Visitor questions and answers - travelling in India

This is a long-running collection of questions sent in by readers planning a trip to India, with answers based on personal experience travelling there. The questions span fifteen years; some of the specific train numbers, fares and rules have changed since the answer was written, so always verify the current detail before relying on it. Page 1 of 4 — see questions_two.php, questions_three.php and questions_four.php for the rest.

To submit a new question, email travelindiasmart@gmail.com. Answers are usually posted within seven days.

1. Can I just walk into an airport in India and buy a ticket?

I will be in India for about 3 weeks next Fall. I'm spontaneous and don't like booking internal travel far in advance. Can I just turn up at an airport and get a flight?

It is not unrealistic, but there are real risks:

You'll pay more. Most discounted Indian domestic fares are sold at least seven days ahead of travel. Airport-counter fares can be close to double the online price for the same flight.
The cheapest classes may be sold out. You may be forced into a higher fare class to get a seat at all.
Sometimes there's nothing. Goa weekends, the Christmas / New Year fortnight, Diwali — all routinely sell out.

Train tickets are usually easier on short notice. Indian Railways has a Foreign Tourist Quota (FTQ) with seats released for foreign passport holders only; many travellers report being able to book even same-day under FTQ on most popular routes. See our How to make train reservations online in India page for the booking process and the modern 60-day general booking window.

2. Is an AIDS test required for foreign visitors to India?

We've been told an AIDS test is required to enter India. Where can we get more information?

Tourists visiting India for less than one year are not required to take an AIDS test. The HIV test requirement applies only to foreigners on visas longer than one year. Contact your nearest Indian Consulate, or check the latest at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/, for current rules.

3. Will my GSM tri-band mobile phone work in India?

I have a GSM tri-band phone from the USA. Will it work in India on BSNL or Airtel?

Whether a phone works depends on the bands it supports and the bands the local carrier uses. A typical "tri-band" phone supports 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz — those will work in India, where the GSM bands are 900 and 1800 MHz. A phone fixed on 850 MHz (some old US-spec handsets) will not.

That said, almost all phones sold in the last decade are quad-band or 4G/5G, and almost all work in India. The simpler check: see if your phone is unlocked (so you can use a local Indian SIM card), and confirm with your carrier whether international roaming is enabled if you'd rather use your home number. See our Cell phones in India guide for SIM-card detail.

4. Are dreadlocks reserved for holy men in India?

I'm thinking of getting dreadlocks before I study in India. Are dreads reserved for holy men in Hinduism? Would they be offensive?

In short: dreadlocks (jata) are associated with sadhus — Hindu and Sikh ascetic holy men — and with the iconography of Lord Shiva. They are not, however, reserved for holy men by religious rule, and Indian society is varied enough that you'll see all kinds of hairstyles. Cultural sensitivity matters more than the hair itself: dress modestly at temples, take your shoes off where required, and don't pose for photos imitating sadhus. Most Indians won't be offended by dreadlocks on a foreign visitor.

5. Customs declaration for jewellery and electronics

We're flying Australia → Delhi → Nepal → Australia. We're bringing jewellery as gifts and our cameras and laptop. Which customs channel?

Use the red channel at Indian customs and declare anything of significant value:

Items you'll take back out of India (laptop, cameras, jewellery for personal use) should be declared on arrival; the customs officer will record the items on your passport. Carry them in hand baggage on departure for the officer to verify.
If anything declared is later lost or stolen, you'll have to pay customs duty on it on departure unless you produce a First Information Report (FIR) from local police documenting the loss/theft.
Laptop and one camera per person are normally allowed without formal declaration these days — the rules have eased.
Jewellery above the duty-free limit must go through the red channel; otherwise you risk confiscation.

6. IRCTC website keeps giving "Communication Failure"

I'm trying to book 9 train trips on IRCTC and keep getting a "Communication Failure" error during payment. Can you recommend an Indian agent?

A few things to try:

Try a different card. Indian banks sometimes flag international cards on payment gateways.
Try a different time. IRCTC has known peak-load issues; try outside the 08:00–10:00 IST booking-window rush.
Use the IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app rather than the website — payment failure rates are typically lower.
Use the Foreign Tourist Quota in person at any major railway station with an International Tourist Bureau (Mumbai CSMT, New Delhi, Chennai Central etc.) — for most routes the FTQ has seats available much closer to the day of travel than the general quota.
Approved Indrail agents abroad (the Indian Railways representative agent in your country) can sell tickets for you, but their fees are not insignificant.

If you're still abroad and don't have an Indian mobile number, see How to buy train tickets without a local Indian mobile phone.

7. Kangra Valley Railway timings

I want to take the Kangra Valley Railway from Pathankot to Palampur. Where can I find timings and fares?

Kangra Valley narrow-gauge tickets are usually only available at the stations served by the line — Pathankot Cantt is the main starting point. Schedules and fares change. Confirm directly with Pathankot Railway Station (the station enquiry number on the Indian Railways enquiry portal at https://www.indianrail.gov.in/ is the most reliable starting point), or check live train status on the IRCTC app.

The Kangra Valley line has had multiple service interruptions over the years for monsoon damage, track work, etc. Confirm the train is running before you commit to the trip.

8. Same-day train booking from Ahmedabad to Porbandar

Arriving in Ahmedabad mid-day, can I email my passport details ahead of time to book the Saurashtra Express the same evening?

Don't email passport details for ticket booking. It is not a documented Indian Railways procedure and you don't want copies of your passport floating around online.

What you can do instead:

The International Tourist Bureau at Ahmedabad railway station (and at most other major stations) lets foreign passport holders buy tickets in person on a priority basis through the Foreign Tourist Quota. Walk in with your passport; tickets for same-day travel are routinely available.
Book online through IRCTC under your account's foreign-nationality setting — the FTQ extends to online booking too.

9. "Only confirmed RAC ticket only up to time of charting" — what does that mean?

Booking a Chennai → Bangalore ticket online, IRCTC shows two messages: "Only confirmed RAC ticket only up to the time of charting" and "You entered more than 4 characters."

The first is not an error — it's an information notice. RAC stands for Reservation Against Cancellation: a passenger holding an RAC ticket gets a seat (not a berth) when someone with a confirmed booking does not show up; allocation happens at the chart-preparation point a few hours before departure. The notice is just telling you that RAC slots can be reserved up until charting. Click OK and continue.

The second error means the station code field is expecting a three-letter station code (MAS for Chennai Central, SBC for Bangalore City). Click the small icon next to the station name to look up codes if you don't know them by heart.

A practical recommendation: on routes with Shatabdi or Vande Bharat service, take the premium daytime train rather than worrying about RAC. Shatabdi is fully air-conditioned, includes meals, and runs faster than the express services.

10. Train schedule looks too good to be true — is the website out of date?

I found a schedule showing 6023/6024 Chennai-Bangalore Express departing 1300 and arriving 1445. Is that reliable?

Almost certainly not. The Chennai-to-Bangalore distance is about 360 km — a 1 hour 45 minute run would average over 200 km/h, faster than any Indian train. The schedule is out of date (and probably from a third-party site that hasn't been updated). Always cross-check on the official IRCTC website at https://www.irctc.co.in/ or the Indian Railways enquiry portal at https://www.indianrail.gov.in/.

Note also that "Express" and "Superfast" in Indian Railways nomenclature only mean the train is a bit faster than a Mail/Passenger train; the real fast services are Shatabdi, Rajdhani, Tejas, Vande Bharat and a couple of others.

Submit a new question

Email travelindiasmart@gmail.com. We answer most questions within seven days and post the more useful ones here for everyone.