If you decide to take a trip to India beware of the heat! Always make sure where you are staying has air conditioning. Most places within the main cities will have the comforts and luxuries of the wealthy however, if you go to rural areas then you will not find simple comforts as air conditioning as often or at all. You must investigate what your surroundings will be and try to remain in tourist areas. The transportation can be rather harsh if you don't know where you are going or what you are doing.
Taking rail transportation is typically not bad. Most railways will not run through the poor areas of the country. They usually have air conditioning and luxury conditions for tourists. You can take the Great Indian Orient Express which is known for offering tourists special packaged rates in order for them to ride their train.
If you are traveling to a rural area you may have to take a bus and these buses are without air conditioning. The reason I continue to mention air conditioning is because India is a very humid and hot country especially during the summer months. It can reach above 100 degrees easily. Not only are most of these buses without a/c, they are filled with plenty of hot and sweaty stinky bodies. The more they cram onto the bus the more the company will make so they don't care if people sit real close to each other or if others have to stand. Buses with air conditioning can be found in tourist areas. They make sure tourists are well taken care of.
A friend of mine who is from India travels there every couple of years to visit family who happen to live in very rural areas. She travels on the plane and then has to take a two hour train ride to only get into a taxi that takes another two or three hours. From there, she has to pick up another bus which can take about another hour or two. The entire trip can take anywhere from two to three days depending on how reliable the transportation is.
When you go to India simply try to stay in the main city tourist areas. If you want to explore India in a way that the residents do on a daily basis then you better be prepared to suffer the heat. Be ready to walk a lot and eat very little. My recommendation is to go during the winter months so you won't get so hot to the point of almost fainting. Get to know the culture as well because there will be many people following you and staring since they will know you are American from your appearance.
Travel by train in India is an event in itself, and bus, and boat. That\'s what a lot of my stories on Triond are about.