India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (280 page)

BY TRAIN
The Jaipur Railway Station is located west of the Old City (reservations Mon–Sat 8am–2pm and 2:15–8pm, Sun 8am–2pm). You can reach Jaipur by train from just about anywhere. The Ajmer Shatabdi connects Jaipur with Delhi in 41⁄2 hours (daily except Wed); from Agra the Marudhar Express (early morning, alternate days) takes about 5 hours, while the late-night Howrah Express (arriving midnight) takes 4 hours. You will be inundated with offers from rickshaw-
wallas
upon your arrival at Jaipur Station—to avoid this, go to the prepaid auto-rickshaw counter. Dial
131
for railway inquiries,
0141/220-4531
for recorded arrival and departure information, and
135
for reservations. Reservations for foreign tourists are made at counter 8. To book a ticket, your easiest option is to get your hotel or a travel agent to do it for you. Either will charge a service fee of Rs 50 to Rs 100 per passenger.

BY BUS
Buses arrive at the Inter-State Bus Terminal (called Sindhi Camp bus stand) on Station Road. For information, call
0141/220-7912
for regular buses; or
0141/220-4445
for deluxe buses. Deluxe Volvo coaches from Delhi will drop you off at Bikaner House, near India Gate. Departing from the same depot, you’ll pay Rs 5,000 for a seat on an A/C deluxe bus to Delhi; these leave half-hourly between 6am and 12:30am. It’s a 51⁄2-hour trip.

BY CAR
As is the case everywhere, you will need to hire a driver with your car. Book one with Indoarya at
011/2651-1634;
[email protected]. The Jaipur-Delhi National Highway no. 8 is a divided highway that should get you between the two cities in 4 hours, depending on traffic and what time you depart. The undivided highway between Agra and Jaipur through Fatehpur Sikri and Bharatpur is in reasonable condition, too. There’s not much you can do about the driving habits of other drivers, but you can, and should, certainly say something if you feel yours is driving rashly.

Getting Around

Unprecedented commercial development in the state capital in recent years has not been accompanied by infrastructural change; rush-hour traffic is arguably worse here than anywhere else in the country, although there are plans afoot to address the crisis. Construction is underway for a Metro, which should be ready by the end of 2010, and new overpasses. The best way to get around the crowded city center is on foot or by rickshaw. A rickshaw should cost Rs 50 to Rs 100 per hour—always discuss the fare upfront before you get into the rickshaw. If you’re in a bind and simply need a taxi right away, call
Pink City Taxi
(
0141/511-5100
or 0141/325-5500). More viable, however, is to hire an air-conditioned car and driver for use within the city for approximately 4 hours (40km/25 miles) at Rs 700; 8 hours (80km/50 miles) at Rs 1,200. If your intention is to hire a car and driver to tour Rajasthan at your own pace, contact Kaaljeet Singh of Indoarya at
011/2651-1634;
[email protected], or you can try the government
RTDC Transport Unit
(
0141/220-0778
). For more information on hiring a car and driver from elsewhere, see chapter 3. If you like to support small local businesses, we suggest you contact Shankar Meena (
98-2939-6947
) of
Rama Tours & Travels
(Srinath Colony, Near Airport, Sanganer) to arrange a car of really excellent quality at standard rates. Chances are Shankar or his brother Ramavtar will be your driver, and although their English may not be all that great, service is good-natured, and you’ll be doing your bit for local entrepreneurship. You can also contact
Hari Ram Choudhary
(
94-1444-2618
) for trips in the city or farther afield; he’s been in the business for nearly 25 years and knows his way around. Another good local guide-driver is Jaideep Singh Sumal; call him at
98280-62625
or e-mail him at [email protected].