Train Travel Delhi - Jaipur Anyone Done it?

[Armitage.Shanks]

I'm off to India later this month and doing the 'Golden Triangle' tour. To get from Delhi to Jaipur to Agra and then back to Delhi it involves a private air conditioned vehicle and looks like at least one of the trips will be 5hrs long. I'm not certain yet how they're going to break up this journey but I've an idea to get them to take my bags and get the train for at least one of the legs. First class cabin obviously as I don't want to ride on top of the carriage.

Has anyone done it and have an tips?

[craigjm]

I did Delhi to Mumbai on the Rajdhani Express. It takes 16 hours over 850 miles. Had my own sleeper cabin in first class. It had a wash handbasin but the shower was shared. Meals, snacks and drinks are included and there was power sockets and wifi. Not luxurious by any stretch but it was an interesting experience, Cost about £40

[apotek]

A few years ago I did the golden triangle with my youngest son.
We added Amritsar to the trip. Booking trains is not an easy task and in the end we only did Udaipur
to Delhi as our last trip.
The train was brilliant £4 each for 8 hours if I remember,fed twice in 1st class air conditioned carriage.
The majority of our trip was via a taxi suppled from our first hotel. £300 for 10 day driver with us all the trip, who found us a guide wherever we were.
If you haven`t booked now the trains may be too late, but the road journeys were extremely interesting by themselves.
Have a wonderful trip.

[Griffith4ever]

Aye - don't be overwhelmed by the idea of long car trips. The taxis are more like limos in the back, 2 seats, not a bench. Cold drinks, snacks, comfortable, good view. Fascinating and never felt like a chore and we did 7 hours plus some days. Stops in nice cafes etc. Fascinating views. Never a dull moment. That was over 26 days, with some train and plane journies thrown in.

If you can add Amritsar to the mix do. The Golden Temple is an unmissable experience. Makes the Taj seem like just "a white building" in comparison :-)

[Armitage.Shanks]

Many thanks for the responses and some food for thought.

[AB]

Yes, 10 years ago almost to the day. The train is fun, make sure you go first class and I wouldn't bother with the food

It was amazing really, some guy managed to carry 2 suitcases on his head without dropping them, we hopped across a track and had to dodge a guy having a st on the lines but it was a fantastic couple of weeks in all, we also did the golden triangle. Then up to Shimla and down to Kerala.

I'm envious, enjoy!

[997.1]

I’ve done Delhi to Udaipur and back on the train. Both were 12h overnight journeys starting at 6pm.

I got my tickets on the tourist quota which allows for very late booking (subject to availability) and it was all fine.

I feel train is the best way to get around in India. I’ve been many times. Plane is improving but I prefer train.

[The_Doc]

I spent 3 months in India aged 22 after medical school.
I wanted to see the real India, so I traveled as a local would and did that train in 3rd class,
It was an eye opener, although I'd already had my eyes opened by New Dehli in all it's glory/stink
Traveled in 1999.

I was woken in the morning by a nice big smelly man banging on my head, saying "get off now". And I mean banging on my head.

From memory the ticket was about £2, and I spent about 50p on food from the chaiwallas and other wallas circulating.

2nd class: some comfort
1st class: business men and westerners.

So, what do you want to experience?
Or more to the fact: Are you experienced? clicky

I read that book in India, in context. I then went on to Thailand and read The Beach by Alex Garland *in context and live* IE I was travelling the same route as the pages turned.

Travel isn't about the destination, it's about the journey, man; we said to each other whilst making a ninth trip to the loo that day.

Edited by The_Doc on Tuesday 9th December 11:52

[LFB531]

We did a trip in September with Great Rail Journeys and did the whole Golden Triangle thing. As the name suggests, we were on plenty of trains in and out of Delhi including Jaipur and Agra. At the various hotels we used, we met plenty of people being driven around and they seemed quite happy, most of the taxis were fairly smart people mover type things and the drivers were doing plenty of stops on the journeys.

No problem with the trains we used and all pretty much on time. The stations were an eye opener of course but we didn't die and no food poisoning either!

If you get tempted to go up to Shimla, it's an amazing place but the 'toy train' trip option through the hills is about four hours too long. Take a taxi!

Accepting we hardly scratched the surface of India, it's a fascinating place and the people we met were delightful.