Thanks for the advice! I've now returned from 3 weeks in India and had a great time. I actually ended up flying on all my intercity trips on 4 different airlines. I did however take a train on a short 4 hour journey... and that honestly was enough for me. For the most part it was ok... we booked AC1 and had great berth-mates. I had some sinus issues at its peak, and the AC and horrible air freshener bathroom tablets they use to "freshen" the berth just killed my head. Despite reading seat61 and indiamike, I still found the whole experience utterly confusing and chaotic on departure. Having been through it, I now know what to do. No amount of reading about the experience can truly prepare you. Will I do it again? MAYBE. I can see how a long 24 hour or just overnight journey would be not so nice.