Guys,
I need some advice from the great collective.
This year my wife and I will be celebrating our Silver Wedding anniversary and we are looking at a Holiday of a lifetime seeing the sites in India. I've done a trawl of the internet and fund this site http://www.greatrail.com/great-train-tours-holiday-destinations/india--the-orient/india-rail-tours.aspx (http://www.greatrail.com/great-train-tours-holiday-destinations/india--the-orient/india-rail-tours.aspx) and so I was wondering if anyone on here has been to India for a Rail Holiday and can give me some help.
Regards
Neal.
There was a documentary on Sky Travel Channel about one of these a couple of weeks ago and it looked really interesting. Very posh ;)
Hope someone else can give you some more info.
Good luck,would be a trip to remember.
I've been going to India for the last 10years, have only travelled "Cattle Class" apart from the hill railway at Otty but have seen these trains, just one word GO and enjoy yourself!
Ps can you sneak me in as hand luggage, I fold up quite small!
Neal - if you liked the Small Railways of India programme that was on TV, Ffestiniog Travel to a trip out there, it is a 3 week job and about £4.5k each. This one goes next month but they will do others http://www.ffestiniogtravel.com/index.php/worldwide/connoisseur-rail-tours/indian-hill-railways (http://www.ffestiniogtravel.com/index.php/worldwide/connoisseur-rail-tours/indian-hill-railways)
I've been to India but not for a rail holiday.
If you go you need to plan well in advance and know which areas to get your various vaccinations up to date. Check the places you plan to go and the advice for them carefully.
Take some single US dollars with you. Everything outside the system in India runs remarkably better on dollar bills. Take things like hand cleaner because the entire world of washing your hands changes when the water isn't drinking grade and in fact things like hand and teeth cleaning are the bigger problem
Be prepared for some culture shock, a couple of days of the runs and an education in toilets (no paper, you get a brush and a bucket - much more sanitary!)
I spent two days on the loo, and the first day just wanting to hide in the hotel, and the rest of it was brilliant with some fantastic people. I'd do it again even if I had to spend another two days on the khazi.
And on no account, ever ever think about hiring a car and driving in the cities! The driving is a wonder of its own!
So yes I'd recommend it - and recommend that you do it as a group party unless you are very adventurous.
Right guys, Mrs Calnefoxile and I are off to India tomorrow :claphappy: :claphappy:
EP, I completely forgot your advice about dollar bills and have got Rupees instead :doh: :doh:
But our itinary is, arrive Dehli Wednesday morning, Thursday guided tour of Delhi, Friday Transfer to Jaipur, Saturday guided tour of Amber Fort and Jaipur City, Sunday on our own in Jaipur, Monday transfer to Agra stopping at Fatehpur Sikri, Tuesday guided tour of Agra Fort and Taj Mahal then transfer back to Delhi to catch Overnight Mail train to Kalka, Wednesday arrive in Kalka to cathc the Toy Train up to Shimla. Thursday Guided Tour of Shimla, Friday on our own in Shimla. Saturday morning at leisure then transfer back to Kalka to catch the train back to Delhi. Sunday 18th November fly back home.
So as you can see it'll be a pretty packed 12 days, but I've set up a flickr account http://www.flickr.com/photos/nm-mansell (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nm-mansell) for those who might be interested in tracking our travels and sights.
I'm hoping to get to the Indian National Railway Museum in Delhi.
Regards
Neal.
Have a great time Neal, remember bottled water only and no ice in your drinks ;)
Have a wonderful time of the places you're going to I've only been to Jaipur where we had a great time. Looking forward to seeing your railway pics, whetting my appetite for my next trip in January. I'm not vegetarian but enjoy the food occaisionally, had our best ever meal in Jaipur.
(http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb474/minzapint/IMGP1884.jpg)
(http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb474/minzapint/IMGP1885.jpg)
Our Chef at work, we like to go upmarket!
A couple more bits of advice.
After a while you will be asking for food that is not spicy. The waiter will agree and when the food comes it will still be very hot for the average western palette. The problem is that their aluminium saucepans have been cooking spicy food for years and are impregnated so without adding any spice you will still get a healthy dose.
Turn off roaming on your mobile 'phone. A new service provider will be letting you know they are now responsible every half an hour when you are travelling. It prevents sleep very effectively !
Enjoy it !
Have a great time, Neal.
See if you can look out some steamers for us (and I don't mean cookpots) :thumbsup:
Have a great time Neal,
Meanwhile I am holidaying in................Chippenham.
Quote from: Jerry Howlett on November 05, 2012, 06:18:36 PM
Meanwhile I am holidaying in................Chippenham.
That's a jail sentence, not a holiday :worried:
Have a wonderful holiday and keep well :thumbsup:
Not sure about wiping your backside with a brush though, I would pack a few rolls of dunny paper if I were you ;)
Quote from: oldrailbug on November 05, 2012, 07:21:44 PM
Have a wonderful holiday and keep well :thumbsup:
Not sure about wiping your backside with a brush though, I would pack a few rolls of dunny paper if I were you ;)
Very good advice, I always keep a few emergency sheets in my pocket, it's like taking an umbrella with you, never rains when you've got one and pours down when you haven't. :rain:
Have a great time. The railway trips are an education !
And it was interesting to see a rake of wagons in the station with the wording "Not to be Loose Shunted" on each wagon. Very British.
Above all though you'll love the food, the colours, the hustle & bustle,, the general noise and the people.
Have fun and if you do hire a car , as we did for a couple of days, the advice the hire chappie gave us when I asked if there was anything I should know, he simply said "You need good brakes, a good Horn and Good Luck!".
Have a wonderful holiday.
Quote from: port perran on November 05, 2012, 07:42:42 PM
Have a great time. The railway trips are an education !
And it was interesting to see a rake of wagons in the station with the wording "Not to be Loose Shunted" on each wagon. Very British.
Above all though you'll love the food, the colours, the hustle & bustle,, the general noise and the people.
Have fun and if you do hire a car , as we did for a couple of days, the advice the hire chappie gave us when I asked if there was anything I should know, he simply said "You need good brakes, a good Horn and Good Luck!".
Have a wonderful holiday.
I'll second that especially the driving bit!
Hiya chaps and chapesses,
Well arrived safe and sound in New Dehli after a long and tiring couple of flights via Doha.
Arrived early enough to suffer/endure Dehli rush hour, now that was an experience :o :o Haven't been brave enough to try a Tut-Tut yet ;)
Managed to persuade Mrs Calnefoxile to let me visit the National Railway Museum in Dehli. What a contrast to the NRM in York, even though the photos show the Locos and Stock in reasonable condition, believe me they're not, some of them are almost on their last legs, or should that be wheels :)
Photos can be seen here http://www.flickr.com/photos/nm-mansell (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nm-mansell)
Another update tomorrow as we're off on a guided tour of Old and New Dehli today.
Tara
Neal.
First class photos, I think they have done their best with what they have and its nice to see plenty of British made locos on display.
Also noted the Alco World Export Model Diesel No17000 on display also known as a 44 Class or a 930 Class here in Australia, thankfully ours look in better nick that that poor beast.
Looking forward to seeing more of your pictures, keep well and stay safe, there must be plenty of McDonalds in India :confused2:
Great pics, look forward to seeing more and you must have a ride in a Tuc Tuc just don't leave your arm hanging out, well not the good one anyway! Best wishes for a great time. :wave:
David
Thank you very much for posting your pictures.
There is a great variety of stock to see there.
I am looking forward to your next post :thumbsup:
cheers John.
Nice photo's :camera: Mrs Calnefoxhile has some lovely red shoes ;)
One of two countries on my wish list to visit (China is the other one), the way things are at the moment I'll just have to settle for their food (although a 84k round trip for an Indian is a bit of a chore, you'd think they would deliver) :'(
Day of rest on our India trip today, luckily for me as I came down with the dreaded Delhi Belly (If you can call it that in Jaipur) last night :( and so have been laid up for most of today, Mrs C reckons it was more like Sunstroke, and she should know being a Nurse ;) but of course with her being a Nurse I got zero sympathy :hmmm: :hmmm:
We were going to have a walk round the Markets in Jaipur today but due to the above situation that was cancelled, which meant that Mrs C spent most of today and todays spending money, pampering herself in the Hotel Spa :worried:
Anyway, hopefully will be fighting fit again tomrrow for our journey to Agra, via the Fatephur Sihkri and then onto the Taj Mahal on Tuesday.
Latest photos have been updated from day 4's visit to the Amber Fort and other monuments in Jaipur.
Regards
Neal.
Great pics and you're getting adventurous not just the Tuc Tuc but the cycle rickshaw :thumbsup: From the look of the lillywhites (legs yours!) it wasn't sunstroke! :laugh: Can see you're having a great time I'm looking forward to going back late January.
Put some more photos up guys, including pictures of the Taj Mahal and our trip on the Sleeper from Delhi to Kalka and the Toy Train from Kalka to Shimla.
Some fantastic scenery and I even managed to get some pictures of Indian Trains, much to Mrs C's chagrin.
Regards
Neal.