Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Booking On Indian Railways
Bookings open 90 days before departure and seats fill up quickly - reserve at least a week
ahead where possible. Trains and seats come in a variety of classes, from the crush of unre-
served class to the air-conditioned luxury of 1st class. Sleeper trains offer the chance to
travel huge distances for not much more than the price of a midrange hotel room.
Express and mail trains form the mainstay of Indian rail travel. Not all classes are avail-
able on every train, but most long-distance services have general (2nd class) compartments
with unreserved seating and more-comfortable reserved compartments, usually with the op-
tion of sleeper berths for overnight journeys.
Shatabdi express trains are same-day services with seating only; Rajdhani express trains
are long-distance overnight services between Delhi and state capitals with a choice of 1AC,
2AC, 3AC and 2nd class. More-expensive sleeper categories provide bedding. In all
classes, a padlock and a length of chain are useful for securing your luggage to baggage
racks.
RAILWAY RAZZLE DAZZLE
South India offers an enticing choice of tailored train journeys for tourists seeking to ride the rails with flair. Fares
usually include on-board accommodation, tours, admission fees and all or most meals, and there are normally child
concessions: enquire when booking.
»
Deccan Odyssey
(
www.deccan-odyssey-india.com
) Seven nights covering the main tourist spots of Maharashtra
and Goa. From October to March, fares per person per night start at US$650/500/425 for single/double/triple occu-
pancy (US$500/390/315 in September and April).
»
Golden Chariot
(
www.thegoldenchariot.co.in
)
Tours the South in style from October to March, starting
Bengaluru (Bangalore); eight-day/seven-night trips visiting Karnataka and Goa, or Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Rates
per person per night start at US$754/545/440 for single/double/triple occupancy.
