Travelling Tips

• Prepare an itinerary which would list most of the tourist spots which you would intend to visit and which are easy to access from the hotel you prefer to stay. Make air, rail, bus and hotel accommodation arrangements well in advance.
• Before you reach your desired destination. Read up information about a place you are visiting - its history, heritage, climate, monuments and anything unique about the place.
• It is recommended that men keep their wallet in a front trouser pocket whenvever they are out of the hotel, to avoid pickpocketing.
• For best way of communication carry a tiny notebook and pen when you're in a place where you don't know the local language. Write or draw whatever you're looking for and commucate accordingly.
• If you are speech or hearing-impaired(disabled), always carry a communication symbols card. This will make it easier for you to communicate wherever you go.
• To avoid uninvited trouble it is recommended that women travelers wear simple and comfortable clothing that does not attract undue attention while strolling in an alien territory. Leave all your costly jewellery back at home.
• Always carry travel documents and your money separately.
• If you order mineral water in a restaurant, make sure the bottle is unsealed at the table.
• Never travel without mosquito repellents and other essential medicines.
• It is a good idea to carry locks for your bags and suitcases.
• Carry an extra set of lock and keys.
• Pack empty plastic ziplock bags to separate soiled clothes from the rest, especially if you're travelling to a rainy destination.
• If travelling in the monsoon,do not hesitate to carry a raincoat and umbrella.
• Make a list of all your personal medicines that you are carrying with you. Carry the list with you wherever you go.
• Women who are travelling alone should not admit they are travelling alone.
• When asking for directions, ask shopkeepers, not pedestrians. Check with at least two persons or more.
• Make a list of all the things you forgot while travelling and use the list before your next trip.
• It is a good idea to carry locks for your bags and suitcases. Try to keep your clothes flat and avoid carrying too many fragile goods.
• Label your entire luggage and even try to carry an extra set of labels with you.
• Carry an extra set of lock and keys, just in case.
• If travelling in the monsoon, carry a raincoat and umbrella.
• Make a list of all your personal medicines that you are carrying with you. Carry the list with you wherever you go.
• Carry your own water bottle. This should be within arm's length at all times. It'll save you the problem of drinking unsafe water whenever you are thirsty.

Lodging Tips

• To make travel or the holidays more memorable and comfortable, it is necessary that the place that we live in is cozy and cushy.
• If you travel to the same city often, find a hotel where you are comfortable. Get to know the staff. Be appreciative. You will find them invaluable in assisting you during your stay.
• Stay in hotels with good amanities (viz., health club, same day laundry, travel desk etc.,), fine restaurant and having closer access to Airport, Railway station, Bus Station and downtown area.
• Carry a torch with you in case of an emergency.
• Before you leave home, make arrangements with the hotel for transfers, from the airport, railway station or Bus Station to reach the hotel with ease.
• Choose hotels with facilities for your professional needs. Stay in a hotel that offers executive services: fax machines, copy machines, data ports and central office facilities.
• When selecting a hotel, make sure that they offer the amenities that you want. Ask about health club facilities, the dry cleaning service, and hairdryer and iron usage.
• Talk with the concierge before your arrival. If you state your preferences (eg, a room away from the elevator), you'll be thought of as a savvy traveller and may be upgraded or provided with extra service.
• Lining up a great massage, a skilled chauffeur or a preferred restaurant reservation is the concierge's realm. A small tip works wonders.
• Stay in a hotel that has a fine restaurant to conveniently entertain clients.
• Stay at hotels and fly with airlines that you are familiar with. Remember, familiarity breeds comfort!

Packing Tips

• Thumb rule - Pack only those clothes and accessories, which serve more than one purpose.
• Make a check list of things, documents, other accessories etc., you need to carry for your trip atleast two days prior to your journey and make sure you carry the check list along with you which will enable you to keep a track of the things you are carrying.
• Collect all the important documents and contact numbers you plan to carry and make two photocopies of each page.
• Carry one set with you and leave the other at home. In case you happen to lose the originals, you still have the duplicates for further reference.
• Write your name and address in a small piece of paper and leave it inside your suitcase, or best still tag it on to the handle. If you ever lose the suitcase, you can be hopeful of getting it back. There are many cases of good Samaritans calling up to say they found somebody's baggage
• Keep all the things you may need often like essential medication, some money (including small change), phone numbers, etc., in a small bag and always carry it wherever you go. If you have to leave the main luggage in the cargo enclosure of a bus during a long journey, etc., you'll find that the small, handy bag is of immense use.
• Make sure to place your first-aid kit in an enclosure different from the one where you have your soaps, shampoos, etc., to avoid a sticky mess in case there is a spill over.
• Don't pack cosmetics and toiletries in a make-up case. Put them in a ziplock bag - It saves on space, weight and protects clothes from accidental spills.
• If you are travelling with someone, pack half your clothes in each others' bags. If one bag gets lost, at least you'll have half your things.
• If you're storing liquids in any of your bags, be sure to seal the mouth to avoid any leaks.
• Carry a small torch always and keep fresh batteries with you. To guard against accidental usage, reverse the position of the batteries. When you need to use the torch, just turn the batteries around.
• Always carry a pack of wet tissues when you're in humid and dry place. It helps keep you fresh all day.
• Always carry a small pair of folding scissors - you'll never know when you need them!
• Keep all the things you may need often like essential medication, some money (including small change), phone numbers, etc., in a small bag and always carry it wherever you go. If you have to leave the main luggage in the cargo enclosure of a bus during a long journey, etc., you'll find that the small, handy bag is of immense use.
• List down whatever you've forgotten while travelling and use this list to make sure you don't repeat your mistakes.
• Make sure to place your first-aid kit in an enclosure different from the one where you have your soaps, shampoos, etc., to avoid a sticky mess in case there is a spill over.
• Don't pack cosmetics and toiletries in a make-up case. Put them in a ziplock bag - It saves on space, weight and protects clothes from accidental spills.

Health Tips

• Always carry a small kit with some basic medical supplies and first-aid equipment in your hand luggage.
• Items for the first-aid kit Should include Disinfectant or antiseptic cream/lotion, Gauze, Cotton swabs, Adhesive bandages, Band-aid, Small soap (preferably anti bacterial), Thermometre, Water purification tablets or potassium permanganat, Scissors, Plastic bag.
• If travelling with children be sure to include Children's pain reliever, Anti-nausea medicine, Stomach upset medicine, Cold and allergy medicine, Dehydration tablets or powder for children, Carry a small supply of general medications for cold, Allergies, Painkillers, Motion sickness
• If you suffer from recurring problems like constipation or menstrual cramps you should carry an adequate medicine supply for these conditions as well.
• For those with medical or health problems, air travel can pose a whole new set of problems. Vikram Pandit gives some handy tips for air travellers with disabilities.
• Airlines do provide special assistance to travellers with disabilities or special medical conditions. As in other cases, here too special assistance should be requested for in advance at the time of reservation of tickets. This enables the carrier to meet the disabled person with a wheelchair and other necessary equipment at the airports of departure and arrival as well in the transit airports. The airline's ground staff will also help the handicapped traveller to board or alight from the airplane before the other passengers do. Baggage too receives special attention - tags attached to the bags assist in identification and special handling. The cabin crew is also informed of the passenger's condition and special requirements during the flight.
• Under certain medical conditions, some airlines insist that disabled passengers are required to be cleared by their doctors. Women who are up to 35 weeks pregnant are normally allowed to fly. Some countries restrict the entry by women who are not their citizens and are in advanced stage of pregnancy. The countries' flag carriers and their consulates will be able to give a detailed picture in this regard.
• Other common travel requirements like a valid passport, visa, inoculation and other prophylactic requirements for the countries to be visited are also to be complied with.
• Several countries are chary of granting visas to travellers with a severe medical condition unless they have taken medical and accident insurance to cover likely emergency medical attention in that country.
• Airlines require knowing in advance whether the passenger will be carrying special equipment or whether you need such equipment on board the airplane. On account of security and operating conditions on board the aircraft, the medical appliance intended to be carried by the passenger is required to be handed over to the airline, a few hours before the time of flight departure, for inspection and approval for use during flight.
• Large, cumbersome medical appliances and wheelchairs must be carried in the hold. However, crutches, collapsible wheelchairs, nebulisers, artificial limbs, braces or other prosthetic devices can be carried in the cabin, free of cost and in addition to the regular baggage allowance.
• It is always useful to give airlines detailed information about the equipment for instance, whether the wheel chair is electrically operated. The passengers can also use safety requirements like the airline's own oxygen cylinders - which will be provided at extra cost and only if notice is given adequately in advance.
• As in the case of business appliances like cellular phones and laptops, here too there are strict conditions in which medical appliances may be operated. Hearing aids and heart pacemakers are generally exempted. It is advisable for the passenger to consult the travel agent or the airline with which he is travelling about the use of a specific appliance during the flight.
• It is useful to carry the correct quantity and dosages required for the duration of the visit abroad. After all, most drugs are cheaper here in India. It is advisable to check in advance with friends and family abroad - or the country's local consulate - whether the prescribed medications - drugs and their branded formulations - are allowed in the country to be visited.
• A certificate or a detailed prescription from the passenger's local doctor will help at the time of buying the same or a locally available equivalent formulation, and even when negotiating through customs at the airport of arrival.
  Airlines normally do not have onboard facilities for refrigeration of drugs, e.g., insulin, which needs to be carried by diabetics. Check with the doctor and the pharmacist on how best to carry the medications that require such storage.
  It is advisable for the passenger to carry a record of his medical history along with the medication in his hand baggage. This is convenient not only to him but also to the cabin crew and doctors who need to treat him during his travel.
• The provision of an ambulance and stretcher to and from the airport would normally be your responsibility and in case you require to be driven in the ambulance straight to the aircraft, you need not only to inform the airline well in advance but reach the airport in time for the security personnel to inspect the ambulance and its equipment before it is let into the air-side of the airport.
• Leading airlines now reserve at least one toilet specially designed for passengers with disabilities although, please remember, the toilet facilities designed for disabled travellers at the airports are more spacious and convenient.
• Some airlines do allow guide dogs to accompany blind passengers. The dogs are allotted an area near a window with the blind owner-user sitting in the adjoining seat. It is best to check with the consulate whether the dog needs to meet quarantine requirements.

Shopping Tips

• India is known for its traditional colourful arts and crafts, which you will feel like buying the minute you see them. Don’t just start buying anything you like until you have had time to study the market and the range of handicrafts available to you.
• It is always better to buy the handicrafts and artefacts from the place they are manufactured. For example, though tie-and-dye and hand block-printed fabrics are aplenty in Delhi, you’ll be better off buying them from Jaipur if you are planning to visit the city. However, if your visit is confined to the major cities, you don’t have much choice in the matter.
• The advantage of buying handicrafts from their place of origin is that you might more choice and better prices.
• Do the rounds of a few markets before you start buying. This will give you an idea of the best buys in India and the current price range.
• It would be better to buy expensive items like jewellery, precious stones etc., from reputed stores.
• Be very choosy when buying  bangles, beads, cottonwear, coirwork and so on from the streets as well.
• Various state emporia and the Central Cottage Industries Emporia in Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkotta, Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad have standardized prices and you can be sure of the quality.
• Bargain to the maximum especially with street vendors and smalltime shops. What you get does not depend on what you pay, but how less you can manage to pay for it.
• Many visitors are duped while shopping with a credit card. Make sure the credit card is swiped right in front of your eyes. Be suspicious of anyone who takes your card and reappears with the slip for you to sign. Visitors are known to have been cheated by unscrupulous shopkeepers who will charge some more items to the card and forge your signature on the slips later.
• Export of certain items such as ivory, fur and skins, antiquities is banned and hence it is mandatory to obtain a certificate of legitimate sale and permission for export.

Safety Tips

• In your absence, create an illusion that your home is occupied, make sure you arrange for your relative or your friend to stay at your home.
• Don't cover all windows with shades, as this is an easy giveaway to anybody during the day.
• Use bulbs connected to electronic timers, which switch them on and off at different times of the day, if you do not have such facility Leave few lights on, which will indicate the presence of people at home.
• Programme your audio/television system to play at a particular time each day for a few hours.
• Before you leave with your family, ensure that all bills are paid and all newspapers cancelled. Request a confidante to keep a watch on the house and check the mailbox regularly.
• If you are moving out with the whole family and there is nobody else in the premises, get a friend of yours to park his vehicle in your portico and use it regularly from there till you return.
• Buy all-important items from the shop near home.
• Before you leave for a long overdue vacation, provide all details of the places you are visiting and the addresses of hotels you would be staying at and other useful information to family and close friends. If anything untoward occurs on your vacation or back at home, your friends and family will know where to reach you.
• Before you leave ensure that all the important documents like house documents, vehicle documents, bank details, insurance papers, are all in order. Please do not mention the exact location of some important keys, etc. If something were to happen to you during travelling, your family will know where exactly to look for these.
• It is always a better idea to insure the baggage and jewellery.
• Write your office address rather than your residential address on the nametags of your luggage to avoid luggage thieves to know your residential address.

General Tips in India

• Besides the originals, a copy of your passport, travel visas, airline tickets and travel documents. A list of any charge or credit cards you are carrying. Remember to keep the copies separate from the originals.
• An International Driving Licence, which can be obtained through the automobile association. Even if you are not planning to drive, bring your driver's licence with photo for identification.
• Keep a Note of your embassy Contact information. Make sure you know the current advisory of your embassy regarding traveling to some parts of India
• Avoid drinking water from an unknown source. When in doubt ask for "Bisleri, Kinley, Aqua Fina etc " mineral water(check the seal). As a further precaution bring water purifying tablets.
• As in any location, there are those who steal from others, so follow the same rules of safety that you follow traveling anywhere else with respect to using hotel lock boxes, and keeping travel documents safe. When in public places, keep them in your hotel, or with you all the time when moving about.
• Women: Avoid keeping valuables in a purse, which can be easily snatched off your shoulder, Most hotels have a Safe.
• Taxis (cabs)/Auto Rickshaw (3 wheeler) are available from all hotels, and you negotiate the rate before commencing your journey. Use only authorised, properly identified taxis and buses. Avoid taxis that pick up additional passengers. Don't accept an offer to share a taxi to your hotel unless you know the individual.
• Train Journey: The image of the Indian Railways is rated poor with common complaints being making reservations is difficult or that the signage is only in Hindi.Avoid traveling in the General Compartment Prefer Second Class or better First Class.
• The voltage used is 220 volts (the U.S. uses 120 volts). You can purchase a converter at most hardware stores for appliances that do not switch to 220V.
• There are some areas in India where malaria is still prevalent. Prior to your departure, get a prescription from your doctor for some anti malarial tablets.
• Do remember to bring some insect repellent, mosquito coils or even an electronic repellent. Mosquitoes in India can be fierce.
• Avoid foods which have been laid out in the open, avoid sweets and candies from local markets.
• Wash fruits before eating them.
• Always respect religious shrines and places of worship, Some places require visitors to observe a dress code. Take care not to violate any taboos in a mosque or a temple.
• The Cow is sacred and worshiped and not beef
• Change currency only from official moneychangers. Remember to retain the currency Exchange receipts after each transaction. You will need them for re-exchange on departure.
• Kindly contact on counter "May I help you" available in "Arrival Hall" at airport for help and guidance.
• Prefer pre-paid Taxi Booth for hired transportation, since it is governed by  Trafic Police.  In this system you have to pay in advance for Taxi Fare which is already approved by local Transport Authority, Govt. of India for each destination in Delhi.
• Preplan your destination in India regarding your stay and tourism in India. Never take advice of Taxi Drivers regarding your stay/tourism in India. Please contact the information center or Police Officers, "May I help you" counter, or any other Govt. recognized information Centers.
• If you face any harassment or law and order problem, you can dial 100 number from nearest telephone for police assistance.
• Adequate number of police officers is deputed in proper uniform outside the Arrival Hall and parking area.  You can contact nearest police officer to intimate about undesirable elements and touts in your observation.  However, police is taking utmost care, vigilance and surveillance over these elements, still it is felt that we can eliminate these elements effectively with passengers active participation in the drive.
• In addition to above, police officers in plain clothes are also deputed to keep watch on suspicious movements.  Therefore, you should never entertain the touts and unscrupulous persons to avoid harassment.
• If ever you land in trouble, contact your Embassy.