India Guide
Getting around
By car
It is much more usual for tourists to be driven in India than it is for them to drive themselves; car rental firms operate on the basis of supplying chauffeur-driven vehicles, and taxis are available at cheap daily rates. Arranged through tourist offices, local car rental firms, or branches of Hertz, Budget or Europcar, a chauffeur-driven car will run to about £25/$40 per day. On longer trips, the driver sleeps in the car. The big international chains are the best bet for self-drive car rental; in India they charge around thirty percent less than chauffeur-driven, with a Rs1000 deposit against damage, though if you pay in your home country it can cost a whole lot more.
Driving in India is not for beginners. If you do drive yourself, expect the unexpected, and expect other drivers to take whatever liberties they can get away with. Traffic circulates on the left, but don't expect road regulations to be obeyed; generally the vehicle in front seems to have right of way, so at busy intersections or roundabouts (rotaries) drivers try and get out in front as soon as possible. Another unstated law of the road is that might is right.
Traffic in the cities is heavy and undisciplined; vehicles cut in and out without warning, and pedestrians, cyclists and cows wander nonchalantly down the middle of the road. In the country the roads are narrow, in terrible repair, and hogged by overloaded Tata trucks that move aside for nobody, while something slow-moving like a bullock cart or a herd of goats can take up the whole road. To overtake, sound your horn (an essential item on Indian roads) – the driver in front will signal if it is safe to do so; if not, he will wave his hand, palm downwards, up and down. A huge number of potholes don't make for a smooth ride either. Furthermore, during the monsoon roads can become flooded; rivers burst their banks and bridges get washed away. Ask local people before you set off, and proceed with caution, sticking to main highways if possible.
You should have an international driving licence to drive in India, but this is often overlooked if you have your licence from home. Insurance is compulsory, but not expensive. Car seat belts are not compulsory in most cities (though they are now mandatory in Delhi, Mumbai and a few other places) but are very strongly recommended. Accident rates are high, and you should be on your guard at all times. It is particularly dangerous to drive at night – not everyone uses lights, and bullock carts don't have any. If you have an accident, it might be an idea to leave the scene quickly and go straight to the police to report it; mobs can assemble fast, especially if pedestrians or cows are involved.
Fuel is reasonably cheap compared to home, but the state of the roads will take its toll, and mechanics are not always very reliable, so a knowledge of vehicle maintenance is a help, as is a checkup every so often. Luckily, if you get a flat tyre, puncture-wallahs can be easily found almost everywhere.
To import a car or motorbike into India, you'll have to show a carnet de passage, a document intended to ensure that you don't sell the vehicle illegally. These are available from foreign motoring organizations such as the AA. It's also worth bringing a few basic spares, as parts for foreign makes can be hard to find in India, although low-quality imitations are more widely available. All in all, the route is arduous, and bringing a vehicle to India is something of a commitment.
The classic Indian automobile is the Hindustan Ambassador (basically a Morris Oxford), nowadays largely superseded by more modern vehicles such as the Maruti Suzuki. Renting a car, you'll probably have a choice of these two or others such as the Land Rover-like Tata Sumo, popular in hill regions. Worth knowing if you're interested in buying one is that the Ambassador is not famed for its mod cons or low mpg, but has a certain style and historical interest; later models make little sense as prices are higher and quality lower than in the West.