Trains, buses, motorbikes and cars: what is the best way to travel around India?
Travelling India on a Royal Enfield
India Train Travel
India’s railway network covers much of the country and trains in India are very cheap, especially if you are happy to sleep on a plastic-covered bunk in the non-air-conditioned 2nd Class Sleeper. The air-conditioned classes are more expensive (“expensive” is a relative term here) but you get what you pay for, and they are a lot more comfortable especially for long journeys.
Taking a train in India can be a great way to see the country, meet a lot of people, and cover a lot of distance spending little money, but it can also involve long hours in 40 degrees heat in a carriage with broken fans, next to a stinking toilet. Either way, it is an experience.
Try to book long distance tickets as far in advance as possible and don’t take train timetables too literally. The modern air-conditioned Shatabdi Express trains are a fast and comfortable way to travel and connect many big cities including Mysore to Bangalore and Chennai, and Delhi to Amritsar.
Travel by Bus in India
Buses go everywhere, even to places trains don’t go to, including Ladakh in the Indian Himalayas. There are private buses and government buses, and government buses are usually cheaper. Private buses are often advertised as “luxury” or “de-luxe” – once again, do not take these words too literally. Local buses are very, very cheap but can be very, very slow.
The more expensive (but worth the money) Volvo Bus network operates between many of India’s biggest cities. Volvo buses are generally fast, comfortable and air-conditioned. Unlike train tickets, bus tickets do not usually have to be booked in advance (except for private long-distance coaches that are booked through travel agents) so buses can be a useful last-minute option.
Rent a Car and a Driver
Renting a car and a driver is a more expensive way to travel in India, but can work well for short sightseeing tours and daytrips. I have used cars for airport pick-ups in the middle of the night, for daytrips and even for a couple of overnight trips. Some drivers are excellent guides and the fact that they speak the local language can be helpful.
Royal Enfield Motorbike
India on a Motorbike
Motorbike travel in India is not for the faint of heart, but it is undeniably the best way to travel around India. Many foreigners rent or buy a Royal Enfield in India and never go back to any other ways of travel. The benefits of Enfield travel are unlimited: you can drive when you want to and where you want to, you can visit places you would never find if only travelling by train or bus, and there are some stunning biking routes in India, including the Manali to Leh road – but you will need nerves of steel.
Getting to India has never been a problem for me. I start out in the sterile confines of Dulles Airport, go from its clean, air-conditioned, safe atmosphere straight into a stuffy, crowded, air conditioned plane, sit on the plane for approximately 20 hours while the pilot does the flying, and then all of a sudden I’m landing in Bombay! My troubles only start after landing in India. Even the transition from the cool, dry airplane to the hot, muggy, smelly, bright Bombay airport reminds me that I’m now in an entirely different world—a magical world full of sights to see and things to do, but also a world of crowds, traffic, bargaining, pollution, and confusion. There’s much in India that you have to see if you visit—the Taj Mahal in New Delhi, Swami Vivekanand’s temple in Trivendrum at the southernmost point in India, the hill stations in the Himalayas, and more. But unless you know the tricks necessary to travel in India without losing your money, your bearings, or your composure, your enjoyment of India’s beauty and culture may be tainted.