India Travel Tips | Things You Should Know Before Visiting India

What are some things that you should know before visiting India? How expensive is India? In our India travel tips guide currency tips, transportation, hotels, safety, food and health. We share what we loved about India in terms of travel along with what we hated about India on our trip. Now let's explore travel in India in depth!
Official Exchange Rate = $1 USD = 64.14 Indian Rupee (current as of May, 2017)
Transportation in India (City to city)
1) We highly recommend train travel in India over taking the bus
2) Book your train tickets in advance online (we used cleartrip.com)
3) If you don't book tickets in advance check at major train stations to see if they have tickets reserved for foreign travelers under the tourist quota.
Local transportation
1) If you're traveling at a budget or mid-range level you'll definitely be taking your share of taxis, auto-rickshaws and man-powered rickshaws.
2) Try to know what a ride should cost in advance by researching, asking at your hotel or asking a local
3) Be prepared to bargain as rickshaw drivers often try to rip tourists off
Accommodations in India
1) Hostel in India - can start as low as $2 to 3 USD and upwards
2) 3 star Hotel in India - ($20 to $40 USD)
3) 4 or 5 star Hotel in India - (sky is the limit)
We tried to book our hotels around areas of the city we'd be exploring by day and night. Staying on the outskirts means much longer local transportation time.
Health in India
1) Make sure to get all of your recommend shots and vaccinations before going to India. Check online or with your doctor to find out what you need to get specifically
2) Carry hand-sanitizer and wet wipes to clean your hands and dirty objects you may encounter like filthy door handles
3) Drink only bottled water
4) Have Imodium handy in case you get sick to your stomach
Safety in India
1) Dress modestly (especially if you're a female)
2) Don't arrive late at night in train stations
3) Safety in numbers if you're a female traveler
General Travel Tips for India
1) Don't try to do too much or have too fast of a schedule (slow versus fast travel)
2) Pick a particular region and don't try to cover all of India
3) Mix up smaller cities with bigger cities on your itinerary in India
What to eat in India
1) Research restaurants online on sites like tripadvisor or food vlogs
2) Only eat street food or at restaurants that are busy with locals
3) Ask hotel staff or locals you encounter for recommendations
Budget meals in India can be had for roughly $2 to $5 in USD per person and fine dining get really expensive.
Things we LOVED about India(I love India)
1) Incredible train rides
2) Amazing attractions
3) Diversity of regions in India (how different they are)
4) Beautiful temples, mosques and architecture
5) Great value in terms of what you spend for what you get
6) The sense of adventure not knowing what will happen
Things we HATED about India (I hate India)
1) Getting sick and having stomach issues
2) Getting hassled by aggressive touts, rickshaw drivers and vendors
3) Often not arriving on time or as scheduled
Final Thoughts
India is one of the most adventurous countries we've ever visited as travelers. We loved our time there but it can be a polarizing place. Most people love it or hate.
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India Travel Tips | Things You Should Know Before Visiting India Travel Video Transcript:
We've been back in Canada for a while now. And we've been editing all of the video footage we've shot in India and now that we're done with that we thought we should share a few travel tips for India and just maybe talk a little bit more about our experiences. So that is what our video is going to be like. We're going to be doing also kind of like a budget breakdown so if you see us staring down at our computers that is what we're doing. Yeah exactly and this will be a little bit different than the city guide tips we did because we're doing this kind for all of India as a country.
This is part of our Travel in India video series showcasing Indian food, Indian culture and Indian cuisine.