Palace on Wheels

When we first started our journey we were a little disappointed in the train. It is dated and we had some hot water issues. The first night I was unable to sleep. By day 2, we were enthralled with everything, especially our porter, Prem, who was just amazing. I slept so well I decided I needed to buy a train!! The food was excellent. The sight seeing was wonderful. The biggest complaint I have is that there was way too much forced shopping. The actual train was wonderful!

We were a family of four wishing to see Rajasthan. We all loved the trip and enjoyed out time on and off the train. The butler service was excellent and so was the food. In terms of the itinerary there were perhaps a few too many palaces/forts/temples and we would have liked a longer camel or elephant ride for example or another activity that wasn't solely sightseeing. We enjoyed the tiger hunt, bird watching, camel and elephant rides and Jaisalmer in particular. The shopping trips were a little too long and it was clear that the POW train director? (not sure of his title) was getting a kick back and I felt he was working for the jewellers and other retailers rather than in our interests. The sightseeing guides were excellent as were the coaches provided and lunches off the train. I have recommended this trip to many friends already!

I believe this is the best way to visit Rajasthan of India. The itinerary is very well planned. The places we visited are absolutely magnificent. The staff on train offer outstanding services. They make us very comfortable. The only short point is that the train is aged. The bathroom facility is old and minimal. I wish the room and bathroom can be updated. The reason why I think this is the best way to visit India is that India is a large country. Taking a long stretch travel while you are asleep really saves a lot of time during the day time. As long as you sleep well on train, you can wake up refreshed and ready to walk around with the tour group in the day. Therefore, I recommend bringing ear plugs and sleep aid to help sleep better. The train does rattle a bit, but it didn't bother me.

Palace on Wheels was an amazing family experience. The accommodations are dated but well kept and the shower has about 3.5 minutes of hot water - but that's India! The itinerary is wonderful and so much is covered. The local guides are very articulate and knowledgeable. More free time in select cities for shopping outside the prescribed areas would be appreciated. Food was excellent and very accommodating to various nutritional needs. The staff was simply amazing - 6 star service for sure! Highly recommend for a great way to see a lot of India in one week!

We loved the staff on the train and we had a lovely trip. To make it even better I would suggest the following: champagne upon boarding at the welcome. I would suggest dinner to focus on a choice of western and indian rather than a sampling of both.

The travallers were divided into two groups and I would have preferred more variety and opportunity to meet other travallers not just those in our group. Finally, most significantly, I suggest that the staff organize private car and drivers at each stop (upon pre-order) for those who want the flexibility of a private car during the day rather than the packed tour schedule. This would be quite easy to do for an extra $50-100 per day

Overall the trip was a great experience. The tours and the guides were great. You could perhaps not charge for soft drinks and beer.....just charge a one time fee and include these items. It will make you look good and not cheap.

We knew going into this that the train was old but it it was a wonderful way to see Rajasthan and its beautiful sights.  The coupe is small so be prepared!  The clothes closet is about 12 inches wide so we put four pairs of pants on one hanger with 3 shirts.  There is a small safe above the clothes closet and a small drawer below for small items.  We put our shoes and suitcases under the beds.  There is also a two shelf open cabinet at the foot of one of the beds where we put tshirs, underwear, hats etc.

The train rocks - a lot!  So take ear plugs and something to help you sleep at night!!   Our first night on we did not get a lot of sleep! The bathroom had adequate storage shelves above the toilet and the shower was a good size.  Our cabin attendants Padreep and Nandu were fantastic and couldn't do enough for us.  The meals were frankly a disappointment.

The Indian fare was always excellent but the Western fare a little bland.  Also the style of serving is rather different.  The waiters bring the platters of food to your table and offer you all items on the menu.  The problem is they are served sequentially so by the time they come with the potatoes and veg that accompany the chicken, the chicken is cold!  There was never a breakfast menu but we figured out after a few days to just ask the waiter for whatever we wanted!  The wines were expensive and you couldn't have just a glass. You had to buy a whole bottle so if it was not good wine you were stuck with drinking it for the next day or two.  It was also expensive and not great quality.  To pay $50-$70 for a bottle of wine that probably cost $10 was a bit irksome.

There is a spa on the train but we did not try it as there was not a lot of down time.  Some of the other passengers did and said the massages and reflexology were terrific.  There is wifi but it is very slow and not often available so do not plan on being able to download lots of pics on Facebook or access attachments on emails if you are a businessman/business woman. The tours were fantastic and first class.  We were met every day and escorted off the train to the tour bus.

A Palace on Wheels representative was with us every day on the tours and very helpful regarding finding ATM machines and change for us.  I saw many complaints about being taken to shops but we were only taken three times and each time was to very lovely shops.

We always learned something at the stores even if we did not want to buy anything and there was no pressure to buy. Be prepared ahead of time to have plenty of money for tips! We thought we were prepared but then found not only was there a driver, a tour guide on the tour buses, but also an assistant who handed out water!  We put the tips for our two cabin attendants in envelopes before the trip and we gave them more than what was recommended which was about $10 per day per couple.  We have the bus driver 300 rupees (probably too much!) and the assistant 150.  Photos taken by locals at tours stops are 50 rupees each.  Then there is the camel drive and then the elephant driver, porters.

We also gave the POW representative a tip at the end of the trip.  Try to get lots of 100 and 50 and 10 rupee notes for tips!  All in all we are glad we did it but you have to be prepared to see not only beautiful sights when you go to the palaces and forts and monuments, but also see the abject poverty and trash all over the streets and sidewalks.  Cows and dogs wander freely and poop freely too!  It is not for the faint of heart having to navigate that part! 

The Train experience was very good - I commend Indian Railways for exemplary punctuality, everything was on time. The cabins need updating even if its to reflect a bygone era. The itinerary needs to be reviewed - there are too many things packed into any given day. There was very little opportunity to have any free time that was not guided to do ones own thing - we were constantly told that it was for our safety. One therefore had little opportunity to discover things on their own. A real negative point is how the tour is organised to take the group to designated shops which were expensive and earmarked to make the Guides commission. You feel like a child when you are suddenly allowed half hour to go and look at things on your own. This was the downside of the trip because the Guides were more concerned to take us to shops where they had an interest. There should be an opportunity to visit a city - shown some highlights and then allowed to wander. The Guided tours were too intense - too much information - you couldnt possibly remember all the facts. There should be a balance of concise information which is memorable. The Light and Sound Show is the worse part of the whole trip - too long - perhaps more meaningful for Indians as they would understand the historical and cultural significance but for a mixed group including foreigners it was too much. Most people fell asleep during the show. Whilst we appreciate safety and security of the Group we felt like Sheep being herded. Again its about balance - give guidance and caution but don't control. The constant reminder to tip the Guides and Driver bordered on unethical behavior - mention it at the beginning of the trip and leave people to use their discretion but daily reminders was annoying. Whilst there is limited cooking facilities on the train - the breakfast menu should be more varied - could include Youghurt, Cereals and Cold meats. The Staff on the train were excellent and did are a big plus point for the journey - they were passionate and did everything in their power to ensure the highest comfort and satisfaction. The Diner menu was sufficiently varied and was a plus point. My commendation to the choice of all the hotels we ate at - the menu and food was varied and of a very good quality - another plus point. Streamline your Sheperding of your Guests and stop taking us to places where Guides have an interest and allow people more freedom and you will have a winner. Please don't say that you gave us free time for shopping - the shopping venues were pre arranged and we had no liberty to choose.

my life best experience with it.. please keep it up!!!!

This was recommended to us by family members who did this 13 years ago. Most definitely not a luxury train. It is falling apart and trip is just one continuous shake, rattle and roll. It is impossible to get any sleep. The showers run out of hot water and our friends did not have any hot water. The cabins are badly in need of repair and refurbishment (just getting too old). Itinerary is good except for the "forced shopping trips and having to put up with sales people who can be extremely pushy. We have also done the Deccan Odyssey and that is a much better train trip than this. The only redeeming point is the staff who put themselves out and go the extra mile. Not impressed with the management and the greeting on the first day (very sub-standard). They need to get their act together as first impressions are lasting. The train operators need to re-invest if they are interested in attracting more tourists.

I recently travelled with my wife on this tour and can only reinforce what the previous reviewer has said The trip has a lot of highlights and the staff are fantastic ,but you are paying a lot of money for this and being taken to a "carpet school" tourist trap daily for one hour leaves a bad taste in your mouth .

The staff really are 5/5 they are your personal butlers and the tour guides super professional .the cabins are a bitdated ,but adequate ,the air con great and the wifi ok on parts.

Meals . Breakfast is whatever you want served in a spacious Shared (4people ) lounge area . Lunch and dinner are served in the dining cart ,and are even better .thereis heaps of beautiful Indian or western cuisine.alcohol is moderately expensive ,beer is about 8$ au large bottle ,but it's s cold .

Most days you will see 2 tourist attractions and the p ow will typically try an Jazz one of these up ,eg elephant rides safaris ,and wagon tose the Taj Mahal . Make no mistake you are treated like a first class citizen on pow.

You are also treated like a child. There is No ability for independent travel . Bus leaves thestTion goes to tourist attraction ,and you follow theguidback to the bus and back to the train. Maybe some of this is for safety reasons.,but most on our train were well travelled50 - 70 yr olds we get it . india be unsafe ? ,but a lot of travel is unsafe . My wife and I would often split from theguidedmuseum tour to look atthebeautiful scenery of the forts outside .90 mins looking at a museum can be a bit much ,after all it's a fort tour and not a museum tour.. I could live with this but for the organised shopping tours!,!!

Every day on the way back from a tourist attraction you would stop off at a tourist trap. Whether this was carpet shop,block printing or whatever itwasa tourist trappers you get a free drink and then watch a 10 min display and then look at dozens of carpets/prints/ miniature painting. This sort of thing just smells of organised tuk tuk rides and kick backs that unsuspecting people get in Much cheaper holidays. Of cours we complained ,and sw were not alone ,but it made no difference. And how is this. On the last day our train was late Due to signal faults etc. anyway we got to seethe taj )wonderful) ,but had to decide whether we wanted to skip the Redford and stay longer at the taj or vice era. Ie we were making up time.it was with great surprise then that on leaving the taj we were then told that we would be stopping in to refresh at a marble carving place .Give me a break!,,

I can refresh just fine at the train,or show us something else . the palace should either disclose its interests ,give a more detaile account of these trips ,or stop scalping its clients.

Personally the place is an easy way of seeing India The traffic is awful They will look after you well ,too well!

If you are to really enjoy this trip you will ned to speak up a bit Otherwise you will get sick of tourist traps I would recommend it ,because I can't think of an easier and more comfortable way to get around India But I want 6 hours of(shopping) life back Btw yes I did buy something ,a reasonably expensive bed spread,but I also spent time outside these tourist traps happily watching local cows and bigs eat from a trash heap.

This trip is supposedly 5 star. It definitely is not, however our attendants could not be faulted. The food was good, but definitely not 5 star. The drink prices were excessive. A bottle of Australian chardonnay, (Jacobs Creek I think) was priced at about $80.00 Australian. I would suggest taking your duty free alcohol allowance on to the train and buying mixers and have your drinks in your salon lounge while struggling with the inconsistent wifi . The room was exactly what I expected, small but comfortable as was the bathroom, but no hairdryer? I did expect a hairdryer in a 5 star establishment.

The trips out to the historic sites were well organized and the guides were knowledgeable. Unfortunately the obligatory "shopping" trips were abysmal. We were taken to emporiums that sold overpriced items. Even after telling our group leader we did not wish to go to these shops, we were still taken there.

We were given no opportunity to see the real India, just their idea of what we should see and buy. Of course we know why we were unable to do ordinary shopping for little gifts for family and friends and that is because the Palace on Wheels do not get a HUGE cut from ordinary little shops as they do in these overpriced emporiums. This practice is so old hat, directly from the 1970s. The POW should move on to the 21st century and cater to their clientele. A lot of our group were independent travellers and have travelled around Asia for years. These people are quite used to fending for themselves in a foreign country and do not need to be escorted on shopping expeditions.

I would not recommend this train to people who wish to see India as it really is. It perhaps is more for the faint hearted traveller who generally visits Europe. However we nevertheless enjoyed ourselves and met some quite interesting and happy fellow travellers!....

Right from the time we checked in to check out we experienced first class arrangements, facilities and conveniences. Our Cabin though small was well appointed. Perhaps some more convenient facility to store your belongings would definitely help as you stay there for seven days! Everyone on board right from Mr Pradeep Bohra, General Manager, were professional and courteous in all their interactions. Wonder how they managed hundred of us from different parts of the globe for seven days! The lounge and restaurant facilities were first class. Thanks to the chefs we were served delicious Indian, Continental and Chinese delicacies.

Arrangements for daily sightseeing trips were planned and executed very well. We had sufficient time at each place and got opportunities to interact with fellow passengers on board. Unflappable Umesh made sure that everyone was well taken care of throughout. Guides at each location were knowledgeable and were able to communicate well.

Each day began with the welcome ceremony at new location with the local flavour of music and dance. Specially enjoyed most at Jaisalmer including the culture event and dinner in the evening.

Best part of Palace on Wheels - our Kidmatgars of Bharathpur Cabin-Wasim and Prakash. Right from wake up call, making breakfast, giving tips on dress for the sightseeing at each location - both were there when needed. They ensured cabin and restroom was made up while we were away each day and receive us when we get back from day trips. Their service was first class

I THOUROUGHLY ENJOYED MYSELF ON THIS JOURNEY. CAN'T FAULT ANYTHING, EXCEPT THE BATHROOMS IN THE CABINS. THEY COULD BE DECORATED A BIT MORE TO MATCH THE DECOR OF THE CABIN ITSELF. THEY WERE REALLY PLAIN AND DULL. EXCELLENT FOOD AND SERVICE. THE PROGRAM EVERYDAY WAS ORGANISED REALLY WELL WITH GOOD GUIDES.

From the moment that you arrive at the station in Delhi you are treated like a VIP. This superb customer service is what sets the Palace on Wheels (POW) apart.

Each Saloon, consisting of 4 en-suite cabins with two single beds (and a third bunk bed if required) and a shower room, has a captain and an attendant. We stayed in the Bharatpur saloon and the captain, Wasim and attendant Prakash, could not have been more courteous or caring.

Breakfast was taken with the other Bharatpur guests in the lounge area of the saloon and cooked expertly by Wasim. It is simple fare of cereal, toast and preserves and eggs cooked to order in every imaginable form! After this, Prakash would inform us what we needed for the day ("light woollens") and then Wasim would lead us through the welcome ceremony and to the coach for the day's activities.

For the activities, the Saloon passengers are grouped together, each tour group consisting of the passengers of around three saloons. The group is lead by a tour leader, in our case the unflappable Umesh, and each day a local guide joins the party. Again, you are treated like a VIP with special access to avoid the queues. Lunch is usually at an excellent five star hotel or back at the train. One lady in our group had limited mobility and Umesh arranged tuk-tuks etc. for her, so she was still able to participate.

The food was excellent, Indian, Chinese and continental food was usually available, though the continental options sometimes looked interesting. The food is bought fresh everyday from the local markets. Again, the service was excellent. The train has two restaurants and the four tour groups are divided between the two restaurants in two sittings. The well stocked bar is available before and after dinner, although if you have a favourite cocktail, you need to know the recipe for it! The bar states it is open 24hours, however, as the captain sleeps in the saloon lounge and the attendant at the other end, you would have to step over many sleeping people to get to it! However, I have no doubt that if you desired a drink in the middle of the night, the saloon staff would procure it for you.

The POW is an amazing experience and in my opinion, the most convenient, comfortable and cost effective way to see this much of India, however, you need to remember you're on a train with one hundred guests, plus staff and this takes a huge amount of co-ordinating, so you really need to relax and just 'go with it'. The train ride can be quite bumpy especially when travelling to Jaiselmer, but you are on a train in India. The shower works on an immersion system, so you need to wait for hot water and the supply is limited, but again, you are on a train. There are some long periods of travel between places and they prefer it if you stayed in your cabin, but again, your are on a train and 100 people trying to crowd into the bar would be chaos, so as long as you make allowances for the fact that you are on a train, you will be fine.

Internet access is available in the lounge area of each saloon (though we had it in our cabin, as we were next to the lounge), however, it is sporadic and not very fast. Some of the hotels we had lunch in had good internet connections, so if you are a web addict, all is not lost!

Top tips - take some "light woollens" for the early morning safari and bird watching - it is cold! Take long trousers and a long sleeved top for the camel ride. The air conditioning is controlled centrally for all four cabins, so you may find it a bit cold, so take a blanket. We were also advised to take masking tape to cover the AC vents, but we didn't need this. Shopping time means being taken to a POW store for quality goods. If you want souvenirs, then learn to barter on the move, as there isn't any free time for souvenir shopping (you have a train timetable to stick to!) Everyone expects a tip - we were advised 500R for local guides, 100R for coach drivers, 10R for anyone you have your photo taken with (!!) 100R for camel and elephant drivers and 10R for porters. Our group had a long discussion about what to give to Wasim and Prakash and we decided on about 500R a day, plus a bit. We spent

I've wanted to visit India for a while and stumbled across the POW as a way of travelling around and seeing what I wanted to see in luxury. It didn't disappoint. I've recently been on the Orient Express and the POW almost matched and exceeded this on many levels - especially the rooms on the train, which were lovely, the food was excellent, service impeccable. The trips were excellently planned and executed. It's a great way to see alot of Indian in luxury, I would recommend to anybody.

One of the best options to travel through Rajasthan.

A beautiful & memorable journey with the very caring staff of ''Palace On Wheels '' .We still remember and talk about the perfect combination of a sight seeing tour made as comfortable as possible ....Wish you all the best ...POW!!!!!

Boarded the train on 12th of Decenmer 2012 with my wife. Overall, it was a satisfying experience.

The cabin was far away from "luxury". Especially the aircon in our cabin was extremely loud and had just two levels: little on or maximum on. But considering that it is one of the oldest running "luxury train" that's understandable.

The bathroom was clean and the thing that won us over were the extremely courteous staff. It was as if they can actually predict your needs and they were always there for us smiling and all. The plus point of the tour was a superb itinerary although a bit demanding and one of the exasperating thing was too many visits to emporium and shops.

Would definitely recommend this tour just for the emotional attachment and royal factor and not to mention exceptional hospitality,

DO NOT BOOK WITH PALACE TOURS. Book with another agency if possible. This agency is definitely not professional! While I rate this experience overall as 4 stars, it is definitely not a luxury train. The cabin was extremely small, and could not really accommodate 3 people as advertised. Yes, there were three beds, but the room was so small it was not feasible to have the third bed pulled down. There was no space for luggage, but also no place to store your clothes and belongings. The closely was so small as to be useless. Nothing was mentioned about the extremely limited hot water, maybe five gallons total. What makes this a 4-star experience is the staff! They could not have been more attentive! The personal treatment is more than 5-stars! Wonderful staff! The itinerary was terrific, and travelling from city to city during the night was wonderful. It allowed us to avoid the congestion so prevalent in India. The transportation from the train to the sights was excellent and well-managed. And the chosen sites were fantastic and provided a well-rounded visit! The spa was OK; decent massage but terrible pedicure! I would recommend the Palace on Wheels but be prepared for less-than-luxurious accommodations!

The train decor transport you almost 50 years back when maharajas used to rule the roost in Rajasthan. Although the train is not as dated but it definitely needs modernization. But anyways the interiors are full of character and the crew was simply amazing.

The food and service was above average and there was plenty to suit the taste buds. The compartments, though small, contained everything you needed. Silk bedspreads in cabins, nicely done dark wood, elegant décor and private bathroom. Unending shopping trips at almost every destination is a big bother. Overall a clean and hassle free way to visit Rajasthan and some of the most popular tourist attractions in India. Definitely recommended.

I am happy to review my memories of the first journey made on the Palace on Wheels in 1982.

I arrived in Delhi and after arriving at my hotel (I was traveling alone) I found out that the palace on wheels was due to make its first journey. I arrived in Delhi from the UK (I was traveling alone). When I arrived at the hotel I found out that the newly renovated palace onn wheels was due to take its first journey in two days and there was accomadation for four people in the observation carriage available

At dinner that evening three men who had travelled on the same flight from the uk spoke about the palace on wheels and I told them that there was room for four persons and they decided they too would like to take the trip and could leave there business agenda till after the trip.

The morning of the trip was really exciting when we arrived at the Rail way station and had our first glimpse of the train it looked amazing the ivory colured carriages gleaming in the sunlight and of cause the hundreds no thousands of people on the platform where she stood ( I say she as I am sure with all that glamour she must be a lady )

We were shown to our observation carriage by two young men respelnded in the uniform of the bygone days when the Maharaja would be traveling on the train. Our room at the end of the train was really special leading on to the outside observation platform (best place on the train). We left our cases on our individual sleeping compartments. There were really nice and gathered in our lounge to a great send off we were our way there were so many press from all over the world with the huge cameras that were necessary 40years ago and it was then that I realized I was the only female on board.

The boys asked us before the train left to follow them to the dineing car which all those years ago meant we had to leave our carriage and walk back along the platform. We were shown the dinning car and the small bar area in which we decided to have a drink we sat down and to our Surprise the train pulled out of the station at that stage we did not realise that there was no way to get back to our compartment and were Informed we would have to wait till the train stopped. So we settled down to wait I think we were able to run back to our cabins along platform about two hours later. Our boys were quite relived to see us and asked if they could get us anything. The oldest man in our party said I think champagne would be nice to celebrate our trip.

The boys set off down the platform (the train was still stationary) and appeared with the bottle and an ice bucket and the next few minutes will be forever etched in my memorie, they placed the champagne bucket on the floor picked up the bottle and looked totally perplexed they whispered to each other turned the bottle upside down and tried to screw the bottle into the bucket making the ice spill out we all did our best not to laugh or make them look silly so with great tact our companion gently asked them if they would like some help they were so happy and watched in amazement when the cork flew into the air (not as high as they did). I think that was there first experiance of exploding bottles.

The rest of the trip was for me brilliant. Apart from all the press telling me to pose leaving the train getting back on and of cause every where we went which was every day I felt like a movie star but loved every minute and have told countless people about the Palace on wheels and some have done the trip. I hope that I will be able to see the new train but I bet I will still always remember the first one. If I can come let me know when the best time is.

Palace on Wheels has the reputation of being one of the most luxurious train journeys of the world. So it was with some trepidation and anticipation that I arrived to board this train.

We were greeted with traditional "namaskar" and the "third eye" (a sandalwood paste dot in mid-forehead) on board to embark and "relive the splendor of erstwhile Maharajas of Rajasthan". Well the interiors of the train endeavor best to recreate the ambience reminiscent of the pomp of erstwhile princes.

The Kidmatgars (personal attendant assigned to us) clad in traditional starched uniforms hovered amicably to ease our burden and lead us to our respective cabins. A bit cramped for space but considering that it is a train, there was ample space inside the cabin. A functional bathroom with hot shower was good to find. The beds were properly turned down each night during our journey and the cleanliness on board was really commendable.

Overall the service provided by train staff is worthy of recommendation. They were always helpful and friendly and service was well coordinated. At each destination we were timely met by our tour guides and conveyance. And the offsite excursions were really well thought of. I especially liked the Elephant Safari at Amber and highly recommend it. Each excursion was a fulfilling experience the only disappointment being that our safari group was unable to spot the tiger at Ranthambore. Dining was also up to the mark.

Although the menu on board is quite limited when it comes to variety, the off-train venues for lunch are literally 5 Star hotels, read Rambagh Palace in Jaipur and Lake Palace in Udaipur, both run by prestigious Taj Groups. The menu was sumptuous and eclectic concoctions of cuisines were available for our platter.

With the benefit of hindsight I could say that these journeys acquire a treasured place in our memories when we look back and reminiscence over it. It's like the wine really. The older it gets, the better it becomes. One thing for sure is that travelling on board this luxury train in India is quite an experience. With red carpet being rolled out and a royal treatment at each destination and facilities although not at par with 5 star hotels yet up to mark, Palace on Wheels is definitely worth its dough.