realistic time for Pokhara - Gorakphur (India) travel?

Hi,
I need to buy my indian train tickets tomorrow (they are available for sale 60 days before the travel date) and am trying to make a good estimate on when I would be able to be in Gorakphur while maximizing my time in Nepal. So, if I were to do a trek from Pokhara, rest for one day, and set out on a nice journey to the border, with a site visit to Lumbini and other sites you would recommend, how long do you think it would take me to get across the border in Gorakphur? The trains leave this town at about 4pm in the afternoon.

I know this is a vague question and one could take months, but it would be really helpful if you could guess comfortable travel time + x days visiting sites for me.

Also, considering that I will have a more time down in India than in Nepal, would be it be ok to bypass Chitwan and go to the National parks near Agra (their names escape me right now) instead? Or am I passing up an unparalleled experience in Chitwan?

thanks a bunch, I can't believe I'm leaving so soon!

PS: my current plan is to spend one week in KTM valley, 2 days on the way to Pokhara, trek for 6-10days from Pokhara, and then head south to the border... If I trek only for 6 days, I will have 4 extra days on the way south.

You could get from Pokhara to Lumbini in a day, take in the sites of Lumbini the next morning and then cross the border the next afternoon, if you don't spend much time in Lumbini you could maybe make it for you 4:00 train. If you like to trek I would spend more time trekking and bypass Chitwan. Pokhara is only a day by bus from KTM so two days are not necassary. Chances are you dont have to pre book the train ticket, I managed to get a ticket the day before or the day of travel every time (but that may be an exception), there are also buses leaving Gorakpur if you don't get a train. Can't recommend any stops between Pokhara and the border.

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<hr>my current plan is to spend one week in KTM valley, 2 days on the way to Pokhara, trek for 6-10days from Pokhara, and then head south to the border... If I trek only for 6 days, I will have 4 extra days on the way south.<hr></blockquote>

First of all the journey by road takes a long time! better to fly there and take the bus back, much better to fly from varanasi or delhi.

2nd, forget ktm, 1-2 days are plenty, also the bus to pokhara take 7 hrs not 2 days.