Tom On day 4 of our India Travel Itinerary, we travelled from Jaipur to Agra by train! You’ve must have heard and seen many “horror stories” of how the trains are packed and people have to climb on top of trains to hitch a ride. Well, to completely dispel this myth (at least from the perspective of Jaipur Train Station), we did not see anyone climb on top of any of the trains during the 1.5 hours that we were there at the train station…
How to take the train from Jaipur Train Station to Agra Fort Train Station
The first thing we noticed was that the train station was not as crowded as we thought. Everyone was moving in and out of the trains and stations in an orderly manner. Hollywood and Bollywood must have left these crowded and unruly train station scenes in our minds…😅
For this trip from Jaipur Train Station to Agra Fort Train Station, we bought the air-conditioned carriage for 500rupees per person (or $10SGD) and the trip takes about 4 hours in total. As we were a little early, we were also able to enter the “lounge” with air-conditioned seats and toilets within – for air-conditioned carriage ticket holders. But before that…we checked out Jaipur Train Station as well…
How to read the signs and take trains in India
One thing we’ve learnt before heading to the train stations of India, was how to read the signs on the railway platform. In fact, once you’re familiar, it’s actually not that hard. Essentially there are 2 things that you will need to take note of…
1. The Train (Description + Number)
Before the train arrives at the station, you’ll see the description of the train on the display. It will show the train number as well as the train line (in this case, it was the Bhopal-Jodhpur Express shown on the picture). Sometimes, you may come across a smaller display like this…
Smaller displays like the one above, has dual functions. It alternates between the train description as well as…
2. The Carriage Number
The carriage number is usually shown on the smaller displays at the railway platform. As shown in the picture above, “B2” actually means that the train that is going to enter Jaipur train station, will stop in such a way that carriage B2 will be right at where the sign is. This also allows passengers to know where B1 or B3 etc. are, in relation to “B2”.
Once you get the hang of it, taking trains in India would be a breeze! Soon, our train arrived, only 5 minutes later than scheduled!
Inside, the train was rather spacious and everyone had a dedicated seat in the air-conditioned carriage. Everything was orderly – no pushing nor shoving. As the train ride was 4 hours, we struck up a conversation with our travelling companions. We met Deepak and his friends from West Bengal, Darjeeling – the place of the cool highlands and world renowned tea! They were a group of teachers who are teaching in a high school and did annual trips all over India! A really cool bunch 🙂 We also picked up some Bengali (ar mi to ma k palu bash – I love you) and more Hindi (up seh mil keh accha laga – nice to meet you) phrases as well. Too soon, it was time to say goodbye to our new found friends as we arrived at Agra Fort Train Station…
As you can see, the train station is situated literally, next to Agra Fort. Hence, the name. Initially, we thought that we would be able to utilise Grab to bring us to the hotel. Somehow, there was no reception inside the train station (we think some cab drivers deployed some kind of jammer). Strangely enough, right outside the station, there was reception. But as it was a little too hot and rowdy, we gave in to the constant touting by a local and hopped into his car. He brought us to Hotel Atulyaa Taj for 300 rupees ($6 SGD) in about 15 minutes. A little on the high side but was still pretty convenient.
The reason why we chose Hotel Atulyaa Taj was because of its location. A mere 7 minutes walk to Taj Mahal along the “protected area”. Hence, it would be safe to walk along the path, especially if you’re catching the first light to be cast upon Taj Mahal. The room itself was relatively clean and there was even a rooftop pool that faced the Taj Mahal. Unfortunately, the water was cold and the pool was not that well-maintained. If you’re thinking of visiting a hotel with an infinity pool that overlooks the Taj Mahal – the Hotel Radisson Blu Agra Taj East Gate is a perfect place to stay. We experienced it the next day…more in our next post!
After settling in, we decided to first purchase our Taj Mahal tickets online first. The advantage of purchasing the Taj Mahal tickets online is that you’ll get a small little discount and will be able to skip to queues for the tickets in the morning. The cost of the ticket was 1100 rupees (~$21SGD). We were then able to send it to the hotel’s reception to have the tickets printed out for us.
Dining at Hotel Atulyaa Taj Rooftop Restaurant
Then, it was off to the rooftop restaurant of Hotel Atulyaa Taj to have lunch…
Best Rooftop Restaurant for Views of Taj Mahal at Hotel Saniya
The view of the Taj Mahal from the rooftop of Hotel Atulyaa Taj was partially blocked by trees. The picture above was taken at an angle from the top most lookout point of the hotel. A little disappointing yet we were delighted to have finally set eyes on the Taj Mahal for the very first time. To get a better view of the Taj, we decided to visit Hotel Saniya‘s rooftop bar…
In the evening, as we stepped out of the hotel trying to get a Uber car, a tuktuk called out to us and said that he would bring us to Hotel Saniya and back for 300 rupees. He actually brought us to Hotel Saniya and didn’t collect any cash from us. He told us where to look for him when we’re done and we were promptly picked up and sent back to our hotel. Cool.
When we arrived, there was a couple who was about to leave and we immediately took their seat for the “front row” view of the Taj Mahal. It was surreal. The Taj Mahal looked magnificent from where we were. Could the experience be more exhilarating up close? The quick answer…Yes. After all the hype and pomp, the Taj Mahal still had that “wow” factor when we visited the next day. We ordered a couple of Kingfishers and Pakora (fried Indian vegetable snack) as we enjoyed the sun setting over the Taj.
Strangely, many restaurants did not offer beer but Hotel Saniya did. For 220 rupees ($4SGD) though. Our total dinner bill came up to 800 rupees. If you want to enjoy an evening with great views of the Taj Mahal, we’d recommend Hotel Saniya – though we don’t recommend staying here…
This is because, the hotel itself was old and did not looked particularly inviting. We even saw this rooftop room that Kate vehemently reminded Tom NOT to book this kind of room – EVER.
As promised, the driver spotted us as we headed back to our “drop-off point”. He took us back promptly and the entire trip was smooth without hiccups. Well, except for a guy who “hitched” the ride for 2 minutes – seemed to be a friend of the tuktuk driver.
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Check out this video coverage of the Top 4 Things to do and attractions in Agra…
All in all, it was a great start to our travels in Agra. Looking forward to our visit of the Taj Mahal! Stay tuned as we head for the sunrise tour of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India!
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You have just completed a post from our 13 days travel in India. Find out more about this trip from our posts below!
India Travel Itinerary Day 1: Singapore to Chennai to Jaipur (Hotel Pearl Palace) via Indigo
India Travel Itinerary Day 4: Train from Jaipur to Agra – Our first views of the Taj Mahal
India Travel Itinerary Day 11: Arriving in Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty after Kerala Boat Cruise
Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty Review: Simply the Best Luxury Hotel in Kochi
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Top 6 Things to do and Attractions in Leh Ladakh India
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