I think you've nailed the packing list -- layers for sure!

Other things we bring include:
- shell (jacket for wind/rain)
- shoes that easily slip off (for going in and out of temples)
- drying line (for air-drying clothes)
- bug spray

As for toilet paper, I wouldn't recommend bringing a roll. You may want a small package of tissues, which will do the trick at a highway rest stop that doesn't have toilet paper. Your hotels and restaurants, however, will be well equipped.

Have a great trip - India is an amazing place!

Thanks, AG. I think the tissues make more sense, too, and certainly can do double duty!

Or just take a few sheets from your hotel in your pocket. Don't do what I did the first time to India. I gave my husband my purse to hold while I went to the ladies...My packs of kleenex were out side with him in my purse.

I also find that cropped pants are easire to handle when the floors are wet. Handie wipes are easier to use that the little bottles of purel. They can be used to cool you off also.

india is generally very relaxed so no need to take anything dressy.. i wore chinos all the time and my wife wore capris, plus we both wore decent shirts.. comfortable shoes and/or sandals.. polar fleece works well.

Thanks for the words of advice - it's reassuring to be reminded not to get too wrought over the small things.
--paule

You will have a great time. Just take comfortable clothing and layer up. We travel with one carry on and a small backpack each as you do and we had no problems. No need to dress up. Tissues as prior responder said are fine. Most places have toilet paper.

A roll of inexpensive toilet paper take hardly any room in your luggage, so why not stuff one into your suitcase for a peace of mind.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Any other items you recommend as "essential" for travel in India?

based on our experiences in Sri Lanka, definitely take tissues - and a bottle of sanitised hand wash. [tissues double for other things, whereas loo roll is just that - and takes up more room in your handbag].

the tip about wearing capris is also a good one - they are cool and more dignified than shorts.

I got the feeling that Jan/Feb isn't really capri weather, but I do gave one very lightweight psir of pants that can roll up, if it warms up enough. Tissues and sanitizer are on the list, too (but not to wesr!).

Happy new Year, everyone! The trip is less than 3 weeks away!!!

progol - I would take two pairs of lightweight trousers. [sorry, there's just no way that I can bring myself to talking about something that isn't underwear "pants"]

I completely misunderestimated the heat in Sri Lanka, and found myself living in two pairs of lightweight trousers - one to wear, one in the wash. the extra pair won't take up much room, and if it does turn warm and humid, you'll be so glad you've got it.

Thanks, annhig,
I'm bringing the lightweight trousers (!) and we both have chinos, so I think we're good on that score.

Trying to figure out how to layer as lightly as possible (which jacket to bring, which sweater, etc) is the next challenge!

Any recommendations for lock & chain for the overnight train?

I have a fleece jacket that has a matching fleece vest that can layer over it. The jacket is fitness weight and the vest has a thinsilate (?sp) layer. They both can be folded into a small zip lock baggie. I think both LLBean and Lands End have such combo...bought individually. With a long sleeve tee I can go to about freezing and still be comfy. I have used them on several trips.

I'm really becoming too obsessive with all this planning! All the options for on-line shopping is making it worse, too!

The fleece jacket idea sounds great, although I suspect I have enough at home that will work. I have a thin, lightweight rain or shine 3/4 coat from Lands End which will work well and packs up into nothing, so I plan on taking that, although I have a loose lightweight denim jacket (think painter-smock loose)which is a great fall jacket and I think will work for most days. Plenty of room for sweaters/shirts underneath, too, if needed.

I just spent the morning pulling out clothing and have a nicely coordinated black, pink and off-white combination (I'm not a fancy dresser). Everything is casual with one pair of pants that could get dressed up if needed.

Hubby thinks I'm nuts. I probably am!

Don't forget the Pepto Bismol.

I just spent the morning pulling out clothing and have a nicely coordinated black, pink and off-white combination (I'm not a fancy dresser). Everything is casual with one pair of pants that could get dressed up if needed. >>

progol - having something nice to change into in the evening is a great morale raiser, IMO. also it gives you a chance to wash what you were wearing in the daytime. I found that i used the same few clothes over and over again, and quite a lot that I'd taken never saw the light of day!

so not nuts at all! [or if you are, so am I].

>>Any recommendations for lock & chain for the overnight train?
<<

It's not necessary, but I don't think it's a bad idea to have one. If you have a seat in the upper bunk, and you must tuck your luggage under the bottom bunk, for example, then it'll give you a peace of mind to know that it's "secured". But if you're travelling with one or more compantions then they should be able to keep an eye out for your luggage though.

The one thing I found sort of stressful (for me anyway) about train travelling is that the train does not announce the name of the stop that it makes. So I had to be aware of the approximate arrival time and look out the window at each stop to check the destination, and looking out the window is not convenient if you have a top bunk which doesn't have window. A fun thing to note about the train toilet: it has no bottom. There's a hole that opens right onto the track below. Something to think about if you have to do #2

Have you thought of Immodium or another diarrhea stopper? Better safe than sorry.

Have you thought of Immodium or another diarrhea stopper? Better safe than sorry.>>

might be useful if this puts you off:

<<A fun thing to note about the train toilet: it has no bottom. There's a hole that opens right onto the track below. Something to think about if you have to do #2 >>

seriously, we took a whole load of medicaments - immodium, cold and flu remedies, the lot.

the only thing we used was one paracetamol. but i was glad we had them, and they took up very little room, comparatively.

pharamacy's are pretty well stocked in urban areas in india but you might need to know exact names...

Great comments and suggestions.

Yeah reading about the train toilet followed by a post on anti-diarrhea meds definitely puts it all in perspective!

Good reminders of things to bring, however, and much appreciated!

Yeah reading about the train toilet followed by a post on anti-diarrhea meds definitely puts it all in perspective! >>

reminds me of a 6 hour train journey DH and I had once in Tunisia when we both had the 'trots". how glad I was that we were in 'tout confort" and not steerage.

Out of necessity, I was reading about traveler's diarrhea the other day. IIRC, the active ingredient in Pepto Bismol was recommended and that in Immodium was not. I brought both but only used the Pepto. It worked.

I've stayed at ITC/Sheraton properties here in India and have to say that you need not worry about dressing up as my fellow guests were generally very casual. At ITC Mughal on NYE there was a man plodding around the lobby in flip flops, shorts, and a grey hoodie (it was a fairly cold day). Not that I can say much about that because I have been wearing jeans, sneakers and a hoodie myself.

As far as color coordination goes: the more colors the better as far as I can tell.

Haven't read this whole thread, so apologies for repeats:

Clothes: We were there when it was warm, but the weather you described is exactly like the winters we have here in LA. What works best is a silk long underwear top, a thin cashmere sweater and a fleece hoodie, or combos thereof. You will also need a cotton sweater indoors for AC.

Accessories: Hat, sunglasses, extra sunglasses, yoga clothes, fold-up tote bag

Electronics: Unlocked phone, chargers, small power strip (to charge several devices at once), extra memory cards if you're not taking a laptop.

Etc.: flashlight, Purell, wipes, protein bars (plenty of snacks available, but we had the bars instead of a heavy lunch almost every day), postcards from your home town, small gifts (pens? CDs?) for drivers, guides. I also took an insulated coffee travel mug for long car rides.

Meds: Yes to Pepto Bismol (didn't need it, but you don't want to run around finding it if you do), Tamiflu, Alleve/Advil, Benedryl cream, Neosporin, bandaids, antibiotics, powdered electrolyte packets, Tidestick, tiny travel size sunscreen.

binoculars, if you are interested in birds/animals.

we took an old pair and donated them to our driver before we came home.

Very helpful suggestions, everyone! Crosscheck, your list is especially helpful in its detail & specificity!

Many thanks again,
Paule

I agree with crosscheck about packing an antibiotic. We have always taken a broad spectrum antibiotic with us and a friend used it once when she developed a sinus infection. I was slammed on fodor's once for suggesting this, but I still maintain that most of us can tell the difference between viral and bacterial infections.

i guess if you bring all this stuff you can forget about clothes as you will not have room.

use common sense...

We easily fit all of the above in in our miniscule carry-ons. I think I had three day outfits, three evening outfits, walking sandals, dressy sandals, sneakers, pashmina, light jacket, bathing suit and work out clothes.

Mr. C hates to check....make that refuses to let me check - we've now traveled to six continents/multiple climates for as long as a month with just carry on. I've even gotten into the habit on business trips. (Returning home w/purchases is another story.)

Oops - posted too soon. All accessories/meds/toiletries in backpack + laptop + kindle. Kindle has been a game changer because I used to take five books for a ten-day trip.

Looks like it's very cold in Delhi:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/03/india-exposure-deaths_n_2400138.html

Stay warm!

Many thanks for all the good ideas - this weekend, I'll try to buy most of what we'll need. Good news, too -- our insurance covered our medications!

Marija-- I'm watching the weather report -- we're not leaving for another 2 weeks, so I hope it moderates a little by the time we leave. Still, we'll be bringing layers and layers and layers!

Paule

We were in India last month and the item I wish we had was a towel for drying hands after using public restrooms. Most had TP, soap and water along with a very used cloth towel to dry hands.
Perhaps you have room for a small microfiber towel.....I found hand sanitizers to be very drying and in cold weather hands are easily chapped.

good point kimone - I hadn't thought of that as it was so warm in Sri Lanka, you just had a wait a couple of minutes, and your hands were dry.