do trains or busses go everywhere in india or should i rent a car or take incountry flights?

It may be dirty as the first respondent said. Its the most fascinating country in the world. Every country has its good and bads. I also can 50 negative points anout USA.

However if cash permits flights are most convenient way to travel arround. In India there are 350 airports.

Do not use bus or car for long distance travel. Use trains.

Use bus for 50 to 100 miles travel.

Use car for less than 50 miles drive.

Use train for more than 100 miles drive.

Well yes buses and trains do go nearly everywhere in India, but you would probably have a problem with hygiene and the crowded confines. I would recommend that for journeys during the daytime, and not more than 8-10 hours duration, you take the train; the countryside will be a fascinating and rewarding view. For shorter duration of travel like 4 hours or less, take a bus and be prepared to rub shoulders with the average Indian who will be very curious, and certainly friendly and helpful. Indians are very informal people so you may have to fend off questions like "where are you going?" which could be offending your perceptions. Just respect the general dress code, don't be rude or overtly friendly, and please don't show skin. India is a far safer country than the USA or most European countries for that matter. Drink only packaged water of reputed brand, and generally have a good time. Why don't you become a member of this group and keep in touch with us for regular tips on travelling and stay when you are here. We will do our best to make your travel and stay in India a very pleasant one, with a network of friends in different places who would be of big help in all aspects. Best wishes and have a great time visiting India. guyatind@yahoo.com

Yes.

Kerala. Jammu. Taj Mahal.

All the popular tourist destination you get by googling are well connected through buses and trains

And you can hire taxis to go to the more exotic locations, if you are in a mood of exploring.

Stick to planes, trains and buses if travelling alone. As in any other part, people do try to steal and all other sorts of problem

When ever asking doubts to strangers and road-siders give them the impression, you know some VIP of the state (Commissioner of Police), to make sure they wont cheat you. (Though thats not the best way for me to advice, still ... could not think of a better alternative)

There are educated Indians who will help you around coz we are all humans, and humanity is in every country. Am an Indian too.

But if you find people going too far helping you, like offering to accompany you for the 240 Km ride (pretext of helping you), or telling "I know a friend in the "ABC" hotel, though its very costly at "ABC", you being by acquiantance will get it cheaply.

India is not a difficult place.

India is a truly great country, not because I live here, but because there are so many things to be learnt, seen here.

All the above pre-cautions were not meant to intimidate you, just experiences I had that could be useful to you.

Welcome to INDIA

Again, the question,

All the tourist destinations in India are well connected by trains, from there you will have to catch a bus (from station to location)..

It will be like--- flight/train -> Bus -> Car (Greater than 10 KM) or AutoRickshaw (Lesser than 10 KM)

Let me know if you need specific help, will try...

Its unfortunate that the first person who answered had a bad time. Overall I think India is a safe country for any public transport. I like the following advice.

"Use bus for 50 to 100 miles travel.

Use car for less than 50 miles drive.

Use train for more than 100 miles drive."

Much depends on which state you are travelling in too. Each state has its own state transport or private transport system. Indian railways are same everywhere. So pretty much similar service everywhere.

If you havent yet decided where you are going in India and money is not a big problem, you might want to look at package deals from tourist agencies. The deal covers everything from travel, stay, food and site seeing with guide.

There are some theme based tours too like -wildlife or adventure tourism etc. That way you would not have to worry about planning and finding clean and safe travelling and living options.

You might want to look at the 'Palace on wheels'. Its a royal train with all amenities on board and makes stops at all the major sites in the state of Rajastan. It is an amazing experience if you have the money.

http://www.palaceonwheels.net/new/home.htm

Its a seven day tour starting from Delhi, the capital of India.

There are other tours they offer too

http://palacetours.net/TourList1.aspx?cmd=cat&pk=1...

You will find cheaper and less royal options from other tour operaters too. They have preplanned tours where you are part of a larger group as well as custom made tours. for example: Prasanna, Kesari from the state of maharashtra (if you are going to fly in Mumbai) are used by locals too so they are cheaper. Many times their tours are accompanied by catering staff. SITA is also a good option.

Have fun in the dirtiest country on the planet!

I would take planes unnless you want to totally confused.

The busses there are not like busses in a civilized country, they are not really planned out very well. I would stick to air if you have the money! it's much easier and you actually know you'll get to your destination. Busses are shady.

I hope you don't plan to ever go to the bathroom while in india!

You'll be disgusted by the washrooms. I'm not sure they even qualify as washrooms. They are more like a hole in the ground that you squat over. No clean toilets with seats usually.

Have fun getting heckled by indian men and harassed sexually!

Bon voyage!

you need a sense of adventure for india and if you have that, the negative aspects previously mentioned are hardly worth thinking about. the positive aspects are colourful, adventurous and stimulating and many people become india addicts as i am.

i adore this amazing country!

it is very easy to travel around on buses or trains and this is a good way to view the country. overnight travel would be a waste as one would miss out on the scenery. as a young woman in the seventies and an older visitor in 06, i found that i was not sexually harassed and travelled around safely for more than 2 years. not saying that negative things will not happen but consider that they are not necessarily going to happen. indian people are mostly very polite and friendly and the country is colourful viewing.

trains and buses do go everywhere in india, but you might want to fly if you're traveling very far. going from mumbai to chennai by train is an adventure but if you can afford the hundo it's worth it to fly.

yes there is an airline tourist pass that lets you fly anywhere for 2 weeks, as many times as you want, as long as you don't use the same airport twice. for a trip of 2-5 weeks, if you want to see different regions, the north and the south for example, it can be worth it.

the trains are a wonderful adventure and are not to be missed. i would recommend at least one overnight trip, get a sleeping car, and they will totally take care of you.

Just wanted to throw in my two cents, and agree with the recommendation not to rent a car, especially due to your time constraints. If you don't mind spending a bit more, I'd recommend using cabs to get around the city (and only going to a few spots). The city is quite small so the fares aren't that high. Going to and from the airport is about $35 each way.

trains or busses go everywhere in india. do not rent a car unless it comes with a driver!

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