37 SRNT SARNATH 1 12:13 12:15 503 2
38 BCY VARANASI CITY 1 12:25 12:27 508 km, day 2
39 BSB VARANASI JN 1 12:45 12:50 511 2
> Train 4084 MAHANANDA EXP, daily
-----
27 MGS MUGHAL SARAI JN 1 21:00 21:20 780 km, day 1
31 PNBE PATNA JN 1 00:50 01:05 992 2
53 NJP NEW JALPAIGURI 1 13:20 13:35 1482 km, day 2
54 SGUJ SILIGURI JN 1 14:00 14:05 1490 km, day 2
> Siliguri - Darjeeling = 80 km (jeep, bus)
> Train 2344 DARJEELING MAIL, daily
-----
6 NJP NEW JALPAIGURI 1 18:45 20:00 36 km, day 1
11 SDAH SEALDAH (= Kolkata/Calcutta) 1 06:00 00:00 605 km, day 2
> Train 2321 HWH MUMBAI MAIL, daily
-----
1 HWH HOWRAH JN 1 Source 22:00 0 km, day 1
13 GAYA GAYA JN (and Bodhgaya) 1 05:25 05:30 458 2
18 MGS MUGHAL SARAI JN (and Varanasi) 1 08:20 08:30 661 2
22 ALD ALLAHABAD JN 1 11:10 11:40 813 2
26 STA SATNA (and Khajuraho) 1 14:45 14:55 994 2
28 KTE KATNI (and Bandhavgarh NP) 1 16:20 16:25 1092 2
29 JBP JABALPUR (and Kanha NP) 1 17:40 17:50 1183 2
40 JL JALGAON JN (for Ellora </i> Ajanta) 1 03:34 03:35 1759 3
47 DR DADAR 1 10:59 11:00 2170 km, day 3
48 CSTM MUMBAI CST (and back home!) 1 11:25 00:00 2179 km, day 3
7
ndrx
www.indiagroove.com/</a><BR><a href="http://www.indianrail.gov.in/inet_srcdest_names.html">http://www.indianrail.gov.in/inet_srcdest_names.html</a><BR><a href="http://irfca.org/faq/faq-map.html">http://irfca.org/faq/faq-map.html</a><BR><a href="http://www.indianrail.gov.in/rajdhani.html">http://www.indianrail.gov.in/rajdhani.html</a><BR><a href="http://www.irctc.co.in/ = online rail ticket booking">http://www.irctc.co.in/ = online rail ticket booking
http://www.seat61.com/India.htm</a><BR>
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