Travel India on a Budget: Where to Save, and Where Not To

The cheapest change is in the plan itself. Each new region usually means a flight or a long transfer, a fresh hotel and another first day spent finding your feet. A trip that stays in one part of the country, such as Rajasthan, Kerala or the Golden Triangle with Varanasi, spends more of its budget on seeing things and less on getting between them. Two or three nights in each place, rather than one, also means fewer check-ins, fewer transfers and slower, cheaper days.

Our India itineraries are arranged by the time you have and show how much fits into a week or two without rushing.

In our experience, the same hotel can cost noticeably less outside its region's peak season, and the busiest dates of all, Christmas, New Year and the major festivals, are when rooms and cars are hardest to find. The off-peak months are quieter for a reason, usually heat or rain, so pick a region that suits your dates rather than the other way round. Our guide to the best time to visit India sets out the seasons region by region, and travelling in the monsoon covers the rainy months.

• Long distances: a train is usually the cheapest way to cover several hundred kilometres, and an overnight train also saves a hotel night. Book early, because good trains fill up; our guide to train travel for foreign visitors explains how.
• Very long distances: a domestic flight can cost less in time and money than two days on the road.
• Sightseeing days: a car and driver costs much the same for four people as for two, so it gets cheaper per head the more of you share it. Our guide to getting around India compares the options.

• Hotels. Spend where you will stay longest and enjoy the hotel, and keep it simple where you only sleep before an early start.
• Food. Busy local restaurants serving freshly cooked food are good value, and a thali is a full meal.
• Tickets. Many monuments charge foreign visitors more than Indian citizens (at the Taj Mahal, many times more), so choose the ones that matter to you rather than ticking off every site; at the Taj Mahal and the other monuments of Agra, children under 15 go in free.
• Money. Find out what your bank charges for payments and withdrawals abroad, draw cash in fewer, larger amounts if fees are per withdrawal, and keep your ATM slips and exchange receipts, which let you change unspent rupees back. NPCI says its UPI One World wallet for visitors charges no onboarding or transaction fee; see UPI for foreigners.
• Tips. Budget for them from the start rather than being caught short; our tipping guide explains who is usually tipped.

• Your visa. Apply only on the Government of India's e-Visa portal, which it says is the only official website for the e-Visa. The portal warns applicants not to fall for look-alike sites. Our India e-Visa guide links the official portal.
• Transport after dark. A reliable car with a known driver is a safety choice, not a luxury, especially on long road days and late arrivals. Our safety guide has more.
• A good guide at the great sites. At the Taj Mahal, the forts of Rajasthan or the temples of the south, a licensed guide turns a crowded visit into an understood one, and saves time in the queues.
• Travel insurance. A medical emergency without cover costs far more than the policy.

If you want to see the full picture of what a trip costs before deciding where to save, read how much a trip to India costs, or ask us for a quote built around a budget you set.