Before traveling to India, there are certain travel tips that you need to know so you can have a safe, memorable experience.
Those tips enhance your travel experience and ensure your safety when going to your destination. Make sure to follow them before coming to India.
I can assure you that this India travel guide can allow you to make memorable memories whether going solo, with your family or friends.
You can also use this travel guide for your honeymoon and babymoon escape. This guide is suitable for a short trip or vacation around India.
1. Print Your Visa. No, It’s The Other Visa
It’s not difficult to apply for a double-entry tourist visa to India using a website administered by the Indian government, with a four-month timeframe for your initial entrance.
However, there needs to be more clarity about what you must print off and give to the authorities when you receive the confirmation email indicating your visa has been accepted.
As it turns out, the paperwork you must print out to enter the nation and board the flight to India must be emailed to you.
On my trip to New Delhi, at least ten passengers were ushered from the boarding line and hurried to a bit of side office at the airport’s Newark Liberty International to print the Electronic Travel Authorization form required to enter India. They had a printout of the email that had confirmed their visa, but you don’t need that.
I had a printout of the correct paper but accidentally discovered it. After receiving approval, return to the visa application website and choose “visa status.”
After entering your information, click “print status” at the bottom of the screen, and the appropriate form should begin downloading. If it doesn’t include your picture and a bar code, it’s not the relevant document.
2. Your Credit Cards With You:
Generally speaking, you must develop the practice of printing down all itineraries, whether related to travel or lodging. However, remember to bring the credit card you used to make the reservation.
It’s particularly crucial for flights; you’ll see that it’s required in the tiny print of specific carriers. And though my credit card was rarely examined, it was on one occasion. Ensure you have it with you so you don’t find yourself in a sticky situation.
3. Maintain Contact But Don’t Overpay:
If you want to stay in India for an extended period, purchase a local SIM card. The $60 flat-rate AT&T Passport plan includes one gigabyte of data for up to 30 days.
Three gigabytes are available for $120. If you go over, be prepared to pay $50 more for every additional gigabit of data.
When I landed in India, I went to the Airtel booth and paid 999 rupees (a little over $14) for a local SIM card, taxes included.
The 84-day card came with 100 SMS (text messages) per day, unlimited local calls, and 1.4 gigabytes of internet per day. Whatever the length of your stay, it would be wise to take advantage of that fantastic price.
If you travel across several nations, you might choose a more versatile choice. When I boarded a trip to Sri Lanka and discovered that my Indian SIM card was no longer functional, a data-only AIS travel SIM card was useful.
An AIS card purports to function in 18 countries, but I can only speak for Sri Lanka and India. It offers four gigabytes of data over eight consecutive days.
4. Keep Moving, But Be Patient:
In India, you’ll learn to know ride-share applications well since they’re practical, affordable, and preferable to haggling with drivers. But be prepared to practice some patience. The two ride-sharing applications I used in India, Ola Cabs and Uber, typically functioned satisfactorily.
However, I discovered that I had to constantly cancel or reorder since drivers frequently didn’t show up or were lost in terrible traffic. It will be simpler to acquire a car if you are on a significant road rather than a little side street.
Additionally, confirm that there are no foreign transaction fees associated with the credit card you’re using to pay for your rides.
If your Uber account is linked to a credit card with a foreign transaction fee, you could have to pay more while using Uber abroad.
The Citi Premier Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve are two cards that don’t charge international transaction fees.
But sometimes, taking a tuk-tuk or auto rickshaw is more reasonable and practical. In such a case, get ready to haggle. Be aware that tuk-tuks can only take you to some places.
For example, when I requested someone to drop me off at the Delhi airport, I was unpleasantly surprised to discover that the driver would not take me directly to the terminal and that I would instead need to take a separate shuttle.
The driver explained that tuk-tuks could not drop you off at the airport.
5. Be Ready To Make Any Changes:
I discovered that airport exchange rates were reasonable. One benefit of doing it in person rather than at an ATM is that you may request tiny notes.
You want to avoid being seen carrying a bunch of purple two-thousand rupee bills. Change should be effected whenever possible.
Fast food establishments are excellent for this. When purchasing a cup of tea on the street or boarding a tuk-tuk, you’ll need little amounts; do not rely on the driver to be able to provide change.
6. Stay Active:
There are many options for going to films, events, and concerts in India. I quickly scheduled a concert in Mumbai using the popular nationwide website Book My Show, which is quite helpful for this.
When visiting a new city, I booked tours and guides directly with the business wherever feasible. Still, I also utilized more prominent aggregator websites like Viator and Klook for their convenience.
In a new city, there are several options to locate local tour guides. For instance, there are several in Mumbai on the street just outside the Gateway of India.
When I was in Kolkata and booked a room through Airbnb, I had great success getting recommendations for activities and places to see from reliable homestays.
7. Let’s Agree To An Agreement:
Haggling is a skill. Even though I don’t particularly enjoy it, some people don’t; it’s worthwhile to attempt to get into the holiday mood, especially if you plan shopping.
Decide how much the specific item, such as a blouse or a purse, is worth. Decide in your mind how much you are willing to spend.
If you are foreign, the vendor will likely make you an extremely high price as their first offer. If you bring back half that amount, or perhaps even less, depending on the situation, the merchant will abruptly ignore your response and return with a lower figure.
The next step is just deciding how badly you desire the thing. If you are trying to buy anything for 500 or 600 rupees, focus on something other than achieving the lowest possible price.
Otherwise, you risk losing the deal by filing a federal lawsuit over the final 100 rupees, or less than $2. Remember that you’re still receiving a fantastic bargain and that the value of the money is greater than yours.
8. Should I Eat Or Not?
I am a fervent supporter of street food. I adore the tastes, the setting, and the fact that it is naturally reasonably thrifty. However, there are hazards associated with eating street cuisine. I had severe stomach problems after eating street dumplings in China earlier this year.
I had more incredible luck in India, and that’s all it is: luck. You will become ill if you consume enough street food—it’s just a matter of time.
The reward outweighs the danger. And if you do decide to try it, there are precautions you can take to lessen your risk of becoming sick.
First of all, don’t drink tap water and water offered in the street. Although it seems clear, this also applies to other pursuits:
Use bottled water if feasible while brushing your teeth with tap water, and avoid opening your mouth when showering.
Additionally, I refrain from purchasing ice-filled beverages from street vendors since, while the fruit juice you buy could be completely healthy, the ice might not be.
I don’t eat fresh fruit or vegetables unless they can be peeled. I generally seek spicy cuisine and busy street vendors. If they serve a lot of food, it is more likely that the food is fresh.
Additionally, cooked foods are safer than raw foods, such as the deliciously flavored milky tea kept at a rolling boil at the numerous street-side tea stalls.
You should also consider getting travel insurance in India. We have an Indian travel guide that covers this area.
Conclusion:
I hope you enjoyed our Indian travel guide and find it helpful to know what you need before traveling to India. We have many blogs that help you venture into this amazing country.
Whether you enjoy Indian Temples, hill stations, or the exotic wildlife of India, there is a taste for everyone in this enchanting country.
You might also enjoy reading our guide on the best time to visit Nainital, mysterious places to visit in India, the Islands of India, and the best holidays in India.
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