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Suggested itineraries...

India is vast, and many first-time visitors wonder where to start. One strategy is to tour only a small area, for example Rajasthan or the beaches of Goa. But I'd suggest using the excellent Indian train network to see a varied cross-section of India, picking one example of each type of place: one big city, one hill station, one or two princely cities in Rajasthan, Agra (for the Taj Mahal) and perhaps Varanasi (the classic Hindu holy city on the Ganges). Pick & mix one place from each of the categories below. For example, good and varied itineraries could include:

Delhi-(overnight sleeper train)-Varanasi-(overnight sleeper train)-Agra-(daytime train)-Jaipur-(overnight sleeper train)-Jaisalmer-(overnight sleeper train)-Delhi-(daytime train to Kalka for the famous Simla Toy Train)-Simla-(Toy Train then daytime or overnight train)-Delhi. This itinerary is ideal for a first-time 2 or 3 week visit.

Calcutta-(overnight sleeper train to New Jalpaiguri then the famous Darjeeling Toy Train)-Darjeeling-Varanasi-(overnight sleeper train)-Agra-(daytime train)-Jaipur-(overnight sleeper train)-Calcutta.

Overnight trains minimise travelling time, even compared to flying (which is not recommended within India, you'll miss so much). Use www.indianrail.gov.in to find train times and fares, as explained above. Here are some suggested places in each category:

The big cities...

Bombay (Mumbai) 'London on acid' - a wonderful sub-tropical parody of 1950s London. Colonial banks and offices (complete with foliage sprouting from the roofs), red double-decker buses and a railway station to rival St Pancras.

Calcutta (Kolkata) One of the poorest and most populous cities on Earth. Lots of historic buildings, the famous Hooghly bridge, the Victoria Memorial, the site of the infamous 'Black Hole', well worth a visit.

Delhi India's capital. Crowded Old Delhi with its Jama Masjid mosque and the famous Red Fort sits next to the new British-built capital with its elegant buildings designed by Lutjens. Also visit the Qutub Minar (an ancient tower plus a strange iron pillar) and Himayun's tomb, a trial run for the Taj Mahal.

Madras (Chennai) An even older colony than Bombay or Calcutta, in Southern India.

The royal cities of Rajasthan...

Jaipur The 'Pink City', and one of my favourite cities in India. Roads full of trucks and camels. See the royal palace, the old observatory and the famous 'Hawa Mahal' (Palace of the Winds). Make a day trip to Amber Fort a few miles away.

Udaipur A fantastic place, built around a lake with a royal palace overlooking the lake and another equally famous palace - now a hotel - on an island on the lake itself. Not to be missed..! If you can't afford the famous and luxurious Taj Lake Palace Hotel on the lake itself, the Lake Pichola hotel is a good choice, mid-priced, central and with its restaurant terrace overlooking the lake.

Jaisalmer A walled city in the desert full of beautifully carved temples, havelis (merchants houses) and palaces. Probably the most amazing place in Rajasthan and perhaps India - don't argue, just go there... It used to be one of the most time-consuming places to get to, being right next to the Pakistani border, but there's a new direct train from Delhi, leaving Delhi at 17:40 or so and arriving Jaisalmer at 12:45 or thereabouts next day, with AC2, AC3, AC Chair Car, Sleeper Class. In Jaisalmer, the Mandir Palace hotel is wonderful, as long as you ask for an upstairs room. The hotel was indeed once a palace, and the rooms are straight out of Arabian nights - yet just £20/$35 or so per room per night.

Jodhpur Another fascinating Rajasthani city, worth a visit for the fort overlooking the town.<

Hill stations...

Darjeeling Arguably the most famous hill station of them all, up in the cool foothills of the Himalayas. Mock Tudor houses and a church straight from the Home Counties. Before dawn, take a vintage Land Rover to Tiger Hill to see the sunrise - you'll see Kanchenjunga in the distance, and on a clear day you can see Everest. Pay your respects at the cremation site of Sherpa Tenzing Norgay of Everest fame. To reach Darjeeling, take the overnight 'Darjeeling Mail' leaving Calcutta (Sealdah station) at 22:05 and arriving New Jalpaiguri ('NJP') at 08:40. The famous narrow gauge 'toy train' leaves NJP at 09:00 and arrives Darjeeling at 15:30. Don't miss this spectacular trip to Darjeeling on the 'toy train' - although buses are quicker, the toy train is a UNESCO world heritage experience but the buses certainly aren't..! If your budget will stretch, stay at the incomparable Windamere Hotel. See 'a personal favourite' below.

Simla Mock Tudor houses from a suburban town in Surrey, transplanted to the Himalayan foothills with an Indian bazaar tacked on the side. In the days of the Raj, Simla became the capital every summer when Delhi (and before that, Calcutta) became just too hot. Don't miss the journey to and from Simla on the narrow-gauge 'toy train', a spectacular trip up from the plains at Kalka up into the hills. The 06:00 'Himalayan Queen' from New Delhi (AC Chair class and 2nd class seats) arrives Kalka at 11:20 and connects with the 11:55 toy train which reaches Simla at 17:20. Alternatively, the 22:50 sleeper (AC1, AC2, AC3, sleeper class) from Delhi Junction arrives Kalka at 05:00 next morning. The 'Shivalik Deluxe Express' leaves Kalka at 05:30 and arrives Simla at 10:15. The 'Shivalik Deluxe Express' has plush 1st class armchairs and an at-seat meal service included in the fare - AC2 IndRail passholders can use this train (and enjoy the meal) at no extra charge.

Ootacamund
(Ooty) A old colonial hill station, southern India-style, now also known as Udhagamandalam. Take the overnight 'Nilgiri Express' from Madras (depart 20:15) to Mettupalaiyam (36km beyond Coimbatore) arriving 06:20. Change for the 07:10 metre-gauge train, still steam-hauled, up to 'Ooty', where you arrive at 12:00.

Matheran A lesser-known hill station close to Bombay, also served by its own hill railway from the mainline junction at Neral.<

Other places to see...

Agra The Taj Mahal is an icon and well, it just has to be seen... Two bits of advice for Agra: first, don't plan to spend more time than necessary in Agra to see the sights. One or two days is enough, then high-tail it to somewhere less touristy with fewer touts and less hassle. But second, there's more to Agra than just the Taj Mahal. The 'baby Taj' and Agra Fort are both well worth a visit. And most importantly, the deserted royal city at Fatephur Sikhri, 40 km West of Agra, is superb and in many ways more interesting than the Taj. Buses link Agra with Fatephur Sikhri every hour or so, trains run irregularly from Agra Fort Station. If there's two or three of you, it's not too extravagant to hire a car and driver for a day or half day.

Varanasi One of the holiest Hindu cities in India, on the banks of the Ganges. This is one city that should really not be missed. The upmarket Western tourist hotels are all in the new town well away from the old town and Ganges - to see the most of Varanasi, book a lower or mid-range hotel overlooking the Ganges, for example, the excellent Hotel Alka.

Khajuraho A well-touristed temple complex (but without much else to see) with erotic carvings in a remote location in North India. Khajuraho has no railway station, so if you want to see it you will need to use a bus or hire a car and driver from Jhansi, Kanpur or Allahabad. Darjeeling 'toy train' descending to NJP to meet the 'Darjeeling Mail' for Calcutta.

A personal favourite...

A personal favourite is the ride to Darjeeling on the narrow gauge Darjeeling Himalaya Railway (DHR), and a night or two at the Windamere Hotel.

The DHR is now a UN World Heritage Site. Take the broad gauge 'Darjeeling Mail' from Calcutta (Sealdah station) to New Jalpaiguri ('NJP'), leaving Calcutta Sealdah at 22:05 and arriving NJP at 08:40 next morning. The 'Darjeeling Mail' conveys AC1, AC2, AC3, sleeper class and 2nd class accommodation.

The DHR 'toy train' connects with the Darjeeling Mail in NJP, leaving at 09:00 and arriving Darjeeling at 15:30.

Some guide books recommend taking the bus from NJP to Darjeeling (a 4 hour journey - much quicker than the 'toy train') and treating the railway as a theme park ride for a quick trip over a short section - ignore them..! Four hours on a bus is cramped and uncomfortable, and hardly a world heritage experience. The leisurely day spent on the toy train through the Himalayan foothills is a day well spent. The 09:00 train from NJP is now diesel-hauled except for certain days when the diesel is being maintained, but other services are still hauled by steam locomotives.

The Windamere Hotel, DarjeelingOnce in Darjeeling, if you can stretch to £65 a night (including all meals), the place to stay is the Windamere Hotel.

Originally a boarding house for bachelor tea planters, it became a hotel in 1939. Meals are served by white-gloved, turbanned waiters and eaten by candlelight to the sound of Cole Porter tunes on the piano. Even if you can't afford it, make sure you come along for afternoon tea - probably the best cup of tea you will ever drink...