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TRAVEL
IN ROYAL SPLENDOUR
THE
PALACE ON WHEELS
(Carried
32264 tourists in 518 trips upto February 2001)
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The
journey begins from Delhi, and
takes the travellers through Jaipur,
Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur,
Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Agra, Bharatpur and
Delhi. It is one of the world's
most exciting journeys, and offers a
variety of sightseeing & desert
safaris laced with dance and music to make
the trip memorable.
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The
Palace-on-Wheels comprises 14 fully
air-conditioned deluxe saloons, equipped with
world-class amenities to enhance the pleasure of
travelling. The 14 coaches are made up of 104
passenger berths in double-bedded cabins, each
with channel music, intercom, attached toilet,
running hot and cold water and a shower.
The
coaches are named after former Rajput states
matching the aesthetics and interiors of the royal
past. Each saloon has a mini pantry and a lounge
to ensure availability of hot and cold beverages,
and refreshment and a place to relax and get
together.
Each
coach has four coupes and is provided with
wall-to-wall carpeting. The train has 2 lavish
restaurants "The Maharaja" and
"The Maharani" with a Rajasthani
ambience serving palate tickling Continental,
Indian and Rajasthani cuisines. The train also
boasts of a well-stocked bar offering the choicest
of spirits of Indian and International Brands.
Each coach also offers a good collection of books
to choose from.
In
1999, The Palace-on-Wheels has been refurbished to
a great extent. The decor in the saloons, bar
lounge has been changed, keeping in mind the
traditionally aesthetic yet modern,
Palace-on-Wheels. Toilets have been redone and are
maintained sparkling clean. Each saloon lounge has
been equipped with a colour television and a CD
Player.
HISTORY
OF THE PALACE ON WHEELS
The
concept of the Palace-on-Wheels was derived from
the royal background of the coaches which were
originally meant to be the personal Railway
coaches of erstwhile rulers of the princely states
of Rajputana and Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad
and the Viceroy of British India.
THE
LEGEND
These coaches were not being used by the
Indian Railways after independence in normal
passenger trains on account of very rich and
traditional interiors.
The
Palace-on-Wheels started as a unique holiday train
hauled by a steam engine with its inaugural trip
on 26th January, 1982. It started to roll on its
regular operations from October 1982.
THE
LEGEND CONSERVED
In 1991, a new air-conditioned meter
gauge Palace-on-Wheels, on the lines of the old
heritage train, was launched with 13 saloons, 2
restaurants, kitchen car, bar-cum-lounge and 4
service cars.
THE
LEGEND AND THE MODERN
The Palace-on-Wheels has gained
remarkable success and attained worldwide acclaim
and popularity bagging the PATA gold award in
1987. The Palace-on-Wheels has been rated as one
of the ten best luxurious rail journeys in the
world. The popularity of the train has been
enhanced by the media. Famous TV Teams such as
BBC, MTV, Zee TV, National Geographics, MDR of
Germany and many others have covered the train and
shown it on their network.
The
eight days' and seven nights' journey in royal
splendor takes you to the territory of the
Maharajas; the 'Pink City' of Jaipur; Jaisalmer,
'the jewels of the desert'; the majestic
stronghold of Jodhpur; Sawai Madhopur for the
Ranthambhor National Park; the city of
Chittaurgarh with its countless tales of Rajput
chivalry; Udaipur with its lakes and Lake Palaces;
the red stone city of Fatehpur Sikri and; of
course, the Taj Mahal in Agra - one of the seven
wonders of the world; Bharatpur, with its
remarkable bird sanctuary.
TARIFF
& DEPARTURE DATES
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TRAIN
DEPARTURE SCHEDULE |
TARIFF
(US$) |
| Every
Wednesday evening from Delhi Cantonment
Railway Station |
Per
Person Per Night |
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Months
2002 |
Dates |
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October
2002 to
March 2003 |
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September
October
November
December |
4,11,18,25
2,9,16,23,30
6,13,20,27
4,11,18,25 |
Single
Occupancy
Double Occupancy
Triple Occupancy
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US$
485
US$ 350
US$ 285
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Months
2003 |
Dates |
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September
2002 & April 2003 |
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January
February
March
April |
1,8,15,22,29
5,12,19,26
5,12,19,26
2,9,16,23,30 |
Single
Occupancy
Double Occupancy
Triple Occupancy
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US$
395
US$ 295
US$ 240
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Half
fare for children between 5 and 12 years
of age |
Indian
Passengers can pay in Rupees (equivalent amount)
at the exchange rate prevalent at the time of
payment.
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Passenger
reservations/cancellation on the
Palace-on-Wheels may be done as per the
following terms & conditions. |
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BOOKING
20%
of ticket value at the time of booking
80% of ticket value 30 days prior
to departure.
CANCELLATION
5%
of ticket value 60 days prior to dep.
20% of ticket value 30-59 days
prior to dep.
50% of ticket value 15-29 days
prior to dep.
100% of ticket value 14 days
prior to dep.
CHECK-IN
Reporting
time is 4.30 P.M. at Delhi Cantt.
Railway Station.
MEALS
The
two restaurant cars, the Maharaja and
the Maharani, serve a range of Indian,
Continental and Chinese cuisine. Menus
are changed seasonally.
CLOTHING
RECOMMENDED
Light
tropical / Light woollen
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EXCLUSIVE
CHARTERS
Companies
can organise "Business
- cum - Pleasure" trip
by chartering the truly luxurious Palace
on Wheels for their conferences.
CLIMATE
Varies
from 8C to 25C between September to
March and around 30C in April.
OTHER
FACILITIES
-
Doctor
on call at the next station
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Money
exchange facility / All credit cards
accepted
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Adequate
safety & security arrangements
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Complimentary
mineral water on boarding the coach,
during sightseeing and at hotels
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Assistance
for travel arrangements on
completion of the tour
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Voltage
available on the train 110/230 V
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Booking
can be made through your agent/on
internet
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Tariff
is inclusive of cost of travel, full
catering (morning tea, breakfast, lunch,
evening tea, and dinner), conducted
sightseeing tours in deluxe coaches,
entrance fee for
monuments/parks/palaces, cultural
programmes, camel rides/boat
rides/rickshaw rides and for still
cameras, except charges for video
cameras, cost of liquor, laundry and
other items of personal nature.
Note
: 10% surcharge levied on departure
during Christmas / New year.
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FACILITIES
ON BOARD
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Individual |
Common |
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ACCOMMODATION
14
fully air-conditioned deluxe saloons, each
a combination of 4 twin bedded chambers
with channel music, intercom attached
toilets, running hot and cold water,
shower wall to wall carpeting and other
amenities.
FOR
DISABLED PERSONS
Special
assistance is available in the form of
wheel chairs, creches and a special
attendant for manual assistance.
LUGGAGE
COLLECTION
Your
luggage is picked up and taken to your
respective saloons without your worrying
about it.
ARRIVAL
KIT
Each
guest is provided with an arrival kit
consisting of stationery items, brochures,
cards etc. Anything additional can be
asked for, from the attendant, always
available at your service.
ATTENDANT
"KHIDMATGAR"
An
attendant or "Khidmatgar" is
always available at your service, to take
care of all your travel needs.
MEALS
An
exotic array of dishes to choose from the
Continental, Indian and Rajasthani
cuisines which are available on the
Palace-on-Wheels.
MINERAL
WATER
We
make sure, the greatest gift of nature
bestowed on us i.e. water is made
available to you in its purest form.
Mineral water is made available to you all
through the journey.
NEWSPAPAERS/MAGAZINES
The
leading dailies and newspapers greet you
every morning over a simmering hot cup of
tea or beverage of your choice. Also
available for your is a large collection
of magazines.
SECURITY
Adequate
safety arrangements are made for you as
well as your personal belongings in the
train itself.
TOILETRIES
All
essential toiletries like soaps, shampoos,
moisturisers etc. are provided in the
train.
WINE/BEER
A
complimentary bottle of wine/beer courtesy
Palace-on-Wheels to our royal guests.
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BAR
A
well stocked bar serves wine, liquor and
spirits of Indian and International
Brands, to keep your in 'high
spirits'.
GROUP
PHOTOGRAPH
To
cherish these special moments of glory and
to remind your of these times when you
walk down memory lane a few year from now,
we take a group photograph which is given
to you as a souvenir.
LOUNGE
A
lounge for relaxing, interacting, making
friends, getting together and indulging in
games.
MAIL
BOX
A
mail box is provided on board, which
discharges your mail with utmost care and
efficiency.
MEDICAL
AID
Your
health, obviously tops the chart of our
priority list. First aid is available on
the train, whereas a doctor can be
arranged on call at the very next station.
RESTAURANTS
Two
lavish and beautifully done restaurants.
"The Maharaja" and "The
Maharani" serve mouth-watering
Continental, Indian and Rajasthani
cuisines that would definitely make way to
your heart through your stomach.
SHOPPING
Certain
handicrafts and other special items of
Rajasthani origin can be bought while you
visit the places covered by the
Palace-on-Wheels and a Catalogue of
typical Rajasthani items is also available
on board.
SMOKING
The
Palace-on-Wheels is a no-smoking train
however, if you wish to smoke please
contact your captain for guidance.
FUTURE
FACILITIES
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