Travelling to India

Discover India

One of the world’s must-see countries, India overflows with life, colour and chaos. Here’s everything you need to know before your trip.

Money

The currency of India is the Indian rupee, which is broken down into 100 paise.

One pound is currently worth Indian rupees.

Here’s a roundup of what you can expect to spend in India, with prices in British pounds:

Inexpensive meal for one – £1.21	Bottle of water – 13p	0.5 litre beer – £1
Mid-range restaurant meal for one – £2.50	Cappuccino – 78p	Local bus ticket – 15p

Travelling around India

By train

Train travel across India has become an almost iconic experience that all visitors must experience. The train network covers almost the entire country and prices vary depending on the speed and class of train you choose. There are three types of train: the long-distance inter-city trains called ‘express’ or ‘mail’, the fast air-conditioned trains including Rajdhani expresses and Shatabdi expresses, and the extremely slow local ‘passenger’ trains that stop almost everywhere. It’s definitely worth planning your trip in advance – check out indianrail.gov.in or Cleartrip for timetables.

By plane

Considering the large size of India, flying soon becomes an attractive time saving option even if it’s not the cheapest way to get around. For example, the flight between Delhi and Chennai takes just two and a half hours, compared to 36 hours by train. There are plenty of airlines to choose from and great deals to be found in advance.

Within cities

You’ll find plenty of city buses and trains, although be prepared to find that these can get extremely crowded. A classic way to get around is the auto-rickshaw: a motor scooter with a couple of seats mounted onto the back. They’re cheap, quick and you can bargain the price down to whatever you like.