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Air
India is extensively connected by air by various private airlines like Sahara India, Jet Airways and so on. The official domestic carrier is Indian Airlines, which flies extensively throughout the country and to some neighbouring countries.
Reservations
Indian Airlines has computerized booking offices in all major cities that look after reservations and flight information. However, flights in popular sectors might be heavily booked so book in advance.
The private operators are very efficient and often give heavy discounts on their tickets. For most airlines tickets can be booked with foreign currency (dollar or pound), TCs or by credit card. Refund charges are Rs 100 on each ticket and can be made at any booking office. And tough luck if your ticket gets lost, Indian Airlines will not accept any responsibility though they might issue a replacement.
Air Passes
Indian Airlines has a Discover India pass for 15 and 21 days, which allows unlimited travel in the domestic circuit. It can be quite reasonable if you are taking lots of change of flight. Another pass India Wonder Fare gives you a week’s unlimited travel between cities within a particular region: north, east, south and west.
There are also some special discounts. You can avail of a 30% discount on the US dollar fare on selected zones in South India. Also a 25% discount on US $ fare of some sectors are available for those under 30.
Train(Railway)
Indian Railways is the world’s fourth largest railway network, with a route length of over 60,000km. Each day more than 7000 passenger trains run connecting 7100 stations. Indian Railways has over 160 high-speed trains, including the Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi Express and so on.
The best way to be acquainted with the system is to catch hold of the timetable Trains at a glance, which is available at all major railway stations and on some newsstands in the bigger cities. The Indian Bradshaw, published monthly, also carries handy information on the train services throughout the country. You can usually find it on the bookstalls of all major city railway stations. The fares of the trains are based on distance. Meals and drinks are available on most trains.
Classes
Indian railway trains come in two classes, first and second. There are two types of first class, AC and non-AC. The fare for first class AC is often twice that of the normal first class. Slightly cheaper is the AC two-tier sleeper class, which costs about 25% more than first class non-AC.
Squashed between the first and second class, are the AC three tier and the AC chair car. The former has three levels of berth and the latter consists of carriages with aircraft type seating arrangement. These options are available only on the major routes.
Sleepers
There are first and second class sleepers in Indian express trains. First class sleepers are private compartments with two to four berths in them. First class AC sleepers are more expansive, both in luxury and cost. Second class sleepers, still popularly known as three-tier, are arranged in doorless sections each of six berths.
Reservations
Computerized reservation centres are available throughout the country. In the metro cities, there are special reservation counters for foreign tourists at the main booking offices and there are special quotas for tourists on many trains. When tickets are not available over the general counters, if you're lucky you might get one on the tourist quota. Payments must always be foreign exchange or in Rupees if you have the currency exchange certificate. Reservation cost is very nominal and can be made upto 60 days in advance.
If the train is fully booked, it’s possible to get an RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) ticket which allows you to board the train and get seating accommodation. In fact, more often than not, the TTE (Travelling Ticket Examiner) will find you berth in under an hour. However don't go confusing this with a wait-listed ticket, which does not allow you to actually board the train. The golden rule, as usual, is to plan ahead.
Special Trains
The Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) operates the a special tourist train the Palace on Wheels, which is a real experience for those who can afford it. It runs weekly from Delhi every Wednesday from September to April. The itinerary has some of the erstwhile royal cities of Rajasthan like Jaipur, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Ranthambore National Park, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur and Agra. The cost includes tours, entry fees, accommodation on the train and all meals. Rates per person per day are pretty steep and get steeper with every passing year
Indrail Passes
Indrail passes are Indian version of the Eurail and works on the same principle. They allow unlimited travel on Indian trains for the period of their validity. The pass covers all of reservations and berth costs at night. They are non-extendable, and to really get your money's worth out of the pass you need to travel at least 300km per day. You pay half fare for children from the ages of five to twelve years.
Indrail passes can be bought abroad through travel agents or in India at major railway offices. Payment has to be made either in the US dollar or pound sterling. Cash or travellers’ cheques backed with encashment certificates are also accepted. Second-class passes are not available outside India.
Bus
Though slow and sometimes uncomfortable, buses in India are an efficient and inexpensive means of transport. India has an extensive and well-developed network of roads and bus services.
Classes
Take your pick from the ordinary, express, semi-luxe, deluxe, deluxe AC and deluxe sleeper buses. These choices are however generally available only on major tourist sectors. Each state has its own bus transport company, sometimes backed up by privately operated buses. These are usually quite efficient and much more reliable than any other bus service operators.
Reservations
The biggest plus with buses is their frequency and virtually no reservation in advance is required. The advance reservation angle becomes important only in case of the deluxe, semi-luxe and express services. Private buses should always be booked in advance.
Car
Hiring cars for personal use is not very popular in India, but is available for those who have a taste for it. Budget and Hertz have their offices in all major cities. It is better to hire a chauffeur-driven car, since Indian driving conditions can be quite an eye-opener for those used to radical stuff like traffic laws and such. You can also hire local taxis for long distance trips from taxi stands or ask your hotel to book one for you.
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