transportation in India

Well my dilemma at the moment is that I've heard that some low-budget airlines like AerDeccan have a very bad reputation and am wondering is there any truth in this???
I want to book a flight from Delhi to Kolkatta in 3 weeks and am trying to choose the best airline/price. So any advice is appreciated! Is it common for long departure delays at delhi domestic airport and are flighs cancelled on a daily basis?

Secondly, I also want to book a night train from Kolkatta to Varanasi but am wondering if I have to book this in advance???Can I book a ticket at the Delhi train station 3 days beforehand?

I would appreciate ANY feedback!
Thanks!

yes u can book your traintickets far ahead. especially in the new-delhi railwaystation. they offer great service.

about the flight I am not sure. but I hear that the budget-airliners in India have great success. though you will be paying much more because you are a foreigner (not sure if the have changed that policy yet).

Hi
Train tickets can also be booked online
there is also a service called TATKAL, which allows u to get a seat on the morning of the journey, though this is slightly more expensive

http://www.indianrail.gov.in/

Flight i have very little idea as i havnt been to india in 3 years..
but airlines like Jet airways etc are doing well and provide a good service..
Delays n cancelled flights usually are only because of weather, ie winters...as fog reduces visibility and moonsoons ...rain

Hello Michelle,

You need not worry at all about flight cancellation, it is not everyday. It happened during winter due to fog at Delhi as a result the entire network got effected due to an aircraft getting delayed for its next operation.

You cannot get for the price that you get on say Air Deccan Spice Jet Indigo or Go Air. All of them are in competition sometimes going down to a fare of Rs. 10 if you book it very early. The taxes are always Rs 1100+. So please do not hesitate.

The easiest option to book train tickets is to Log on to IRCTC.net.in
This will avoid your going to the Railway station where sometimes you get involved with touts hanging around posing as the Indian Railway Reservation office.

You can also go through on the site with just writing Indian Railways on Google.

All the best.

Hi Michell

I have travelled in the low cost air lines,
they are reliable, just ckeck up with the airlines in case of fog / rain
P.S Carry your own snacks, food not very good, for which you have to pay for.

Regards

Hi
I am from Kolkata and have frequebtly travelled on LC Airlines like Air Deccan, Indigo and Spicejet to Delhi and i can assure you except winters when there is too much fog flights dont have much problems. Also you get very cheap fares if you book early so try out and see all the airlines.
http://book.goindigo.in
http://spicejet.com/
http://airdeccan.booksecure.net/Criteria.aspx
Also as far as booking train tickets its preferable to book tickets at least a month before coming because trains are crowded so getting tickets is not very easy. You can book online using
http://irctc.com/displayServlet

If you are in and around Kolkata and want to meet up for some drinks or if you need any help gimme a holler and we can meet up
Rajat
-snip-

[ Edit: no personal contact details in the forum thanks ]

Hi,

It is a fact that AirDeccan's reputation has been tarnished recently because of flight over booking. Hence , dont take risk and opt for LCC like Goair or Indigo , which are far better.

There is a special counter for foreigners at most Railway stations and they have a quota that is kept alive until a few hours before the train's departure. If you are going to book your ticket a few days in advance, it will be most conveneint for you.

you might as well try to get tickets from http://www.airindiaexpress.in/ it is a low cost airline , runs on very few days but tickets are very cheap. my trip was from mumbai to delhi. it just costed me 1499rs . the service is good as for the amt that you pay.

Yes, the flights are cancelled in bad weatherand also for some unknown reasons. Dont worry about that.Take your chance.If you do not believe in luck,soon you are going to.So why not start with air deccan.The earlier the better.
For train book on site as per comments on POST 4.Only I will suggest atleast 3 tier AC to save hassle,unless you are interested in one.
Always at your service.
vipingoyal

Thanks a mill for all your replies!Much appreciated!

BUT I still need your help!When i went to book a flight on Aerdecan website it failed??I think this is regarding the PIN number you are required to enter under credit card information. However, I do not understand what they mean by this???

I also tried booking the flight with Flight Raja but that also failed as the system did not accept my Irish mobile number??it seems that only a domestic number will work ??

Does anyone have any suggestions?!
Thanks!