Getting Around State of Rajasthan

3 more images

Hello
I just came back from my second trip to Rajasthan. It is really
a wonderful place to visit, like from a fairy tale.

Jaipur the pink city, Jodhpur the blue city, Udaipur the beautiful
city on the lake Pichola, Havelis in Mandawa, all the forts and
palaces. Incredible.

Even so I prefer to travel individually, I had both times
a driver and guide. I think it is really much easier, especially
when one is not so young anymore.... You save lots of energy and time
booking tickets and looking for hotels. India is strenous enough anyway.

I would like to recommend my driver and guide Pawan Sharma very much.
He is very reliable, honest, friendly and speaks English very well.

From the very beginning of the trip - he came to get me at the airport,
booked a nice hotel in Dehli - I felt very safe. Especially when going to
India the first time.

He can organize your trip according to your wishes, depending how long you
want to travel, how much you want to see, where you want to go and what
standard of hotels you like.

His Mail: sharma_rocket@yahoo.co.in.
www.driver.hostrocket.com

I travelled all over Rajasthan by train. And not the palace on wheels. I took the regular Indian railways trains.
I have always held IR in great esteem. The links are great, trains are on time at least 90% of the time and if you travel by AC 2 or AC3 then you get out of the train relaxed, refreshed and well fed. The catering on most trains is above average and I have never heard of anyone falling ill after eating IR food. Besides, travelling by train allows you to connect with other locals in a way which planes never allow. There is a certain romance about travelling in a train.

Booking tickets on Indian Railways was a breeze. All bookings - & I really mean All bookings - can be done on the net now. The website is given below. Couple of things to note:

1. In order to be absolutely certain of getting seats you will need to book on the day when the bookings open i.e. 60 days before the day of journey. Bookings are easier to get in 2nd class but the journey is more tiring and difficult especially for foreigners.

2. Plan your journey on the following website by identifying the trains in advance. www.indianrail.gov.in. It is difficult to find trains on the website that offers bookings, if you are doing it before 60 days of travel.

3. You can pay by - Visa / Mastercard online but tickets cannot be cancelled online. Someone has to go to the station to cancel the tickets. Tickets can be cancelled at any train station in the country.

4.You will need to have an address in India for the tickets to be delivered. Currently tickets are not delivered outside the country.

2 more images

Rajasthan its rich heritage, colourful culture.It is vast, diverse, colorful and filled with fantastical Palaces, Forts and old Havelis. Hire a car and driver to take in the spread-out sights.From the green hills of Udaipur, west to the Thar desert. From the crisp air of Mount Abu in the south up to Bikaner, with its arid semi-desert - there are wondrous things to see.Rajasthan is often portrayed as one vast open-air museum, with its relics so well preserved that it delights even the most skeptical traveler.It is an incredible destination for the outdoor-tourist .

2 more images

there are three ways to go - train, bus or car. Trains are quick, safe and comforable. Easy to book a ticket. My choice for travelling anywhere in India
Bus travel around Rajasthan is a haphazard but never dull affair. Some buses are clean, air-conditioned, and its possible to book the preferred seat. We usually booked the front seats (AA) which have more leg-room. HOWEVER - one does not always find that the bus you booked on is the one that arrives to transport you! We had some hysterically funny bus trips - goats & chickens on the roof - no air-con, a driver that obviously thought the rule of the road was "NO RULE" They were always packed,literally to the rafters. But everyone was happy,and we marvelled at their apparent lack of a care in the world.We always got to our destinations, albeit never on time. Most of the bus trips were between 6-8 hours long. Cars are much less.
Now Car Travel- suffice to say FIND A GOOD DRIVER with a reliable car(usually can be arranged by your hotel manager) The roads can be a nightmare if you do not have a good driver,who understands at least basic english. We were usually lucky,and only had one or two dreadful trips. AND AVOID DRIVING AT NIGHT -IT IS TREACHEROUS
The buses felt safer - The bigger the better. BusFares are minimal, and car hire usually costs between R2500-R3000

Truly speaking, Palace on Wheels added to my experience of the pleasurable journey. The train had everything to make me feel at home. The coaches with 4 double-bed chambers were complete with contemporary facilities like intercom, channel music, attached toilets, shower, running hot and cold water and floor covering. Then, there were saloons also with 4 sleeping rooms. There again was no dearth of modern amenities to put me on ease. I really relished the mouthwatering Indian, Chinese and Continental culinary fares of the train at the Dining Car. The Lounge made a perfect place for me to unwind reading books and magazines. I could, at the same time, pamper my eyes with the beauty of the region looking outside the window.

The luxury train also had a provision for indoor games. The options were really wide as I could play games like chess, Chinese checkers, Crossword Puzzles and Carom Board. There were good security arrangements onboard. The attendants, called the Khidmatgar, did their bit to perfection. I did not even have to bother about my luggage. Onboard, I could also see some special facilities for the physically challenged people, which actually impressed me no end.

In September 2006 we were in Rajasthan for 3 weeks.
Sushil was our guide and driver for the whole time. He prepared a wonderful tour for us. He showed us many things, which ‘normal’ tourists cannot see. The whole tour was well-organised (hotels, sight-seeing, guides in the cities).
Beside cultural climaxes (Taj-Mahal, Hawa Mahal), Sushil also organised a trekking tour for one day through the jungle (in Ranakpur) and a camel tour in the desert (near Jaisalmer) with accommodation open air.
Sushil also gave advises for the meal (which restaurants, what to eat).
We just can recommend Sushil for tours in Rajasthan and India.

Homepage: www.sushil.net.ms
E-Mail: sushil3870@yahoo.com

For other information about our tour you can contact us by e-mail: Peter.Jandeisek@web.de

I recently spent over 2 weeks in India. We found a fabulous driver through one of these forums and wanted to recommend him to anyone traveling to Delhi-Rajastan.
As a female arriving alone into Delhi in the middle of the night I was a bit nervous about getting into a vehicle not only with someone I did not know but in a very foreign country. Sushil was there to pick me up and all my luggage and took very good care. The next day my other 2 traveling companions arrived he was good with them as well. He knew exactly what do do about getting a SIM card for our phones, and where to go. We had a lot of the places picked out ourselves before arriving and he had no problem with that either. He also took us to Rajastan. Since we had a lot of luggages he made arrangements with his other driver "Mr James Bond" (as we called him) to take his Qualis. When we arrived in Agra he took us to a place most tourists do not get to see.. the Taj Mahal from the backside... (no fees for this viewing versus the $18USD from the front). Rajastan was just super, they had no problems to stop and ask the local people if we could take their photo. They let us shop during the day hassle free. They were always where we had agreed and on time. Both Sushil and James speak very good English so no worries there. They did a SUPER job taking care of 3 women, lots of luggage, and were interested in seeing lots of interesting things. Sushil accompanied us on rickshaw through Chandi Chowk market and James rode the elephant with us in Jaipur. And my last but not least comment would be his prices are VERY reasonable as well as he is good corresponding via email.

Please contact me if you need any additional information or Sushil directly.. sushil3870@yahoo.com www.sushil.net.ms

Can catch a luxury coach from a main station like Ahmedabad, unless you can arrived in Delhi, or Rajasthan itself.

Once at the given city, always hire a local rixa to take you around the tourist attractions. They will have a printed itinerary card showing you all the stops. And can take your time at the stops.