I have read numerous trip reports and it seems that everyone on Fodors uses guides and drivers wherever they go. I am not used to having to hire guides and drivers on a daily basis as we have always relied on a good guide book and we have enjoyed wandering on our own. We occasionally hire a guide for the day.

Is it necessary to have a guide and driver with you at all times in India? Is it just too difficult to do on one's own?

it is not essential, but india is so very difficult on your own the first time, i can't imagine doing it without at least an english speaking driver....

i would call it essential, at least in the city areas....train stations alone can put you over the edge...

besides drivers and guides are so cheap you could hire them and not use them at all and you would not miss the money...

You can do without a driver & guide in big cities such as Delhi & Mumbai, but you will find getting around in other areas and between cities and towns difficult & time-consuming without a driver to take you from place to place. For example, about an hour from Agra is Fatehpur Sikri, which is a a great place to visit. Having at least a driver, if not a guide, is likely the only way to get there. Same goes for places like the Jain temples in Ranakhpur, In addition, for us, India was more about the people and the culture, and while a guide book can tell you about the history of a place or its architecture, good guides can give you a glimpse into the life of the people and help to make your trip so much more enjoyable. We mixed it up a bit and used a driver, but not a guide in Delhi (easier to get around & we had limited time) Didn't use a driver or a regular guide in Varanasi & mostly just wandered, though someone from the hotel did arrange a sunrise boatride on the Ganges. We didn't spend time in Mumbai, so I can't say what the best options are there.

In short, don't dismiss the idea of drivers and guides in India, not because of any danger or the need to always have someone with you, but because there are things you will miss if you don't, and a good guide or driver can be a pleasure to spend time with.

I would say a driver is essential, a guide not so much. The guides we hired were, with one exception, no more knowledgeable than I am.

You need a driver. Guides can be a pain-in-the-neck but will occasionally enhance your experience.

You certainly do not NEED either one, but I agree that having a driver makes things easier...

You do not need an escort if you want to take trains, however.

We never had a guide in India but did book drivers before we left for the 2 road trips that we were taking. Before we left I googled "Drivers from Agra to Jaipur" and the same for Jodhpur to Udaipur,I found about 50 contacts and sent them all the same e-mail and waited for the replies. In the end for the Jaipur trip we went with Tourist Resthouse we paid 3500rps this included stop off's to visit Fatehpur Sikri and Abhaneri. For the Udaipur section we went with Rajwadi Tours and paid 3300rps, this included a stop off to visit the Jain temple in Ranakpur which is absolutely incredible.
I have to say I was a bit worried they wouldn't turn up but they were waiting for us outside the hotels at the pre given time.
Regarding guides, in Delhi the first day we got a taxi from the hotel and paid 700rps for the whole day, however we found that a taxi wasn't the best option in Delhi because of the traffic so the next day we first visited the fort, then found an autorickshaw driver, well actually he found us as they do in India, anyway for 500rps he took us everywhere for the whole day and was a mine of information, the only important thing to do is before you agree on the price be sure to say you will only agree if you're not taken to any shops.

the driver i used can be reached at:

[email protected]

i used his cousin a couple of years ago and he was fantastic...lcuy has used this guy and liked him....

I would recommend Ramesh Meena. He has his own company and can be contacted at indiabycaranddriver.com. He comes highly recommended by other Fodorites: travelaw, live42day, mrsmarge among others. Ram is a very safe driver, speaks excellent English, and went out of his way to show us destinations we would have missed otherwise.

Thank you all. This is great info. Bob & Indianapearl - how did the price of your drivers compare to Clark55's?

Christina - thanks for the clue regarding using a rickshaw instead of a taxi. We loved zipping around Bangkok in the tuk tuks and I imagine that it will be a similar experience compared to the taxi.

Ram charged us about 3100 rs/day from about 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. This was in Nov. and Dec. (high season). The rates are lower in off season. We are, I would say, non-demanding customers --- no late nights to bars or clubs. I can't say enough good things about Ram --- he is now our Indian son!

Indianapearl - Did you have to contract with Ram for an extended period of time, or can one use his services sporadically?

i was there the same time and essentially i had the driver 24/7 but we let him go after he took us to dinner each nite....$411 for 11 days (3 years ago in nov/dec timeframe also)... i am getting a quote just now and will let you know for 2011

We spent 17 days with him continuously until we flew back to Delhi from Khajurhao. He left the day before we flew back, then met us in Delhi for our last two days. I suppose it depends on when and where you part and reconnect. It takes a number of hours to drive from Khajurhao to Delhi, so he needs the time to get from one place to another.

I'd figure out when and where you want a driver, then contact Ram to see if he can make a plan for you.

The price sounds quite reasonable. Thanks for the info. Since we won't be going for over a year, I will get in touch with him after we get our frequent flyer tickets. In the meantime, I will need to refine an itinerary.

So how was payment for services handled with your drivers? Did they require partial payment in advance? Was a credit card used or did you have to do a wire transfer for advance payment?

Ram was just starting his own business after working for several years for another company when we made our arrangements. I offered to send $100 as a deposit to be placed in his bank account. He sent his account number, but our bank required a routing number and some other complications, so we wired him the money instead. Once we met, we agreed to pay him once a week. We also tipped him at the end of our trip.

no deposit was required for our trip but we paid by credit card at the beginning....he was then working for an agency...

i received my reply today about driving.....he would charge me $999 for 20 days.... this is an extensive tour around rajastan going almost to the west border and doing all the "J" towns...

gas, taxes, tolls, insurance, SUV are all included in the price.... i'm thrilled with this price...

finally i wrote down his name and it is Narender... this is 2011 price

$50 inclusive p/day for an SUV sounds like a great price! Is this high season price?
May I ask for this fellows firm/contact info?