Jodhpur to Jaisalmer train with general class ticket 🚊 Backpacking Rajasthan, North India on a budget

Hi there!

So if you’re thinking about taking a train from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer, that means that you can follow this 2 week Rajasthan itinerary!

It includes a 2-day Jodhpur itinerary and a 3-day Jaisalmer itinerary with an overnight camel safari, as well as a one day trip to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal.

I went from Udaipur to Jodhpur by bus, then Jodhpur to Jaisalmer by train, and then Jaisalmer to Jaipur by train.

From Jaipur, you can fly south to Goa, and then go from Goa to Kerala for one week in Kerala!

Also see ideas on how to spend one month in South India.

Okay, so…

How to get from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer by train when you’re backpacking north India?!

RAJASTHAN MAP

First, get yourself oriented with Rajasthan!

Take a look at the Rajasthan map.

How long does it take to get from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer?

By road in a private car or taxi, it’ll likely take around 5-6 hours to get from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer.

By train, it can take 5.5 to 8+ hours, depending on which train you take, not including possible delays!

Taking the train to Jaisalmer

There are a number of trains that you can take on this route.

I took the local passenger train from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer.

Local passenger train means that it’s the slow train, and the train that takes the longest to Jaisalmer.

So why take the slow train?!

It seemed like it would be the most convenient since it didn’t require booking a train ticket in advance.

You can show up to the train station on the day you want to take the train, buy your ticket, and then get on the train!

There are other trains on this route that you can take, and if you go for general class, you can also just show up to the train station and buy an unreserved seat.

The passenger train originates in Jodhpur so it just seemed the easiest to me at the time.

What is the Jodhpur to Jaisalmer local train timing?

• Jodhpur departure: 7:00am
• Jaisalmer arrival: Around 3pm

The train fare was 105 rupees (less than US$2) for general class train tickets, which is the only class on this train.

This train has a scheduled departure from the Jodhpur train station at 7am.

Since this is a train that originates in Jodhpur, it means that you can get on the train well before the departure time.

How to book a local train ticket to Jaisalmer

Since the local train is general class seating only, you can show up to the train station on the day you want to take the train.

You’ll want to give yourself some extra time just in case there are long lines to buy a ticket.

If you’re a girl, or you’re traveling with one, there is a “ladies only” line that you can take advantage of.

I showed up to the train station before 6am, and I was in this line for 10-15 minutes. It looked a bit shorter than the other lines.

After I got my ticket, I showed someone at the “enquiry office” my ticket and asked which platform to go to, and then made my way over there.

How crowded is general class seating on the local train to Jaisalmer?

When I got on the train, I was able to find a seat pretty easily. It probably also helped that I arrived early.

By the time the train departed, all the seats around me were taken.

But everyone had their own seat, so it wasn’t overcrowded.

So getting on early just gives you more options for seat choices.

At around 10am, 3 hours into the journey, the train was pretty cleared out.

This meant I had plenty of space all around. I was even able to lay down for a nap on the sleeper seat.

How to store your luggage on the train

There are 2 main places you can keep your luggage on the train:

1. You can place it under the seat.
2. You can place it on the luggage rack above.

Or if there’s room, you can place it on the seat!

More Jodhpur to Jaisalmer trains

There are other trains that take a shorter amount of time.

To find other train options, you can search for any routes using the trainman website.

This allows you to see what seat availability is like.

This can also give you an idea of whether or not you can wait until just a few days before you want to leave Jaisalmer to buy your ticket.

You can also check the price of train tickets for the different class tickets like 2AC, 3AC, and sleeper.

Using trainman, you can plug in Jodhpur JU and Jaisalmer JSM to get a list of train options you have.

The Ranikhet Express has a train route that passes by a few different popular tourist cities in Rajasthan, so you may end up on this train more than once!

This includes Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Ajmer/Pushkar, and Jaipur.

Jodhpur to Jaisalmer by bus

This route also has a number of buses available.

To check out what the bus options are for any particular route, you can search using the redbus website.

There are several private bus companies that do the Jodhpur to Jaisalmer bus route on a daily basis. There are also Rajasthan government buses.

The duration of the bus varies depending on the bus, but you can expect to be on the bus for 5-6 hours.

Okay, so now that you (hopefully) feel more comfortable about traveling from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer…

What to do when you’re there?!

Top 3 things to do in Jodhpur

1. Get lost on the blue streets of the blue city

2. Visit the Jodhpur fort

3. Watch kids stepwell jumping

See more of the best places to visit in Jodhpur in 2 days.

Top 3 things to do in Jaisalmer

1. Go for an overnight camel safari

2. Eat at a rooftop restaurant with fort views

3. Walk the streets of the golden city

See more of the best places to visit in Jaisalmer in 3 days and the best things to do on a camel desert tour.

HAPPY JODHPUR TO JAISALMER TRAIN RIDE!

How to spend 2 weeks in Rajasthan

• 3 days in Udaipur (city of lakes)
• 2 days in Jodhpur (blue city)
• 3 days in Jaisalmer (golden city)
  • Thar desert (camel safari)
• 3 days in Jaipur (pink city)
• 1 day in Agra
  • Taj Mahal visit