explorer24x7

I am looking to book a trip with my wife to India coming winters. Should i book it with a local travel company or by myself? I got a package price from Erco Travels based out of Delhi.. does anyone used them ? any sort of help will be helpful

thursdaysd

Depends on what you want, how much time you are willing to spend on planning, how much you want to spend and how you want to travel.

I have done two long trips to India (ten weeks and six weeks) and both were DIY with a mix of trains and car-and-driver hired locally plus a couple of flights. Quite a few posters here have used in-country agencies that provided a car-and-driver for all or most of the trip and booked all or some of the accommodation.

The agency you cite is not one I have seen mentioned here.

What itinerary are you considering? What guidebooks are you using?

kathleen

We’d always wanted to go to India too and actually have a trip booked for this December. We usually travel independently and actually prefer that mode of travel independence. But for our India trip we’ve decided to go with a group tour - Gate I Travel (18 Day Classic India with Ranthambore & Nepal). Friends of ours had recently taken the exact tour that we’ve booked with this company, and for us their information was a valuable endorsement. So, for your information you might like to see how this tour compares with the one you suggested. I can’t think of anything else to say about India tours since ours hasn’t happened yet, but I will submit a trip report afterwards - though it may be too late for your plans.

sardarsamand

Personally I always prefer to travel independently wherever possible - but on our first trip to India some 11 years ago I succumbed & used a Delhi based agent recommended by friends. Whilst we had a fantastic trip, I soon realised that travelling independently in India is very easy - and to date have visited well over 20 times in all areas of the country. The key is hiring a good English speaking independent driver with his own vehicle, and travelling by train or preferably plane between major destinations. You will learn a great deal from your driver, and you and your luggage are kept safe at all times. The driver can arrange specialist guides at monuments if required, advise on costs, opening & closing times, recommend restaurants depending on your budget etc. By hiring the driver direct there is no need to pay a deposit & you can check his references, level of English etc - none of this is possible if you go through an Indian travel agent. If you want more information please let me know.

Rasputin1

Yes, we always travel independently when we can use the train. However in country areas we prefer to use a driver we have used many times before and we know we can trust implicitly. We have travelled by bus but prefer not to use them, even though they are reasonably comfortable, because of the loud music that is played.
Also by hiring your driver and car direct you ensure that you money is going to the right person rather than a middle man who will rake off a good percentage leaving the driver with very little, which is why they expect a large tip at the end of the journey.