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Please I need help with North India trip!

Please I need help with North India trip!

Old Nov 15th, 2008, 08:13 PM
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Please I need help with North India trip!

I am sorry to be a bother, but I and three friends are travelling together from Delhi on Dec 14 and returning on the 22nd. It seems the booking of trains and hotels has fallen upon me and I can't seem to figure out how to book the trains. One of our group made the itinerary, but I am not sure it is reasonable!
Dec 15 visit Delhi and spend the night.
Dec 16 Delhi-Jaipur train in the morning, arriving in Jaipur and visit the city, overnight in Jaipur.
Dec 17 Jaipur-Agra..take train around 23pm sleep on the train
Dec 18 arrive Agra in the morning, see Taj Mahal and overnight in Agra.
Dec 19 Agra to Varanasi on the Gokul express 2048
Dec 20 arriving at varanasi at 930]and visit the city
Dec 21 varanasi to delhi by train at night
Dec 22 arrive at delhi.
Now, i had REALLY hoped to see the jungles when on the Gokul express but we are traveling at night...
does anyone have any ideas on how to revise this trip..to improve it, and and an easy way to book the train? We are on a limited budget but desperately need advice!
Thank you so much!
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Old Nov 15th, 2008, 10:50 PM
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Hi maltesa: I've been puzzling over your itinerary. I stumbled across this almost exactly similar itin by some tour company. If effect, it tells you how to do your trip.

http://www.gogoindo.com/index.php?op...ages&Itemid=41

I gotta say, it sounds horrible to me - but I'm not you four pals. I reckon you'll have a great time.

I'll let someone better than me tell you about booking trains. You are traveling to prime tourist areas at peak holiday time... and want to do it on a budget. You may find some hurdles in your way.

Oh, I dunno how cheapo you want to do this - but flights in India are super cheap. Check out www.flykingfisher.com
to see. That'll give you more time on the ground. You're spending a lotta time in trains.

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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 01:10 AM
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Thank you Dogster. What part of the itinerary would you liave out? Which legs would you fly?
Thank you in advance...
Joanne
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 01:48 AM
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Hi Joanne: you're not giving me much advice, here. How old? What kinda $$. Are you locked in on trains? With the time you've got I'd be flying. I'll think about it now. If you see this, gimme some info.
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 02:01 AM
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Our age? 30's with one member a bit older
We are on a pretty tight budget, that is why we were hoping to do rail. I looked at kingfisher...it seems like it would save so much money to sleep on the trains (if we could get a sleeper berth) but if its too late to book the trains...I guess we have no choice...What about that train ride from agra to mathura via gonda...i hear it is spectacular!
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 02:15 AM
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O.K. thanks. I see we're on the same time. You're making it tough. When you don't have much $$ you need time.
If you don't have time and really want to get everywhere - you need money - to fly or drive.

But I think I can work out the beginnings of a plan. I don't think you've been to India before, have you? lol.

Go here to start with.
www.seat61.com
learn about Indian trains.
This'll tell you how to book 'em too and send you where you need to go. Just play in there for a while.
I'll be back

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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 02:25 AM
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Ok - well yes if you are on a tight budget trains are the way to go. Second class is fine. The issue is scoring those tix. If you can afford to wait around for a day cos the day you want to go is booked then that's not a problem but you can't.

SO .. I believe you can book tix on line these days and you might still have time to do that.

Risky though. You are trying to cram in a lot even in the best of circumstances, so my advice would be to see three places not four.

Advise you to skip Jaipur - look to see if you can get tix for the Agra-Varanasi and Varanasi-Delhi sectors on the train. If you can't, check the airlines. You can always do Delhi to Agra by bus if push comes to shove.
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 02:35 AM
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thank you both so much. I am going to try! I am so nervous...I wish my travelmates and i had been able to do this months ago. My travel mates like to show up in a country and just wander around...but I don't think it is practical to do that in India!
thanks again...
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 02:44 AM
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Calm down lol - Try this:

15 Delhi O/N Delhi
16 Train to Agra
Agra sightseeing all day O/N Agra
17 Agra early morning sightseeing.
Drive to Jaipur via Fatepur Sikri O/N Jaipur
18 Jaipur O/N Jaipur
19 Jaipur O/N Jaipur

20 Fly Jaipur/Delhi/Varanasi O/N Varanasi
21 Varanasi O/N Varanasi
22 Fly Varanasi/Delhi
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 02:49 AM
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Kingfisher

IT 2301
Depart: 05:50 Arrive: 06:50
Saturday, 20 December 08
Jaipur , IN (JAI) to Delhi , IN (DEL)
Connecting Flight IT 231
Delhi , IN (DEL) to Varanasi , IN (VNS)
Depart: 09:10 Arrive:10:30
Saturday, 20 December 08

7050.00 INR = US $144

Varanasi , IN (VNS] to Delhi , IN (DEL)
IT 334 Depart: 13:40 Arrive:15:00
3525.00 INR = US $72
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 02:51 AM
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I'd say this was a no-brainer.

But, really, you're sounding completely unprepared. O.K. Do it. You'll learn.
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 02:57 AM
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wow dogster...thanks!
i have been reading site61 and feeling better already. what do you think about the train ride to mathura thru the jungle on gokul express....part of me is determined to do that...have you ever done it?
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 03:07 AM
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sigh.

You want to do this because of the great scenery? At night? Have we moved into the Twilight Zone here?

Go into your laundry. Invite fifty total strangers in there with you. Close the door. Sit on the washing machine. Turn it on. Then turn out the bathroom light. This should approximate your experience.

Tell me what you see.
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 03:23 AM
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Ah Doggie so sarcastic! I of course was planning to change things to do the trip in the day....just asking a little advice...and if you indeed had experienced it yourself...
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 03:48 AM
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Did you even read my suggestions above? Perhaps consider them for an instant?

No? O.K. lol. This is going to be quite some learning curve. I hope they are VERY GOOD friends. Take them at their word; just turn up, wander around and see how far you get.

Just book your trains when you get there - you won't be the first to do that. You can take it in turns to stand in the queue. That should fill in a day or so of your sightseeing. I just know you'll meet a lovely friendly man at the train station who'll take you to a nice clean hotel. You can trust any of them. No need to book. Holiday season? Don't worry about it. India had one billion people. They take holidays too.

You'll get around, but by the time you get there, you'll be too rooted and cranky to see any of it. You'll be pulled and pushed, fresh meat in town, by an army of hustlers and rickshaw drivers. You'll be exhausted from early mornings, you'll spend time you don't have making arrangements, hotels, transport, trains, sitting on the internet, changing plans, hanging around in stations, reading guide books and stressing when all the time you're not doing what you went there to do. See India.

Oh, Lordy, India's going to eat you alive. It'll be a great adventure. I want you to promise you'll write us a trip report when you come home.

It's late here, gotta go.
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 04:06 AM
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Dogster, your washing machine analogy is just too funny! You can't save everyone, they just have to learn on their own.

IMO, your "sarcasm" in not misplaced here, but rather a very accurate assessment of things to come for people who don't practice the art of planning ahead and/or take a tour company's advice at face value with no due diligence of their own, especially for places like India...in December!
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 05:45 AM
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Dogster
I do appreciate your suggestions and plan to use them all. As I said I have read the train site and I did thank you for that. I will revise my itinerary as per your suggestions, was just curious about the gokul express! I have been trying to plan this trip for several months but as i explained i have been at a disadvantage because I have been waiting for the involvement of my travel-mates. I
am a planner and am very organized about my trips (I have travelled internationally quite a bit with great success and yes, careful planning)but now, through no fault of my own am in an unfortunate situation and am very frustrated. I am trying to salvage what I can!
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 02:49 PM
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Why aren't you spending any time in Delhi? It's a vibrant city with lots to see - easily 2 or 3 days.

If you don't scale back the number of cities your friend has proposed, the trip will be a blur.

You could do Delhi-Agra-Jaipur and back to Delhi. This will allow you to see MORE of each place.

See other places next time you return to India.

Have you made any progress since you first posted your question?



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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 05:12 PM
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Hi Java, well, yes I have proposed dogster's suggestions (which include reducing the number of sites visited) to one of my friends and she is okay with it, including the flights. Another friend who lives in the states is trying to figure out the train booking mystery to help me book, he is supposed to call tonight with any progress he made. If he isn't successful I guess I will try to find a travel agent willing to help me.
Thank you so much for your concern....
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Old Nov 16th, 2008, 05:27 PM
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Hi again. I got irritated last night 'cos - well, I just did. But I'm not now.

Doggie's plan is about practicality. You can book flights easy on the Kingfisher website. Done in five minutes.

Only train you need to book is Delhi/Agra. I haven't done this but it HAS to be easy. Every tourist in the world does it. Someone will tell you in here how to do it. Run a search.

You could easily pick up a car in Agra for the drive thru to Jaipur. Easy as pie. Get that thru your hotel. No stress. There's 4 of you so get a van or bigger car. Costs fine, divided by four.

So, if you follow orders, your travel is accomplished in three clean moves.

NOW - hotels. Mmm.. you haven't even begun. If you want advice in here for that, you need to specify how much you want to spend. 2 double rooms?

Things to suck up: it's Christmas holiday time. Rates will be at their highest. Hotels will be full. FULL. Repeat after me: FULL.

Indian hotels are WAY WAY more expensive than you can even dream of. Tattoo that on your forehead.

A scummy hotel in India is a REALLY scummy hotel. Let me say that again. A really, really, REALLY scummy hotel. lol.

In Varanasi I'd highly recommend this place:
www.palaceonriver.com

let them handle you from airport to hotel, day tours and you can eat there. And it's great. One stop shop. Bang. One E mail - IF they're not booked out. Bingo. Done.

I don't know about scummy hotels in Agra and Jaipur or Delhi.
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