India Travel Essentials: trip prepš«š
š Emergency NumbersĀ
National Emergency Number: 112
Police: 112 - 100
Fire: 101
Ambulance: 102
Disaster Managment Services 108
Tourist Helpline:Ā 1363 or 1800111363
š VISA Requirements & Arrival
Most passports will require a VISA to enter India, so use the link below to check which Visa is most suitable.Ā
I could only apply for my 30-day VISA 30 days before I got there. It can be a bit confusing and I googled any question that I wasn't sure of. It got approved in a couple of days. Remember to print it!Ā
ā WeatherĀ
India's weather changes a lot throughout the year and through the cities let's not forget how big this country is!
The best time to visit is usually between October and March when temperatures are mild and comfortable, especially in the north.
Summers (April to June) can get extremely hot, with some regions reaching over 40Ā°C. Monsoon season (July to September) brings heavy rains, especially in the south and coastal areas, making travel tricky but refreshing the landscape.
For cooler hill stations, summer is a great time, while winter is perfect for exploring deserts and cities without the intense heat. It all depends on where you're headed!
šµ Currency and Payment MethodsĀ
Currency: Indian Rupee - INR -Ā ā¹
While I was searching for this trip, I noticed many travel creators recommended bringing a physical card as they do not offer contactless methods like ApplePay and GooglePay. After going there I can confirm it is true.Ā
Additionally, many shop owners will most likely prefer cash payment rather than a card, and they may also offer a lower price.Ā
š± Internet and SIM Cards
There are many options to get data on your phone nowadays.
Whatever option you choose, always remember to make sure it is compatible with your phone model.Ā
eSim
eSims are very popular as you don't need to physically switch your sims and it is so easy to just activate/deactivate. A con is that you don't have access to phone calls, but if you don't need them I find it the best choice.Ā
I've been using Airalo for many of my trips and so far it always went very smoothly. However, for India, I would recommend buying a normal SIM as it will be easier. Many apps require an Indian number, so if I didn't have my friend or if the Airbnb host wasn't nice enough to make me use his, I would have struggled a bit to get delivery or other stuff.Ā
I purchased the 10 GB for $25 and had some left at the end of the 2.5 weeks (bear in mind I uploaded stories on IG, watched TikToks and continuously used Google Maps).Ā
Pocket WiFi
Another option is Pocket Wifi.Ā This is very convenient if you have multiple devices and you will not need to check if it is compatible with your devices.
Physical SimsĀ
If you prefer having calls available or a more traditional option, you can buy one before your trip, at the airport or in the city you will be staying.Ā
š TransportationĀ
India is a big country so unless you are going to a very nearby city, the fastest option will be to take a flight.Ā
Inter-city
Flights
I booked all the internal flights two months before my trip, but some of them have been cancelled/rescheduled a month before. To be fair, it was the best as it was much cheaper later on.
I also had to book a flight for the next day as one train got cancelled last minute and that was a bit more expensive than usual, but still under Ā£100.Ā
From what I noticed, security doesn't care much about liquids, but they care A LOT about electronic stuff. In each airport they asked me about my camera (the DJI pocket 2), my travel-friendly water flosser, cables, single charge power bank - basically anything that has electricity.Ā
Also if you smoke, it's good to know that they don't allow lighters and vapes are illegal.Ā
Trains
To book the train ticket you will need to register inĀ IRCTC and get your account verified. When booking your train tickets, make sure it's not on the waiting list. It will show WS if it is. I would recommend booking around 3 months in advance, as the best spots get taken quickly.Ā
I had four train trips planned, but one of them was cancelled last minute. This was quite stressful for me as it was a night train from Delhi to Varanasi and we had to find accommodation at 9 pm. Luckily our Airbnb had the room free for that night.Ā
I enjoyed the train rides very much but there are a few things I would keep in mind:
- even if the train departs on time, it often got delayed along the line or it stopped a station earlier (luckily this happened withint Mumbai city so not a big deal)
- they give you food, water, chai, and snacks - I ate it all and didn't have any stomach issues
- I only travelled in the 1st or 2nd class type of wagons. There is a tourist selection which you can choose from, but we've always chosen the general one to stay along locals and we were fine (just a lot of stares)Ā
- if you put the train name on Google it will show a pretty accurate live updateĀ
- I would get to the train station half an hour early at least so that you can understand which platform you need to go toĀ
In the city
UberĀ
Overall, I used Uber pretty much everywhere aside from Goa, where this is not available. IĀ found Uber was the best in Mumbai, Kolkata and Varanasi.
In Delhi it was a bit more troublesome as they would cancel the ride, let me wait for 30 minutes and still not come, or try to charge more once accepted.Ā
Delhi
I only used the metro in Delhi and I would 100% recommend it as in that city the drivers will try to scam you so much and the metro is very cheap. You can use Google Maps to understand where to go and the timings.
South GoaĀ
Goa doesn't allow Uber but it has Goa Miles which you can download before hand. It's a resource but it's not too trustworth it. Sometimes we had to wait 20 minutes, some other we didn't find a driver to get back to our location. Luckily, we had friends in Goa so it wasn't a big issue for us.Ā
In Goa, all my friends recommended renting a motorbike, so next time I'm going I'm planning to. You will need an international driving licence for it, so make sure to check the rules about yours.Ā
š Sockets Voltage and Types
Power plug sockets: Type C,D & M
Standard voltage: 230 V
Frequency: 50 Hz
Check your electronics before hands, usually cameras, phones, powerbanks, tablet and similar all have "100-240V" and "50-60Hz" market which mean they are safe to use over there as well.
Things that require more energy like laptop chargers and hair dryers usually are not suitable and you must buy a converter rather than a simple adaptor.
š Activities to Book
You have your ticket and accommodation and now it's time to plan some of the things to make it easier once you are there.Ā
š Best SouvenirsĀ
Buying stuff in India has been the most complicated thing as they try to scam me so much! Thankfully I have indian friends so I knew the real prices, but it's was very difficult to do proper shopping.Ā
Regardless if you know the prices or not, bargain is a must! the only place where I didn't was Kolkata as they were so honest with prices there!
Most things would cost around 300 rupees so if anyone ask you for a 1k rupee, it's probably a scam. Unless you know you are buying real silk or very high quality products in proper shops. But anything from the markets should be very cheap.Ā
š More tipsĀ
Possible Culture Shock
India's culture may be very different from yours, so it's better to learn about it before going there and know what to expect - even though you will probably still get a culture shock.Ā
Crossing the road and honkingĀ
A bit everywhere in India, you can just cross the road wherever you want. Cars will not stop to let you pass, but they will slow down or swing by you. And they will make sure to honk! That's something they do constantly, even for no reason.Ā
AnimalsĀ
It's fascinating to see how even in big cities they live in tune with nature. At first, it will definetely be challenging, but try to get used to it.Ā
Stray dogs are everywhere, and even if they look at you, just be you as they will not do anything. If they have try, just fake to respond back and they will go away. I never saw someone being aggressive to dogs, but they seems to be afraid of humans.Ā
There is also cows a bit everywhere. Even in the middle of the street, even in Delhi, one of the biggest cities in the world. Yes, this was a shock eheh They are seen as gods and sacred so just ignored them and do your thing.Ā
Smell and rubbish
Another culture shock could be how dirty the cities look compared to what are we used to. The people spit things out in the street, there is street food everywhere and with that, a lot of rubbish and different kinds of smells. It will be overwhelming at first, so I would recommend adding some posh areas or parks to give yourself a break from it, especially at first.Ā
Stares
If you don't look Indian, they will look at you - they will literally stare!Ā
Most of them don't do it in a bad way, but they do it because they are not used to see tourist people so they are curious. Just get used to it and don't get paranoid, it's something I saw everywhere and at the end I didn't even notice it anymore.Ā
Female solo
I can't really say much about this as I travelled with my boyfriend, but if you were my friend and you would tell me you are going to India by yourself, I would be worried.
All my Indian friends asked me if I was going with my partner as they were concerned. And I feel having him helped a lot, as they would speak to him, look at him, and deal with him first. Did I like it? Not really, as I'm the one doing the most in the trips so I know more about things, but that's the mindset there and couldn't do much about it.Ā
There is so much more to talk about India and things to consider about your planning, so if you have any questions, book a call with meĀ š«°
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