What You Need to Know Before You Travel to India

By Sharell Cook. India Travel Expert

Sharell grew up in a small country town in Australia, but has been traveling and exploring different cultures since her early 20s. She first visited India in 2000, and found it to be a complete assault on her senses, confronting but strangely uplifting and exhilarating. This hasn t changed, only now Sharell lives in cosmopolitan Mumbai where she writes full time and grapples with Hindi. Read more

There are a number of things you should do before you travel to India, but where to start with it all? These steps and information will help you get your trip planned and organized in no time at all, and hopefully take some of the stress out of your preparations.

Decide Where You Want to Visit

Book Trains and Flights

Advance reservations for flights aren t as necessary as for trains, however many airlines do offer discounts for 14 or 21 day advance ticket purchases.

Book Accommodations

While it can be possible to get great deals on hotels by walking in and negotiating the rate in many places, it s a good idea to book your accommodations in advance for major cities, particularly Delhi. International flights often arrive at night and it s easy to feel disorientated in an unfamiliar place. Plenty of people prey on unsuspecting tourists by taking them to inferior quality hotels where they get paid a commission for doing so.

Visit Your Doctor

As India is a developing nation, health is an important concern of travelers. You should visit your doctor well in advance of your trip to India to find out what precautions you need to take against certain illnesses. The medications and immunizations that are necessary will greatly depend on the regions you intend to visit (for example, some areas are particularly malaria prone, while others have very little risk of infection) and time of year (during and straight after the monsoon is the riskiest time for health problems).

Get Your Visa

All visitors need a visa for India, except citizens of neighboring Nepal and Bhutan. There is limited provision for visas on arrival to citizens of certain countries. However, most people will need to obtain a visa before arriving in India. Visitors staying in India for less than 72 hours can obtain a Transit Visa, otherwise an Indian Tourist Visa is necessary. The Indian Embassy has started outsourcing the Indian visa application process to private processing agencies in many countries to make it more efficient.

Familarize Yourself With India s Culture

If you re visiting India for the first time, you re probably feeling a bit apprehensive, not knowing what to expect. The risk of culture shock can be overcome to a certain extent by reading as much as you can about India, as well as watching documentaries and other programs on India. In order to to be as prepared as possible, you should also familiarize yourself with as much information as you can about scams, dangers, and annoyances.

Decide What to Pack

When packing for India, it s important to take into account the country s conservative dress standards. Some people prefer to take very little to India and instead buy what they need to over there. Others choose to bring as much as possible with them from home because the quality is better. Some of the things that you should give consideration to are the type of luggage (backpack or suitcase) to take, clothes, shoes, medicine, personal care items, money (ATMs are now widely available in India), and other useful items such as plug adapters, flashlights, and padlocks.