Best Time to Travel to India
The best window for for Traveling to India is winter and early spring, especially from December to March. This is the coolest time of year, though, let’s be honest, it’s still very hot! From late March the heat starts to intensify and by June the monsoon season arrives, lasting until September. I’d recommend avoiding a trip during the monsoon as you won’t be able to enjoy the nature as much.
Getting There
The first step after deciding to travel to any country is purchasing plane tickets. Buying in advance can lead to better prices. Currently, Turkish Airlines offers some of the most convenient routes to Asia from Vilnius. You can fly to Delhi or Mumbai with only one layover.
Of course, it is always a good idea to compare prices and conditions with other airlines. You can do this on sites like Skyscanner or Kiwi.com. It’s important to pay attention not only to the best price but also to the flight duration, layover time, and departure/arrival times, if those are important to you.
Interesting note: Turkish Airlines flights usually have a 5–6 hour layover in Istanbul. However, the airline offers the option to choose flights with a 12–24 hour layover, providing an opportunity for a short visit to Istanbul. If you think you’ll have the energy for a short detour, it seems like a great option!
The E-Visa
EU citizens need a visa for India. Luckily, you can apply for an e-Visa online without visiting an embassy. Use the official site: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html
Before you fill out the form, have these ready:
- Passport Copy: A scan or high-quality phone photo. Crucial: It must be in .pdf format, so you’ll likely need to convert your image.
- Flight Tickets: You’ll need to list your arrival date and airport.
- Photo: Professional studio quality isn’t necessary; a phone photo against a white background works. Just make sure to crop it to 2x2in (5x5cm) in .jpeg format.
Validity & Cost:
- Validity: You can choose a 1 month or 1 year visa. With a 1-year visa, you can enter multiple times, staying up to 90 days per visit.
- Cost: Approximately 80 EUR.
- Note: The visa becomes valid from the day it is issued, NOT the day you arrive. Either order th visa right before your trip or get the visa valid for one year if you want to get it in advance and have piece of mind. I personally chose the later.
Vaccines
There are no mandatory vaccinations for EU citizens entering India. The only exception is for individuals who have traveled in countries where there is a risk of Yellow Fever. In that case, vaccination against this disease will be required. More information, including the list of Yellow Fever-infected countries, can be found on the National Public Health Center website.
Recommended vaccinations: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Meningococcal infection, and a Diphtheria/Tetanus booster for adults.
Pay attention: Do not leave vaccinations for the last few weeks before your trip! Some diseases require at least a few shots with specific intervals. Also, vaccine supply disruptions are possible—something I encountered myself before the trip. Therefore, I recommend starting to call clinics at least three months before your planned travel date.
Medicine
There are pharmacies in India, but it is not a country where everything is easy to find—neither the pharmacies themselves nor the medications we are used to. Here are a few medicines/supplements I recommend bringing with you for the first few days:
- Electrolytes: India is a tropical country; it will be very hot and you will sweat a lot, so it will be important to restore your electrolyte balance to feel well. Take enough for at least the first few days, then buy more at local pharmacies.
- Cold medicine: Although getting sick in a warm climate seems unusual, temperature fluctuations can take their toll. Whether you are moving from the heat into an air-conditioned room or traveling at night (temperatures in India can drop from 37°C during the day to 17°C at night!)—I recommend having the medicines you are accustomed to.
- Diarrhea medicine: Cases of food poisoning are very common in this country. If you follow the recommendations—avoid street food, wash your hands—you might avoid poisoning. But it won’t hurt to have medicine with you.
Acommodation
In terms of price, it is best to book accommodation by contacting the owners directly. However, I often read reviews where people arrived only to find that their room had not been reserved. To avoid such mishaps, I always looked for accommodation on Booking.com. I recommend you do the same. When you book through Booking.com, the room is guaranteed. Also, by traveling a lot and booking a certain number of stays, you accumulate discounts for future bookings.
The Train System (IRCTC)
Trains: The most popular and easiest way for tourists to understand travel in India is by train. This is the only mode of transport for which tickets can be purchased using an international payment card. It is a true lifesaver for those wanting to travel independently, as most other systems, including bus systems, do not accept international cards. If you still need a bus ticket, you’ll have to find someone who can buy it for you.
Although you can pay with international cards for train tickets, the system itself is not easy to use. Therefore, I highly recommend registering for it before your trip—you’ll have to put in some work!
Tips for buying train tickets:
- Website: https://www.irctc.co.in/
- Registration nuances:
- You can use your local (e.g., Lithuanian) phone number for registration.
- In the first step, you need to specify your country twice. Be sure you indicated the same country in both places. Otherwise, it won’t let you enter your local phone number.
- Unfortunately, the error messages in the system are generic; they don’t point to the specific field where something is wrong. For example, if you get the message “Min 1 character, Max 30 characters & only alphabets are allowed”—you likely inserted an invalid symbol, such as a period, while entering your address. Periods are not allowed in the address field.
- Once you register and log in, you will be asked to pay. If you don’t see the payment button (as happened to me), look for it at the very bottom of the page.
Train Ticket Reservation System: When buying train tickets in India, it’s important to know that a waiting list exists. This means that if all tickets are sold out at the moment, you will still be allowed to buy a ticket and pay, but you will only find out if you secured a seat by checking the ticket status on the system’s page or being informed a few hours before the journey.
Because of this, it’s very important to check the ticket status before buying. It shows whether you are buying a specific seat or if you are in a queue. For example, the status RLWL/1 means you are first on the waiting list. There is a high chance such a ticket will be confirmed (cancellations happen often). If the status is RLWL/24 and the trip is on the same day, there is a risk you won’t get on the train because you are 24th in line. Other waiting list statuses include RAC, WL, and RLWL.
- The status CNF means the ticket is confirmed—you have a seat on the train and can travel.
- If you do not get a seat, the money will be returned to the account from which the payment was made.
- Pay attention: You cannot travel with waiting list tickets purchased online, so be sure to check the status before the trip under Trains -> PNR Enquiry. If you buy a waiting list ticket at the train station, you can travel, but you will have to stand or sit on the floor.
Planes
To travel long distances, you can also use planes. When bought in advance, prices are quite good; I paid between 30 and 90 EUR. I bought tickets through intermediaries on Expedia, because Indian airline websites have the same problem as buses – they don’t accept international cards.
Note that Expedia has pages in different countries (e.g., Expedia.de in Germany, Expedia.ie in Ireland). Prices can vary, so it’s worth browsing across them if you have time.
To get inside an Indian airport, you will need to show your ticket (or a printout of the purchase) and your ID to security at the door. Delhi and Mumbai airports are very busy—leave plenty of time if you are flying from them. Also, pay attention to the terminals—in Delhi, I had to take an airport bus for about half an hour to reach another terminal.
Currency
The currency of India is the Rupee (INR). The exchange rate can be found on Google. I brought cash to India only for the beginning. Later, I withdrew cash from ATMs as needed and paid by card whenever possible, e.g., in restaurants, shopping centers, hotels, or when using Uber (via the app). Cash was needed for small shops, markets, rickshaws (not via Uber), etc.
For withdrawals and payments, I used a Wise card. It’s my favorite for traveling abroad because I can easily add many different currencies and the fees are low:
- The fee for exchanging EUR to INR is usually 0.41% – 0.65%.
- The current exchange rate is always used.
- Cash withdrawals are free up to 200 EUR per month. Above this, a 1.75% fee + 0.50 EUR per withdrawal applies.
SIM Card and Internet
When traveling for a longer time, an Indian phone number is very useful. It is often requested when registering for various apps, checking into hotels, etc. If you decide to get a SIM card, it’s best to do it at the international airport. Finding a card once you’ve arrived in the city can be tricky. First of all, it’s completely unclear where they are sold—you’ll have to ask locals. Secondly, to buy a SIM card, registration will be required. You’ll be asked for copies of your visa, passport, and… a local phone number! Yes. To buy a SIM card in India, you need to have a SIM card. Sellers usually have ways to bypass this, but the process is long and strange.
If you fail to find a card at the airport, I recommend getting an eSIM so you aren’t left without a connection upon landing.
Power Outlets
Good news – the sockets are European, so no adapter is needed!
Other Tips for Traveling in India
- In India, almost everything can be ordered to your home. Tea, coffee, and food are standard, and I used the Swiggy app several times for this.
That’s it! I hope this helps you plan a smoother trip to India. Let me know in the comments how it went!
On Life and Mountains
