How to get around?, Jaipur

Autos are a cheap way to go around the city, however, I found many a times, foreigners were being charged much more than the prevalent rate. So better to ask at the hotel the approximate fare to the place you are going to and then hire an auto.

We tried a trishaw, but it was too slow and he didn't understand us properly as he didn't speak English. It was hard work on the man too and the price is similar to an auto rickshaw. Later we found Saif who spoke good English and drove an autorickshaw. He is a funny guy and keen to bring us around at a pre-negotiated price. If you don't wish to be brought for shopping, let him know in advance. He brought us to the airport in time for departure. It turned out that going by auto was a better option when in a rush.

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Maybe you feel some constraint (as I did) to accept being pulled around by the effort of a man. But remember, it's their job, and life will be harder with... no clients. So, be aware that the rickshaw is the best way to tour the city at a cheap price.
After all, cycling around such a plane city is not the toughest job they may choose.

I decided to take the bus from Jaipur to Dehli as they are frequent and you don’t have to book a ticket in advance. In the morning I took an auto rickshaw from Hotel Pearl Palace to the bus stand as it looked like the rain was going to pour down any minute. The rickshaw was Rs 40 (August 2010).

At the bus stand I was directed to a ticket counter, but as the bus to Dehli just started to move the man behind the counter said go, go and I then bought the ticket on the bus. The ticket to Dehli was Rs 175 and the ride took around 5- 6 hours. It was one of those big regular buses with two seats on one side and three seats on the other side. My backpack could not fit in the narrow shelf above so I had it by my feet. Only for a short while the bus was full, otherwise it was plenty of space the rest of the trip. All the open windows can be a nuisance if it gets too windy and dusty. I had to ask the man in front of me to close his window and so he did and then it was okay. Halfway we stopped for people to eat or buy snacks. Beside the bus there was a row of smelly urinals so waiting near the bus was not an option.

In Delhi the bus stopped along a main road in the south part of Dehli. The auto rickshaw drivers told me they could take me to Paharganj for Rs 250. Well, a few weeks earlier I had taken a taxi from the airport, which was further south, to Paharganj for Rs 225. When I told the drivers about this they changed their price to Rs 200 and then Rs 150. I saw a small traffic police booth 20 metres away and walked over to it even if it looked closed. It turned out there were two men inside eating. They told me to wait a few minutes and then I could pay for a prepaid auto rickshaw as this was one of the prepaid taxi booths. To take an auto rickshaw to Paharganj was Rs 95 (Rs 80 + Rs 10 for baggage + Rs 5 for service).

There are trains between Agra and Jaipur and I went to Agra Fort station to ask for the schedule. The train was leaving too early, around 6am. So instead I asked the man at my hotel which bus stand I should go to for the buses to Jaipur. He told me to go to the new bus terminal outside town as the luxury buses leaves from there. In the morning another man at the reception told me to go to Idgah Bus Stand instead. I thought that was the best too as it was closer and there would always be a regular bus from there. From Taj Ganj (East Gate) I paid Rs 50 (August 2010) for an auto rickshaw to Idgah Bus Stand.

When I arrived at Idgah Bus Stand it was 7.15am. The man in the first counter I went to sold tickets for the 7.30 bus, a luxury bus. The problem, for me, was that it was leaving from the new bus terminal more than 5km away. He said I could take a taxi there , but that was not a good option for me. I asked for the regular bus and it turned out it was leaving at 7.20, just in a few minutes. Of course I chose that one. It was Rs 159 and took less than 6 hours. Half along the way we stopped and some people ate at a food stall. I only walked around.

In Jaipur the bus stopped at the Main Bus Stand. From there it was not too far (about 1 km) to walk to my hotel, the Hotel Pearl Palace.

The next day I met a man who had been staying in the same hotel as me in Agra. He had gone to Jaipur on the same day as me, but he took the train and left earlier than me and arrived later than me. I’m glad I took the regular bus.

I had read in my guidebook that buses for Amber leaves from a bus stop near Hawa Mahal. I confirmed this at the hotel and then went out to take an auto rickshaw. The auto rickshaw driver agreed to take me there for Rs 50 (August 2010). He did not go all the way to Hawa Mahal, but stopped at MI Road, near New Gate and said it was better to take the bus from there. I was afraid I would not know which bus to stop but the driver said he would stay to stop the right bus. After one minute the bus arrived and the signs were of course only in Hindu. I got a seat and paid Rs 7 to Amber. We passed Hawa Mahal and about half an hour later we were in Amber. In Amber the bus stopped just by the palace.

Going back to Jaipur I asked in the bus if it was going to MI Road (which was not so far away from my hotel as Hawa Mahal was). I went off the bus when it left MI Road after passing the Ram Niwas Public Gardens, just before Ajmer Gate.

A convenient way to move around is to hire a taxi. A start price for a whole day inclusive of parking fees and a/c is around 800 rupees. October is still hot, so get an a/c taxi and dont mess around with that classic Indian-made car Ambassador as the a/c moves in tandem with the outside temperature. Indica may be a better bet but check whether or not its working. By the way you dont need to ride on the elephants to go up Amber Fort unless of course if you want to. Believe me even in a long distance ride the a/c remains just as inefficient! Anyway for a Jaipur- Agra trip they'll probably shave off 500 rupees from the foreigner standard price of 4000 rupees. But hey you do get a nice sauna!

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Me and my boyfriend wanted to doa very cheap trip in jaipur.we did not want to spend loads of bucks by travelling in the tourist buses who do not give you space to explore the place on your own.so we decided to travel by local buses,rickshaws and whatever comes our way.At times we would leave the bus before we reach our destination and then go on foot enjoying the scenic places around especially around Amer.It was fun.But please be careful about the rickshaw fares they generally charge double or triple the amount it actually is.Sometimes asking a passerby about the fare who is alocalite helps.so all the best my friends have fun..:)