[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by rkg

How will be fog condition around delhi and agra in the month of march?

Summer's here already. No fog expected, though there was mild haze (not enough to restrict visibility greatly) in Delhi & Western UP this morning.

Edit: Expect to be hit with coloured water balloons (often with colours that don't wash off) on the highway in UP. Holi is on the 27th, but colours fly from the previous weekend.

[Puneet.S]

Originally Posted by rkg

How will be fog condition around delhi and agra in the month of march?
iam planning to visit delhi-mathura-agra-fatehpur sikri by self drive car option(carzonrent) on 25th march 2013.
planning to start early around 5 AM from Delhi, karolbagh area

This is a time of clear skies over Delhi and UP - bright and sunny, with no fog. Weather is also pleasent though it heats up around mid-day, mornings and evenings are really nice.

[rkg]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Summer's here already. No fog expected, though there was mild haze (not enough to restrict visibility greatly) in Delhi & Western UP this morning.

Thanks for the quick response.
Iam planning to take NH2 not the yamuna expressway. How are the road conditions in NH2 and towards the fatehpur sikri?

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by rkg

Thanks for the quick response.
Iam planning to take NH2 not the yamuna expressway. How are the road conditions in NH2 and towards the fatehpur sikri?

Road condition is okay on NH2 (not perfect), though the stretch from Agra to Fatehpur Sikri is narrow, congested and not too smooth. Be prepared to be stopped and dunked in the colours of Holi.

Just FYI, I don't venture into UP at least 2-3 days before Holi and perhaps 1 day after.

[rkg]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Be prepared to be stopped and dunked in the colours of Holi.

Just FYI, I don't venture into UP at least 2-3 days before Holi and perhaps 1 day after.

Is it that bad, even for tourists?
I have two days 24th and 25th march. i will be arriving at delhi on 23rd mid night

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by rkg

Is it that bad, even for tourists?
I have two days 24th and 25th march.

If you are venturing into the region where Holi is celebrated the most enthusiastically, colourfully and dirtily for almost a full week before the actual date of the festival, don't expect NOT to get colours on yourself or your car - which can include paint, burnt lube oil, tar, red oxide paint & powder, and metallic oil-based colours that don't wash off even a week later.

If you think that as a tourist you would be spared, well, think again!

24th is a Sunday, so I'd expect revellers to be out on the streets and highways in full force.

Even yesterday & today, my car's been hit with water balloons in western UP - by the end of this week, those same balloons will contain coloured water.

It's the same story every year.

[sharninder]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Road condition is okay on NH2 (not perfect), though the stretch from Agra to Fatehpur Sikri is narrow, congested and not too smooth. Be prepared to be stopped and dunked in the colours of Holi.

Just FYI, I don't venture into UP at least 2-3 days before Holi and perhaps 1 day after.

Wow! Really? I'm going to Nainital this weekend and will have to cross parts of UP. I'm coming back on 26th precisely because Holi is on the 27th. If it's a real nuisance, I still have time to change my plan and go towards Himachal instead.

[SS-Traveller]

Just FYI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lath_mar_Holi.

[rkg]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

If you are venturing into the region where Holi is celebrated the most enthusiastically, colourfully and dirtily for almost a full week before the actual date of the festival, don't expect NOT to get colours on yourself or your car - which can include paint, burnt lube oil, tar, red oxide paint & powder, and metallic oil-based colours that don't wash off even a week later.

If you think that as a tourist you would be spared, well, think again!

24th is a Sunday, so I'd expect revellers to be out on the streets and highways in full force.

Even yesterday & today, my car's been hit with water balloons in western UP - by the end of this week, those same balloons will contain coloured water.

It's the same story every year.

Will it be same at Agra fort, taj and fatehpur sikri also?

Many many thanks for the update. I have to revise my plans.

Will delhi also same?

[laluks]

Originally Posted by ampere

YEW does not have many food / water / break options. So need to plan accordingly.

Been through YEW last week. There are three toll booths in total, and near them there are decent food joints. So that should not be a problem

[DoNotHorn]

Hi

One of my friend(a foreign national - White person) will visit Delhi and wants to go to Agra for a day and come back to Delhi.

He wants to book a cab to and from Agra and is being quoted 11000 by his hotel(just the taxi fare). I thought its expensive.
Could you please let us know the right amount and a good taxi service.

TIA

[ampere]

Originally Posted by DoNotHorn

He wants to book a cab to and from Agra and is being quoted 11000 by his hotel(just the taxi fare). I thought its expensive.
Could you please let us know the right amount and a good taxi service.

An Innova should quote about at max 15-20/- per km. 20 I think is also on the higher side. Agra is 200km one way. To and fro should give about 400km. If you use expressway, add another 50-100 km over to reach the highway and city drives. On a conservative basis, if you put total distance covered at 500km, at 20/km at MAX, it should amount to 10K. The hotel would be adding margin and the driver charges.

Please validate the per km pricing once again. And you can perform same analysis. Hope that gives a perspective.

[manim]

I was quoted (by email) from Radisson Blu, Greater noida (just three kms from YamunaExpressway) day trip to Agra and back:

(Innova, Optra) for the Agra trip @ INR 12,000+taxes(12.36%) includes Toll taxes.

[r_devakumar]

Originally Posted by manim

I was quoted (by email) from Radisson Blu, Greater noida (just three kms from YamunaExpressway) day trip to Agra and back:

(Innova, Optra) for the Agra trip @ INR 12,000+taxes(12.36%) includes Toll taxes.

I will be going to Delhi this weeK end and planning to visit Agra next Monday. Will be staying Radisson Blu. But plan to book a cab (Indica/Indigo) through Makemytrip.com. The taxi charges seems to be around 6K. I hope makemytrip is reliable. I have booked hotels so far using their site and found good. However, have't used any cab booking so far.

[manim]

Originally Posted by r_devakumar

Will be staying Radisson Blu

Radisson has many hotels around Delhi, is it the one in Greater-Noida?
(They also have one in Noida)

Please give your feedback after your visit, will be helpful to me.
I am only going in December.

Originally Posted by r_devakumar

I will be going to Delhi this weeK end and planning to visit Agra next Monday. ... But plan to book a cab (Indica/Indigo) through Makemytrip.com. The taxi charges seems to be around 6K. I hope makemytrip is reliable. I have booked hotels so far using their site and found good. However, have't used any cab booking so far.

Are you planning a same-day return trip, or spend overnight in Agra?
Are you planning to go via YamunaExpressway or the older highway?

The hotels taxi-rate is very expensive, but I do not want to take a risk with my wife and children. Particularly since the car+driver have to be in good condition for safety on this expressway.

I am also exploring other options. I am searching for self-drive cars since it will cut the cost and I may also enjoy it. But since I do not speak Hindi, I am concerned.

Do give your feedback of your MakeMyTrip experience too.

Thanks!