India Travel Tips

Social Conventions
The Indian Hindu greeting is to fold the hands and tilt the head forward to namaste. Indian women prefer not to shake hands. All visitors are asked to remove footwear when entering places of religious worship. The majority of Indians remove their footwear when entering their houses. Because of strict religious and social customs, visitors must show particular respect when visiting someone’s home. Many Hindus are vegetarian and many, especially women, do not drink alcohol. Sikhs and Parsis do not smoke. Small gifts are acceptable as tokens of gratitude for hospitality. Women are expected to dress modestly. Short skirts and tight or revealing clothing should not be worn, even on beaches. Businesspeople are not expected to dress formally except for meetings and social functions. 

English-speaking guides are available at fixed charges at all important tourist centers. Guides speaking French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian or Spanish are available in some cities. Consult the nearest Indiatourism office. Unapproved guides are not permitted to enter protected monuments. Tourists are advised to ask for guides with certificates from the Ministry of Tourism or Indiatourism (see General Info).

Photography: Formalities mainly concern protected monuments and the wildlife sanctuaries. Special permission of the Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi, is necessary for the use of tripod and artificial light to photograph monuments. Photography at many places is allowed on payment of a prescribed fee, which varies. Contact the nearest Government of India Tourist Office.

International Travel:

Getting There by Air
The national airline for is Air India (AI) (website: www.airindia.com). The other national airline is Indian Airlines (website: www.indian-airlines.nic.in). There are also new commercial airlines adding international destinations to their schedules including Jet Airways (website: www.jetairways.com) and Air Sahara (website: www.airsahara.org).

Departure Tax
None.

Main Airports
New Delhi (DEL) (Indira Gandhi International) is 23km (14 miles) south of the city (journey time - 45 minutes). To/from the airport: There are coach, bus and taxi services to the city. Facilities: Duty-free shops, banks/bureaux de change, post office, restaurants and car hire.

Mumbai (BOM) (Chhatrapati Shivaji International) is 35km (22 miles) north of the city (journey time - 50 to 75 minutes). To/from the airport: Taxi and bus services go to the city. There is also a railway system connecting with the Metro rail system. Facilities: Bank/bureau de change, post office, restaurant and shops.

Kolkata (Calcutta) (CCU) (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International) is 20km (13 miles) northeast of the city (journey time - 40 to 70 minutes). To/from the airport: There is a 24-hour coach service to Indian Airlines’ city office and major hotels. Taxi services go to the city. Facilities: Post office, bank, bars, duty-free shops and restaurants.

Chennai (MAA) (Madras International) is 14km (9 miles) southwest of the city (travel time - 20 minutes). To/from the airport: Buses and taxis are available. There is a train regularly throughout the day. Facilities: Money exchange facilities, tourist information offices and hotel reservation services.

Getting There by Water
Main ports: Calicut, Kochi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), Panaji (Goa) and Rameswaram (the main departure point for the sea crossing to Sri Lanka; passenger services are presently suspended owing to the political situation in Sri Lanka).

Indian ports are also served by several international shipping companies and several cruise lines. There are, however, no regular passenger liners operating to South-East Asia.

Departure tax: Seaports levy the following departure tax: Rp500 (for journeys to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka); Rp750 (all other destinations).

Getting There by Rail
This section gives details of the major overland routes to neighboring countries (where frontiers are open); in most cases these will involve road as well as rail travel. Details should be checked with the India tourist office as they may be subject to change (see General Info).

Connections to Pakistan: All travel is advised against in the immediate vicinity of the border with Pakistan other than across the international border at Wagah. Approaching the border away from the official crossing point could be dangerous.

Connections to Nepal: The most practical and popular route to Nepal is by train to Raxaul (Bihar) and then by bus to Kathmandu or by train to Gorakphur (or by bus if coming from Varanasi) and then by bus to Kathmandu crossing the border at Sunauli; also, by train to Nantanwa (UP) and then by bus to Kathmandu/Pokhara, or Bhairawa to Lumbini for Pokhara. It is also possible to make the crossing from Darjeeling by bus to Kathmandu across the southern lowlands.

Connections to Bhutan: The best way of reaching Bhutan is by train to Siliguri, then bus to Phuntsholing. There is also an airlink from Kolkata (Calcutta) to Paro by Druk Air.

Connections to Bangladesh: The best route to Bangladesh is Kolkata (Calcutta) to Bongaon (West Bengal) by train, rickshaw across the border to Benapol, with connections via Khulna or Jessore to Dhaka. Another route is from Darjeeling via Siliguri, then train or bus from Jalpaiguri to Haldibari.

Currently, no land frontiers are open between India and Myanmar or India and China (PR).

Getting There by Road
Of late, the overland route from Europe to India has become very popular, but travelers should have accurate information about border crossings, visa requirements and political situations en route. The most popular border crossings into India are Sunauli (for Delhi and northwest India), Birganj (for Kolkata (Calcutta) and east India) and Kakarbhitta (for Darjeeling). Several adventure holiday companies arrange overland tours and buses to India. 

A bus service operates between Lahore (Pakistan) and New Delhi. The journey takes roughly 10 hours. For information on this and other overland routes to neighboring countries, contact the India tourism office (see General Info).

Overview
The following goods may be imported into India by persons over 17 years of age without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco; alcoholic liquor or wine (2l); 60ml of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette; goods for personal use; travel souvenirs (differing amounts according to nationality and duration of stay); reasonable quantities of medicines.

Note: (a) Import by non-residents is only permitted if the national has entered India for a stay of not less than 24 hours and not more than six months, provided they visit not more than once a month. (b) Domestic pets (cats, dogs, birds etc) are permitted to be imported into India as long as they have a health certificate from the country of origin.

Prohibited Imports
Livestock and pigs and pig meat products, live plants, dangerous drugs, gold coins, gold and silver bullion.

Internal Travel:

Introduction
Note: Travel in rural areas during the monsoon season can be hazardous and care should be taken. Monsoon rains cause flooding and landslides that can cut off some towns and villages for days at a time.

Getting Around By Air
The state domestic airline is Indian Airlines (IC) (website: www.indian-airlines.nic.in). The network connects over 70 cities. Other domestic airlines include Alliance Air (3A), a subsidiary of Indian Airlines, Jet Airways (9W) (website: www.jetairways.com) and Air Sahara (S2) (website: www.airsahara.org).

Special fares
There are various special Indian Airlines fares available to foreign nationals and Indian nationals residing abroad, which may be purchased either abroad or in India, where payment is made in a foreign convertible currency (such as US Dollars or Pounds Sterling). With the exception of the Youth Fare India (see below), discounts of 90% are available for children under two years of age, and of 50% for children aged two to 12. Full details of all the special fares are available from Indiatourism. A summary of each is given below. Group discounts of up to 30% are also available.

Discover India: There are three types of ticket available; a 7-day, a 15-day and a 21-day ticket. These offer unlimited economy-class travel on all domestic Indian Airlines services. No stop may be visited more than once, except for transfer.

Youth Fare India: This is valid for three months, offering a 25% discount on the normal US Dollar fare. It is available to those aged 12 to 30 at the commencement of travel for journeys on economy/executive class of domestic air services and Indo-Nepal services.

India Wonder Fares (North, South, East and West): Valid for seven days, offering unlimited economy-class travel. No town may be visited more than once, except for transfer. Details of the main air centers included in the deal can be obtained from Indian Airlines offices.

Departure tax: £8.

Getting Around by Water
There are ships from Kolkata (Calcutta) and Chennai (Madras) to Port Blair in the Andaman Islands. Contact Shipping Corporation of India (tel: (033) 248 2354, in Kolkata or (044) 523 1401, in Chennai; website: www.shipindia.com) for details. There are also services from Kochi and Calicut to the Lakshadweep Islands (website: http://lakport.nic.in). Services are often seasonal, and are generally suspended during the monsoon. There is a catamaran service from Mumbai (Bombay) to Goa. One particularly attractive boat journey is the ‘backwaters’ excursion in the vicinity of Kochi in Kerala. Several local tours are available.

Getting Around by Rail
The Indian internal railway system is state-run by Indian Railways (tel: (011) 340 5156 or 334 6804; website: www.indianrail.gov.in). There are six classes of travel: first-class air conditioned, first-class sleeper, second-class air conditioned, second-class sleeper, third-class air conditioned and air conditioned chair car. Major trains carry restaurant cars.

Indrail Pass: This consists of a ticket which enables travel on any train within one year. Advance reservation is essential. Indrail passes can be reserved in the UK from SD Enterprises Ltd (tel: (020) 8903 3411; website: www.indiarail.co.uk). The passes can also be purchased in India at all the main railway stations and authorized agents.

Special trains: The Palace on Wheels is an Edwardian-style luxury steam train with 14 coaches. Modern amenities include air conditioning. Tariff includes cost of travel, full catering and conducted sightseeing tours. Itinerary: Delhi-Jaipur-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Ranthambae-Chittaurgarh-Udaipur-Bharatpur-Agra-Delhi. Royal Orient Express: This luxury train journeys through Gujarat and Rajasthan taking in the sights of Chittargarh, Udaipur, Palitana, Ahmedabad and Jaipur. The trip takes eight days and accommodation is in furnished carriages with lounge, minibar and kitchenette. Multi-cuisine restaurants are also available. Contact Indian Railways for further information. The Fairy Queen is the oldest steam engine in the world. The journey is a two-day round trip from Delhi to Alwar. Guests are taken to Sariska Tiger Reserve for a jeep safari and stay overnight in a hotel. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway operates from Newjalpaiguri to Darjeeling. It climbs 5,000ft (1,525m). Hill Trains: Narrow-gauge rail lines completed in the 19th century link numerous hill stations. For example, the Kolkata (Calcutta)-Darjeeling route takes eight hours.

Other trains: The Rajdhani Express trains are deluxe super-fast trains connecting Delhi with Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Bhubhaneswar, Guwahati, Jammu Tawi, Secunderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Ahmedabad, Ajmer and many others. Shatabdi Express: Super-fast trains connecting major and secondary city centers. Snacks and meals are provided. Konkan Express: This route is Mumbai-Goa-Mangalore.

Getting Around by Road
Traffic drives on the left. Outside the major cities main roads and other routes are poorly maintained and congested with poor visibility and inadequate warning markers. Bus: An extensive network of bus services connects all parts of the country, and is particularly useful for the mountainous regions where there are no rail services. However, public transport is often crowded and can be uncomfortable. Details of routes may be obtained from the local tourist office. Tourist cars: There are a large number of chauffeur-driven tourist cars (some air conditioned) available in the main tourist centers. These unmetered tourist cars run at a slightly higher rate than the ordinary taxis, and are approved by Indiatourism. Travelers should ask drivers to maintain a safe speed and wear a seat belt where available. Car hire: Self-drive cars are not generally available. Driving around India is not recommended due to the erratic nature of Indian driving standards. Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required. A green card is required if importing your own car into India.

Getting Around Towns and Cities
Taxis and auto rickshaws are available in large cities and fares should be charged by the kilometer. They do not always have meters but, where they do, visitors should insist on the meter being flagged in their presence. Fares change from time to time and therefore do not always conform to the reading on the meter, but drivers should always have a copy of the latest fare chart available for inspection. Kolkata (Calcutta) has a 16.5km (10-mile) underground railway. A metro system opened in Delhi in 2004; the remaining sections are due to be completed in 2008.

Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Delhi to other major cities/towns in India.

	Air	Road	Rail	Sea
Mumbai	1.50	28.00	17.30a	-
Kolkata	2.00	30.00	18.00b	-
Chennai	3.00	45.00	32.00	-
Port Blair	5.05	c	-	d

Note


Note


a. Time by express (not daily); normal train takes 23 hours. b. Time by express (not daily); normal train takes 25 hours. c. Does not include stopover in Chennai. d. Boat journey from Chennai takes three to four days.



Note


Further information (including route maps, times of express trains and more detailed travel-time charts) may be found in the official India brochure, available free from Incredible India (see Top Things To Do).


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