In general, Indian towns and cities can be divided, for the purposes of quick  orientation, into two categories: manageable and unmanageable. Major cities like Bombay, Calcutta and Delhi are impossible to know intimately in just three or four days, which ...

These are the two most common forms of in-town transport, most popular for short-distance  ops to and from bus and rail stations when loaded down with luggage, or for solo sightseeing in smaller towns where tour buses aren’t such good ...

India has a very extensive and comprehensive bus system. Each state offers its own service—usually a combination of local, deluxe, super-deluxe and video buses—and tickets are usually purchased direct from the state bus-stands. Buses are often cheaper and more exciting ...

Since the days when it was developed to link the commercial and military centres of the Indian Empire, and ambitious young officers fanned out to take up their posts across India, the Indian Railways system has expanded considerably. By the ...

Most of the air traffic inside the Indian subcontinent is handled by Indian Airlines. Their network covers the entire country with daily, interconnecting flights. The Indian Airlines timetable contains details of all their domestic flights, and should be available from ...

The important thing to remember is that you cannot take rupees into (or out of) India; you have to buy them there. Travellers’ cheques and currency should be ordered from your bank or travel agency at least 7 days before ...

You don’t have to believe everything you hear about theft and illness in India, but you can’t afford to ignore it either. Good travel insurance is essential for your peace of mind, and has saved many travellers a lot of ...

You will need a course of vaccinations and a supply of malaria tablets for India. They are not essential requirements for entering the country, but are very strongly recommended. While sanitation and hygiene in India remain at their current levels, ...

Make sure you have a full passport (a temporary or visitor’s passport won’t do for India), and that it has enough spare pages to take a visa stamp, an immigration stamp, and any liquor permit stamps, issued in ‘dry’ or ...

Packaged holidays have come a long way in recent years. Sensitive to travellers’ dislike of group living, many companies now organise tailor-made tours for the individual. They also specialise in certain areas of India such as the Golden Triangle, Rajasthan, ...