Traveling To India - Expenses, Weather, Dress Code, Hotels And Safety

Pazooh

Pazooh

New Member
Hello everyone, I am a travel enthusiast who is looking for an exotic location to visit next. The other day I was talking to some friends who mentioned India. Now, I haven't even thought about India before, but I have to say that it sparked my interest.

But I have a few questions, and I'd love input from people either living there, or those who have visited already! But anyone else is welcome to respond.

  • How expensive is travelling in India? I'm coming from Croatia, and we're not quite up to the European standard, so I have to watch the prices. How much do hotels costs per night? I'm not looking for anythin special. Food? Souvenirs? Tourist attractions?
  • What's the weather like over there? I know that I could check accuweather or whatever, but I prefer personal input.
  • Don't get this wrong, but is there anything my GF should know about the dress code, or such? Or for that matter, that I should know about dressing, culture, don't-do's, etc.
  • Is it dangerous? I don't see why it would be, but you never know and I like to stay safe.
Thanks in advance everyone!
 
Hello, welcome to the site! I think it’s a good idea you decided to visit India, you won’t find any other place that offers so much for so little, really.

I’ll be in India in February so I can share what I’ve found while doing my research and organizing my trip.

India is not expensive at all. I’ve calculated that with $25 dollars a day I could do a lot of travelling around and be comfortable. But, a friend here in the forum -who is from India- told me that you could do this with a tighter budget, of let’s say 15 dollars a day.

The first thing you need to consider is the cost of the visa. I’ll spend around $76 for a six-month multiple entry visa.

I’ve noticed that accommodation prices may vary from city to city, but you’ll be able to find budget hotels with private bathroom, TV, air conditioning for like $10 dollars a night. Sometimes a little less and other times a little more.

Now food is amazing in India, no matter where you are you’ll be able to find street vendors selling samosas, pakoras, momos, etc. for very little money. If you decide to go to a restaurant your costs won’t increase that much either. I’ll say you’ll spend between $5 and $10 a day in food.

Transportation is also very affordable. If you decide to use the train you could travel long distances in second class for about $7. Now, local buses to move inside one city are very cheap, so you won’t even spend a dollar a day in this.

The entrance fees vary but they’re affordable as well. The Taj Mahal costs around $15, other places could cost just a dollar but I’ve noticed that almost all places are under $5.

I decided to visit India in February and March because I’ve heard the weather can be extremely hot during the summer. So the weather will totally depend in what places you’re planning to visit and the dates.

About your clothes I would say not to leave the hotel with your legs and arms bare. Normal shirts that keep you fresh are just ok. Also if you decide to use other clothes maybe you’ll get a lot of stares but I think that Indian people would never be rude, they’re very nice and friendly.

There are many threads here about the safety in India, and we’ve all agreed that it’s totally safe, just avoid traveling alone at nights and other “no-brainers” that are typical in any other country.
 
Welcome to the forum. I am sure you can find a lot of valuable information here.

When we come to cost part it varies from one location to another. Please be rest assured, India is comparatively a safe place to be in. Your common sense and a few precautions can make your trip into a pleasant experience. I suggest you to go through various sections here in this forum and you can clear all your doubts about India. It is a very lively and knowledgeable forum and members are really helpful.
 
Gabydi said:
Hello, welcome to the site! I think it’s a good idea you decided to visit India, you won’t find any other place that offers so much for so little, really.

I’ll be in India in February so I can share what I’ve found while doing my research and organizing my trip.

India is not expensive at all. I’ve calculated that with $25 dollars a day I could do a lot of travelling around and be comfortable. But, a friend here in the forum -who is from India- told me that you could do this with a tighter budget, of let’s say 15 dollars a day.

The first thing you need to consider is the cost of the visa. I’ll spend around $76 for a six-month multiple entry visa.

I’ve noticed that accommodation prices may vary from city to city, but you’ll be able to find budget hotels with private bathroom, TV, air conditioning for like $10 dollars a night. Sometimes a little less and other times a little more.

Now food is amazing in India, no matter where you are you’ll be able to find street vendors selling samosas, pakoras, momos, etc. for very little money. If you decide to go to a restaurant your costs won’t increase that much either. I’ll say you’ll spend between $5 and $10 a day in food.

Transportation is also very affordable. If you decide to use the train you could travel long distances in second class for about $7. Now, local buses to move inside one city are very cheap, so you won’t even spend a dollar a day in this.


The entrance fees vary but they’re affordable as well. The Taj Mahal costs around $15, other places could cost just a dollar but I’ve noticed that almost all places are under $5.
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Woah, that sounds VERY affordable - I had no idea! Now I'm almost definitely sure that I'll be visiting India, sooner rather than later. I was a tad bit afraid that it might be expensive, but not only that's not the case, it's super cheap. I could just pack up and leave whenever, it's great! :)


Gabydi said:
I decided to visit India in February and March because I’ve heard the weather can be extremely hot during the summer. So the weather will totally depend in what places you’re planning to visit and the dates.
Click to expand...

Well, I would probably visit during the summer. At least that was the plan. But now, knowing the prices, I think I might do it sooner - maybe even this year, who knows!?

Gabydi said:
About your clothes I would say not to leave the hotel with your legs and arms bare. Normal shirts that keep you fresh are just ok. Also if you decide to use other clothes maybe you’ll get a lot of stares but I think that Indian people would never be rude, they’re very nice and friendly.
Click to expand...

Was expecting something like that, and I'm perfectly okay with it. I just hope it won't be TOO hot when I visit, because it looks like we won't be wearing any shorts, ha ha.

Gabydi said:
There are many threads here about the safety in India, and we’ve all agreed that it’s totally safe, just avoid traveling alone at nights and other “no-brainers” that are typical in any other country.
Click to expand...

That's very good to hear! :)

Thank you for the warm welcome and the detailed answer.

travelguide said:
Welcome to the forum. I am sure you can find a lot of valuable information here.

When we come to cost part it varies from one location to another. Please be rest assured, India is comparatively a safe place to be in. Your common sense and a few precautions can make your trip into a pleasant experience. I suggest you to go through various sections here in this forum and you can clear all your doubts about India. It is a very lively and knowledgeable forum and members are really helpful.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input, I'll be sure to hang around the forums and inform myself. :)
 
So what is clear is that the travel expenses will be the most expensive since India is a country far from any western country. But you should also have a budget set going from about 200€ to 1000€ not including the tickets, but its very cheap in India so don't be too afraid to take less cash than usual. As for culture, well just dress modestly, don't go around half naked and everything will be fine. When it comes to danger, "don't walk through dark alleys" is fairly obvious, but more importantly don't take to much cash when you go out, as there are many pick-pockets in India especially in places with lots of people around. And lastly, some Hotels prices will range from 1000 to 5000 rupee's which is about 10€ to 50€ if I am correct. Besides that, the only thing waiting is for you to actually go there.
 
Daniel said:
So what is clear is that the travel expenses will be the most expensive since India is a country far from any western country. But you should also have a budget set going from about 200€ to 1000€ not including the tickets, but its very cheap in India so don't be too afraid to take less cash than usual. As for culture, well just dress modestly, don't go around half naked and everything will be fine. When it comes to danger, "don't walk through dark alleys" is fairly obvious, but more importantly don't take to much cash when you go out, as there are many pick-pockets in India especially in places with lots of people around. And lastly, some Hotels prices will range from 1000 to 5000 rupee's which is about 10€ to 50€ if I am correct. Besides that, the only thing waiting is for you to actually go there.
Click to expand...

I'm very aware about the cost of getting all the way to India - been having it in mind since I started even thinking about the trip. While it IS a bit far, the affordability of the country should more than make up for it. At least judging by these responses and little surveying I did.

What I wasn't aware of were the pickpocketers. For some reason, I've never had trouble with that, so I guess I forgot that it existed. So thanks for the reminder. I've read some tips about protecting yourself against them, so I'll just have to put them to use.

If anyone's wondering, here's what I remember:

  • Fake wallet goes into your regular wallet pocket (so probably the back one), while you keep your real one somwehere concealed.
  • Don't reach for your wallet/phone in suspicious areas - people are literally following and watching you so they can prepare for their attack better.
  • If strangers on the street stop you, be VERY careful! That might be a pickpocketing tactic.
  • And as always, use common sense.
Thanks for the input, Daniel. :)
 
All the advice that has been given so far sounds really good! I just want to mention though that hotels can be found for a lot cheaper than 1000 rupees per night. Depending on your comfort level, I would advise booking a hotel for your first few nights but then, especially if you are moving from place to place, just go in and ask about prices when you arrive!

Very often you will pay a little more for a room than a local might do but the prices are much cheaper than if booked through a website. Some people haggle quite fiercely which I don't always agree with but you can negotiate a little depending on what your budget is.
 
India is one of the best country to travel. As you are coming in winter season so avoid North India Tourist places like Leh, Laddah, Jammu and Kashmir.
 
I think it's important to know what someone is expecting when they travel as well. I mentioned before that it is possible to have a hotel room for less than 1000 rupees per night but obviously the quality of the rooms will differ! It depends on what someone wants from their room, how much they will have to spend. I mostly stayed in hotels that cost between 300 and 500 rupees per night. This included a double bed with a private bathroom (basic) and a TV.

I liked choosing a hotel on the day as I could view a room and if I didn't like it, we would move on somewhere else!

Regardless of the price of the hotel, I would recommend bringing a doorstop and your own padlock. You can put the doorstop in when you are in your room for the night and as some rooms use padlocks, you can slip your own padlock on the door as well when you go out during the day.
 
Tanmaya said:
Some places where no tourists go in winters for example you may get a decent room for Rs1000 but otherwise the quality of room would leave a lot to be desired.
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You get what you pay for! I find that always rings true, specially in tourism, so thanks for the information.

I would also like to thank everyone else who provided information in this thread, there's a lot of good information here that I will be sure to keep in mind when I do get the opportunity to visit India.
 
I did not experienced this, but was told me by other friend that counting money on the street is common and you shouldn't be afraid. Like my friend's father bought something and the started to count the remaining money and a lot of people started coming around and watching them.

After he was finished they were nodding, like 'okay, everything is fine, you have your money, good" then smiled and leaved, just wanted to see that everything was okay with the transaction.
 
Thank you everyone so much for the input.

As you can see, I haven't been active in quite some time. That's because my trip was postponed because of personal issues.

But now, we have recovered from those, thankfully, and are planning on resuming the travel. It will be in a couple of months, but still I wish to start being active here to find out more about my future trip.

I can't wait to experience India and share my travels with you all.
 
To echo what a lot of people are saying, India is so diverse that it offers almost every experience. Prices can range from super expensive to even free. The weather can be cold to ridiculously hot. In order to make any real plans, you will have to decide on some of the sights you want to see. Are there any cities you feel like you must visit? Or landmarks? That can dictate expenses and weather.
 
We had a whole trip planned out, but as I mentioned, it had to be postponed.

So we've now started fresh! If you have any recommendations of tourist attractions to see this year, they would be very welcome!
 
Hello! I'm new here :) Sory for not read all of your comments :( What are you recommend to see in India? What is must see? Thx all of you. Love this forum. :cool:
 
It depends which places your are going to.For first timers i would better suggest north India,for second time south India is nice like this you are use to it slowly about the food,climate,people etc.The food,climate,tradition,culture,history & architectures of north and south India is very different.For first time if you have a week or less time then must do th golden triangle tour,which includes Delhi,Agra,(Tajmahal),and Jaipur,if you have 10 days,02 weeks or more then go to the following places which are nice between month of October to March,if you hot weather is not a big issue then any month can be nice except May & June..This months are good to explore deep north of India like Kashmir,Himachal pradesh,Leh,Ladakh,Dharmshala,(Dalai lama lives),to enjoy mountains,Buddhist monasteries,nature etc.

The most popular places for first timers are,
Delhi,
Mandawa,
Bikaner,
Jaisalmer,
Jodhpur,
Udaipur,
Pushkar,
Jaipur,
Agra,
Varanasi.
 
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Thx a lot! We didn't deside yet when and where we will going, but it's good to know from were to start.
 
I think that one of the biggest concerns that I shared with you is the safety, and I have to say that I was impressed by the feeling of safety and comfort that I had when I was there. It does help that I was in more populated areas so there was always people around, which really makes me feel a lot safer when I am in a strange place.
 
That's true. No matter how many times you went somewhere safety and security are the most important. The only person with whom I believed and that would have been educated for it would not dare to go in less inhabited areas.

No matter how many times you went somewhere safety and security are the most important. The only person with whom I believed and that would have been educated for it would not dare to go in less inhabited areas.
But the same value is also a food :) At least for as Europeans :D
 
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