The BIG India train trip... have you done one?

[Griffith4ever]

Any tips on tour companies - there are quite a few out there. We are off any time in Nov or Dec. Have a month spare before moving on to Cambodia. Thinking of a 3 week ish india tour (private or small group) ending in Goa and then doing a week or two in Goa.

No idea what any of the companies are like but am happy to pay the right price for a well guided and organised tour. SE Asia I do myself but India 1st time I'd like it all laid out for us.

[jerryjerry44]

We made a Kerala three weeks trip couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. The trip was orginised by travel trolley. With a knowledgeable driver, we explored captivating sights and cultural wonders. Despite a couple of unexpected surprises along the way, our trip was exceptional, blending relaxation, adventure, and cultural immersion. From the serene backwaters of Alleppey to the lush tea plantations of Munnar, Kerala's beauty and hospitality left a lasting impression.

Edited by jerryjerry44 on Thursday 18th April 22:18

[Puggit]

Cheap Holiday Expert did this very recently:

https://www.tiktok.com/search?q=cheap%20holiday%20...

[nikaiyo2]

Did Delhi to Goa a couple of times!

30+ hours 2000km I think in one sitting.
It is epic, so different. You cant smoke on trains in India... Unless you open the door. So you can hang out of a train doing 100mph for a fag, (way back when i smoked lol) mad but literally amazing. I spent so much time hanging out the train smoking and taking videos, the shirt I had on was so ingrained with dirt it ended up being binned.

IIRC it was about £20, including 3 "meals"

The Train


Breakfast


The Airline moist towel I wiped my face with


Booking trains is a real pain in backside, use a local travel agent to preserve your sanity. I have used https://www.capertravelindia.com/ for a couple of trips. they on the whole are excellent and vastly vastly vastly cheaper than using a UK travel co. I would say that I have not traveled in India post internet everywhere, last trip was 2012, so things might have changed, but I doubt it.

India is head messing, the trains were put there by the British, the Indians have taken old British bureaucracy and turned it into an art...

I loved every second of it.

[romft123]

trouble is, you have to book way ahead to get the right train you want and especially if its a sleeper, so anything LOCAL is way too late.

[Griffith4ever]

This is what we are looking at, private (no group) but sorting our own flights in and out as we'll move on to Goa at the end, then on to Thailand/Cambo/Vietnam.

https://www.distantjourneys.co.uk/india-tours/gran...

I've done the group thing before but 3 weeks is too long to put up with other people's habits and selfish behaviour (I've done an overland African 3 weeker....)

[romft123]

Griffith4ever said:

This is what we are looking at, private (no group) but sorting our own flights in and out as we'll move on to Goa at the end, then on to Thailand/Cambo/Vietnam.

https://www.distantjourneys.co.uk/india-tours/gran...

I've done the group thing before but 3 weeks is too long to put up with other people's habits and selfish behaviour (I've done an overland African 3 weeker....)

This misses way too much for us...basically eastern India. Varanasi and up to Darjeeling etc. We spent nearly 3 months in Vietnam---Cambodia---Laos---Thailand, all done by ourselves 5 years ago. (We were 60 then)..

[Griffith4ever]

romft123 said:

This misses way too much for us...basically eastern India. Varanasi and up to Darjeeling etc. We spent nearly 3 months in Vietnam---Cambodia---Laos---Thailand, all done by ourselves 5 years ago. (We were 60 then)..

Yeah - there has to be a compromise and its not like we can't go back again. India.

Loas, Nam, Thailand, Cambo are all regular destinations for us and we do it independently most winters, but India will prob be a one off (see above) and I want to do it in comfort. I get Nov -Dec-Jan "off" - my business low season. 3 months is too much really - I lose sales, but 8-10 weeks is fine every year and costs me not too much in lost revenue, and as it is, I want at least a month on my arse drinking cold beers and walking a long a beach, so India can have 3-4 weeks, then I want R&R.

[romft123]

Griffith4ever said:

romft123 said:

This misses way too much for us...basically eastern India. Varanasi and up to Darjeeling etc. We spent nearly 3 months in Vietnam---Cambodia---Laos---Thailand, all done by ourselves 5 years ago. (We were 60 then)..

Yeah - there has to be a compromise and its not like we can't go back again. India.

Loas, Nam, Thailand, Cambo are all regular destinations for us and we do it independently most winters, but India will prob be a one off (see above) and I want to do it in comfort. I get Nov -Dec-Jan "off" - my business low season. 3 months is too much really - I lose sales, but 8-10 weeks is fine every year and costs me not too much in lost revenue, and as it is, I want at least a month on my arse drinking cold beers and walking a long a beach, so India can have 3-4 weeks, then I want R&R.

Thats what we did on our trip to SEA. After over 3 weeks of travelling virtually non stop, we flew from Saigon to Phu Quoc for 5 days beach bumming. Then back on the trail and into Cambodia...........and on

[Griffith4ever]

romft123 said:

Griffith4ever said:

romft123 said:

This misses way too much for us...basically eastern India. Varanasi and up to Darjeeling etc. We spent nearly 3 months in Vietnam---Cambodia---Laos---Thailand, all done by ourselves 5 years ago. (We were 60 then)..

Yeah - there has to be a compromise and its not like we can't go back again. India.

Loas, Nam, Thailand, Cambo are all regular destinations for us and we do it independently most winters, but India will prob be a one off (see above) and I want to do it in comfort. I get Nov -Dec-Jan "off" - my business low season. 3 months is too much really - I lose sales, but 8-10 weeks is fine every year and costs me not too much in lost revenue, and as it is, I want at least a month on my arse drinking cold beers and walking a long a beach, so India can have 3-4 weeks, then I want R&R.

Thats what we did on our trip to SEA. After over 3 weeks of travelling virtually non stop, we flew from Saigon to Phu Quoc for 5 days beach bumming. Then back on the trail and into Cambodia...........and on

Aye - I booked a lot of it yesterday.

25 day India Grand Tour (private), then we are flying from Cochin over to Goa where i have a very quiet beach house booked for 10 days, then we fly to Hyderabad, stay for 2 nights (squeeze in a day tour of all the forts etc), onto BKK, play in BKK for 2 days, then on to Phnom Pen for a couple of days, then train it to the beaches and stay there for a few weeks (never tried Cambodia beaches - heading South), then 3.5 weeks unplanned.

[cb31]

Got a train from Mumbai to Varanasi many years ago. I'd like to think of old trips with rose tinted glasses but the train journey was absolutely horrific. We had sleepers, got on the train in Bombay amidst absolute chaos. It was around midnight, seemingly thousands of people trying to force their way onto the train, police hitting people with sticks, bedlam. 5 people were sat on each of our beds, none apparently able to understand they were on our beds. Occasionally the guard would come along and kick them out, wake up a couple of hours later after a fitful sleep and there are 3 or 4 people back on your bed with you Rinse and repeat for the whole journey.

Heat was stifling, aircon was hopeless, toilets were basically a hole in the train so you could see the tracks, complete with st all over the cubicle. Train was meant to take 25 hours but actually took 35. It was a truly miserable time. Love India but long train journeys I can really do without, ended up flying to Agra after that experience which was another terrible experience