Day trip to Udupi from Mangalore
 

Looking at doing this later in Dec. Might it be easier to get a car/driver for the day vs Uber (?)/local taxi?

See a few options here

Any hotel recommendations? Was thinking of the Gateway, but link above seems to suggest otherwise.

i've stayed at over half a dozen gateway properties across the country (never at this one though) & have yet to come across a bad one....its not 5 star luxury but very comfortable with good service....you can't go wrong with them....

Any suggestions on transportation? Looks like there are several options, including train/bus.

Will the train be more scenic (it's just an hour away) :)

Take the bus, there are private buses running every 2 mins. The bus ride is close to an hour.

Hotel Goldfinch & Ocean pearl are good options to consider if you plan to stay inside the city.

Update:

Gateway was great! Got a car/driver for Udupi, Malpe etc
Fantastic weather for solar eclipse watching in Mangalore

^