Recommendations for quick trip in India?

[ehbowen]

I'm considering a short (~1 week) trip to India in October to visit an acquaintance for World Space Week. He lives in Nashik and I will be flying into Mumbai (Bombay). I'd like to work in an overnight trip on Indian Railways either at the beginning or the very end of the trip. At a preliminary glance I'm looking at taking the 22109 SF mail express from Nashik to New Delhi, possibly an overnight there, then turning around and taking the Rajdhani Express back to Mumbai prior to departure. Suggestions and recommendations from those of you who have been there, including suggested hotels for an overnight in New Delhi?

Edit To Add: Rather than going from the Mumbai area to Delhi and back, I'm thinking now of booking an open-jaw flight into Mumbai where my company has a hotel where I can sleep off the jet lag, then visiting my friend in Nashik and concluding the visit with an overnight train ride up to New Delhi and then flying home directly from there (well, with a connection in Frankfurt). Suggestions still welcomed.

 

[caravanman]

Hi,
Have you visited India before, or will this be your first visit?
As you may know, the train you mention only runs on Tuesdays. A "better" train, the Rajdhni 22221 runs on a Wednesday and Saturday, if either of those days suit you. Both trains have similar running times. One advantage of the Rajdhani is that there is a small quota of berths reserved for foreign tourists in A/C 2 class.
One problem with train travel in India is that the trains get booked up rather quickly, although the more expensive Rajdhani's still can to be available closer to the departure date.
I love Indian train travel, but am aware that while some overseas folk sail through the Indian Railway online registration and payment process, others seem to find problems with that.
Advice is to see if your friend or maybe the Mumbai office of the company you work for can book your train ticket for you.
Otherwise, try to register yourself with IRCTC early, so you have time to sort out any potential problems.
Booking only opens 120 days in advance, so you have plenty of time to arrange that ticket for October.
Sadly, I have only stayed in budget price hotels in Delhi, but there are many very nice good quality hotels there.
It might be nice to try one of the "old style" deluxe places with a bit of history, rather than a quality modern glass and concrete "chain hotel"?
Maybe Jis can offer hotel ideas, he is more of a 1st class guy!

If you have a few hours to spare, there is an interesting train museum in Delhi, but to be fair, there is something interesting to see on any street in India!

Ed.

 

[jis]

In Delhi, if you are willing to part with around $200 per night you can stay at the grand old lady, the Imperial Hotel by Connaught Circus, i.e. the very center of downtown of classic Lutyen's New Delhi. This is where the lords and ladies and hangers on to royalty stayed when they visited Delhi during the days of the Raj. They have been able to maintain some of the ambiance, though the full works would be inappropriate for a popular democracy.

Of course the actual inner circle stayed at the Viceroy's residence, which is now the Indian President's residence, and known as Rashtrapati Bhavan, not that far from the Imperial Hotel. The unique circular Parliament of India (Bharatiya Sansad in Hindi) building is also not far, as is India Gate and the First World War Memorial commemorating the 70,000 Indian soldiers who died in that war far from home in Europe. And oddly enough the astronomical observatory of pre-British days, known as Jantar Mantar is also right next door, well preserved.

New Delhi Station is also not that far in almost exactly the opposite direction from the way to the Sansad Bhavan and Rashtrapati Bhavan, and about equal distance. The closest Metro Station is Rajeev Chowk which is at the center of Connaught Circus, with direct Airport service to Indira Gandhi International Airport T3 from where your Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt would depart.

The other grand old hotel, hopefully refurbished since I was there last is the Ashoka Hotel in Chanakyapuri (Diplomatic Enclave), close to the National Railway Museum, a short walk from the Embassy of the United States, the size of which is impressive. Consular relationship between the US and India dates back to George Washington's time. The Consulate in Calcutta was sanctioned by George Washington, but it took the British several decades to officially recognize it. The US considers the date on which Washington sanctioned it as its inception date, and there is a plaque to that effect posted in that Consulate.

The Ashoka is also much closer to IGI airport, and much further from New Delhi Station and downtown. It is also half the price of the Imperial as far as I can see.

Incidentally, it was at the Consular Section of this US Embassy where one fine July morning back in 1977, I stood in line with my Indian Passport and the I-20 sent to me by SUNY Stony Brook, and a pile of other necessary documentation, to put in my Student Visa (F-1) application and know by the end of the day what direction the rest of my life would take. The memory is still very fresh! As is evident, the Deputy Consul Ms. Virginia Carson saw it fit to grant me an F-1 Visa for graduate studies in Computer Science at Stony Brook that day, and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

[jis]

As far as train from Nashik Road to Delhi goes, if you wish to ride a classic and don't mind six extra hours, go for the historical (over a hundred years old) Punjab Mail (12137). You can find some information about it at https://www.cleartrip.com/trains/12137/ . Also it is a daily train so no worries about figuring out days of travel. Originally it ran from Ballard Pier in Bombay to Peshawar Cantonment in what then was North West Frontier Province. Now it runs from Mumbai CSMT (erstwhile Victoria Terminus) to Firozpur Cantonment on the border of Pakistan.

22221 Rajdhani is the newest Rajdhani on IR and is less than a year old. It would be interesting too.

Both carry all classes of AC sleeper accommodation available on IR, so you can indulge yourself at a suitable level of accommodation.

22221 Rajdhani and 22109 AC SF Express basically run in the same slot but on different days and different stopping pattern.

 

[ehbowen]

This will be my first-ever visit to the subcontinent; I don't think cruising by along the coast in the engine room of a battleship counts! Thanks for the recommendations from jis and caravanman. I'm not looking to blow my budget completely, but I think one night of a premium hotel is do-able (although probably the Ashoka rather than the Imperial), along with AC 1st-class overnight accommodations on the train. I'm not ready to firm the plans up yet, though, as I don't know what activities my friend's chapter (of the National Space Society) will have planned for World Space Week until we get a little closer to the date. Basically, I'm just gathering information right now. But this helps!

 

[railiner]

My goal is much simpler...I just want to ride a short turn on one of those extra wide (6 across) suburban trains in Mumbai when my cruise calls there on 9 May...around the noon hour, when hopefully it isn't too packed...

 

[jis]

My goal is much simpler...I just want to ride a short turn on one of those extra wide (6 across) suburban trains in Mumbai when my cruise calls there on 9 May...around the noon hour, when hopefully it isn't too packed...

Closest station to the Mumbai International Cruise Terminal which is at the end of Ballard Pier, is CSMT (ex-Victoria Terminus). Go there a buy a Return Ticket to somewhere close by, say Byculla for example, and hop onto any scheduled departing EMU which does not say via Harbour Line on its route. Get off at Byculla and get onto any train headed in the opposite direction to get back to CSMT.

Alternatively, go to Churchgate which is only a little further, buy a Return Ticket to Mumbai Central and hop onto any departing train. Get off at Mumbai Central and get only any train headed in the opposite direction to get back to Churchgate.

For local road transport Uber works well.

BTW, six abreast may actually work out to as much as eight abreast in real life. LOL!

 

[railiner]

Closest station to the Mumbai International Cruise Terminal which is at the end of Ballard Pier, is CSMT (ex-Victoria Terminus). Go there a buy a Return Ticket to somewhere close by, say Byculla for example, and hop onto any scheduled departing EMU which does not say via Harbour Line on its route. Get off at Byculla and get onto any train headed in the opposite direction to get back to CSMT.

Alternatively, go to Churchgate which is only a little further, buy a Return Ticket to Mumbai Central and hop onto any departing train. Get off at Mumbai Central and get only any train headed in the opposite direction to get back to Churchgate.

For local road transport Uber works well.

BTW, six abreast may actually work out to as much as eight abreast in real life. LOL!

Thanks, jis...I'll study maps of the area and decide on one or the other...

 

[jis]

BTW, keep in mind that Mumbai Central is a combo terminal and through station. It is terminal for LD and mid regional service, and through station for suburban service running to Churchgate. So don;t look for trains to Churchgate in the terminal portion of the station.