The BIG India train trip... have you done one?
Discussion
Over the last few years , we have done several big trips to various places on our globe, from Oz and NZ, to the USA/Carib and the EU....but its back to India for the full monty before we get too old!
We have had 2 two week holidays in Goa over the NY period and had a jolly good time, 1 each in the north and t'other in the south. It was 20 years ago. But as I wrote earlier, this time we wish to travel for 2 ish months.
Initial thoughts are to set off between Xmas and NY, get some serious Vitamin D in and then travel. So maybe start in Kerala for a couple of weeks, up to Goa for another couple then set off late Jan/early Feb 2025. The route....west to east was an initial idea. Up to Mumbai and then ......
Udaipur----Jodhpur----Jaisalmar---Amritsar----Dehli----Agra----Lucknow----Varanasi-----Darjeeling----Kolkata and fly home.
Would love to hear from anyone that has done a big train journey...similar-- to this. Maybe some sections will need a bus journey...Especially into/out of Jaisalmar. We dont intend any internal flights at all. 3/4 days in each city seems enough. Over night sleeps for the long sections. I love "The man in seat 61's" website and see he recommends using 12goasia for booking ahead of time which seems to also be recommended. Ideas/thoughts appreciated.
We have had 2 two week holidays in Goa over the NY period and had a jolly good time, 1 each in the north and t'other in the south. It was 20 years ago. But as I wrote earlier, this time we wish to travel for 2 ish months.
Initial thoughts are to set off between Xmas and NY, get some serious Vitamin D in and then travel. So maybe start in Kerala for a couple of weeks, up to Goa for another couple then set off late Jan/early Feb 2025. The route....west to east was an initial idea. Up to Mumbai and then ......
Udaipur----Jodhpur----Jaisalmar---Amritsar----Dehli----Agra----Lucknow----Varanasi-----Darjeeling----Kolkata and fly home.
Would love to hear from anyone that has done a big train journey...similar-- to this. Maybe some sections will need a bus journey...Especially into/out of Jaisalmar. We dont intend any internal flights at all. 3/4 days in each city seems enough. Over night sleeps for the long sections. I love "The man in seat 61's" website and see he recommends using 12goasia for booking ahead of time which seems to also be recommended. Ideas/thoughts appreciated.
Slow.Patrol said:
3454.5 said:
We used Great Rail for a similar trip, although our's didn't include Shimla because we went down to Mumbai. Very good trip and we're now considering their Southern India and Kerala tour.
We are doing Vietnam and Cambodia with them later in the year. Good value and well organised. It is nice to sit back and let someone else do the planning occasionally. Slow.Patrol said:
We did a train trip with Great Rail. It is with a group and you have a group leader. Having never been to India before, we took an easy option.
The package was called the Golden Triangle and included the toy train to Shimla. All the hotels were 4 & 5 star.
To be fair, we priced up the tour doing it independently and it came home more than we paid.
Oh, and no one got Delhi belly.
Brilliant holiday including the Taj Mahal, Red Fort etc.
ETA link
https://www.greatrail.com/tours/five-star-indias-g...
Too short, too quick.....The package was called the Golden Triangle and included the toy train to Shimla. All the hotels were 4 & 5 star.
To be fair, we priced up the tour doing it independently and it came home more than we paid.
Oh, and no one got Delhi belly.
Brilliant holiday including the Taj Mahal, Red Fort etc.
ETA link
https://www.greatrail.com/tours/five-star-indias-g...
Edited by Slow.Patrol on Friday 8th March 19:41
DG. After a month ish in Vietnam, we flew to Phu Quoc for some R n R. Took the ferry to Ha Tien then we found a guy who knew 2 locals that took people on the back of their small motorbikes over the border to Kep. Stayed 3 days then hitched a lift to Kampot. Boat trips and bike trips 3 days. Bus to the Capitol, then another bus to Battambang...3 days, boat across the lake which was fantastic to S Reap. 5 days to do most of whats there....un fecking believable. Was easier "hiring" a guy to drop us 1 side of a temple, then pick us up on the other side and drive to the next one. Like $10 for the day!.
From S R bus to Stung Treng. Just for a 1 day break b4 another bus due north to drop us off at Thakho to pick up a small tuktuk to the river and then onto Don Det. stayed here 4 days, hired bikes to bomb around.
Back to the mainland and bus up to Pakse, coupla days then bus up to Thakek to "do the loop" etc. Bus up to The Capitol. Another bus up to V Veng for some waterrafting etc. Just 3 days. Motorbiking around 1 day. Short hop up to Luang Prabang....very touristy. Boat up the river to Huay Xai....across the border then over 10 days, various buses back to Bangyercock.
We found Travelfish the best by a mile for everything, Agoda for booking hotels etc. and within them for finding travel arrangements. Never had any problems at all, none. Buses were varied between local ones to long distance. roads were awful. Accom...mainly a bit rough at times, but OK in the main. Eating was at times a bit bland. Really really missed milk for a good cup of tea. I am not a coffee man.
From S R bus to Stung Treng. Just for a 1 day break b4 another bus due north to drop us off at Thakho to pick up a small tuktuk to the river and then onto Don Det. stayed here 4 days, hired bikes to bomb around.
Back to the mainland and bus up to Pakse, coupla days then bus up to Thakek to "do the loop" etc. Bus up to The Capitol. Another bus up to V Veng for some waterrafting etc. Just 3 days. Motorbiking around 1 day. Short hop up to Luang Prabang....very touristy. Boat up the river to Huay Xai....across the border then over 10 days, various buses back to Bangyercock.
We found Travelfish the best by a mile for everything, Agoda for booking hotels etc. and within them for finding travel arrangements. Never had any problems at all, none. Buses were varied between local ones to long distance. roads were awful. Accom...mainly a bit rough at times, but OK in the main. Eating was at times a bit bland. Really really missed milk for a good cup of tea. I am not a coffee man.
I would recommend a town called Khajuraho if you can manage the detour.. its on the way to Varanasi, and it has an amazing temple complex, which was well worth visiting imo.
Outside of Varanasi and the smaller towns, you'll find that the cities can be surprisingly modern, with very modern metro systems, particularly in Delhi and Kolkata.
Edited by Shay HTFC on Thursday 28th March 11:35
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TY yes am aware of the 12Go asia website......Its the planning the route first Then then accom I think. Have trained all around Vietnam and China, so am aware of the classes etc. Shared a cabin with 2 ex army Koreans going down to Surat Thani.....was fun.... China was easy. With the help of Seat61, we booked everything in 1 go in HK a week ahead. Went very easily...... The planning starts over summer.
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).. 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....)
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.
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