India Travel

Arrival and information in Himachal Pradesh

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Moving on from Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh

Indian Airlines fly thrice weekly to Delhi (Mon, Wed, Fri 3pm). HRTC run numerous buses to destinations in Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh. Most travellers prefer to book "deluxe" buses through operators in McLeod Ganj near the bus stand. Try Himachal Travels (01892/21428) or Potala Tours & Travels, Bhagsu Road, opposite Hotel Tibet (01892/21378). Buses to Pathankot, handy for train connections and road access to Dalhousie and Chamba leave every 30min from the rains bus stand in the lower town. As well as the services listed in the Travel Details on p.589, there are two or three buses a week

Information of the Agra in the Uttar Pradesh

Agra has two tourist offices, one run by the Government of India, at 191 The Mall (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 9am-1pm), and one run by UF Tourism, close to the darks Shimz, at 64 Taj Rd (same hours); there is also an information booth at Cantonment station. The Government of India office is better organized and provides information about other destinations, though both supply information on hotels and local sights, and details of tours that start and end at Agra Cantonment railway station.

Manali Arrival and information in Himachal Pradesh

Buses pull in to Manali's bus stand in the middle of the Mall, a short walk from the helpful tourist office (Mon-Sat 10am-lpm & 1.30—5pm; 01902/52175).You can make reservations for the town's state-run hotels at the HPTDC offices next door. If you need to change money, the State Bank of India (Mon-Fri 10am—2pm, Sat 10am—noon) is on the main road 250m south of the Mall. There are also a handful of authorized private agencies open longer hours but these usually offer lower

Arrival, information and local transport in Himachal Pradesh

Buses arriving on the main Chandigarh and Manali highways approach Shimla from the west, via Cart Road and pull in at the chaotic main bus stand, halfway around the hill. Buses from Narkanda, Rampur and Kinnaur arrive at the Rivoli bus stand (or"Lakkar Bazaar") on the north side ot the Ridge, though some continue to the main bus stand. Shimla's airport lies 21km southeast of town on the Mandi road atjubarhati. The HPTDC main tourist office (daily: high season 9am-7pm: low season 9am-6pm; 0177/252561), is located on the Mall near Scandal Point. They organize whistle-stop sightseeing tours to destinations around Sbimla,

Arrival and information in Delhi

Delhi is India's main point of arrival for overseas visitors, and has two airports, one domestic and one international. State buses from all over the country pull into the Inter-state Bus Terminal in Old Delhi, while private buses stop in the more central location close to New Delhi railway station. Trains arrive at the railheads in Old or New Delhi, both well connected to Connaught Place, the commercial centre of the city, by rickshaw and taxi. For a summary of the kinds of accommodation available in different areas of the city, which may well determine where you head first, see p.

Arrival, city transport and information to Ujjain in Western Madhy Pradesh

Trains arriving in Ujjain on both broad-gauge branches of the Western Railway pull-in at the station in the centre of town; Ujjain is on a link line between Indore and Bhopal, with regular intercity trains shunting between the three. Two minutes' walk northeast of the station is the Dewas Gate bus stand, where buses for Gwalior, Agra, Rajasthan and Bhopal depart. The inconvenient P.D.V. Bus Stand, next to the MPTDC Yatri Niwas, serves Indore, Bhopal and Mandu. The city is fairly spread out, so you'll need to get around by auto-rickshaw or by renting a bicycle from the shop opposite

Arrival and information of the Agra in the Uttar Pradesh

Agra has no less than six railway stations. The busiest is Agra Cantonment (Cantt), in the southwest, which serves Delhi, Gwalior. Jhansi and points south, has a tourist information counter, and is near most hotels. Trains from Rajasthan pull in close to the Jami Masjid at Agra Fort Station, further from the main hub of hotels. Don't be persuaded to get off at Agra City Station, an expensive rickshaw ride away from town. To get to a hotel, use the prepaid auto-rickshaw/taxi booth at Agra Cantonment Station (Rs40/90) or flag down one of the cycle rickshaws (Rs25) that wait in the

Nalagarh Fort Shimla in Himachal Pradesh

If you can afford it, the eighteenth-century fort of Nalagarh converted into probably the finest hotel in Himachal Pradesh, is an excellent place to break the journey between Delhi and Kullu. Overlooking the Punjab plains, the fort lies 60km from Chandigarh and 12km off the main Chandigarh-Mandi road. Towering above the town with the Himachal foothills rising steeply behind, the fort played a key role in the Gurkha wars of the early nineteenth century, and is today filled with memorabilia evoking its military past. An Ayurvedic clinic offering massage and a shop selling various health potions add to the luxury.

Arrival, information and city transport in Haryana and Punjab

Served by flights to and from Delhi, Amritsar and Leh, Chandigarh's airport lies 11km south of the city centre. Facilities include an Indian Airlines office (0172/704539), a branch of the State Bank of Patiala and a taxi stand. The railway station lies 8km southeast of the centre, connected by half-hourly buses or auto-rickshaws and taxis. The prepaid rickshaw counter is worth queuing for as rates are fixed. There's a useful Current Reservations ticket office, although Northern Railway's main computerized reservation counter is at the bus terminal (Mon-Sat 8am—8pm). All state transport buses pull in to the main transport and information hub -

Arrival and information in Gujarat

Arriving in Junagadh by bus or train, you're within easy walking distance of nearly all the hotels. From the long distance bus stand, turn right, then left at the main road and straight on across the railway tracks into the town centre; from the railway station, take a right down Station Road and a left at the end, by the petrol station. Local transport is provided by auto-rickshaws, though bicycles are great for getting around; with a bit of leg-work you can even cycle to the foot of Mount Girnar. Run-of-the-mill bikes can be had from 3 shop just west

Arrival and information of Mumbai

Unless you arrive in Mumbai by train at Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), be prepared for a long slog into the centre. The international and domestic airports are north of the city, way off the map, and ninety minutes or more by road from the main hotel areas, while from Mumbai Central train or bus station, you face a laborious trip across town. Finding a place to stay can be even more of a hassle; phone around before you set off into the traffic.

Central Madhya Pradesh Arrival, information and city transport

Most of Bhopal's principal places of interest are so far apart that the best way of getting around has to be by metered auto-rickshaws, all of which sport smart interior upholstery and uniformed drivers (perhaps the reason for their slightly above average fares). Taxis can be found outside all of the top hotels, or else arranged through MPTDC. There's also a prepaid taxi and auto-rickshaw booth outside the station on Hamidia Road. MPTDC has helpful tourist information counters in the arrivals hall at the station (platform 1 exit), and on the fourth floor of the Gangotri Building on TT Nagar, New

Arrival, information and city transport to Amritsar in Haryana and Punjab

Amritsar's airport, serving Indian Airlines flights from Delhi and Chandigarh, lies 12km northwest of the city. Taxis (around Rs200) and auto-rickshaws (RslOO) run to the town centre, while buses pull into the huge, frenetic bus stand off GT Road on the eastern edge of the city centre. The railway station lies on the northern edge of the centre, 2km west of the interstate bus stand. PTDC's tourist office, Youth Hostel, Mall Mandi. GT Road (Mon-Sat 9am-5pm: ©0183/231452) is friendly, helpful and has useful information on bus and other travel connections. Amritsar is too large and labyrinthine to negotiate on foot. If

Chamba in Himachal Pradesh

Shielded on all sides by high mountains, and protected by forces in Kangra to the south, Chamba was ruled or over a millennium by kings descended from

Arrival and information of Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh

The easiest way to get to Khajuraho is on one of the daily flights with Indian Airlines from Delhi (via Agra), or Varanasi. The local airport is 5km south of the main square of Khajuraho town; the taxi ride in costs Rs80. The two nearest railheads are at Jhansi to the northwest (see p.335), and Satna to the southeast; both are connected by bus. All buses terminate less than 1km southeast at the bus stand, within walking distance of most central hotels, or a cycle rickshaw will set you back Rs10, an auto-rickshaw Rsl5. Money can be changed at the State

Listings of McLeod Ganj in Himachal Pradesh

Banks and exchange The State Bank of India in McLeod Ganj has ceased foreign exchange transactions. There's another branch in lower Dharamsala (Mon-Fri 10am-2pm, Sat 10am-noon). The Bank of Baroda. in the lower town, issues money to Visa card holders, with one or two days' delay. There are several authorized private foreign exchange agencies in McLeod Ganj. Bookshops The Tibetan Bookshop and Information Office is a good place to browse for books on Tibetan Buddhism, as is the friendly and informative Charitable Trust Shop, both on Jogibara Road in the main bazaar. Bookworm, opposite the Tourist Office, South End, is small

Arrival and information for Calcutta

Calcutta's airport, 20km north of the city centre, is served by international flights - although only a small proportion of visitors actually enter India here - as well as services from throughout the country. Officially "Netaji Subhash Bose International Airport", it is still universally known by its old name of Dum Dum - a name that became infamous during the Boer War, when the notorious (and now banned) exploding bullet was manufactured in a nearby factory. The dreary international terminal has money changing facilities, a prepaid taxi booth and a Government of India tourist information counter but little else. In

Arrival and information about Calcutta

Calcutta's airport, 20km north of the city centre, is served by international flights - although only a small proportion of visitors actually enter India here - as well as services from throughout the country. Officially "Netaji Subhash Bose International Airport", it is still universally known by its old name of Dum Dum - a name that: became infamous during the Boer War, when the notorious (and now banned) exploding bullet was manufactured in a nearby factory. The dreary international terminal has money changing facilities, a prepaid taxi booth and a Government of India tourist information counter but little else. In

The castle in Himachal Pradesh

Since it was erected by Raja Sidh Singh, Nagar's central castle, astride a sheer-sided bluff, has served as palace, colonial mansion, courthouse and school. It is now a Himachal-run hotel, but nonresidents can wander in to admire the views from its balconies. Built in the traditional "earthquake-proof" pahari style (layers of stone bonded together with cedar logs), the castle has a central courtyard, next to which stands a small museum, and an even smaller shrine. The Jagti Patt temple's amorphous deity, a triangular slab of rock strewn with rose petals and rupee notes, is said to have been borne here

Andhra Pradesh : Arrival and information

The old city of Hyderabad straddles the River Musi. Most places of interest lie south of the river, while much of the accommodation is to the north. Further north, separated from Hyderabad by the Husain Sagar Lake, is the modern twin city of Secunderabad, where some long-distance trains terminate, and where all through trains deposit passengers. If you do have to get off at Secunderabad, your ticket is valid for any connecting train to Hyderabad; and if none is imminent, many buses including #5, #8 and #20 play between both stations. Hyderabad airport, 8 km north of the city at