Has anyone used a driver in India instead of trains and busses for day trips?
If so, what would you say are the pros and cons of using a driver instead of public transport?
How much can one expect to pay per day for a driver and what does this price include? ie Does it include petrol for the car?
I will be in India next December with my boyfriend and daughter. I was thinking that maybe hiring a driver instead of taking the train would be good value for money since there are 3 of us. What do you think?
Mel
Reply to this India is one of the worst places for road incidents (mostly involving buses) I've visited, and for that reason I always go for the train.
However, there are places were the train is not practical (i.e. parts of Rajasthan and visiting Khajuraho) then I would recommend the car and driver option, especially since you can suggest that the driver slow down and/or avoid risky overtaking moves, whereas such a comment is likely to be unheeded by a bus driver. I would only take a public bus in India if it is for a ride along straight and paved roads, but even then, it would be a last option.
Prices are something I cannot comment on with confidence, since I last hired a car in India was 2004. I shared with two others, and the price we paid each was no more than $15-$20 (including fuel) but that is a guess. However, whilst in Rajasthan, I met a lady who had hired a car for a week and the price she was paying per day was more than double what I paid for only a single day hire. She was well and truly overcharged, as her weekly hire should have had a cheaper daily price. In other words, avoid multi-day hires, as there seems to be a high charge on having someone escort you overnight, and this potential overcharging is a negative.
The other negative of a car and driver is that they have a tendency to visit souvenir shops where they receive a fat commission for having you pay inflated prices. The best way around this was a tactic used by an American traveller I met. He instructed his driver that they would pay him a healthy tip at the end of the trip on the sole condition that they not visit any souvenir shops, and that if he did stop at one of these, they would end the hire immediately (and thus not receive the full day's pay). This seemed to have worked well.
A car and driver gives you a lot of freedom, for important things such as toilet and photography stops, something that you do not have with a bus. Just remember to haggle hard on a price and agree exactly on the charges.
That was a long answer!
Reply to this Thanks Shane 😊
The prices you mention seem quite expensive especially as they will have gone up since 2004. I am leaning more towards the train option at the moment because we would just be going to a destination and then spending the day there and then returning back to Delhi. Maybe it is not worth having a driver just to make a return trip when it does not cost less than the train. The train goes to everyplace we are going to visit while in India. But the driver is an option I will still consider for a while until I fully make up my mind. Thinking about the souvineer shop hassle is making me lean even more towards the train option.
Reply to this If you are just going to a single destination and returning, then the trains are defintely the way to go.
However, make sure that there are regular trains between the two destinations, and one way to check timetables is the
India Rail website. Though trains mostly run on time, those that have long routes can sometimes be late, so you may have to take account of that.
Reply to this Hi mell,
In India u get lot of options as to u prefer train/bus or local rental cars. The train would be cheap but some of the visiting places are not connected with train facility due to hilly areas or remote places. I prefer you to undergo all type of experience. You can try Govt of India tourism vehicles, they do run safe and good qlty buses at nominal prices. They are the best to avoide hustle and tussle with direct people, who may exploit, depends.
You can book luxury trains and tour packages with Govt of India tourism dept., http://www.incredibleindia.org/newsite/cms_page.asp?pageid=867.
http://www.indiatourism.com/
Good luck and enjoy the incredible and diverse India
Ash
Reply to this Thanks Shane and Ash 😊
I think I will choose train. It is starting to look like the better option. Thanks for the link shane.
Yeah Ash, expensive tours do have the nice side of preventing hassle from touts etc but they unfortunately turn travel into a watching it on TV experience too. I generally choose to try to put with some hassle rather than that. Even though touts are an unwelcome nuisance I also meet nice people when I travel independently who make it worth it. 😊
Reply to this Hello Mell.
Taking taxi might be very costly for you. You can a taxi for local trips once you arrive in another city/town. For instance if you take a train to Agra from Delhi, on arrival at Agra railway station you can hire a taxi to Taj Mahal. But taking taxi all the way from Delhi to Agra is not advisable. I drive all over India by myself. But these taxis are all diesel ones and not comfortable at all unless you engage a taxi from a reputed travel agency and opt for a luxury car with an experienced and English speaking driver.
GS RAJAN
Reply to this Thank you Rajan 😊
Now that we have weighed up all the pros and cons we have decided to take the train the Agra. It seems like a more relaxing way to go. I heard that the taxi drivers can be really annoying sometimes and it can be a real strain just getting them to take us where we want to go without them taking us on unwanted detours.
Do you know what the nicer restaurants in Agra and Hardiwar are like? We are planning to go to some nice ones for Christmas day and New Years Eve, but we only want to if they are relaxing and not too formal. From what I hear so far they are very formal. We just want to sit around, have dinner and then a few drinks while looking out at the Taj Mahal or the Ganges without being rushed or having to book tables or having to wear suits, ties etc. If they are not casual enough we will just go to the Shanti lodge and enjoy the view from their roopftop and their cheap and cheerful food. 😊
Reply to this Few drinks - well thats not that common in Hardwar. Better opt for Delhi or Agra and take coupons with five star hotels and am sure you will enjoy....
Reply to this Well, a few cups of tea(alcoholic drinks not necessary) and dinner in Hardiwar. We dont mind what, so long as we can just sit around and relax with the nice view. 😊
Coupons? What are the coupons for?
Reply to this You may have to search some good recognised ashrams in Hardwar to have your wish come through. Arounf ganges river it is actually not that neat and clean. If you go further up on to the hills you might find good ashrams whereyou can even stay.....Unfortunately I have not been to these ashrams except that I have a lot about these from my friends.
Coupons and special tickets these star hotels sell for christmas and new year...and it icludes food, couple of drinks and games etc.....
RAJAN
Reply to this Hi Mel, if I'm not mistaken, Rajan may be referring to Rishikesh. It's about 45 mins north of Haridwar by bus. If you're adventurous and don't mind a rather bumpy ride, you can take the public bus for a very nominal fee. Or hire a taxi. I didn't spend any time in Haridwar so I won't be able to give you a comparision. But from what I hear and based on my experience in Rishikesh, it may be a better option for you and your family, in terms of choice of food. There are very nice cafes in Rishikesh with a great view of the ganga river, and there are both ashrams and guesthouses there ;-)
Reply to this Hello Nadee 😊
I dont mind the bumpy ride but I dont have time for Rishikesh on this trip. I am just picking and choosing a few places and leaving the rest for another time. I choose Hardiwar over Rishikesh because apparently it is more traditional. Rishikesh next time.
Mel
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