Palace on Wheels
The Palace on Wheels is the oldest and best known of all the luxury trains in India. It was started on Indian Independence day in 1982. The Palace on Wheels is made up of the authentic train carriages once used by the Maharajas of Rajputana and Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India. The Palace on Wheels was completely refurbished in 2009, with an enhanced décor, itinerary and cuisine. Over the years the Palace on Wheels has won many awards. Most recently, the Palace on Wheels was rated the number four luxury train in the world. On the Palace on Wheels, you never have to worry, as there is always an attendant, or khidmatgar, to assist you. The service of this five star hotel begins the moment you board the Palace on Wheels as your baggage is ported to your cabin for you. In your cabin you will discover a welcome packet complete with brochures and cards, which you may mail directly from the Palace on Wheels.
The Palace On Wheels explores the state of Rajasthan, famous for its luxury palaces and impressive forts. You will pass through the deserts and valleys and even see a jungle filled with wildlife at Ranthambore National Park. You will begin this eight day journey in Delhi and stop in cities whose history spans centuries. The loop through the royal interior of Rajasthan stops in Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittaugarh, Udaipur, Bharatpur and Agra before returning to Delhi. You not only get to experience the most culturally and historically relevant cities in India (commonly referred to as the Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur) but many more off the beaten path cities. You will witness the most amazing feats of architectural achievements, such as the Taj Mahal in Agra, a monument to love and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Palace on Wheels takes you on excursions to many UNESCO World Heritage Sites and luxury palaces where you will view inspiring museums and galleries. There are also plenty of opportunities to shop for handicrafts and taste local cuisines.
The Palace on Wheels consists of 14 lavishly appointed coaches, each named after a former Rajput state. There are four cabins per coach, and you may select from a cabin with two twin beds or one with a double bed. Each cabin features wall to wall carpeting, air-condition, a television with satellite channels, channeled music capabilities, and an intercom. Adjoining each cabin is a bathroom with complimentary toiletries and a shower. Each coach has a mini pantry and lounge, with comfortable couches to sink into. This is the perfect place to visit with other travelers and enjoy hot or cold beverages and refreshments. Every morning, you may choose from an array of major daily newspapers. You never have to give up modern conveniences while you are traveling on the Palace on Wheels, as there is a conference car that houses a business center. Other amenities on the Palace on Wheels include a gym and a spa that offers massages and beauty treatments.
Relax in the Palace on Wheels’ very own bar, where you are kept in high spirits through an assortment of Indian and International brands of beverages. Rest in the lounge car, adjacent to the two restaurants. There you will enjoy a large selection of books to peruse, a good area for watching the passing scenery fly by, or a restful place to mingle with other travelers or watch a DVD. The Palace on Wheels also offers a wide array of magazines and games such as chess, Chinese checkers, carom board and crossword puzzles for your entertainment.
The Palace on Wheels contains two royal restaurants. The Maharaja and the Maharani. Each serve freshly prepared offerings ranging from Continental to Indian to Chinese. The chefs place a special emphasis on Rajasthani cuisine.
Quick Reference
For Trip Duration, Itinerary Departure Dates, Guided Excursions and Experiences, Appointments:
Each coach has a mini pantry and a lounge with a color TV and CD player as well as a large collection of books. Cabin has either twin beds (and some have an extra pull-out) or double beds. All rooms are air-conditioned, furnished, have channel music and intercom systems, and include an attached bathroom and a shower. Specs:
Cabins:
Services and Amenities aboard the Train:
Restaurants:
The Lounge Car:
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Terms & Conditions
Payments: ALL PAYMENTS, DEPOSITS & OTHER MONETARY SUMS ARE QUOTED PER PERSON IN ALL STATEMENTS THAT FOLLOW. We require a payment of 20% of the cost of per deluxe cabin for the Palace on Wheels as an initial deposit. For online reservations the initial deposit can be made by credit card only and will incur an additional charge for credit card fees as the train operator only accepts cash payments from us. If you would rather use another form of payment for the initial deposit, please call us. For people booking the train as well as a ground tour this initial deposit will be higher. If you would rather use another form of payment for the initial deposit, please call us or submit the inquiry form on the relevant tour page. For people booking the train as well as a ground tour this initial deposit will be higher.
All the train operator’s prices and our prices are quoted as cash discount prices based on payments made by check or bank transfer. The initial deposit is accepted by credit card at the cash discount pricing. If a guest chooses to use a credit card or paypal for any subsequent payments after the initial deposit, the cash discount will not apply and your pricing will be higher. We accept bank transfers and personal/bank checks. Domestic Air Travel supplements for travel within India (& other countries on your tour) are usually due within two to four weeks of the initial deposit. Most international flight reservations can be done by credit card without a surcharge.
20% of the cost of your ticket value is required at the time of confirming the booking. The other 80% of the ticket value is due 40 days prior to the start of your tour. Reservations made with less than 40 days remaining will require immediate payment of all dues.
A 10% surcharge is applicable during Christmas and New Year’s Eve on the train costs and this raises the initial deposit.
Prices: All rates quoted are per person, and in US dollars. All prices, except for when a deposit has been accepted by Easy Tours Of India, Inc., on a C.O.A.P. submitted to the guest, are subject to change at any time at the sole discretion of Easy Tours Of India, Inc.
Non-Refundable charges: 5% of the gross ticket value plus $150.00 per person of this amount goes to pay our initial costs, such as mailing costs, costs associated with making your initial reservation, and associated administrative costs.
Cancellations are processed as detailed below. If Easy Tours of India, Inc. does not receive, or is unable to process any of your payments within as per the schedule outlined above, we will cancel your reservation and process a refund of your total payments, after adjusting for the agreed upon Cancellation Costs. We use secure servers to process your electronic payments.
Cancellations - A request for cancellation will only be considered valid if it is processed by either of the following two means-
(a) Received by our web site (easytours.travel), submitted on the appropriate form (link provided as part of the C.O.A.P. at the time of initial confirmation of your order).
(b) by registered mail or delivery service (with proof of in-person delivery) at our US mailing address - Easy Tours of India, Inc., 201 University Oaks Blvd. Ste 520, Round Rock, TX 78665 - USA.
Within 2 business days of receiving your request for cancellation request, Easy Tours will send you a link to your Cancellation Agreement which details the exact amount refundable to you, if any, as per your original contract (COAP). Once we receive your acceptance of this agreement, Easy Tours will process your refund promptly as described in the Refund section below.
For international travel, if you asked Easy Tours of India, Inc. to refer you to a travel agency/airline & dealt directly with them, we cannot refund any charges you paid for the airline tickets or any other fees tendered to them. Our function was solely to offer you options in this case and all transactions and liabilities exist solely between you and the issuer of the tickets.
For international travel payments made to Easy Tours of India, Inc. (please bear in mind that discounted airfares to & from India are often not cancelable), If you purchased your international tickets directly from Easy Tours of India, Inc. and paid Easy Tours of India, Inc. for your tickets, change & cancellation costs are disclosed to you upfront and will apply as disclosed.
For tour charge payments made to Easy Tours of India, Inc., and only for those payments, the following cancellation terms and charges apply:
Cancellation Costs:
(a) Cancellations received by us at least seventy days before your tour originates, are charged 5% of the gross total ticket value plus $150 per person cancellation fee, plus 25% of the value of your additional land tour, if any.
(b) Cancellations received by us between sixty nine days and forty days remaining till your visit begins are charged the 20% of the gross total ticket value plus $150 per person cancellation fee, plus 50% of the value of your additional land tour, if any.
(c) If less than forty days remain, a cancellation is considered a "no show"* and will not get a refund from the train operator. There is also a 100% cancellation charge for the land tour except at the sole discretion of Easy Tours of India, Inc.
Domestic airfare purchased by Easy Tours as part of your tour with us will be subject to the following Cancellation & Change terms: Prior to 7 Business Days before the beginning of your tour you will incur charges as levied by the airline + a $10 Service Fee per segment. We do not quote, or book, unrestricted (Full) Fares because they are very high. WE also usually don’t quote non-refundable fares although they can be a little lower. We usually quote and book Smart Fares which have cancellation costs of about $25 per segment.
If less than 7 Business Days remain till the beginning of your tour all domestic fares are non-refundable & cannot be changed.
Changes - Changes to your tour package after your acceptance of the "Confirmation of Availability Package" are done at the sole discretion of Easy Tours of India, Inc.. You can request them by mail or by accessing our Alter Plans Form. If we are unable to make your desired changes, we'll offer you the option for a refund as defined in our "Cancellation" section.
There is a minimum charge of $100 per change to your itinerary, if we are willing and able to make the change. This amount can and will be higher depending on the complexity of your request and the amount of effort required by Easy Tours of India, Inc. staff. This charge does not include the costs of the change itself.
For the land portion of your tour, very infrequently, small changes may be made to your travel arrangements which we reserve the right to do so at any time, and we will advise you at the earliest possible date. These changes may be the result of Force Majeure or other similar reasons that are beyond our control, such as weather conditions, strikes or riots, overbookings or closure of a hotel, decisions taken by Tourist Organizations and/or State Governments, etc. This may result in an alteration of the itinerary, omission of a destination, or changing the time spent in a particular destination. If it is possible we will provide you with alternative arrangements, and if not, give you a refund as per our policies defined in the "refund section".
For the Train Portion of your Tour - Itinerary and the venue/timing can be changed without any prior notice by the train management /operator. Any departure on any train can be cancelled by the train management / operator, in which case a full refund will be issued for the cost of only the train journey.
Easy Tours of India, Inc. is not responsible for losses (in any sense of the term) resulting from airline or train delays or cancellations, whether domestic or international. Nor are we responsible for losses due to a guest's decision to change their itinerary, even if it is due to their inability to do so. Travel Insurance is offered to offset such situations. Although we will do our best to minimize additional guest expenses (and provide all extra services that are directly conducted by Easy Tours of India, Inc. staff at no charge) in such a situation, any additional costs (for hotels and alternate transportation) that are incurred due to such cancellation are solely the guest's responsibility. We recommend Travel Insurance as a means of covering such an instance.
Refunds: - All payments for transportation, or travel service, not provided to the passenger shall be promptly refunded, in accordance with the agreed-to terms and conditions, unless the passenger otherwise instructs the Easy Tours of India, Inc. in writing.
If you cancel your tour, or do not make payments as per the agreed upon schedule, Easy Tours of India, Inc. shall process your refund (after deducting the agreed upon cancellation costs) in less than thirty days from the earliest of the following dates:
(1) The scheduled date of departure.
(2) The day the passenger requests a refund.
(3) The day of cancellation by Easy Tours of India, Inc..
In the unlikely event that we are unable to provide the tour package, we will process the refund of all your payments within three days from the day that we become aware of this inability.
