India Travel Guide

Social Conventions

The traditional Hindu greeting is to fold the hands and tilt the head forward to namaste. Indian women generally prefer not to shake hands. All visitors are asked to remove footwear when entering places of religious worship. Most Indians also remove their footwear when entering their homes; visitors should follow suit. Many Hindus are vegetarian and many, especially women, do not drink alcohol. Most Sikhs and Parsis do not smoke. Women are expected to dress modestly and men should also dress respectfully. Women should not wear short skirts and tight or revealing clothing, although there is a more casual approach to clothing in Goa.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

The major national airline is Air India (AI) (www.airindia.com). The other national airline is Indian Airlines (IC) (www.indian-airlines.nic.in). There are also newer commercial airlines adding international destinations to their schedules such as Jet Airways (9W) (www.jetairways.com).

Departure Tax

None.

Main Airports

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

Mumbai (BOM) (Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport) 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. Facilities: Bank/bureau de change, post office, restaurant and shops.

Kolkata (Calcutta) (CCU) (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport) is 20km (13 miles) northeast of the city (journey time - 40 to 70 minutes). To/from the airport: There are buses and taxis to the city. Facilities: Post office, bank/bureau de change, snack bars and duty-free shops.

Chennai (MAA) (Anna International Airport) is 14km (9 miles) southwest of the city (journey 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 India Tourism as they may be subject to change.

Connections to Pakistan: From India you can cross into Pakistan at the international Attari/Wagah border. There are bus and train services between India and Pakistan. 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 by land is by bus/train to Siliguri, then bus to Phuentsholing.

Connections to Bangladesh: The most convenient route to Bangladesh is Kolkata (Calcutta) to Dhaka by bus. 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

The overland route from Europe to India remains popular, but travelers should have accurate up-to-date information about border crossings, visa requirements and political situations en route. Some of 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 about 12 hours. For information on this and other overland routes to neighboring countries, contact the India Tourism office.

Duty Free

Overview

The following items may be imported into India by travelers over 18 without incurring customs duty: • 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco.
• 2L of alcoholic liquor or wine.
• Goods for personal use.
• 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. (c) Cash/travelers checks totaling more than US$10,000 are supposed to be declared at customs

Prohibited Imports

Livestock, live plants, illicit drugs, weapons, gold and silver bullion.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

Air carriers service all major Indian cities and most large towns. The state domestic airline is Indian Airlines (IC) (www.indian-airlines.nic.in). The network connects 76 cities, 58 within India and 18 overseas. Other domestic airlines include Alliance Air (CD), a subsidiary of Indian Airlines, Jet Airways (9W) (www.jetairways.com), JetLite (formerly Air Sahara) (JAI) (www.jetlite.com), a subsidiary of Jet Airways, and Kingfisher Airlines (IT) (www.flykingfisher.com).

Getting Around By Water

There are ferries 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; www.shipindia.com) for details. There are also services from Kochi and Calicut to the Lakshadweep Islands (http://lakport.nic.in). Services are often seasonal, and are generally suspended during the monsoon. There is a seasonal 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) 2340 5156; 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.

Special trains: The Palace on Wheels (www.palaceonwheels.net) is a luxury train especially popular with foreign tourists. Tariff includes cost of travel, full catering and conducted sightseeing tours. Itinerary: Delhi-Jaipur-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Ranthambore-Chittorgarh-Udaipur-Bharatpur-Agra-Delhi.

The Golden Chariot (www.thegoldenchariot.co.in) is a luxury train journey through Karnataka and includes a stop in Goa.

The Deccan Odyssey (www.deccanodyssey.com) offers an eight-day jaunt through Maharashtra, pausing in Goa.

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 New Jalpaiguri/Kurseong to Darjeeling. It climbs 1,525m (5,000ft).

Other trains: The Rajdhani Express trains are deluxe super-fast trains connecting Delhi with a plethora of centers including Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai (Madras), Bengaluru (Bangalore), Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Ahmedabad and Ajmer.

Shatabdi Express: Super-fast trains connecting major and secondary city centers. Snacks and meals are provided.

Konkan Express: This route is Mumbai-Goa-Mangalore.

Rail Passes

Indrail Pass: enables unlimited rail travel for a specific period. Advance reservation is essential. Indrail passes can be reserved in the UK from SD Enterprises Ltd (tel: (020) 8903 3411; www.indiarail.co.uk). The passes can also be purchased in India at all the main railway stations and authorized agents.

Getting Around By Road

Traffic drives on the left. Outside the major cities main roads and other routes are often 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 are usually cheaper than taxis if booked for an extended period of time. Shop around for the best deals and hire from a reputable firm.

Car hire: Self-drive cars are not as widely available as chauffeur-driven ones. Driving around India is not recommended due to the erratic nature of driving standards and the heavy traffic.

Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required. If importing your vehicle into India, get the latest documentation requirements from the Indian embassy in your home country.

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 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 Metro underground railway. A Metro system opened in Delhi in 2004.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate journey 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: 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.