TOPICS COVERED
- E VISA GUIDE
- AIRPORTS FOR ARRIVAL
- SIM CARD AND INTERNET
- TRAINS FOR LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL
- DOMESTIC FLIGHTS
- INTRA CITY METRO RAIL
- BUSES FOR LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL
- TAXI AND TUK-TUK AUTORICKSHAW
E VISA GUIDE
e-Visa (indianvisaonline.gov.in) – MAIN WEB LINK
SampleForm.pdf (indianvisaonline.gov.in) – sample and instructions on how to fill the form
Reference name and address in India- Enter the name of the first hotel you will be staying at.
AIRPORTS FOR ARRIVAL
List of all international airports in India- List Of All International Airports In India (2023 Updated) – GkGigs
Most internationally connected airports are- Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi, Chennai, Kolkata & Goa
Air Asia & Viet jet- most connections to southeast Asia (150$ onwards)
Wizz Air + Indigo or Air India – cheapest connections from Europe (200 Euro onwards)
Air Saudia- cheapest connection from USA (400$ onwards)
SIM CARD AND INTERNET
Main providers- AIRTEL and RELIANCE JIO (Recommended- AIRTEL)
Airtel official website with correct prices – Buy Prepaid 4G Sim Online with Delivery (airtel.in)
Blog with detailed information about Sim cards – 3 Easy Ways To Get a Sim Card in India For Tourists! – The Wandering Quinn Travel Blog
TRAINS FOR LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL
Website for booking – Train Ticket Booking Online, Use IRCTC Login | ixigo
Note- For the first time, you will need to create an IRCTC account and password. You can also use other apps like 12go, MakeMyTrip etc. but all those too will eventually take you to a page where you need to fill in your IRCTC ID. Remember that most Indian trains run at full capacity thus you will need to book at least 2 weeks or more in advance to get a confirmed seat or berth. If you have trouble with IRCTC account, you can borrow the account of any Indian friend or you can feel free to contact me for assistance.
Blog explaining different coach classes – Different Types of Travel Classes in Indian Railways | RailMitra Blog
TIP 1- ALWAYS BOOK 2AC COACH CLASS (if more than 8 hours journey) OR ELSE AC CHAIR CAR (Executive 2+2 config or normal 2+3 config depending on your budget)
TIP 2- Prefer trains with names Vande Bharat, Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto if running on your intended train route. These trains are a bit faster, cleaner and punctual than other express trains
DOMESTIC FLIGHTS
For intercity travel, flights are often easier and cheaper too. Keep in mind that cities in India are very far apart (500-1000 km usually) thus flying should be preferred over trains and buses.
Main airline carriers- Indigo airlines, Air India, Vistara, Air Asia India
INTRA CITY METRO RAIL
Map of cities with city subway-metro rail transportation
Out of the various options, Metro (blue M) are the safest and cheapest intra-city commute option.
Different cities have different operational length and Delhi has the biggest metro system (348kms)
Link for metro rail maps of all cities in India- Metro Maps India (mapsofindia.com)
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BUSES FOR LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL
There are both PRIVATE and GOVERNMENT run buses in India.
For private buses, you can use Online Bus Ticket Booking, Book AC Volvo Bus Tickets – redBus
For government buses, keep in mind that each state has its own bus company and its own website. For example, below are bus websites for Karnataka and Kerala.
KSRTC Official Website for Online Bus Ticket Booking – KSRTC.in
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation – keralartc.in
BUS CLASSES- Be it private or government run buses, your first preference should be VOLVO MULTI-AXLE class as Indian roads can be bumpy and you don’t want to get motion sick or thrown around over gigantic speed breakers.
SEATER OR SLEEPER- On most routes, the distances are over 500kms and thus sleeper is a good option too. But again, make sure you look at the user reviews and pick the top-rated service with a VOLVO chassis bus.
This is a full sleeper VOLVO configuration, and the travel comfort is comparable or sometimes even better than most European or American services like Flix bus for example. If you are travelling solo, pick the single bed berth and you can a privacy curtain too apart from charging points and bottle holders.
TAXI AND TUK-TUK AUTORICKSHAW
In most cities, UBER and OLA are the most popular taxi service company. You can book cabs as well as tuk-tuks on these apps. Except in Mumbai, it is advisable not to take a regular taxi or tuktuk as they often over-charge you beyond the meter. Such scamming can be avoided by sticking to app-based taxi services.
If you need any more tips or assistance in your travel planning to India, please feel free to send a message on whatsapp to +91-9020921418
jakeorpheus 