India Travel

Travel details in Delhi

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

By air in Delhi

Indian Airlines, whose main office is in the Malhotra Building on F-Block, Connaught Place, near Wimpy, operate the largest network of internal flights, though private carriers serve more destinations; tickets can be bought through travel agents or the main offices. All flights leave from the domestic terminal, 15km southwest of town, easily reached by the convenient EATS bus service (Rs50 plus Rs5 for luggage; 30min) that departs from Pahka Bazaar, just opposite Wimpy. Rickshaws and taxis are more expensive, but slightly quicker. Passengers on domestic flights must check in two hours prior to departure. A simple food counter sells tea,

Moving on from Delhi

Delhi has good domestic and international travel connections. Anyone heading from the south to the western Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh, Kullu. Manali, Ladakh) will pass through Delhi; it seldom takes more than a day to arrange the onward journey. Scores of travel agents sell bus and air tickets, and many hotels (budget or otherwise) will hook private buses for you; touts, concentrated at the top of Janpath, waylay tourists with promises of cheap fares, but can't always be trusted.

Information in Delhi

There are reasonably helpful tourist offices at the inCernational and domestic air por Cs, railway stations and bus tetminals, and the Government of India tourist office at 88 Janpath, just south of Connaught Place (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-4.30pm), is a good place to pick up information on Delhi's sites, city tours, shopping, cultural events and accommodation. They also provide free maps of che city; you'll find the same ones sold in the streets at negotiable prices.The information counter at the less busy DTTDC (Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation) office, Bombay Life Building, Middle Circle (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-lpm; )

Travel details for Uttaranchal

Trains Haridwar to: Calcutta (1 daily; 33hr); Dehra Dun (8 daily; 2hr); Delhi (4 daily: 4hr 30min-8hr); Mumbai (1 daily; 40hr); Katfigodam (3 daily: 4lir 30min-8hr); Rishikesh (2 daily; 30min). Kathgodam (railhead 3hr from Naimtal) to: Calcutta (1 daily; 4Dhr); Delhi (2 daily: 8hrl. Buses Almora to: Nainital (4 daily; 3hr); Delhi (2 daily;11hr). Dehra Dun to: Delhi (6 daily; 8hr); Kullu/Manali (1daily; 14hr): Mussoorie (every 30min; 1hr): Nainital(1 daily; 11hr); Rishikesh (every 30min; Ihr 30mm) Haridwar to: Dehra Dun (hourly: 1hr 15min); Delhi (4-6 daily; 5-6hr); Rishikesh (20 daily; 30min). Mussoorie to: Dehra Dun (every 30min; 1hr); Delhi (2 daily; 9hr); Haridwar (every 30min;

By train in Delhi

Delhi's main railhead. New Delhi Station at the eastern end of Paharganj. less than ikm north of Connaught Place, has regular departures to all corners of India, and a very efficient booking office (Mon-Sat 8am-5pm) for foreign tourists, on the first floor of the main departure building. They'll give you advice on the fastest trains, and you should have little difficulty finding a seat or berth: women travelling alone in second class may prefer to ask for a berth in the ladies' carriage. Foreigners must show passports, and pay in foreign currency or in rupees backed up by exchange certificates.

Overland travel in Delhi

For journeys to neighbouring countries, there's always the alternative of overland travel, a long haul by train and/or bus. Crossings to Pakistan should be made from Amritsar, ten hours by train from Delhi, where buses cross, the border and head to Lahore (lifts with trucks are no longer easy to find). The twice-weekly direct Delhi-Lahore bus, inaugurated by Prime Minister Vajpayee in 1998, was short-lived, terminated by the Kargil War ot 1999; check with tourist information or the ISBT in Old Delhi. Those travelling overland to Nepal should make for Gorakhpur. to pick up a bus to the border, which

Moving on from Shimla in Himachal Pradesh

The toy train leaves Shimla for Kalka, where you can change onto the main broad-gauge line for Chandigarh and New Delhi. The 10.35am departure from Shimla will get you into Kalka just in time to catch the 4.50pm Himalayan Queen #4096, arriving in New Delhi just after 10pm. The other toy train services depart at 2.25pm, 5.30pm, and 5.45pm, arriving in Kalka at 8.15pm, 10.15pm, and 10.55pm respectively. Reservations for onward journeys from Kalka can be made at Shimla station (0177/252915; enquiries 131). Alternatively, you can catch a bus to Chandigarh and continue to Delhi by train from there. The main

Moving on from Aurangabad in Maharashtra

Daily flights from Aurangabad to Mumbai (40min; $75) are operated by Jet Airways (8.45pm) and Indian Airlines (5.30pm). The Indian Airlines flight also carries on to Delhi ($175). Their office is on Jalna Road (3 0240/485421). Ail the state transport corporation (MSRTC) buses leave from the Central bus stand and the MTDC buses depart from the MTDC Holiday Resort. The MSRTC run good-value "luxury" daily night-buses to Mumbai. If you feel like a little more comfort, there are a couple of companies running more expensive a/c buses to most of the larger destinations; tickets can be booked through travel agents. Getting

Travel details for Travel details in Kerala

For details of ferry services on the backwaters - primarily between Alappuzha and Kollam. Trains Kochi/Ernakulam to: Alappuzha (3-5 daily; 1hr 20min): Bangalore (1 daily; 14hr); Chennai (3-5 daily; 12hr45min-14hr40min); Coimbatore (3-4 daily; 4hr 45min-5hr 30min); Delhi (2 daily; 40hr 30min-49tir), Kanniyakumari (2-3 daily; 8hr); Kollam (8-9 daily; 3-4tir|; Kottayam (8-9 daily; 1hr 5min); Kozhikode (6-7.daily; 3hr 20min-6hr 20min); Mumbai (2-3 daily; 28hr 20min 10hr 25min); Palakkad (5-6 daily; 3hr 20mm); Tliiriivananthapuram (9-11 daily; 4hr 20min-5hr): Thrissur (12-14 daily; 1 hr 30min-2hr). Kozhikode to: Kochi (6-7 daily; 4hr 30min-5hr 10min); Mangalore (3-4 daily; 5hr 40min-6hr); Mumbai (2-3 daily; 16hr 20min-23hr); Thiruvananthapuram (4-6

Travel within India in Delhi

Whichever direction you're heading in, there'll be a plane, tram or bus to get you there. Buses leave Delhi extremely frequently, and tourists are usually ensured places on trains in a reserved tourist quota. Flights should be booked as far in advance as possible, but since most routes are covered daily, nobody should have to wait too long.

Travel details in Mumbai

Trains Direct services to: Agra (4 daily: 23hr 15min-27hr): Ahmedabad (4 daily; 7hr 10min-12hr); Aurangabad {2 daily: 7hr 20mim: Bangalore (3 daily: 24hr 30min); Bhopal (4 daily: 14hr); Calcutta (4 daily; 33-40hr); Chennai (3 daily; 24-29hr); Coimbatore (1 daily; 10hr); Delhi (11 daily; 17-33hr); Hyderabad (2 daily; 15-17hr); Indore (1 daily: 14hr 35min); Jaipur (2 daily: 18-23hr|; Jodhpur (1 daily; 22hr; change at Ahmedabad); Kolhapur (3 daily; 11 -12hr): Nagpur (4 daily; 14-15hr): Nasik (15 daily: 4hr); Pune (25 daily: 3hr 15min-5hr): Thiruvananthapuram (2 daily; 42tir); Udaipur (1 daily; 25hr: change at Ahmedabad); Ujjain (1 daily; 12hr 25 min): Varanasi (2 daily;

Travel details in Ladakh

The bus details here apply during the tourist season between July 1 and September 15 only, after which date the Manali-Leh highway is officially closed. Most other roads, including the highway from Leh to Srinagar Kargil, remain open till the end of October. Despite heavy snow falls, the road from Leh to the Nubra Valley over the open all year. Buses Leh to: Alchi (1 daily; 3hr); Chemrey (3 daily; 2hr); Dishit (Nubra) (1 weekly; 6hr); Hemis (1-2 daily; 1hr 45minl; Kargil (2-3 daily; 6hr 30min); Lamayuru (2-3 daily; 6hr 30min); Likkir (1 daily; 3hr); Manali (6-8 daily; 28hr); Matho (2 daily;

Travel details Amritsar Haryana and Punjab

Trains Amritsar to: Agra (2 daily; 13-16hr); Calcutta (2 daily; 37-45hr); Chandigarh (1 daily; 6hr); Delhi (11 daily; 5hr 30min-12hr); Gwalior (1 daily; 18hr); Jhansi (1 daily; 20hr 35min); Mumbai (3 daily; 31 hr 25min-44hr); Pathankot (3 daily; 2hr 30min-3hr); Varanasi (2 daily. 22-26br). Chandigarh to: Amritsar (1 daily; 6 hr); Delhi (4 daily: 3hr 30min-6hr); Jodhpur (1 daily; 21 hr); Kalka (3 daily; 45min-1hr 10min). Pathankot to: Amritsar (3 daily; 2hr 30min-3hr); Calcutta (Sealdah - 1 daily; 42hr); Delhi (4 daily; 10hr30min-13hr); Jodhpur (1 daily; 20hr) Jogindernagar (2 daily; 7hr 30mm-9hr); Varanasi (1 daily; 27hr). Buses Amritsar to: Chandigarh (30min; 5-6hr); Delhi

Accommodation in Delhi

Delhi has a great range of accommodation, from dirt-cheap lodges to extravagant international hotels. Bookings for up market hotels can be made at the tourist desks at airports and railway stations, but budget travellers have to do their own searching. If you want to stay in comfort, try booking your ticket through the Travel Corporation of India (TCI), which offers substantial discounts on double rooms in select upmarket hotels (see p. 151)-

Moving on from Kochi/ErakuEam in Kerala

For an overview of travel services to and from Kochi/Ernakulam, see Travel Details on p.1378. By air The new international airport (0484/610050, 610115. or 610116) at Nedumbassery near Alwaye (aka Alua), 26km to the north of Ernakulam, has been designed to attract international flights especially from the Gulf. Jet Airways has two flights a day to Mumbai, and Indian Airlines operates daily flights to Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, and Thiruvananthapuram. Indian Airlines flies six days a week to Chennai, and twice weekly to Goa, Coimbatore, Hyderabad and Calicut. If you want to fly to the Lakshadweep Islands, contact Casino Hotel, Willingdon Island f-

Moving on from Vadodara in Gujarat

Vadodara railway station js often rather crowded and queues for tickets can be long (the reservation office is upstairs); you can bypass the hassle for a Rs15-25 fee if you buy your ticket from Vogikrupa Travel Service opposite (daily Sam-8pm; 0265/794977), All trains travelling along the main Delhi-Mumbai line stop here. New Delhi is reached by at least ten daily trains (12-24hr), via Kota and Sawai Madhopur, with one train a day to Jaipur (11hr 50min). There are at least fourteen daily services to Ahmedabad (1hr 55min-2hr 30min), some of which continue to Rajkot, Jamnagar and Porbandar and one each

Getting there from North America

India is on the other side of the planet from North America. If you live on the East Coast it's somewhat shorter to go via Europe, and from the West Coast it's shorter via the Pacific, but either way it's a long haul, involving one or more intermediate stops, and you'll arrive fresher and less jet-lagged if you can manage to fit in a few days' layover somewhere en route. Most North American travellers arrive at either Delhi or Mumbai (Bombay), India's busiest - and, in general, cheapest - air gateways. Either one makes a good starting/ending point for a tour

Travel details of Southern Orissa

Trains Bhubaneswar to: Agra (1-2 daily; 29-37hr 30min); Balasore (10 daily; 4hr); Bangalore (2 weekly; 31lir); Berliampur (7 daily; 2hr 30min-3hr); Calcutta (6-3 daily; 8-13hr); Chennai (2-4 daily; 20hr 45min-26hr); Cochin (4 weekly: 36-38hr); Cuttack (11 daily; 30-55min); Delhi (3-4 daily; 25-43hr); Hyderabad (3 daily; 20-24hr): Mumbai (1 daily; 38hr); Puri (7 daily; 2-3hr); Varartasi (3 weekly; 23hr). Puri to: Agra (1 daily; 38hr 40min}; Balasore (5-6 daily; 4hr 30min-6rir); Bhubaneswar (5-6 daily; 1 hr 3Qmin-2hr); Calcutta (2 daily: 11hr 30min); Delhi (3 daily; 32-44hr); Varanasi (3 weekly; 22hr). Balasore to: Bhubaneswar (7-9 daily; 3hr 45min-6hr); Calcutta (6-8 daily; 4-Shr); Puri

The Manali –Leh Travel details in Himachal Pradesh

Trains Pathankot to Joginder Nagar (2 daily; 7hr 30min-9hr10min). Shimla to: Kalka (4 daily; 4hr 45min-5hr 45min). Buses Dalhousie to: Amritsar (2 daily; 5hr 30min);Jullundhar (1 daily; 6hr); Kliajjiar (2 daily; 1hr);Pathankot (hourly; 3hr30min). Dharamsaia to: Baijnath (hourly; 3hr 30min);Chamba (1 daily; 9hr); Chandigarh (6 daily; 7-8hr);Dalhousie (1 daily; 6hr-7hr); Delhi (6 daily; 12hr);Dehra Dun (1 daily; 9hr); Haridwar (1 daily; 14hr);Jawalamukhi (8 daily; 2hr 30min); Kangra (every15min: 45min-1hr); Kullu (4 daily; 8hr); Manali (4daily; 10hr); Mandi (7 daily; 6hr); McLeod Ganj(every 20min; 40min); Nahan (1 daily; 12hr);Pathankot (10 daily; 3hr). Chamba to: Amritsar (1 daily; 8hr); Brahmour (7daily; 3hr); Dalhousie (10 daily; 2hr 30min); Delhi(1