has anyone done this drive.....how long approximately? is there a logical overnight stop along the way?

also looking for a reliable driver for the one way trip??

any suggestions welcome....thanks

bob

hi Bob
i have been drive with one of my clients and Varanasi to Calcutta is approx,600km and if you want to stay one the way you can stay in Bodh Gaya that is 280km is the place where Gautama Buddha attained unsurpassed, supreme Enlightenment. It is a place which should be visited or seen by a person of devotion and which would cause awareness and apprehension of the nature of impermanence".
Thanks
Ramesh Meena

thank you very much.... can you suggest a driver for us or do you do that yourself? bob

Are you sure you want to do that? Best case by train is 12:15 hours for Kolkata to Varanasi, or 5:41 Kolkata to Gaya and 4:05 for Gaya to Varanasi. When I did it there were armed guards on the train going through Bihar province because of bandits - and look up what dogster wrote about that area.

think what bandits would add to a trip report!!

no, not sure at all... but quite sure we don't want a train either....think crash, like the one just today!!

Oh my! Just read the reports. We may have to re-think our mode of transportation. While I was hoping to hire a driver as others have suggested on Fodors, my husband keeps telling me what a great rail system India has and how it is very doable to use trains for the majority of the trip. The other alternative that he suggests is to rent a car himself. I've already told him "not in this lifetime" - at least not with me in the car. He has driven in many countries among which include England (opposite side of the road), Turkey - where everyone warned us not to, and Italy, including Naples and I admit, he is a wonderful driver. After looking at videos of drivers in India, he doesn't think it looks all that complicated. In any event, I don't believe that is an option for us. Now it looks like the trains may not be the best option either.

Do not attempt to drive yourself in India. Do not! No, no, no! It may not look complicated, but it is. How will your spouse deal with a camel-drawn cart coming at you head on on the wrong side of the road while you're hurtling towards it at 60 mph??

I hadn't heard about the train crash, but the report I just looked at suggested it might have been a terrorist attack - are you going to avoid hotels because of the Mumbai attack? (Although admittedly I stay in cheaper places that are unlikely to be targets - you stay more upmarket).

If it wasn't terrorists, you might want to consider the number of deaths per 1,000 passenger miles on Indian trains vs. Indian roads. In any case, you could fly.

No visitor to India should EVER attempt to drive there.
Bihar is considered an outlaw state by Indians in India. Robbery is common and police are corrupt. Don't drive outside the city limits after dark or on empty roads at night regardless.

Trains or planes are the safest. The major trains like Shatabdi and Rajdhani are good. There are others, but I can't think of the names.

When in India you will hear bandits referred to as "dacoits" (Hindi for bandit, thug)

jay---i don't have your e mail address....are you still coming to the boston GTG on friday night? if so i need to send you directions to where we are having cocktails before hand... please contact me at [email protected]

thanks... bob

my wife said no trains long before the problem today.... you often hear of problems...thurs may like them as do other people but its not for us....many use them to avoid paying another hotel fare, but i prefer a comfortable bed in my own room with a non-smelly bathroom, or an unusable bathroom...

driving....i have driven in all the countries you mention and also in thailand and bali, but just like egypt, i would never consider driving in india, except way out in the countryside away from all cities and towns... TELL YOUR HUSBAND YOU HAVE ALREADY CALLED A DIVORCE LAWYER....

Bob - are you a divorce lawyer? If so, how much do I owe you for a consultation! My husband and I got a nice chuckle from your comments.

Thursday - We always say that it is best for us to stay at the moderately priced hotels as we will not be targeted by terrorist...at least that's what my husband says. I suspect he is being frugal - he states he is being "wise". His philosophy is that it is best to stay across the street from the nicest hotel so that upon awakening we can look out and have a beautiful view. Why stay in the 5 star hotels which looks out at a Best Western or Days Inn!

Bob - while I agree that the trains are not always the most comfortable, it is a great way to save money on a hotel, but better than that - it can save valuable travel time if one can travel at night. We have had great success with most of our train travel, although we have also had some interesting experiences too.

no doubt about the interesting experiences you have, but i am not willing to try it in india---france yes, turkey maybe, argentina yes (don't think they have railroads anymore), but india NO.....

i like your husband already....we have a spare room, he can come here until things are settled after the divorce...

our middle of the road hotels in india are sheratons and maybe a hilton trident... oberois and taj are for the leisure class folks like craig, lcuy, dogster and boston harbor to name a few.... heritage hotels now interest me a lot and i hope to stay in many the next time....neemrana was a wonderful treat the last time for us...

No need to drive yourself in India, Bob....cost of car + driver is reasonable enough. Self driving is not advisable....mixed traffic and tough traffic conditions.

Car and driver over reasonable distances is okay, say 3 or 4 hours at most at a stretch....best to fly from kolkata to varanasi... one of the fast trains is acceptable, but I don't think you like trains.

Good luck with your planning.

Bob - My husband says send him your address, but wants to know if it is safe to drive there!

yes safe to drive, only an occasional drive-by shooting...

1600 pennsylvania avenue, washington, DC

Very cute!

Hi Bob, thanks for the reminder. I'll contact you directly.