Travel Benefits - Incentives for Tourists Visiting India
Travel Facilities - Cost of Rail tickets - Government Provided Benefits for Tourists in India
Regardless of the city tourists initially arrive in India. Many of them will most probably travel to different cities in India as part of their planned vacation or business trip.
India is a vast country and for travel within the country to
different Indian cities the main options are the Indian Railways or
the various airlines that operate in India.
Tourists in India have three advantages that can help them plan
their visit in India and perhaps also save them some money.
There are some benefits provided by the Indian government to tourists, especially foreign tourists that can save them money and also help them avoid long lineups when purchasing railway tickets in India.
- Priority reservation for train travel.
- The Indrail Pass for train travel.
- Visit India Fare for air travel.
Are the programs designed for tourists to promote tourism in India.
Priority Reservation For Train Travel
Tourists Foreign tourists have an advantage of getting train
reservations on a priority basis if they choose to travel within
India on trains.
The Government of India has allotted a special quota of seats especially for foreign visitors travelling within India. This ensures that foreign tourists can get reservations for trains even on the day of travel. The cost of these tickets is also the same as what the local Indians pay. however to avail this facility tourists need to show their passports and pay in foreign currency.
The most economical way to see India is to purchase the unlimited
rail travel pass called the Indrail Pass.
The Indrail Pass is available for periods of 7 to 90 days.
With this pass you can travel on all trains within the time frame
chosen. This can be very useful if tourists have plans to visit
several cities in India.
Indrail Pass holder can also travel on the fast trains like Rajdhani
and Shatabdi. These trains are air conditioned and perhaps the best
trains to travel for tourists.
Plan your travels so you can sleep comfortably in the train
during the night and arrive in the morning at your destination.
The Indrail Pass is much cheaper than the
Visit India airlines Pass. The other difference is that
while the Visit India airlines pass does not allow travelling the
same route twice the Indrail Pass has no such restrictions.
The Indrail Pass does not permit travel on the Palace on Wheels,
Deccan Odyssey, Heritage on Wheels or the Fairy Queen train.
International Tourist Bureaus are located at various important cities all over India. These provide assistance to the foreign tourists and NRIs regarding enquiries, booking, reservation and travel planning.
Northern Railway Tourist Bureaus are located in the following cities:
|
KOLKATA |
CHENNAI |
BANGALORE |
AHMEDABAD |
|
SECUNDERABAD |
JAIPUR |
JODHPUR |
VARANASI |
|
NEW DELHI |
AGRA-CANTT. |
AURANGABAD |
MUMBAI |
|
RAMESHWARAM |
VADODARA |
VASCO-DA-GAMA |
International Tourist Bureau at New Delhi functions from 08:00hrs to 20:00hrs from Monday to Saturday and on Sunday from 08:00hrs to 14:00hrs.
Foreign Tourist Rail Reservation Counter is also at the Delhi Tourism & Transport Development Corporation office situated at Indira Gandhi International Airport at Arrival Lounge.
International Tourist Bureaus issue reserved tickets to the Foreign Tourists and NRIs holding valid passport against payment in US dollars, Pounds, Sterling and in Rupees against Encashment Certificate.
These Bureaus also sell Indrail passes which enable a tourist to travel wherever he likes, whenever he likes and whichever trains he likes within the validity period. Indrail pass however, does not guaranty reserved accommodation. (Please be advised that despite purchasing a Indrail Pass, passengers must get a confirmed reservation for the train they wish to travel in. Reservations to Indrail Pass holders are provided free.)
The fares of Indrail Passes are in US dollars. Rules are printed on the Indrail passes.
The foreign tourists can also purchase Indrail passes from the General Sales Agents appointed abroad and Rail Travel Agents appointed in India.
A separate foreign tourist quota has been provided in all classes on almost all trains for the facility of the tourists.
A tourist can obtain reservations against Indrail passes from any reservation office over Indian Railways.
(Tip: Before purchasing the Indrail Pass plan your travel routes and try and get the reservations made at the same time. This will ensure that you have reserved seats for your choice of travel dates. I personally find that it is better to buy the pass in India where reservations can be confirmed immediately.)