Nov 2012 Itinerary for Rasasthan
 

I'm hoping to catch the Pushkar Camel Fair this year. Here's my planned itinerary:

11/11 or 11/12 Fly into Delhi
11/12 overnight train to Jaisalmer
11/13 - 15: Jaisalmer
11/16: travel to Jodhpur
11/17-18: Jodhpur
11/19: travel to Pushkar
11/20-11/22: Pushkar
11/23: travel to Jaipur
11/24 - 25: Jaipur
11/26: travel to Agra
11/27 - 29: Agra
11/30: travel to Delhi for flight back home; Might overnight in Delhi

I usually make my own bookings when I travel, but the Foot Print guide book recommends that it would be easier to work with an agency to make arrangements for India. Has anyone use a travel agency to help with pre-booking train/flight tickets and hotels? I'm also worry about finding a place to stay during the Pushkar festival so maybe working with an agency would be a good idea at this point.

you need puskar res yesterday

contact castle and king for help, they are terrific

also eva air or emerites or qutar

If you miss the Pushkar Camel Fair because of reservations (Highly doubtful as there are LOTS of options) then don't worry because there are lots and lots of fairs on in Rajasthan at this time that are less touristed and authentic as chapatti cooked on a dung fire!

Try to find out the travel agents in search box above corner may be this site would be having some suggestions and recommendations for travelers.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll also try contacting some agencies listed in guide books to see if they can help with booking train tickets and maybe hotels in advance. There's a photography tour with almost the same itinerary and around the same dates, but it charges 5-6k. I'll see if I can do it cheaper.

cheaper is not always better

You can book train tickets yourself at cleartrip.com. Very easy.

For Pushkar you might need help, but otherwise I've had no difficulty booking hotels, either direct or through somewhere like agoda.com or travelguru.com. But if you want a car and driver you're better off with one of the agencies people here recommend.

a. Delhi to Jaisalmer Train is a bad idea. It is often late, sometimes very late. It stops at about two dozen stations enroute. Very noisy!
b. Give yourself only one night in Pushkar, provided you arrive there at noon. All the sale & purchase of cattle, the most interesting part of the fair, takes place first three days. You will have seen enough that day to warrant repetition of sightseeing.
c. Two nights in Jodhpur are enough.
Happy Travels!

So how else do you suggest getting to Jaisalmer?

Just a few pointers -
1 - Pushkar Fair changes its character from the start date (20 Nov this year) to the end date (28 Nov). If you prefer the animal trading aspect of the fair, then the early dates are perfect. If you prefer to see the croeds of locals the last date (full moon date) is the best

2 - Three nights in Agra is excessive. You might regret not including Udaipur and keeping all this time in Agra

3 - Consider Delhi-Udaipur flight then Udaipur-Jodhpur-Khimsar-Pushkar-Jaipur-Agra-Delhi drive

Agree with vp_singh that the train Delhi-Jaisalmer is very uncomfortable and if including Udaipur means only one night in Jodhpur, so be it!! Also agree for tourists 1 night in Pushkar is enough, but you need at least two if you are a photographer. Focus on the town one day and the mela ground the next

@vp_singh & @npjai: How recently did you take the train to Jaisalmer? It used to be AC3, and that was uncomfortable, but now it has AC1 and AC2.

Every opinion is subjective, of course, but if you want to see Jaiselmer and are on a budget then that train is the way. True, you may not sleep much but it gets you there.

I disagree that 1 or 2 nights in Jodhpur is enough. It's my favorite city in India and a great hangout place. Beers and converstion on the rooftop with the fort lit above you, great walks in the old town, that sort of thing. To rush it would be a waste.

I suggest you go online and find an Indian travel agent. They will save you money if you stick to your guns and buy only what you want and resist the sales pitches. I used Indian Moments on my first trip to India, was on a budget and was completely satisfied.

There are certainly better ways of reaching Jaisalmer other than the train! Take the forenoon flight to Jodhpur, one of the finest airport buildings in Rajasthan, which immediately transports you to the era, long gone by, of the Maharajahs!! Partake of lunch at Jodhpur, and let the ambience of those lovely stone havelis soak into you. I would try Hanuwant Palace the next time I am there. Now ask your driver to slowly drive you out of the town. The road is straight for miles and low on traffic. After you have watched the roadside sand dunes, the shepherds tending the flocks, and the Dhanis of the Meghwal Tribes at Balesar, you will hit Pokaran, where the declining day reminds you of a cup of tea / coffee at Fort Pokaran, a delightful heritage hotel. From here Jaisalmer is but 69 miles, and the lights on the Jaisalmer Fort will just be beginning to shine, as you enter your destination!
I did the train journey in the fall of 2010. There is nothing wrong with the berths, these are comfortable and you can give yourself the luxury of a packed dinner from the Embassy restaurant in the Connaught Place, but those toilets, those tea boys shouting for customers at every station it stops on (37 in all) and the delays in arrival...!!!
A tour that accounts for only cities of Rajasthan, without a stay in the rural areas where you have some delightful fortresses / palaces being run as hotels, is missing the essence of this colourful destination.
Trust it helps!

I think Pushkar Fair's opening date is the Nov. 21st. I'd like to have a full day there on the 20th and 21st. Might stay an extra day on the 22nd, but if it's likely more of the same then it would be better to move on.

I know 3 days in Agra seems excessive, especially since it seems like most people do it as a day trip. But I do like to take photos and to have the chance to take pictures of the Taj at dawn and at dusk, at different view points around the city, and the chance to revisit the site if I need to. I figure the first day I would be lost trying to find my way around a new city anyway, so day 1 and day 2 will give me time to move about. I also like to have the extra time/day to just wander around a new city and see how the people live, etc.

Is Jaisalmer worth it to visit? Honestly, I'm not fond of long car/train drive, so I could skip it and just fly into Jodhpur and move on to Pushkar from there.

I will flip through some guide books to see suggestions for agencies that I can work with to pre-book some of my travel plans.

I've spent a week or more, twice, in both Jaisalmer and Jodhpur and if I went back it would be to Jodhpur. So yes, I agree, if you decide to eliminate one Jaisealmer has the disadvantage of being more time consuming to reach.

Regarding travel agents in India, on my first visit 'Indian Moments' did a good job for me. Since then I've just booked things myself and often as I go, depending on the season or timing in relation to festivals.

I'm having a hard time deciding... too many places that I want to see :) Which of the following schedules would you pick:

A
--
Delhi > Jodhpur > Pushkar > Jaipur > Agra > Fatehpur Sikri > Delhi.

B
--
Delhi > Jaipur > Udaipur > Kumbalgarh > Ranakpur > Jodhpur > Jaislamer > Delhi.


My original intention was to see the camel fair, so I do need to book soon, but then I saw pictures of Ranakpur and Kumbalgarh, and they both looked amazing. If I pick B then I assume that I'll be back to India at some point in the future to take in Agra (and Varanasi).

Thanks.