India in March and April??
Oct 25th, 2016, 07:34 AM
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India in March and April??
Despite my many misgivings regarding visiting a country with an appalling track record of its treatment of women, we are considering a visit to India as part of our trip next year to Asia\Australasia . I will possibly assuage my conscience by carrying out some voluntary work with women’s NGO whilst there!
I have acquired a Rough Guide to India from the library and skimmed through it and, based on that very quick read, would probably opt for a month or two combining their suggested itineraries to “the Land of Kings and The Golden Triangle” Basically Dehli, Agra, Jaipur, Pushkar, Udaipur Jaislamer etc..
My main concern is that the only time it will probably work for us is in March/April. From what I gather from other threads here, March is ok but April may be way too hot. We are used to the heat but confess last year in Central Vietnam in temps of 35c plus, we found ourselves cutting back on the sightseeing in favour of the pool. It was just a little too hot.
I could really do with some help in deciding whether this is a viable proposition for us or not.
Any of you old India hands, have any experience of travelling at that time of year in the region? Is it really too hot?
Also, how easy/difficult is it to travel around India on a DIY/make it up as we go basis?
Would further north towards the Himalaya region, shimla etc be ok weather wise in say June - July?
Any thoughts, opinions or insights would be much appreciated
I have acquired a Rough Guide to India from the library and skimmed through it and, based on that very quick read, would probably opt for a month or two combining their suggested itineraries to “the Land of Kings and The Golden Triangle” Basically Dehli, Agra, Jaipur, Pushkar, Udaipur Jaislamer etc..
My main concern is that the only time it will probably work for us is in March/April. From what I gather from other threads here, March is ok but April may be way too hot. We are used to the heat but confess last year in Central Vietnam in temps of 35c plus, we found ourselves cutting back on the sightseeing in favour of the pool. It was just a little too hot.
I could really do with some help in deciding whether this is a viable proposition for us or not.
Any of you old India hands, have any experience of travelling at that time of year in the region? Is it really too hot?
Also, how easy/difficult is it to travel around India on a DIY/make it up as we go basis?
Would further north towards the Himalaya region, shimla etc be ok weather wise in say June - July?
Any thoughts, opinions or insights would be much appreciated
Oct 25th, 2016, 07:44 AM
#2
I have only been in India in November and December, and that was quite hot enough for me. You also need to consider the humidity. However, following the example of the English during the Raj and going high will help.
I would also suggest that you consider a less conventional itinerary. India is a very big country with a great deal of variety. You might want to look for Kathie's TR on the northeast. I would also recommend the Darjeeling Himalaya Railway and a stay at the Windamere in Darjeeling, along with Kolkata and Varanasi. There are amazing temples in the south, as well as hill country.
I would also suggest that you consider a less conventional itinerary. India is a very big country with a great deal of variety. You might want to look for Kathie's TR on the northeast. I would also recommend the Darjeeling Himalaya Railway and a stay at the Windamere in Darjeeling, along with Kolkata and Varanasi. There are amazing temples in the south, as well as hill country.
Oct 25th, 2016, 08:02 AM
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I traveled in September so cannot answer your climate queries but I can attest to the fact that doing India on a DIY basis is dead easy.
To state the obvious it helps that virtually everyone providing a travel service speaks some English and hence chances of getting lost or out of your depth in the event of a problem are limited.
We did book hotels in advance and that did give our trip some set structure but also the benefit of certainty around being able to definitely stay in the places we had picked. Within this we found however that hiring a car and driver worked well and was pretty flexible as you could decide on each day exactly what you wanted to do and see depending on how you felt.
Varanasi is definitely well worth considering and is quite different to anywhere else I have been in India or elsewhere.
To state the obvious it helps that virtually everyone providing a travel service speaks some English and hence chances of getting lost or out of your depth in the event of a problem are limited.
We did book hotels in advance and that did give our trip some set structure but also the benefit of certainty around being able to definitely stay in the places we had picked. Within this we found however that hiring a car and driver worked well and was pretty flexible as you could decide on each day exactly what you wanted to do and see depending on how you felt.
Varanasi is definitely well worth considering and is quite different to anywhere else I have been in India or elsewhere.
Oct 25th, 2016, 01:50 PM
#4
I have also not traveled in India in the spring. However, I suggest you do as the British did, head for the hills. Depending on the part of the country you plan to visit, there are Hill Stations and otherwise high parts of the country to enjoy when it's too hot in the flatland.
For instance, Shimla, a place I love in the NW, has an average high temperature of 66 (F) in April. Ooty in the south, 72. Darjeeling, also a favorite, in the NE, 63. None with extraordinary amounts of rain. So while you may have to pass through warmer places to & from, it would be a great excuse to visit ones you might otherwise not and which I think about going back to. I have an Indian friend in the travel business who spends time in Ooty and is trying to lure me there. Maybe soon.
(All temps above from http://www.weatherbase.com/)
For instance, Shimla, a place I love in the NW, has an average high temperature of 66 (F) in April. Ooty in the south, 72. Darjeeling, also a favorite, in the NE, 63. None with extraordinary amounts of rain. So while you may have to pass through warmer places to & from, it would be a great excuse to visit ones you might otherwise not and which I think about going back to. I have an Indian friend in the travel business who spends time in Ooty and is trying to lure me there. Maybe soon.
(All temps above from http://www.weatherbase.com/)
Oct 25th, 2016, 10:16 PM
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I daresay just about every country has an appalling record of abuses of one kind or another. We all have different things that get to us. There are places I wouldn't visit, but India is not one of them. The good thing is, with heightened awareness comes more opportunity and advocacy . Here's one example in New Delhi:
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015...ia-female-taxi
Now, about your itinerary...
Yes, India is a perfect place to go with a diy ,loosely put-together plan. Transport, should you want private car, is easily arranged at wherever you're staying, and/or in other ways (internet is everywhere there).
Try to find JulieS' second india report. Relevant, because she went in hot weather and said it affected her, ..but found relief in a hill station (Coonoor, nr the aforementioned Ooty) where she kept extending her stay. There are numerous additional fantastic detailed trip reports. Check also RJE's recent South and Rajasthan TR, Progol's India TR, Thursdaysd's links. Many many others, of different lengths, places, travel styles. And if you haventalready found it, the encyclopaedic and sometimes overwhelming amount of info on Indiamike, most with a different travel style/perspective than what one usually finds here on Fodors.
Areas:
Agree totally with the above "head for the hills" suggestions.
One route good for hot weather (we did this in June) is to leave Delhi by train to Amritsar, one of India's "must-see" place imho.(Golden Temple and more) and from there, continue to places in Himachal Pradesh like McLeod Ganj (next to Dharamsala) Manali, Pragpur, Shimla. Like Mme P, I love Shimla! If you decide on this, plenty of details to follow!
And yes, the hill stations in the South. Coonor, Ooty, and others in the northern section of Tamil Nadu State (also Munnar in Kerala--though I've yet to visit there). Temps are lower but i don't know about rain levels. Check those too. Tea plantations, hills, and the wonderful Nigiri Blue Mt train between the Tamil Nadu hill towns make this a relaxed , lovely route.
Don't know about Rajasthan, but I'll be in Udaipur early March (2017) and will get back to you.
Completely understand the concern, based on your central VN trip, about the effect of high temps on enjoyment. I had same experience of weather interfering with the usual things i love on trips--even just having a wander became unpleasant at times. But i never felt the same horrendous drained dripping level in India--even during a heat wave in June in Amritsar--as in VN.
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015...ia-female-taxi
Now, about your itinerary...
Yes, India is a perfect place to go with a diy ,loosely put-together plan. Transport, should you want private car, is easily arranged at wherever you're staying, and/or in other ways (internet is everywhere there).
Try to find JulieS' second india report. Relevant, because she went in hot weather and said it affected her, ..but found relief in a hill station (Coonoor, nr the aforementioned Ooty) where she kept extending her stay. There are numerous additional fantastic detailed trip reports. Check also RJE's recent South and Rajasthan TR, Progol's India TR, Thursdaysd's links. Many many others, of different lengths, places, travel styles. And if you haventalready found it, the encyclopaedic and sometimes overwhelming amount of info on Indiamike, most with a different travel style/perspective than what one usually finds here on Fodors.
Areas:
Agree totally with the above "head for the hills" suggestions.
One route good for hot weather (we did this in June) is to leave Delhi by train to Amritsar, one of India's "must-see" place imho.(Golden Temple and more) and from there, continue to places in Himachal Pradesh like McLeod Ganj (next to Dharamsala) Manali, Pragpur, Shimla. Like Mme P, I love Shimla! If you decide on this, plenty of details to follow!
And yes, the hill stations in the South. Coonor, Ooty, and others in the northern section of Tamil Nadu State (also Munnar in Kerala--though I've yet to visit there). Temps are lower but i don't know about rain levels. Check those too. Tea plantations, hills, and the wonderful Nigiri Blue Mt train between the Tamil Nadu hill towns make this a relaxed , lovely route.
Don't know about Rajasthan, but I'll be in Udaipur early March (2017) and will get back to you.
Completely understand the concern, based on your central VN trip, about the effect of high temps on enjoyment. I had same experience of weather interfering with the usual things i love on trips--even just having a wander became unpleasant at times. But i never felt the same horrendous drained dripping level in India--even during a heat wave in June in Amritsar--as in VN.
Oct 25th, 2016, 10:34 PM
#6
BTW, you can find my second trip to India on Fodors - look for the South Asia TR. But the first was well before I discovered Fodors, you'll find it here, start at Into India:
http://wilhelmswords.com/asia2001/index.html
http://wilhelmswords.com/asia2001/index.html
Oct 25th, 2016, 10:59 PM
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I have not traveled in India as extensively as the other posters here. We did just one trip to Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Udaipur-Mumbai-Varanasi in September, and I am headed back to the South this September.
However, I did not want add that we have lovely neighbors that were born in South India, and one of the daughters told me recently the difficulties of travelling in India in the summer. She said that she and her sister suffered from "burnt feet," as one is required to remove one's shoes at the Taj, and at various temples. I'm not sure if they'll let you wear socks, or if it would even help.
Our India trip was a rare species where every logistical plan went perfectly. The biggest problem we had was a pigeon leaving his "mark" on my son's shoulder. Our guide claimed that it was a sign of good luck, but my son didn't buy it. The drivers were fabulous, but we did find them well in advance. Although you could conceivably find one at the last minute, perhaps you could pre-plan the part of your trip that requires drivers.
However, I did not want add that we have lovely neighbors that were born in South India, and one of the daughters told me recently the difficulties of travelling in India in the summer. She said that she and her sister suffered from "burnt feet," as one is required to remove one's shoes at the Taj, and at various temples. I'm not sure if they'll let you wear socks, or if it would even help.
Our India trip was a rare species where every logistical plan went perfectly. The biggest problem we had was a pigeon leaving his "mark" on my son's shoulder. Our guide claimed that it was a sign of good luck, but my son didn't buy it. The drivers were fabulous, but we did find them well in advance. Although you could conceivably find one at the last minute, perhaps you could pre-plan the part of your trip that requires drivers.
Oct 26th, 2016, 07:15 AM
#8
There's a book, 'The Great Hill Stations of Asia', by Barbara Crossette (available on Amazon) with a chapter on 6 in India. Included is Kalimpong, near Darjeeling, and I loved it for being off the tourist trail, among other reasons and recommend it if in the NE. This corner of the country has the possibility of astonishing views of Kanchenjunga and that alone is worth going.
Which brings me to another suggestion, Sikkim. I stayed on a farm in the west but Gangtok has a nearly perfect average temperature of 70 in April and might be worth considering.
Regarding socks, my travel companion was scolded for wearing his in the Golden Temple in Amritsar. I don't know if that's in general but may be a clue.
Which brings me to another suggestion, Sikkim. I stayed on a farm in the west but Gangtok has a nearly perfect average temperature of 70 in April and might be worth considering.
Regarding socks, my travel companion was scolded for wearing his in the Golden Temple in Amritsar. I don't know if that's in general but may be a clue.
Oct 27th, 2016, 07:49 AM
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Thank you all for the the excellent suggestions and opinions. Now suffering from information overload but will carry an ploughing through those TRs referenced above. BTW Thursdaysd, loved your blog - read it from beginning to end in one sitting!
The hill country seems like a great idea, thanks for all the specific suggestions Mme Perdu. Will check those out and see what the weather options are.
We are constrained by dates as the plan at the moment is to house sit in Andalucía until mid Feb and then head out to KL. Our problem is that India in Feb March would eat into the best time for places we want to visit in SE Asia before heading off to Australia and NZ where we need to be in August and September. If we could spend maybe may or June in the hills or India that could work. I would however like to see some of the tourist sights
Calinurse, whose knows, we may bump into one another in Udaipur!
but will carry an ploughing through those TRs referenced above. BTW Thursdaysd, loved your blog - read it from beginning to end in one sitting!The hill country seems like a great idea, thanks for all the specific suggestions Mme Perdu. Will check those out and see what the weather options are.
We are constrained by dates as the plan at the moment is to house sit in Andalucía until mid Feb and then head out to KL. Our problem is that India in Feb March would eat into the best time for places we want to visit in SE Asia before heading off to Australia and NZ where we need to be in August and September. If we could spend maybe may or June in the hills or India that could work. I would however like to see some of the tourist sights
Calinurse, whose knows, we may bump into one another in Udaipur!
Oct 27th, 2016, 08:10 AM
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Do take a look at my Sikkim report. We loved our time in Sikkim, but a recent poster panned Sikkim, as the hotels were not luxury, though we stayed in lovely old royal guesthouses. I know you won't have the same issues!
We are very interested in Buddhism, and loved experiencing Tibetan Buddhism in Sikkim. Sikkim and Tibet had a long relationship before the Chinese invaded Tibet, so there were plenty of monks who came to Sikkim as they had already established monasteries there.
We were not so impressed with Darjeeling, but many people love it. Here are our photos from that trip www.marlandc.com/Sikkim-2010
India has long required special permits of people going to Sikkim. That may have changed, as there was talk about this a few years ago, but when I last checked about a year ago, permits were still required. Getting a permit is easy - you can get one on the road on your way from Bagdogra to Gangtok.
Also, I feel compelled to recommend the best travel book I've ever read, Memoirs of a Political Officer's Wife in Tibet, Sikkim and Bhutan by Margaret D. Williamson. She writes of walking to Lhasa from Gangtok, of their friend, the Dali Lama. The book is now out of print in the US, anyway, but well worth the search. We read everything we could find about Sikkim, and with that knowledge, we loved staying in the Royal Guesthouses, especially Nor Khill, with all the old family photos.
If I can be of help in your planning, do let me know.
We are very interested in Buddhism, and loved experiencing Tibetan Buddhism in Sikkim. Sikkim and Tibet had a long relationship before the Chinese invaded Tibet, so there were plenty of monks who came to Sikkim as they had already established monasteries there.
We were not so impressed with Darjeeling, but many people love it. Here are our photos from that trip www.marlandc.com/Sikkim-2010
India has long required special permits of people going to Sikkim. That may have changed, as there was talk about this a few years ago, but when I last checked about a year ago, permits were still required. Getting a permit is easy - you can get one on the road on your way from Bagdogra to Gangtok.
Also, I feel compelled to recommend the best travel book I've ever read, Memoirs of a Political Officer's Wife in Tibet, Sikkim and Bhutan by Margaret D. Williamson. She writes of walking to Lhasa from Gangtok, of their friend, the Dali Lama. The book is now out of print in the US, anyway, but well worth the search. We read everything we could find about Sikkim, and with that knowledge, we loved staying in the Royal Guesthouses, especially Nor Khill, with all the old family photos.
If I can be of help in your planning, do let me know.
Oct 27th, 2016, 08:26 AM
#11
Regarding Sikkim, the drive is nice, through tea as you gain elevation. However, if you decide to go, there's also helicopter service from Bagdogra to Gangtok which, when I checked last several years ago, was very reasonably priced. It was moot since I wasn't heading to Gangkok at the time but I took note for the future. If it's hot, it might be a nice alternative to the drive.
Oct 27th, 2016, 12:08 PM
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We've now spent about four months total in India, and they have always been later in the winter/early spring.
Our first trip was primarily Rajasthan with a move up into the foothills of the Himalayas. That six week trip was from about Feb. 20 until about April 3. I had the first three weeks planned and then planned the second three as we went along. Mid March found us in Varanasi (a must-visit place), and it was so hot there that we decided to move up into Uttarkarhand for the rest of the trip to escape the heat. I remember when we flew home from Delhi in early April it was 104 (40).
Our second trip we left a bit earlier in Feb and returned home at the end of March. That trip I also had the first three weeks all planned (India--more Rajasthan) and then winged it in our second three weeks which were in Nepal. That trip we left for India earlier than our first trip knowing that we wanted to try to avoid heat as much as possible.
Our third six week trip to India we made even earlier in the year because we were going to the south. We left home in January and were back home by the end of Feb./beginning of March. It was hot, and once again we made some plans based on where to go to escape the heat. We did a cycling trip in Kerala towards the end of February, and the outfitter had us leaving for cycling at 7:00, with the cycling ending by noon or 1:00, because of the intense heat. We also ended up going to the beach (we are not typically beach people) solely in hope of escaping the heat.
All of this is I guess my way of suggesting to you that if you do want to visit India (and it is our favorite) to either visit a different time of year or choose destinations that will be cooler (those close to the mountains).
The problem with the suggestion you got to just try the hill stations is that one can only spend so many days there, and most areas within reasonable distances will be hot.
I think maybe you are one who gave me some good advice last year when we visited Cambodia and Laos. If that was you, think back as to how hot you were at times there. India will be the same! But, we still prefer India to other Asian destinations we have visited.
I know most people who post here have all of their reservations made way ahead of time and have a set itinerary for the entire trip. We don't feel there is any need to do that, and we never had any difficulty in putting the trip together as we went along. What we have found works for us is a combo of both approaches--I have the first half planned and then wing it as we go along for the second half.
Our first trip was primarily Rajasthan with a move up into the foothills of the Himalayas. That six week trip was from about Feb. 20 until about April 3. I had the first three weeks planned and then planned the second three as we went along. Mid March found us in Varanasi (a must-visit place), and it was so hot there that we decided to move up into Uttarkarhand for the rest of the trip to escape the heat. I remember when we flew home from Delhi in early April it was 104 (40).
Our second trip we left a bit earlier in Feb and returned home at the end of March. That trip I also had the first three weeks all planned (India--more Rajasthan) and then winged it in our second three weeks which were in Nepal. That trip we left for India earlier than our first trip knowing that we wanted to try to avoid heat as much as possible.
Our third six week trip to India we made even earlier in the year because we were going to the south. We left home in January and were back home by the end of Feb./beginning of March. It was hot, and once again we made some plans based on where to go to escape the heat. We did a cycling trip in Kerala towards the end of February, and the outfitter had us leaving for cycling at 7:00, with the cycling ending by noon or 1:00, because of the intense heat. We also ended up going to the beach (we are not typically beach people) solely in hope of escaping the heat.
All of this is I guess my way of suggesting to you that if you do want to visit India (and it is our favorite) to either visit a different time of year or choose destinations that will be cooler (those close to the mountains).
The problem with the suggestion you got to just try the hill stations is that one can only spend so many days there, and most areas within reasonable distances will be hot.
I think maybe you are one who gave me some good advice last year when we visited Cambodia and Laos. If that was you, think back as to how hot you were at times there. India will be the same! But, we still prefer India to other Asian destinations we have visited.
I know most people who post here have all of their reservations made way ahead of time and have a set itinerary for the entire trip. We don't feel there is any need to do that, and we never had any difficulty in putting the trip together as we went along. What we have found works for us is a combo of both approaches--I have the first half planned and then wing it as we go along for the second half.
Oct 27th, 2016, 04:25 PM
#13
Thanks crellston, glad you enjoyed it! Thinking about going high brings up Bhutan and Nepal and Tibet as possibilities. Haven't checked the weather at that time of year, maybe it rains, but suggest you do. Bhutan is definitely pricey (I went back when I was still working part time), but you don't absolutely need a lot of time there.
Oct 28th, 2016, 03:03 AM
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Enjoyed your photos Kathie, halfway through your TR - “interesting” passenger behaviour on board the flights!
Thursdaysd - I am sure Bhutan is superb but that would blow our budget and go against my current travel philosophy which is basically, longer, slower, cheaper.. Nepal is an idea but after 6 months in the Andes my better half may take some convincing! Likewise travel by helicopter is probably not in the budget MmePerdu (also, I swore I would never get in another helicopter after our experiences in an ex Russian army transport in Sierra Leone!)
Julies - great to hear from you, especially as you have been at that time of year and seem to travel in much the same way as we do. yes, i do recall contributing to your thread on Laos and Cambodia. I get what you are saying entirely re going higher or visiting at a different the time. The latter may be possible - do you think bringing our time forward to say mid Feb to end of March, maybe hitting the lowland regions early on and ending up in the high country towards the end would be better? maybe even tagging a couple of weeks in Nepal onto the end? or would it be better just forgetting about it for this trip and leaving it until we can make it in Dec - Jan?
Once again, many thanks to all
Thursdaysd - I am sure Bhutan is superb but that would blow our budget and go against my current travel philosophy which is basically, longer, slower, cheaper.. Nepal is an idea but after 6 months in the Andes my better half may take some convincing! Likewise travel by helicopter is probably not in the budget MmePerdu (also, I swore I would never get in another helicopter after our experiences in an ex Russian army transport in Sierra Leone!)
Julies - great to hear from you, especially as you have been at that time of year and seem to travel in much the same way as we do. yes, i do recall contributing to your thread on Laos and Cambodia. I get what you are saying entirely re going higher or visiting at a different the time. The latter may be possible - do you think bringing our time forward to say mid Feb to end of March, maybe hitting the lowland regions early on and ending up in the high country towards the end would be better? maybe even tagging a couple of weeks in Nepal onto the end? or would it be better just forgetting about it for this trip and leaving it until we can make it in Dec - Jan?
Once again, many thanks to all
Oct 28th, 2016, 07:00 AM
#15
Helicopter is advertised as 3500 INR ($52 US) Bagdogra-Gangtok.
https://www.darjeeling-tourism.com/darj_0000f5.htm
I think that's very cheap, even for someone like myself who tries to travel cheaply. The down side, as I read now, is a very small luggage allowance (20kg). But I'd just leave some things to be picked up afterward.
https://www.darjeeling-tourism.com/darj_0000f5.htm
I think that's very cheap, even for someone like myself who tries to travel cheaply. The down side, as I read now, is a very small luggage allowance (20kg). But I'd just leave some things to be picked up afterward.
Oct 28th, 2016, 09:13 AM
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My advice is that if you can possibly go mid-February to 1st of April it would be much more pleasant (and restrict your visit to the Rajasthan and north area) than going later on. I remember being told that March 15 Udaipur (and Rajasthan) really start to heat up. This was exactly our experience on both trips in the area at that time of year.
There is a lot to see and do in India as it is such a large country that I am temped to advise you to just limit yourselves to India on this trip. But, we also really liked Nepal. I think if you are not trekking maybe 2 weeks there is sufficient. If you plan as you go along, you could wait to make that decision until you are actually in India. We found that the cheapest way to get to Nepal was to fly from Delhi to Kathmandu on one of the budget airlines. And, we only booked plane tickets for our Nepal trip a couple days before we flew there, so no need to worry about having plane tickets there far in advance.
There is a lot to see and do in India as it is such a large country that I am temped to advise you to just limit yourselves to India on this trip. But, we also really liked Nepal. I think if you are not trekking maybe 2 weeks there is sufficient. If you plan as you go along, you could wait to make that decision until you are actually in India. We found that the cheapest way to get to Nepal was to fly from Delhi to Kathmandu on one of the budget airlines. And, we only booked plane tickets for our Nepal trip a couple days before we flew there, so no need to worry about having plane tickets there far in advance.
Oct 28th, 2016, 09:29 AM
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$52 - wow that is cheap! Baggage is not a problem as we limit ourselves to 10kg.
Thanks for the additional info julies, on balance, I think you are right that it would be better to forget Nepal for the time being, but as you suggest it seems entirely possible to add that on depending upon how we get on in India. From my reading of TRs and guidebooks so far it does seem that we need to allow more time to get around than is the case in say SE Asia or South America where transport seems to move more smoothly, or maybe I have got that wrong?
Thanks for the additional info julies, on balance, I think you are right that it would be better to forget Nepal for the time being, but as you suggest it seems entirely possible to add that on depending upon how we get on in India. From my reading of TRs and guidebooks so far it does seem that we need to allow more time to get around than is the case in say SE Asia or South America where transport seems to move more smoothly, or maybe I have got that wrong?
Oct 28th, 2016, 04:31 PM
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I forgot to mention the one problem that can complicate trying to make last minute travel arrangements in India. The train! Unlike anyplace else in the world where we have visited where it is very simple to get a last minute train reservation, train tickets in India book up 60 (or more) days in advance. One can work around this, but it can complicate things.
