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admin · Site Admin Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Posts: 24

Please use this thread for any posts with useful travel info about India, good weblinks, and answers to FAQs.

admin · Site Admin Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Posts: 24

1) Booking tickets online and collecting from the station in Delhi is fine…The ticket collection place is NOT in the station though! To locate it, head to New Delhi station. Stand across the road and look at the stn. Then walk to your right for about 10 minutess and you'll see the ‘ticket office’ on the same side as the road as the station. Don't be confused by the fact that there is a ‘foreigner’ ticket registration counter in NDLS, you have booked online, and are therefore going to where the Indian's reserve and pick up their tickets.

2) Take a LOT of wet wipes with you!

3) It’s advisable to take a full medical kit bag (Paracetamol and Immodium are a must)

4) Often (especially in the north) if an Indian is giving you vague directions or answers it's because he doesn't know or the answer is No. Indian's hate saying ‘no’ and will go out of their way to avoid saying it.

5) Touts should always be dealt with using lots of smiles, shaking hands, ‘thank you my friend’s and general back slapping camaraderie.

admin · Site Admin Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Posts: 24

If you are arriving into Mumbai late & need a hotel, you can go to the Hotel Bookings Desk just outside customs and choose a hotel based on price and location. They will book your room by phone and arrange transportation (often free). The service is safe and reliable.

Tickets: the general opinion seems that, except for festivals, as long as you book tickets for a train the day before then you are ok. Leaving the same day is problematic, so is booking tickets to extremely popular destinations.

Agra Tips:
- Try to use the pre paid taxi booth at the exit of the train station, they have a price list for 4 hours service and other options. 4 hours is USD $ 10 (feb/04). Includes a taxi driver and the taxi for 4 hours.
- If you get the pre paid, check the taxi number on the receipt.
- As always, they will try to ask for more money, don’t pay attention to it, you already paid for the service.
- NEVER use the telephone from the hotel it’s too expensive.
- Taxi drivers get commission for taking you to the shops, they will try to convince you saying that the shops in agra are duty free, no taxes, better quality…it’s just not true.
- If you decide to go to one of the emporium shops; As a rule of thumb, never pay more than 50% of what they ask.
- Don?t let them wrap the merchandise in the back of the store, after you bargained with them for 20 minutes, they might change the product

Delhi Tips
- Consider bringing a mask, pollution is heavy
- If you arrive to the Delhi train station and some one says to you ‘this ticket is not confirmed’, ignore them, it is rumoured that they have a very organized business that cons tourist into thinking that they have to pay and extra USD $ 90. Also, when accessing the waiting rooms the doorman might say the same, if anyone is too pushy ask to see their ID and ask them to go to the station manager
- When using rickshaws always pre arrange the cost

admin · Site Admin Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Posts: 24

Delhi: on arriving at the airport and getting to the city:

Take a pre paid taxi, don´t try to bargain. When you pay at the prepaid taxi counter, you will get a little slip of paper showing that you've paid and it usually has the number of the taxi you want on it. Show the driver this paper but do not give it to him until you arrive at your destination.

Never tell a taxi driver it's your first time in India! If they ask, give a firm no. Don´t believe taxi drivers at the airport if they tell you they are cheaper, cause they just will make it awkward for you if you don´t want to buy railway tickets or go to a particular hotel. NB Tip is included in the prepaid price.

Louietraveller · Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Posts: 9 Location: London UK

Note there are no longer any pre-paid taxi booths at the domestric airport in Mumbai. You'll need to negotiate a public taxi - and the usual rules apply! Stick to your guns, and negotiate.
It will take an hour or more to get from the aiport to colaba or other nearby areas. Bear the traffic problems in mind when returning to catch your flight!

admin · Site Admin Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Posts: 24

This is a great way to get round Delhi - its fast and its air-conditioned! It seems to be a relatively new system. NB your bag will need to be checked each time you get on board. It's best to purchase a 'smart card' which is an electronic card which you load up with pre-pay and then just swipe for each journey. You pay a refundable deposit on the card - but they rupees that you load on for payment last AGES!! Very cost efficient and the lines will zip you between Connaught Place and New Delhi, and Old Delhi / Fort very swiftly.