New Delhi, Oct. 26 -- For Mumbai-based Soumi Pal, flying her parents down from Kolkata for their annual visit has become an expensive affair this year. She typically pays Rs.30,000 for their combined return airfares, but this year, tickets are costing upwards of Rs.20,000 per person. She has scrapped the flight journey and worked out an elaborate train itinerary instead.

Her parents will travel from Kolkata to Varanasi by overnight train, while she will join them from Mumbai. The three will spend two days holidaying in Varanasi before returning together to Mumbai by first-class AC train.

"Even with the holiday thrown in, I am paying considerably less for the train journeys than what I would have spent just flying them to Mumbai and back...