Budget Travel in India: 8 Essential Tips!

Budget travel in India isn’t a difficult thing to do. When I travelled to India this year, I managed to survive easily on just 1000 rupees per day (around 10GBP/15USD), including accommodation, domestic travel, food, sightseeing and of course, souvenir shopping! While living within this budget was pretty effortless, I could easily have gone overboard and spend a small fortune.

I don’t know if you can relate but, whenever I go to a country which is much cheaper than the UK (AKA most countries) I constantly convert the prices of things back to sterling and feel like I need to take advantage of all the bargains.

Ultimate budget travel tip: don’t do this!

Learn to think in the local currency instead. Just because it’s cheaper than your home country, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily cheap. Take advantage of the fact that you’re in one the cheapest countries in the world and, instead of thinking about how much you’re saving by buying, think about the extra pennies you can save towards your next holiday by not buying!

My tips for budget travel in India aren’t going to make your trip any less fun or make you feel like you’re living like a pauper: they’re just small, smart changes you can make everyday!

Budget Travel in India: My Top Tips!

Choose Non-AC over Air-Con

If anything is going to send you off budget it’s AC rooms! Room prices can be double, or even triple the price of fan only rooms.  And, in all honesty, they’re not always essential.

Even when I visited Rajasthan in April, when temperatures were over 40C every day, I never missed Air con. Maybe this is because I’m from Scotland and hate air con (the concept of making a room freezing cold has always seemed strange to me- my core desire in life is NOT to be cold), but I just didn’t feel like I needed it! Instad, I made sure that the fan in my room was nice and strong and would keep me cool enough to get a good night’s sleep.

This tip for budget travel in India didn’t just help me keep my travel costs down, it helped me to climatise better, too! Win-win!

450 rupees a night in Udaipur!

The hotel in the photo is Nukkad guesthouse in Udaipur. Book it here!

Eat Like a Veggie in India

Depending on what part of India you travel to, this might not actually be a choice. Many of the holy cities forbid meat, although some restaurants will have a secret meat menu, especially for foreign tourists.

Cutting out meat isn’t just a top tip for budget travel in India, it could save you from suffering from the infamous Delhi Belly, too! For just 100 rupees (1GBP/1.50USD), you can get yourself a vegetarian thali which usually contains rice, 2 veg curries, pickle and some curd. More than enough to fill you up.

If you were to order chicken curry, rice, garlic nan and a mango lassi, on the other hand, you would probably spend around 400 rupees (4GBP/6USD.) Again, this is much cheaper than it would be at home, and I did have several meals like this! But, if you eat like this everyday your costs will really start to multiply.

One of many 100 rupee veg thalis in India

Go sleeper class on Trains in India

Every man and his dog has heard the horror stories about taking public transport in India. Because of this, most tourists decide to go for overpriced chartered tours, hire drivers or take tourist class. Regardless of where you decide to go in India, you are definitely going to have to cover a fair amount of ground, given the vast size of the subcontinent. Don’t blow your budget on AC private cabins on the train. I promise that you won’t compromise your safety, and it won’t be like sleeping in a sauna.

Sleeper class in India is SO CHEAP and actually pretty comfortable, too. I found it was a fine place to get a decent nights sleep since the beds are completely horizontal, rather than reclining chairs. The windows are left open, and there are fans so the cabin is always cool.

Plus, if it gives you any piece of mind, India Rail seems to try and clump tourists together, so it’s a nice place to meet like minded travellers. Even if you’re not in with other tourists, most of the people travelling on the trains are families, it’s not going to be packed full of solo males looking to take advantage. Don’t worry about that, I didn’t feel vulnerable at all in sleeper class.

One piece of advise I would give you is to bring a chain for your bag and sleep with the key, because regardless of where you go, there’s always the chance of pick pockets and thieves. But, let’s be honest, this is even the case in European cities.

Want more tips for train travel in India? Check out this post!

Unfortunately, the only picture I have of a sleeper train in India is of me lying on top of random people’s luggage and stuffing my face with cold pizza… enjoy!

Swap Coffee for Chai

Delicious, spicy and sweet masala chai is one of the things I miss most about India. I tried to make it at home, but it’s never quite the same! This isn’t even a tip for budget travel in India- just take advantage of being able to get real authentic chai so easily.

On the train or the side of the road, chai can cost as little as 7 rupees(7p/$0.10!) Such a cheap caffeine fix. Although it can be difficult to make the change, and you will probably be tempted by the occasional coffee in a tourist restaurant, swapping coffee for chai tastes amazing and will cost you next to nothing!

Don’t forgot to pay Krishna a visit if you find yourself in Bundi!

Debunking Budget Travel Myths: Use a Travel Agent to Save Money in India!

Most budget travellers tend to shy away from travel agents, due to the hefty amount of commission they add to trips and tours. However, when it comes to booking trains and buses in India, they are the way forward.

A lot of train stations are a bit out of town, so the amount you would spend to get there in a tuk-tuk to book tickets independently is around the same as what they charge in commission- not a lot if you decide to book sleeper class trains, like I suggested. Booking online still seems like a difficult option for tourists, but this could be set to change in the future.

Trains and buses in India sell out pretty quickly, it’s a good idea to jump into a travel agent in your first port of call with your planned itinerary, and book all your transport at the one time. Be prepared that some trains might sell out if you don’t prebook, so it is a good idea to have a back up plan.

My mum and me in Old Goa

Don’t be Afraid to Barter in India

If you’re anything like me, you might find it hard to pull yourself away from the amazing bazzars in India!

And, as cheap as they are, of course, this little habit is going to eat up your daily travel budget in India.

To minimise that damage, make sure you negotiate! In India, tourists pay tourist prices: just like everywhere else in the world. I found that everything was open to negotiation, particularly in the low season when I was travelling. This doesn’t only go for shopping, but for hotel rooms too. Try and get a lower price if you are staying for more than 3 nights, the owner should be happy to accommodate you.

Just remember to barter respectfully and don’t start bargaining over things you have no intention of buying!

Definitely practice your bartering skills at the Anjuna Flea Market

Travel in India during the Low Season and Save Money

Budget travel in India is even cheaper during the low and shoulder seasons. Travelling during these times gives you so much power for negotiating good deals at the bazzars and booking hotel rooms. If you travel in the shoulder season, the weather will still be bearable and places will be a lot less crowded- meaning you’re also much less likely to get scammed.

I travelled at the very beginning of the hot season and would definitely do it again.

Before I left I read so many threads on tripadvisor saying there is no point going to India in the hot season because it will be terrible and you won’t be able to go outside- it wasn’t that bad at all.

Another benefit of travelling in the low season is being able to see sights like the Taj Mahal without herds of tourists surrounding it!

Don’t Book Hotels Ahead of Time

This is the absolute golden rule for budget travel in India: you don’t need to book a hotel ahead of time. Now don’t get me wrong, when you land in Delhi or Mumbai, it will be nice to have somewhere booked. I’ve been to both of these cities and know how overwhelming it is trying to navigate your way them. Do yourself a favour and book something online! The same goes if you’re travelling during a huge festival like Holi or to somewhere popular in the middle of the high season- e.g Goa in December.

But the rest of the time, it’s fine to just how up. You won’t be stranded!

Whenever I arrived in a city, my friend and I usually checked out about 5 different hotels. When we did this, we were never shy (are Scottish girls ever shy!?) and always asked to have a look at the rooms. Because of this, we always knew we were getting a fair rate and never got ripped off.

The ultimate steal that we got was in Pushkar- a huge double room with a balcony, right in the centre of town with a rooftop restaurant and amazing wifi. We got all of this for just 300 rupees (3GBP/4.50USD) between 2 people at a newly built inn that wasn’t on hotel booking websites. You really can’t beat that!

The whole time we spent in India, we never spent more than 450 rupees (4GBP/6USD) on a double room. We always stayed in a room that suited us perfectly and only prebooked rooms in Mumbai and Delhi. (Although, disclaimer, those rooms cost much more than 450 rupees!)

Spacious room, wifi and balcony… for 300 rupees!

The hotel in the photo is called Hotel Diamond. Click here to book it!

Budget Travel in India: The Verdict!

I hope these tips can help anyone who is trying to travel India on a budget! Like I mentioned, I managed to do it on a daily travel budget of around £10 per day. But, honestly, everyone’s different! I’ve heard of people doing it for so much less, and also so much more. It’s always better to overbudget, just in case there are any unexpected costs. And of course, don’t forget to factor in the cost of Travel Insurance.

Budget travel in India: what are your top tips?

If you’re travelling around India on a budget, don’t miss these other handy posts!

• Rajasthan: The Land of Kings in 2 Weeks
• A Backpacker’s Guide to Palolem Beach
• A Backpacker’s Guide to Hampi
• Highlights of 2 Months in India
• Mysore: The Land of Silk Sarees and Sandalwood
• Exploring the Hoysala Temple Trail with Go Mowgli
• How to Travel in Kochi Like a Local
• 5 Reasons to Explore the Kerala Backwaters by Canoe