8 Tips for Tourists to India
5. Book tickets well in advance
There are buses to take you from one state to the other, but this is obviously applicable to the nearby states. For all other states, you need to buy train tickets. However, unlike other countries, train travel in India has a system of ‘reservation’, according to which, buying a ticket does not necessarily confirm it, because you are put in the ‘waiting’ list. And unfortunately, the waiting list can be in hundreds a lot of times. So you either book your ticket well in advance, or opt for plane travel, or resort to the ‘tatkal’ (Emergency) system of booking train tickets that will let you book a train ticket just 1 day prior to your journey. In ‘tatkal’, there is no waiting. So if you get the ticket, it is confirmed; if you don’t get it, try again the next day for you to leave the day after that! Take help from a reliable local travel agent, if you have problems understanding the ticketing system.
6. Honor locals’ religious sentiments
While Indians are now getting to used to the amount of visitors that they get all round the year, some sections of the country still feel a little awkward if a foreigner is wearing short clothes, or is dressed inappropriately. This does not matter much in metropolitan cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and the likes, but do be a little careful in smaller towns and states, especially in religious places like Benaras and Varanasi. For that matter, religious places in the metropolitan cities too don’t allow you to enter with short clothes.
7. Plan well on your accommodation
The good thing about accommodation in India is that you will find something to suit all kinds of budgets. So you don’t necessarily have to stay in fancy hotels. Ask a local to help you out and you will get plenty of cheaper options. In fact, some taxi drivers, and hotel representatives present outside railway stations in every city help you out with accommodation the moment you reach there. Do not however, trust anybody and everybody. Always check with some police or security personnel present at such places for help. In metropolitan areas such as Delhi and Mumbai where people are more liberal, you are likely to come across decent paying guest options too, which are cheap and convenient.
8. Be wary of helpers and guides
In India, most helpers and staff at local restrooms and other places expect you to tip them heavily, simply because you are a foreigner. Don’t fall for such traps and tip only when the local people around you are doing that too. Similarly, do not just go in for a tour with any person who claims to be a travel guide outside monuments and other places. Always book your guide from authentic travel companies, which will usually have a stall or a small office close to the monument you want to take a tour of.
