Live over the imperial experience of the Maharajas of Rajasthan, who in the bygone era toured their lands in royal private rail carriages. The Palace on Wheels, the first luxury train of India, offers a sojourn of 7 nights and 8 days to popular attractions of Rajasthan such as Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, etc. The journey also includes a visit to Taj Mahal, Agra. Here is a rundown stating some general information about the Palace on Wheels.
Inclusions
On arrival free transfer from airport to hotel in Delhi.
Half day tour of Delhi before the departure of the train.
Portage at Railway Stations / Airports during transfers.
Twin / double sharing basis in deluxe accommodation.
AC Toyota Qualis (Indian Model) for all sightseeing / transfers.
During sightseeing, service of English speaking local guide.
Boat ride at Udaipur.
Camel ride at Jaisalmer.
Rickshaw ride at Bharatpur.
Any entrance fee to the monuments.
All meals onboard.
Exotic array of sumptuous delicacies onboard.
‘Khidmatgar’, a personal attendant is always available onboard.
Newspapers / Magazines.
(Please Note: Video Camera Fee is to be paid by the guests. There are additional charges for liquor and laundry.)
Accommodation
The deluxe cabins of Palace on Wheels consist of twin beds, with attached bathrooms with running Cold and hot water, intercoms, and channel music.
Restaurants
Palace on Wheels boasts of its beautiful and lavishly decorated restaurants onboard. ‘The Maharaja’ (King) and ‘The Maharani’ (Queen) are the names of the restaurants. These restaurants specialize in serving sumptuous Rajasthani, Indian, Chinese and Continental Cuisines.
Bar
There is a well-stocked bar onboard where wine, spirits and liquor of both Indian and international make are available. To enjoy these, the guests will have to pay additional charges.
Royal Spa
To keep the guests rejuvenated and refresh, there is royal spa onboard. Here the guests could indulge in varieties of therapies and massages onboard.
Departures
The departures of the luxury carriage, Palace on Wheels, have been scheduled from September 2013 to April 2014. On every Wednesday, the train departs from the Safdarjung Railway Station, Delhi. The guests are required to report at the railway station by 16:30 hours, as the train departs at 18:00 hours.
No departures scheduled between May to August.
Note: Departure on December 19th & 26th, 2013 incur a 10% holiday surcharge.
Conditions
As fluctuations in the exchange rate, costs are subjected to change every week.
For fully independent travelers, 20% of the tariff is required to be paid at the time of booking confirmation and remaining 80% needs to be paid 60 days before the departure.
For group tours, 20% of the tariff is required to be paid at the time of booking confirmation and remaining 80% needs to be paid 75 days before the departure.
The prices indicated are one way per person
Refunds
The guests need to inform the palace on Wheels via e-mail or fax. The amount of the refund depends upon the number of days remaining in the departure. There are different refund policies for fully independent travelers and group tours.
For the Fully Independent Travelers (FITs):
Cancellation before 60 days of departure, the refund amount would be 95% of the ticket value.
Cancellation before 30-59 days to departure, the refund amount would be 80% of the ticket value.
Cancellation before 0-30 days before departure, No refund would be provided.
In case of Group Tours:
Cancellation before 60 days of departure, the refund amount would be 90% of the ticket value.
Cancellation before 0-59 days before departure, No refund would be provided.
Contributed by Neelam Talreja