Flights To KTM from Delhi

[Ultralight Hiker]

I'm not sure if this is a question that anybody will know, but you guys are full of info so maybe I will luck out. I will be arriving in Delhi on May 5th, plus or minus a day, and was hoping to catch the first available flight to KTM. Since I am not sure exactly when I will arrive in Delhi, I was hoping I could book a flight on the spot. Is this a wise decision, I have read reports of booked flights for weeks, and I have read some that say there is plenty of room for all. Does anybody have any info on flights at this time of year?
Thanks again everyone!
Steve

[Stuart1503]

That is a busy time of the year. Jet Airways has the earliest flight each day--around noontime. If you don't know what day you will arrive, I would buy the ticket for the latest date you might need it and then try to go standby if you get there a day or two early. That will work if there are seats available and at least you will have a guaranteed seat for a day or two later.

[Harry]

UH,

If you don't have a visa for India, you have to stay at the airport! Try Sahara air to Ktm. Costs around 150 Euro two ways.

Cheers,

Harry



I'm not sure if this is a question that anybody will know, but you guys are full of info so maybe I will luck out. I will be arriving in Delhi on May 5th, plus or minus a day, and was hoping to catch the first available flight to KTM. Since I am not sure exactly when I will arrive in Delhi, I was hoping I could book a flight on the spot. Is this a wise decision, I have read reports of booked flights for weeks, and I have read some that say there is plenty of room for all. Does anybody have any info on flights at this time of year?
Thanks again everyone!
Steve

[Ultralight Hiker]

UH,

If you don't have a visa for India, you have to stay at the airport! Try Sahara air to Ktm. Costs around 150 Euro two ways.

Cheers,

Harry

Luckily, I will already have a visa as I am going to be in India both before and after my trip to Nepal, I'm just not sure of when I will arrive in Delhi.

[Lars]

I'm just not sure of when I will arrive in Delhi.
I´d say your best bet is to book a ticket some time before and then adjust your arrival time
to suit your booking. India has a billion inhabitants and it is normal for every mode of
transportation to be always smack full on departure. Not necessarily weeks before,
but certainly several days.

Indian Airlines used to be the one who would fly most people from Delhi to Kathmandu.
Now it seems that there is some sort of merger going on between IA and Air India,
and the IA web site behaves funny.

Contrary to some other comment here I would say that this is not a particularly busy
time you plan to travel at. India is very hot and it is not very pleasant in Nepal either,
at least not below 4 000 meters.
Then again, I come from a cold country. I was stuck in Delhi once, up to around 20th of May.
Every day it was 42 and 43 degrees C. Too much for a gringo! :eek:

[rmerikle]

I am actually doing the opposite. I will be flying from KTM to Delhi and then back to the states. I have not booked the KTM to Delhi leg yet.

What is the least amount of time I would need between flights before thinking about going out and seeing something in Delhi? I am thinking anything less then 4 hours would not be worth it. If I had say six or more hours do you think I would be able to get out of the airport and at least take a quick look around or would that be a mistake?

[Lars]

What is the least amount of time I would need between flights before thinking
about going out and seeing something in Delhi?
I am thinking anything less then 4 hours would not be worth it.
If I had say six or more hours do you think I would be able to get out of the
airport and at least take a quick look around or would that be a mistake?
It takes you abt 1 hr to travel between the Airport and the city. Add one
more to get you out through immigration and one more to check you back in.
In four hours all you really get is the cab ride back and forth. In six
however you could at least take a walk around Connaught Place, which
would give you something of a Delhi experience. At least it would be much
better than just hanging out at the airport. I would do it.

[Per]

If I had say six or more hours do you think I would be able to get out of the airport and at least take a quick look around or would that be a mistake?

It is not worth it really, I would not do it, for the simple reason that the immigration authorities tend to be really slow and cumbersome. You have to chek into India and then out off it again. Normally, you come to the airport three hours in advance on international flights from India.

If you had a day, say 24 hrs, it would be worth it but hardly for less unless you have some very specific thing to do in Delhi.

Just my two cents.

Per

[rmerikle]

Thanks for the info. I am still trying to pin down how much time I will have, but the more I think about it the more I think if I have at least six hours or more I might just go for it. Even if I end up doing nothing more then spending about an hour outside of the airport I think the experience would at least be more enjoyable then just sitting at the airport for six hours. And (knock on wood) in most cases you get through customs quicker then you think. I am thinking if I have six hours at the very least I can say two hours to get downtown and then three hours to get back to the airport and to my gate. This being said I will have at least one good hour to stretch my legs before I spend 15+ hours flying back to the states.

[critter2722]

I don't think you should try to do a bit of siteseeing in 4 - 6 hours in Delhi. They are correct in saying that a cab ride can take up to an hour to get into town. And depending on what time of day it might take longer. The only problem with layovers at DEL is that there isn't much to do. There is only one strip of shops and flies everywhere. If you can work the time, try to spend the 24hrs there. Depending on where you are flying, you might enjoy the time away from an airplane. The 14 hour flight to New York is brutal. Happy Trekking!!!

best,

critter

[Lars]

.. two hours to get downtown and then three hours to get back to the airport and to my gate.
You would be in transit would you not. You would already have your boarding card
for the connecting flight. Normally in India you are requested to be at the airport
three hours before departure. But that is arriving at the main door, with your luggage and all.

Delhi airport is not the best place to spend six hours, that is for sure.
Every time I have checked in at an Indian airport I feel as if I have left the
wonderful fairy tale world and entered a quite lifeless boring place.
You go from having terrific tasty chai in a large glass, to a bag of Liptons
in a plastic cup, at ten times the price.

I had to wait three hours at the domestic airport in Bombay once.
We crossed the street to a fancy hotel and had their buffet lunch.
It was the best meal I have had in my life. It probably cost about ten
dollars, but was worth a hundred.

[Per]

If you can work the time, try to spend the 24hrs there.

Yes, with 24 hrs it becomes worthwhile. Delhi has some nice markets and some excellent resturants (e.g., idly at the United Coffee House). Some monuments and historical places are definitely worth a visit.

On the other hand it is a town of female infanticide and dowry death, a town of enormous frustration, where women often feel the need to have an escort. My wife goes out alone in Kathmandu, in Delhi we will try to avoid it.