Wes Anderson teamed up with production designer Mark Friedberg to capture the beauty of India. Shot in two months, Anderson and company made their way through this endearing country, which began in Jodhpur and ended in Udaipur. The director wanted to paint the train bogeys (The Darjeeling Limited is the name of the train the actors take to travel through India) in the style of trucks he had seen on Indian highways.
Want to take on a magical trip yourself? You’re in luck. The best way to see India is at the ground level. In fact, no visit to India would be complete without the experience of travelling on Indian trains and negotiating busy Indian railway stations!
Train travel is safe, cheap and (in AC classes) comfortable. Even long distances such as Bombay to Delhi or Delhi to Varanasi can be covered more time-effectively than flying, using overnight sleeper trains. By Rajdhani Express, you can go from Delhi to Bombay for ~$30 to $87 depending on your choice of class. You can make a reservation at any of the Indian Railway reservation counters in India. There are hundreds of them all around the country. Ready to be greeted by chai-sellers, fruit-sellers, toy-sellers, cold-drink sellers, and just about every type of seller imaginable passed through the carriage, shouting, wailing and bellowing? I think so too.
[ Tips ]
- - Ask for the upper berth (it will say “UB” on your ticket stub) when buying your ticket—it has a far greater degree of privacy and you can stretch out any time, even in the middle of the day.
- - Avoid the lower berth or middle berth; you will not be able to stretch out until everyone decides to go to sleep.
- - Purchase all tickets as far in advance as possible. It is a good idea to purchase a few legs of your journey all at once while you are at one major station so you are assured a seat on the date that you want.
Not a fan of unguided trips? The Royal Orient Express will transport you to palaces and forts steeped in legends of heroism and chivalry. The Royal Orient has been provided with personalised service that only royalty was privileged with. A cuisine truly fit for kings and queens. is a seven-day rail tour of the cities of Rajasthan and Gujarat, starting and ending in Delhi, with visits to majestic forts, the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, the hilltop jain temples of Shatrunjaya and the Amber Palace in Jaipur. S.D. Enterprises organizes trips from ~$1,500
Side note: Louis Vuitton made a special collection of luggage for “The Darjeeling Limited” movie by Wes Anderson. The collection consists of many Louis Vuitton long time classics, featuring a safari design on premium brown leather. Unfortunately the collection never went on sale, and was auctioned off after the movie came out.
I have been looking looking around for this kind of information. Will you post some more in future? I’ll be grateful if you will.
sleeper trains? no way.. .save money and buy a “platform ticket” – this isn’t even third class. It gives you the right to stand on the platform, and when the train loads up you get on the with the people with the chickens and babies… The big cities are where you’ll find the horrific beggars, see the sights of the big cities then leave, it’s prettier and safer in the country…. take the train to Varanasi (previously called Benares) and you’ll see the river rituals. Here you can start your trip to Nepal. Tip: the old saying “learn a few words and you’ll be treated well” is true. Also something to do on those long bus, train, car, rides. Ganja is legal in a number of Indian states, and Nepal. And don’t bother the Sadhu’s unless you’re giving them a donation. The food is relatively safe as is boiled tea (chi). Enjoy.