URGENTLY need help planning a route around India

Hi guys,
I am due to fly to Delhi on 30th of this month, and out of Chennai on 27th August. So we have 2 months!
We want to do the golden triangle, and are interested in exploring Rajasthan. We plan to stay in the North around a month, and then move down to Kerala, possibly via Goa (?) and then up through to Chennai, again in the space of about a month.
I am not a big fan of flying so would prefer to travel by train, although I realise this would be a verrrry long journey !

If at all possible, I really need some help planning a route. For example, which trains shall I get to where, and which is the easiest route - Delhi, Agra, Jaipur or Delhi, Jaipur, Agra etc?

Thank you sooo much
Hope to hear from you!
Wanda

Hi,

For trains, you can check www.irctc.co.in for schedules and reservations.
Just to tell you, trains are usually filled, and you may need to have reservation upto 20 days in advance on some routes to say the least. So, be prepared to use flights.
For the golden triangle, you have tourist busses who take you around from Delhi-Agra and Jaipur, and the route depends on the travel agent.
Its possible to go to Kerela via Goa, and it would be a beautiful thing to do in monsoons, either by road or train through the western coast, and in my opinion the most chilling part of your trip.

Feel free to ask any more questions,

Rahul

Hi Wanda,

Yes you need to book your train tickets in advance, if not - that is if certain seats are not available you need to visit the Reservations Office at New Delhi Railway Station meant for tourists where you can get your seats on confirmed basis. There is a priority for them, on showing your passport and paying in Foriegn exchange.

Tell me your plan or places that you will like to cover and then I can help you further it.

I would suggest land in Delhi, stay a couple of nights.
Go up to Amritsar and then on to Dharamshalla for a couple of nights discovering Mcleodgunj, where the Tibetans live now.
You could visit and see the Monastries in the region of Leh & Ladhak. This is a different trip and is not connected except through Manali only during summer to drive down.

Do you want to visit Haridwar Rishikesh? Its a super fast train from Delhi & back
Or Varanasi an overnight train both ways.

Then you can visit Agra go to jaipur and on to Jodhpur -Jaisalmer- Udaipur and then Mumbai.

From Mumbai you have acess to Goa and then to the South - Kochi (Cochin) Chennai & Pondicherry.

Chose and I can help further.

Best Wishes

Hi Wanda,

West coast of India will be completely wet in July and August, so there will be lot of rain in Goa and Kerala. If u r OK with the rains, then u can very well go according to the route u have in mind.

The Golden triangle should be done in the following sequence, Delhi---Agra---Jaipur, so that u can move on to other towns of Rajasthan(like ajmer, Pushkar, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer) from Jaipur.... Golden triangle can be done on train/bus.

Once done with Rajasthan, u can catch a train to Mumbai and from there down south to Goa and Kerala till Kanyakumari and from there move to Chennai and Pondicherry.

If u want to avoid rains, concentrate on the North and visit the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh and move onwards to the exotic land of Leh-Laddakh. The Manali-LEh route is open in summers, so u can experience that also !!

DO let me know if u need any more info

Cheers
Arif

North India is exceptionally hot during the period with
the mercury above 40degree while South India has
pleasant rains.
Kerala is beautiful in rains and believe me,it is a wonderful
experience. TamilNadu has the best of Temples and Madurai
is a marvel with over four lakh idols.Would suggest for
Southern trip: Cochin-Thekkady-Madurai-Thanjavur-Pondicherry-
Chennai.

Cheers!

hi best to book train in advance , one can do online www.irctc.co.in is official railway web portal, for information and time table about train from travel from where to where is best http://www.indianrail.gov.in/inet_srcdest_names.html
there are good class 2sleeper where you can get birth but if you want more nicer one you can always go for 3rd aircon class.
cheers.
Guidedesert.

I travelled around India for a month and usually got away with booking train tickets one or two days before departure. A few times i got on the waiting list but it all worked out in the end. Don't sweat it.