Want to travel the whole World? But couldn’t because of lack of funds? Don’t worry we got your back!
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This blog contains: How to plan a trip, do’s and don’ts, and budgeted trip plans without a kick in the pocket.
Disclaimer: This blog is suitable for Indian tours and travels.
India is a country which can be travelled with very less amount of money in hand. Personally, I believe you can plan a trip for 2-3 days anywhere in India with as low as 3k-5k money in hand. The exception is North India, as prices of hotels and food in the peak seasons are quite high. But no worries we got your back.
Let’s see how a traveller saves money and travels throughout India.
Tickets Booking:
Plan your trips a few months ago and book the tickets. Prices rise sometimes when the journey date is closer and seats are few. Booking tickets in advance will save you extra money for tatkal tickets. Also, if stations are nearby, visit the station and book tickets to avoid platform fees. There is generally a huge difference(Approx. 3X) between the sleeper class ticket and Ac tickets. If you are planning to travel frequently, prefer the sleeper classes.
Pro Tip:
The Age limit for senior citizens is 60 in the case of males but it is 50 in the case of females. If you are going in a group and if there are few senior citizens then you have to fill out a separate form. Better to ask the ticket masters. It will give you confirmed and lower birth tickets.
If you book tickets from online platforms, there is a small dialogue box for upgrades. Check the box. It will automatically shift you to AC class if the seats are vacant. And if the tickets are for 3rd Ac, They will be upgraded to 2nd class.
Stays/hotels:
If you are going in a group it is preferred to take hotels, as the per cost will reduce in large numbers. But if it is a solo trip, go to the dormitory. Dormitories are super affordable (generally you can find a good one in approx. RS. 400-500/person). Search in Google, and YouTube. Make a list of all the considered places near your main destination, then call them. Yes, call them, because the videos uploaded on youtube are very old and there are chances of increasing prices by now, this is from my personal experience. Avoid booking from online platforms, because sometimes the hotel owners at the end moment cancel your stay, this is also from personal experience. So, list down all the affordable places and call them.
City tour:
It becomes very hectic to find all the tourist places in a city. Chances are you will leave some of the fascinating places. And it costs huge to book personal cabs and taxis if you are travelling alone. So it is advisable to find a local tourist bus also called the city darshan bus, which is generally available in every city. They have several plans, go for the 1-day city tour plan. It will not cost much and you will get to interact with lots of new people, which actually is better than travelling alone. To increase Indian tourism the government has made separate websites for each state.
Foods and beverages:
Whenever travelling to new places, try their local foods. Avoid going to expensive restaurants and cafes. Instead, try new local foods and street foods. You might have noticed that the city's local foods cost less than 50. If you are visiting Bombay (Mumbai) try vada pav and phoa (local snacks), if going to Delhi try chole bhature, and lassi, if planning to visit Odisha don’t forget to eat dahi bada aalo dam. So, try new local foods, instead of expensive and fancy food, that are IG friendly, Kidding!
Guide:
Before visiting any place, learn what the history of the place is. Why that specific temple is so famous, why do we call it using that name, generally if you are travelling to visit temples, learn their history, impacts, importance and everything? In Banaras, there is a ghat named Manikarnika ghat, it is called so because it is believed that ParvatiJi and Shivji visited the ghat for bathing, and Parvatiji’s mani (Jewel) got lost, and she was burning. Thus, she cursed the ghat, that just like I (Parvati ji) am suffering, there will be persons burning 24*7 in this ghat. So, the point is to avoid travel agents and learn about the places free of cost from google and youtube travel agencies' posts/videos. And google maps driving directions obviously works like magic, no?
Water Bottles:
Now, this is a huge cost-saving tip, from personal experience. Whenever travelling keep 2 bottles for yourself for the train. And After that, keep refilling the bottles, when going out from the hotel, ask them to refill them for you or refill them from shops. But make sure not to refill from some local taps. In this way, you are not only saving your money but also using fewer plastic bottles.
Shopping:
If you can’t avoid shopping, then try some local street shopping instead of fancy shops. Shop only the local famous things and try to bargain as much as possible. Because the shoppers charge high seeing new faces. Rest don't shop for items which are available everywhere. Like, if you travelling to Banaras shop for local banarasi dupattas, and sarees.
Conclusion:
India is a very cheap place to travel. All you need is just the right planning and budget. Personally, I believe, budget planning is a skill, which is not everyone’s cup of tea. Yes, it is a skill. My father, who never plans anything in advance, spends more than 10k for every trip. And I am a budget planner, who always plans every trip! So, it depends on your pocket. If you are a frequent traveller, plan everything in advance and start saving money for the trip.
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