Travel tips for Europeans travelling to India

India is a great place to visit and everyone is invited and welcome. Some people say that visiting India is not good and filled with trouble and is unsafe. But that is far from truth. India is not difficult, it is just different. So, I compiled a list of ideas, suggestions and tips for people travelling from European nations like Germany, France, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden etc. to India, for vacation or for work. This is fairly general information and should apply to people of other nations too. I have visited these countries so I know what all cultural differences are there to overcome.

TRAVEL PLANNING
You do not need a survival training to visit India, you just need to know better. There are direct flights from many countries to one of the International airports in India. So, booking tickets to India should not be a problem. If you know somebody in India, pleae use that contact (even Facebook/Linkedin/Twitter friend will do, just make sure he is well educated) to get more information from him about the best time to visit your destination. It is best to avoid extreme summer months and the monsoon season. Winter is a good time  to visit many places. All information is not always available online. Your Indian friend may also be able to tell if there are any cultural or other events happening. It is generally possible to book a hotel online.

STAY
It is generally preferable to stay in a city from where you can get to your sightseeing places fast. Traffic takes some time. You can get quite good double rooms for € 50 per night. http://www.makemytrip.com and http://www.yatra.com are good websites to search hotels and check their review. I have found them both to be reliable.

TRANSPORT
Transport within the country is easy. Most large cities are connected by air to international airports. Good full-service carriers are: Kingfisher, Air India, Jet airways. You can book through the two travel sites mentioned above. The ticket costs are low but the taxes etc. bring the cost up. At today's rate I cannot say that they are any less costly than Lufthansa etc. If your destination is a city not connected by air, you can travel there by air. Train fares are extremely low but it will be slower. If you are booking train, take help of a friend. Website is http://www.irctc.co.in . You can book using your credit card. There are two types if ticket. You need to select e-ticket. Select AC 2nd class, AC 1st class or AC chair car for travel. Remember to carry your passport as identity proof during the journey. Few points to note: the ticket is valid only for the selected train and date. Also your ticket includes a reservation for seat. Since trains are usually overbooked, it is advised that you get your tickets at leastr 15 days in advance.

Local transport infrastructure is not exactly world-class, but the chauffeur driven taxis are quite cheap. Ask the hotel to arrange for a pick-up to and from the airport. For sight seeing, the hotel or your friend can help you get a full-day taxi to show you the city or the particular sightseeing place. There are government authorized pre-paid taxi counters at airports, which can be selected. But the cost-to-convenience ratio is better if you ask the hotel. Usual taxi rates are € 0.25 per kilometer.

Though car rentals are available, it is not recommended. The Indian cars are right hand drive and the traffic is unpredictable. A chauffeur driven taxi is better for all purposes.

SECURITY
India does have some security issues but it is not too bad. You will be safe if you follow some common precautions:
 - Always inform your Indian friends or hotel staff about your itinerary.
 - Do not keep lot of cash with you. Visible cash attracts trouble makers.
 - Do not go to lonely places, especially at night.
 - Keep money and documents close to body and at seperate places.
 - Do not take law into your hands, Indian judicial system is quite complicated.
 - Try to have company whenever possible. Going alone to lonely places is not recommended.
 - Have a cell hpone with you.

CURRENCY
Current rate of EUR to INR is 1 EUR = 68 INR. You can get currency exchanged at airport. But it is not recommended to have lot of cash to carry. Carry € 100 (in INR) at a time for small purchases. Bigger purchases may be done by your credit card (especially hotel and air-tickets). If you have a visa electron or maestro debit (bank) cards, it is good. You can go to any of the bank ATMs (Geldautomat or Bankomat) to withdraw cash. There are plenty of ATMs and located conveniently at many places and the charge for withdrawing from different bank's ATM is less. It is most convenient way to convert cash.

COMMUNICATION
You can get a mobile (handy) SIM card from airport. Call rates are low: within India ( € 0.02 per minute), to European countries ( € 0.30 per minute). It is recommended for easier communication and security.
Most good hotels have free wireless internet. India supports the European cellular frequencies, so your European phone should always work in India. Go for Airtel or Vodafone connections. If you could not get it at the airport, take help from your local contact or hotel staff to get one.

Most good hotels have wireless intenet which you can use if you are carrying a notebook computer or a cellular phone with WLAN.

If there are any more queries, add in comments. Have a pleasant stay in India.
Bienvenue, Wilkommen.

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