Palace on wheels to Fairy Queen: 7 top high-end trains in India

  If someone is looking for a mix of royalty, luxury, adventure and beauty, then Palace on Wheels is the best bet. There are 23 coaches in the train and a maximum of 104 tourists can travel in the train. Each coach is named after former Rajput states and matches the aesthetics and interiors of the royal past: Alwar, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Bundi, Dholpur, Dungargarh, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Kota, Sirohi and Udaipur.  

Route-  Delhi-Jaipur- Udaipur- Swai Madhopur- Chittorgarh- Jaisalmer- Jodhpur- Bharatpur- Agra-Delhi

The Golden Chariot is a luxury tourist train that connects important tourist spots in the Indian states of Karnataka, Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as Pondicherry, depending on the selected itinerary. 

> Pride of the South (Bangalore - Kabini - Mysore - Hassan - Hampi - Badami - Goa - Bangalore)> Southern Splendour (Bangalore - Chennai - Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry - Thanjavur - Madurai - Thiruvananthapuram - Alleppey - Kochi - Bangalore) For International tourists: Rs. 3.9 lakhFor Indians:  Rs 2. 45 lakh Southern Splendour:For International tourists: Rs. 4.4 lakhFor Indian Travelers- Rs 2. 6 lakh

The Maharajas' Express is a luxury tourist train which runs on 5 circuits covering more than 12 destinations across North-West and Central India, mainly centered on Rajasthan between the months of October and April.The Maharajas' Express was voted "The World's Leading Luxury Train" a multiple times in a row at The World Travel Awards in 2013, 2014,2015, 2016 and 2017. 

Route:> The Heritage of India (Mumbai - Ajanta - Udaipur - Jodhpur - Bikaner - Jaipur - Ranthambore - Agra - Delhi)> Gems of India (Delhi - Agra - Ranthambore - Jaipur - Delhi)> The Indian Panorama (Delhi - Jaipur - Ranthambore - Fatehpur - Sikri - Agra - Gwalior - Orchha - Khajuraho - Varanasi - Lucknow - Delhi)> Indian Splendour (Delhi - Agra - Ranthambore - Jaipur - Bikaner - Jodhpur - Udaipur - Balasinor - Mumbai)> Treasures of India (Delhi - Agra - Ranthambore - Jaipur - Delhi) Tour Cost:Gems of India & Treasures of India: Rs 278,586 - Rs 9.3 lakh per headIndian Splendour & The Indian Panorama: Rs 4.4 lakh - Rs 18 lakh per headHeritage of India: Rs 4. 9 lakh - Rs 17 lakh per head Duration:Gems of India & Treasures of India: 4 daysIndian Splendour & The Indian Panorama: 8 daysHeritage of India: 8 days

 The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels is a luxury tourist train run by Indian Railways and is modelled on the Palace on Wheels. It also follows a similar route through Rajasthan. Tourists are taken to several important tourist, wildlife and heritage sites across Rajasthan. 

 Operator: Indian RailwaysFirst Service: January 2009International tourists: Rs 4. 4 lakh -Rs 9. 1lakh per personIndians: Rs 3.60 lakh-Rs 7.6 lakhTime:  8 Days/ 7 Nights

 The Deccan Odyssey is yet another train modelled on Palace on Wheels to boost tourism on the Maharashtra route of the Indian Railways. It is a venture of the Maharashtra government and the Ministry of Railways, Government of India. With two restaurants and a bar, a sauna, business center and other such amenities on board, the train can be a dubbed a 5-star hotel on wheels. The coaches fitted with special amenities were manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. 

Route> Indian Odyssey (Delhi - Sawai Madhopur - Agra - Jaipur - Udaipur - Vadodara - Ellora Caves - Mumbai)> Hidden Treasures of Gujarat (Mumbai - Vadodara - Palitana - Sasan Gir - Somnath - Little Rann of Kutch - Modhera - Patan - Nashik - Mumbai)> Indian Sojourn (Mumbai - Vadodara - Udaipur - Jodhpur - Agra - Sawai Madhopur - Jaipur - Delhi)> Jewels of the Deccan (Mumbai - Bijapur - Aihole - Pattadakal - Hampi - Hyderabad - Ellora Caves - Ajanta Caves - Mumbai)> Maharashtra Wild Trail (Mumbai - Aurangabad - Ramtek - Tadoba - Ajanta - Nashik - Mumbai)International tourists: Rs 4.4 lakh-Rs 9.5 lakhIndians: Rs 4. 2 lakh -9.2 lakh

 The Royal Orient is a luxury tourism train that runs between Gujarat and Rajasthan, covering important tourist locations in the two states. Modelled on the Palace on Wheels, the train offers one of the best luxury experience. 

 Operator: Indian RailwaysFirst Service- 1994 Tour CostInternational tourists: Rs 14,472 + service taxIndians: Rs 7,480 + service tax

 Fairy Queen runs on steam engine. It has a total of two coaches. One is an air-conditioned car with a capacity of 50 people.

 Operator: East Indian Railway CompanyFirst Service- 1855-1908Re-started- July 1997Route: Delhi - Alwar - Sariska- Alwar - DelhiFacilities: 60-seater AC chair car designed with large glass windows, pantry car, beautiful lounge.Tour Cost- (Two-way train journey + sightseeing / stay at Sariska for an adult)Rs 12,375 + taxesTime: 2 Days/1 Night