The Last time we were in Mumbai we drove there from the UK!

wheelrim Active member

26POSTS

13 years ago

Hi everyone. We are new to the ex-pat forum and hoping to use/abuse and make new friends on it. Yes, the last time in Mumbai we had parked our van up at Indiri Docks having just spent 6 months driving from the UK with our 9 year-old daughter through 8 countries. In Mumbai we put our van in a container and shipped it to Australia to drive round that great country. I am ex-RAF (20 years) and ex (sorry) Police. Shirley was a Hospital administrator. We are now both over 50 but still 16 inside (are we not all 16 inside?) and looking to travel again. We have bought an around the world air ticket and the first stop is Mumbai, 18th June. From Mumbai we catch the train to Gorakphur to enter Nepal, from Nepal we fly to Hanoi and then travel overland through Vietnam, Cambodia then Thailand, Malaysia and then fly to Indonesia. After that is Australia, NZ, Cook Islands, then thee USA. Big trip, lots of planning.... thats where our new-found ex-pat friends come in! We now live in Torrevieja, Spain, so, we are ex-pats too! Now, we beg you good people for your sagely advice. As said, we are coming to Mumbai just after Midnight so will be arriving 19th June, we would like a half-decent Hotel/Hostel to stay in for 3 nights and would value your suggestions, advice or opinions. We are not (and probably never will be unless the Lottery comes up trumps) Luxury people, as with most we just want a clean bed, a shower and a plug-socket. We really would appreciate any constructive replies. The Internet is FULL of places to stay in Mumbai, but its a minefield! sSuggestions please folks, and thanks in advance.
Shirley and Buzby Winton

The Mumbai expat guide

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wheelrim Active member

26POSTS

13 years ago

Thanks Riaarora, Itlooks great but as said, unfortunately we have not won the Lottery. We will be travelling for 10 months in total and we would run out of cash pretty quick if we stayed in places of that Price. To tell the truth I dont think I have paid those sort of prices anywhere in the world Riaaora! Maybe I should have been more specific. Sorry. But thanks anyway.
Anyone else please chip in, thanks. Buz and Shirl.
A Prize of `something brought out from the UK that you can`t get in Mumbai perhaps to the best suggestion?

arthand ViP

225POSTS

13 years ago

Dear Wheelrim & Shirley,
Please Let me know the budget for the Mumbai stay or to be specifichow much should the hotel cost per night.If you wish you may PM me and I shall be happy to do the needful.
Best wishes,
Art

wheelrim Active member

26POSTS

13 years ago

Hi Art

Thanks for your post. Not sure what PM you is (We are cyber-numptys) but we are probably looking about £30 a night, as said, its only for a few nights, its right at the start off our trip Art and we have looked online and there aree plenty around on that budget, its just finding the right one. We wwill then book our Sleeper train from CST to Gorakphur. Funny thing is, when we drove to Mumbai from UK it seemed so much easier!

riaarora New member

6POSTS

13 years ago

try this if you want
myindianstay.com/

rajrana1981 Serial expat

384POSTS

13 years ago

Hi buzby

2 links
http://www.hostelworld.com/search?city= … ntry=India www.stay4free.com

arriving on 19th june . my DOB .
have a great time buddy .

Regards

wheelrim Active member

26POSTS

13 years ago

Thanks everyone so far.... still got time to peruse this grand internet that I am beginning to think of as home. The good news is we have sorted the accomodation out for The Cook Islands.... In February 2014!

Keep forwarding your suggestions folks.

arthand ViP

225POSTS

13 years ago

Hi,
I took quite some time to fish out the details from my friend who has returned back to her country.My swiss friend stayed with her Father (Psychiatrist) & Mother (Doctor) found a place called Koshya Suites in Andheri East which is near the airport,which should suit the budget stated by you.They were happy about cleanliness and because they got Airport transfer and Breakfast included.You may try the establishment. I am scared that my post may be moderated for being a free advertisement.But I assure all that I will not benefit if you choose this place.Also whatever the tariff make them a lower offer as per your budget.
Best wishes,
Art

wheelrim Active member

26POSTS

13 years ago

#10

Arthand, I would like to think it would not be moderated at all, the idea of people joining such a site is that of helpfulness and guidence, and hopefully to make new friends. I will check it out, I asked a question and you were kind enough to answer it. Thanks.

rajrana1981 Serial expat

384POSTS

13 years ago

#11

buzby
checked the website of koshya suites
http://www.fabhres.com/ibe/booking.php
per day cost is 4500 Rs

and checked another website where you have hotels for 500 -1000 Rs per day .

here is the link

http://www.hostelworld.com/search?city= … ntry=India

arthand ViP

225POSTS

13 years ago

#12

Dear Wheelroom and Maradona,
As I remember the room at that place was Rs. 2800 (including father,mother,daughter which is 3 people)as per my swiss friend.So the rack rate could be more.One can always send a mail offering a lower amount than the one stated on the website and it may be ok for the establishment
Best wishes,
Art

heathergupta Member

3POSTS

13 years ago

#13

Try airbnb or couchsurfing. Sounds like you are the experimental types ... why pay crazy prices for average accommodation in Mumbai, when you can stay at people's homes cheaply or for free and also then make some friends and get to see the locality. Heather

wheelrim Active member

26POSTS

13 years ago

#14

Thanks Heather, yes, we are pretty much `on the hoof` types but I also like just a little certainty now and again, therefore I have booked 4 nights in the Travellers inn in the Fort area. loks reasonable. Just haviing a few problems (Grrr) with booking a train reservation for saturday 22nd from Mumbai. Will sort it no doubt. Thanks for your input though, cheers (need any colmans mustard bringng out?!)

heathergupta Member

3POSTS

13 years ago

#15

Thanks for the offer

I'm visiting the UK in May so I will stock up on my Colmans / Bisto / Oxo etc

Fort is a fairly long way from the airport but then you get to see some of the cool stuff in South Bombay ...

Re train reservation, you can get special tourist quota tickets by turning up at the station with your passports (you're anyway staying close to VT station)

Heather

wheelrim Active member

26POSTS

13 years ago

#16

Heather.

Thanks for the info. As we have said we have been to Mumbai once before but we had a nine-year-old daughter in tow then, so hopefully we will explore a little more enthusiastically this time. We are not there for too long as we have a long journey ahead and our trip is about experiences, Mumbai is an experience in itself for sure, as India is in General. Shirley has not been to Nepal before but I have, so I want her to see some of that. We, as said, are not luxury travellers (not won the lottery yet) so are used to being in non-luxurious surrounds, I expect, living in India you realise how lucky you are Heather, we are the same, we are brilliantly well-off compared to most in this world, and appallingly poor to some! however, we have our health and look after our pennies in order to spend on trips like this.
I can book my train (AC2 2 Tier) via the `cleartrip` site as India Rail only accept American Express online (Jeez, WHO uses AMEX these days? Anyway, lots of hoops to jump through to book two £30 tickets, amazing! So, I will crack on. Thanks again.

wheelrim Active member

26POSTS

13 years ago

#17

Heather. How frustrating this is! This is the third day and I appear no better off. There is a site called CLEARTRIP`, You register with them and they ask you to open an account with them..... then they give you a password. You Then have to open an account with IRTC (India Rail) who then ask you to send a copy of your passport to them (dont know why, but I did) they then send you two passwords to use, neither of which work. The price of the tickets (if you booked direct with India Rail) is about £30 each, bargain, but you need an American Express Card. if you book through this Cleartrip company/India Rail its £49 each. ok, I can handle that BUT, It wont allow me to do so. There is a company in Wembly that does it for the same price but they make you jump through half a dozen hoops too. Is there any that you know of in Mumbai Heather (agents) that might be able to assist? It does not help that we live in Spain at present either!

saimans Guest

0POSTS

13 years ago

#18

Did you finally managed the tickets or not ??

wheelrim Active member

26POSTS

13 years ago

#19

Waheeeey! booked the tickets! Chuffed after all that! Thanks to all your advice, if anyone wants to meet up and say Hi in June come back to me.

saimans Guest

0POSTS

13 years ago

#20

wheelrim wrote:
Waheeeey! booked the tickets! Chuffed after all that! Thanks to all your advice, if anyone wants to meet up and say Hi in June come back to me.

How did you managed it, Through CLEARTRIP ???

wheelrim Active member

26POSTS

13 years ago

#21

Yes I did, after about 20 emails between myself and Cleartrip and India Rail. Its a rell messy way of booking tickets and I was about to give up and pay someone else (an agent) to do it, at twice the cost. In the end, 2 tickets AC2 2 Tier From Mumbai to Gorakhpur (1600kms) was 4,146 Rupees, which is really good value. Is the LTT Station near the Fort Area? I believe it is. I can now breathe a little easier. As said, such hard work for 2 tickets.

saimans Guest

0POSTS

13 years ago

#22

wheelrim wrote:
Is the LTT Station near the Fort Area? I believe it is. I can now breathe a little easier. As said, such hard work for 2 tickets.

No its not near to Fort area, its also called as Kurla Terminus. The distance woud be around 20-22kms, but travelling time would be somewhere around 1.5 to 2 hrs (by road), depending on the traffic.

You are lucky to get your tickets booked in the Train. Its actually a big pain in the @ss. You dont know what all people do to get Train Tickets.