bg_collier

Hello,

I will be traveling to India this October, and want to hire a driver for the first two weeks for a quick tour of Delhi, Agra, and primarily Rajasthan. We have a driver recommended to us, but it's quickly turning into the hard sell of a full package through his travel agency including not only the two weeks, but the last one as well. I understand that drivers want to stay in hotels that house them, and I am open to that; just don't want to lock myself in to a fixed itenerary.

I'm hoping an experienced traveler can recommend a good driver. The person must be very flexible, knowledgeable, and with a happy attitude. English would be good, of course. Also, in early October, is air-conditioning a good idea? I normally make it through the summers here in Oregon using my AC maybe 5 days total, so I'm not overly delicate. But, I have no idea what to expect in the desert areas of India that time of year.

Thank you all in advance!
Regards, Bruce
Fine-Art Travel Photography -- www.brucegcollier.com

hobbes

Try contacting www.presidenttravels.com. Know they have English speaking drivers. Aircon def required - not only will it still be hot but driving thru the dessert you can encounter shifting sand and need to close the windows. Re not locking yourself into a fixed itinerary - IMO, you could look at a set of places you want to go so you have ideas of distances, hotels, etc then leave the days flexible.

Rajhelp50

If you want to hire a car and retain control of your itinerary, the family hotels of Jaipur are a good bet. Most of them make car hire arrangements - without insisting that you stay in their own hotel!
Air-con is a must in October but otherwise too the saving on a non aircon car is only USD 5/- a day, so it is hardly worth much thought.

Cicerone

Personally, I would not hire the same driver for the whole trip, but would hire by the day as needed or for a few day stretch if you want. First of all, there will be days when you won't want or need a car at all, or may only need one for a short trip or for part of the day, and if you have hired one driver for the whole trip, you are paying for meals and housing for someone you aren't using. For example, you do not need a driver in Agra, you can walk most of the town and hire a bicycle rickshaw to get out to the fort. Depending on where you are staying in Delhi, you may not need a car for some portions of Delhi. In Jaipur, you could easily take a day off and do nothing, or take a morning off and an afternoon shopping, for which you could hire a car for a few hours. Also, a driver from Delhi may not know the area around Jaipur as well as a Jaipur-based driver and vice-versa. If you like a particular driver, you can hire him for another trip. You can also usually pay through the hotel via credit card which is easier than carrying around cash. If you want to do it a bit cheaper, you can walk outside the hotel grounds of any hotel and find any number of drivers ready to take your custom. Finally, with a casual day driver, you will be spared the driver trying to push his itinerary (although you may find his "cousin" owns a shop he wants to stop at, but I have found if you are polite but firm on not being interested, they will give up; on the flip side, the best fabric shop I ever found in India was through a "cousin" of my driver).

The real nightmare scenario to me about hiring for the whole trip is ending up with a driver you don't like from the first day, but whom you have already paid for and are then stuck with. I would prefer to go with my luck each day, and when I find someone I like, then take them for longer periods.

Craig

I agree with the above posters - make your arrangements through your hotel. Send an e-mail in advance with your requirements if you do not feel comfortable doing it "on the spot". You should not have to worry about where the driver stays if he is with you over night. Lodging is the driver's responsibility and should be included in the rate. I would not deal with anyone that tries to do a "hard sell" on other services. Be wary of any driver that wants to take you to certain shops - just say no - they are looking to pick up a commission.

hobbes

We had a driver for our trip Delhi-Ranthambore-Jaipur-Agra-Delhi and it was a boon to have the same driver. For one thing we shopped en route and it was great to keep throwing things in the back. For another, we were comfortable with his driving - I don't think I would cope well with having to keep adjusting to a new driver at every halt. A decent agency will give you a good English speaking driver. IMO the guides push shops more than drivers.

WinterTravel

Hobbes - did you arrange the driver that you had via an agency in India? We are going to India in December and are considering whether to arrange a driver for the whole trip (it may/may not be practical depending on options to fly certain legs). Any thoughts on your experience with a particular agency and cost would be much appreciated.