We are a senior couple from USA who will travel from Mumbai to Delhi in mid February. We planned to take the express overnight train lst class AC but now have been advised to fly because of standards on this train and shared bath. Please share your experiences.

I would say fly because there are numerous flt options and great fares available. The scenery en route is not nice enough to warrant train travel.

why waste the time on a train...

rhkkmk, your single sentence replies are geting shall we say "boring?"

Anyway, maybe these nice folks would like the experience of traveling on a train in India. They are right. There is a shared bathroom and they probably will not have a compartment to yourself. See http://www.seat61.com/India.htm for more specifics.

Train travel in India can be an illuminating experience, on many levels. The first-class AC coaches are quite comfortable. However, I would not recommend a Mumbai to Delhi train journey for a senior couple from America, visiting India for the first time. I say, fly from Mumbai to Delhi. If you want to experience the Indian trains, choose a smaller segment of, say, 2 to 3 hours.

There are several new domestic airlines in India offering very competitive inaugural fares. See -

http://www.spicejet.com
http://www.flykingfisher.com

and also the seasoned
http://www.jetairways.com

Greetings! Train travel in India can be eye-opeing and exhilerating experince and definatley privides a view into India that is fascinating. Of course there are plenty of flight options that will wiz you there in two hours, but this is about an India-experince and journey-par excellence! On these long journies you really get a feel for the land, the people, perhaps make freinds, share some food, drink alot of chai,laugh, talk, read, ponder, etc. The experince is priceless, although may not be the most comfortable and definatley only shared basic toilet fascilities. First class is nothing like a European train, that is for sure. I have taken the Rajdhani numerous times from Delhi-Bombay and it is a long journey, i beleive about 16 hours on the so-called higher-end fast Rajdhani train! However, if you are not in a mad rush, and do not mind one long night of shaking, humming, assorted smells, vivid color and excitiment, i would plunge and go for the experince of a overnight train, as this is India in all its glory. Of course you can alway take a shorter journey later on if you are not up for this, but an overnite train will give you a memory for a lifetime or two!

I would not recommend it, especialy in Feb when the weather in the norhern part of India is very unpredictable. If there is fog, you may be stuck on the train for longer than anticiapted. You can fly to Delhi, if there is fog, you are at least stuck at the airport in mumbai.

IMHO for a trip this long for a senior couple the best option is to fly. We took an 8 hr. train ride from Ajmer to Delhi and it seemed longer than that. Our accomodations then were Exec. 1st class A/C too. JM2C.

My daughter and I took the first class A/C Rajdhani from Delhi to Mumbai in August, and enjoyed it. It is long - 16 hours for 1200 km. We were given a compartment for four all to ourselves (so no one had to climb to a top bunk).

About five different guys took care of us, from setting up dining tables to making beds to bringing towels and tea... There are at least two shared baths and they were clean throughout the trip, though it can be a bit of an adventure using them in a swaying, jolting train.

Since the trip is overnight, there isn't a lot to see between 8 pm and 6 am - just pitch darkness. But before that we saw village life along the tracks, peacocks and other animals. And it was nice just to lie in our bunks and talk in the dark, or read (there are reading lamps).

I love trains and enjoyed the trip. I guess your own attitudes and preferences make the difference.

I'm videoblogging this summer's trip on my site, and will eventually get some footage up from the train, but it's taking a while to get through everything and that was towards the end of our trip...

best regards,
Deirdré Straughan

www.straughan.com (personal)
www.tvblob.com (work)

The Rajdhani is a very comfortable train though it is a long one. Being in an AC coach, you would not be able to see too much of the scenery. My recommendation is take the flight if time is a priority or if you just want to experience a relaxed journey, then the train is also easier as the stations are closer to the centre of the city on both ends.

hi i think there is no better way to enjoy india than to take the train. i totaly agree with bonita.s reply.
You get realy see india the people the culture.Getting on and of the train at stations is a great laugh. I have fantasic memories of out trip from Goa across to karnataka