As part of a RTW ticket I have reserved the following Indian segments

Day 1 arrive DEL 2am
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4 depart DEL at 7am

1) We have never been to this part of the world

2) We are traveling with our children (7, 9 and 11 year old).

3) Any suggestions for lodges / hotels would be appreciated.

What do you suggest for day 1,2,3?

As a starter I'd buy the book "Geography for Dummies" and you'll be amazed to find that they have moved DEL from Africa to Asia

Kidding aside you may find that siteseeing in India with small children may be quite rough on the children. The heat, mosquitoes, traffic, smog, crowds, etc., can take its toll on them. My children were the same age as your when we took them to DEL for their first visit and they swore that they'd never go back there again. They lied! They enjoyed the next trip when they were older and were able to appreciate the difference in culture between what they were used to in the US and India. We did a side trip to Agra that they enjoyed the second time around.

What time of year are you flying there?

India can be taxing but also quite interesting. You children are the right age to take in the nice things and already deal/digest with the not so nice things that you may see in Delhi. If you are staying there a few days, you definitely should go and see Agra. Search this forum for more on Agra and how to get there.

Going there next April.

I was looking for what would be the least taxing form of transportation for my Children.

What do you know of these hotels?

DELHI- HOTEL GRAND GODWIN
AGRA- ROYALE RESIDENCY

What other ones would you suggest?

April is one of the hottest months to be in Delhi:

Normal High 96.8�F
Normal Low 70.9�F
Mean 84�F

OK it gets really hot in May and June, but April is no time for a pleasure trip to DEL.

Google is your friend... these two are budget hotels, so you get what you pay for. Considering april is off-season, you should be able to get decent deals with 3-5* hotels both in DEL and AGR.

The Taj view in Agra run by the Taj group is only 4200-4900INR/night iin April!

Search this forum for prior posts on travel agents or tour agents who can book decent hotels both in Delhi & Agra. They can also make the arrangements for your transporation to/from Agra. You can ask them to provide a package trip which may work out cheaper plus you can ask for a guide in each city to explain the highlights.

I have been trying, but most of them do not answer their emails apparently.

The one that has suggested the above hotels...which did not impress me. I would rather stay at a Hilton, etc. look alike.

When I get back to the US late next week I'll try to look up the contact information for the tour operator I used in Delhi and if I find it I'll send you a PM. I communicated with them via fax.

We stayed at hotels like the Sheraton & Taj. The tour opeator also made the arrangements for us to be picked up and droppped off at DEL. We had the same driver througout the 3-4 day visit each time.

AAaLot: You have PM with contact details.

Mid-April and beyond is hot. Add in some dust storms and it can bring other complications.

For a cheap but functional hotel in Jaipur and Agra at that time of the year, the Trident Hiltons work well enough.

By April, it's already hot in Delhi. The best months for travelling to DEL are between mid-Nov and mid-Feb. May is hotter rt and June, just about the hottest. July and August used to be not as hot as June hot but more humid and thus quite oppressive when it's not raining. The only advantage of June is that there are fewer mosquitoes as it is too hot even for mosquitoes. The least oppressive mode of transport for the children would be an air-conditioned car rented with a driver.

Even in April mid-day outdoor activities would be taxing, but with persistence you could manage for a few days. Unless you are arriving in Delhi well rested, day one should be spent at leisure. Day two and three could be spent doing the Golden triangle, covering Agra, Fatehpur and Jaipur. Delhi is full of historic sites, but none quite as famous as the Tajmahal.

This is what has been suggested.. thoughts?

Day 1 arrive DEL 2am Delhi - Taj Place or THE OBEROI
Day 2 Drive to Agra - Taj View or Amar Villages
Day 3 Drive to Jaipur - Trident Hilton or Rajvilas
Day 4 Drive to Delhi - Taj Place or THE OBEROI
Day 5 depart DEL at 7am

What do you think of the itn and the hotels?

Sounds good.