Getting There & Around

Getting There & Around

There are domestic airports in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur in Rajasthan and Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Rajkot in Gujarat. The Union Territory of Diu also has its own airport.

Use a travel agent for advice on getting around. Popular domestic airline carriers to and around Rajasthan and Gujarat, include Jet Airways, Indian, Deccan, and Kingfisher Airlines. All these airlines now have Web sites, so searching for tickets is easier than ever.

There are daily trains to all major destinations in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Because of Jaisalmer's closeness to the Pakistan border, there are no commercial flights, and a train is the best method of getting there. Trains get crowded during peak season, and you may want to investigate special "tourist quotas" that set aside seats for foreign travelers. Check with your travel agent.

Renting private taxis with drivers is another option—though not cheap, it's a fast and easy way to cover regions like Shekhawati. Roads in Rajasthan can be bumpy, so allow for delays. The Delhi-Jaipur Highway (NH-8) is good, but once you're off the highway, the roads are full of potholes and it will take a long time to travel even short distances. Car rental prices are around Rs. 8-Rs. 10 per kilometer, and these can be cheaper if you opt out of air-conditioning. Get in touch with your hotel's travel desk or an independent travel agent for car rental options—the latter is more likely to give you a reasonable rate.

If convenience and a cheap price are more important to you than a super-comfortable journey, travel by bus—but keep in mind that the quality of buses in India varies widely. Some "tourist" buses end up picking up hitchhikers, so by the time you reach your destination, people are sitting in the aisles and sometimes even on the roof. If you don't mind an adventure, or if you have no other choice, by all means take a bus. Otherwise take a train or rent a car and driver. The easiest way to get a bus ticket in advance is not from the bus stations, but from many of the private vendors in tourist areas.