Checklist
The packages are based on hotel rooms with breakfast and transfers & tours by private chauffeur driven vehicles. Air fares, entrances, guides and meals and are quoted apart. The tours are flexible and you can start the tours any day of the year.
Guided Tours
Add the cost of local guides & entrance fees which are quoted apart for a guided tour. In some of the cities, services of Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Chinese speaking guides are also available at an extra cost. If language speaking guides are not available, we will be providing you with the services of English speaking guides. The tours are flexible and you can start the tours any day of the year.
Customized Tours
Add or remove days/cities to suite you from the tours given on our web-site. Or let us know the cities you wish to visit and we will quote you accordingly. Do let us know the number of people travelling, the dates, the type/budget/names of the hotels. If you wish for any other hotels not given in our web-site, we will be glad to quote you on the same.Top
All hotels offer air-conditioned accommodation and private facilities. The breakfast is included in the cost and normally consists of Indian and Continental dishes. In houseboats and jungle resorts meals are included.
We have broadly classified the hotels as follows (In every case, you can change to the hotels of your choice):
Heritage Many old palaces/castles/forts and havelis have been converted into hotels. Some of these hotels are huge and some are quite small. In places where these hotels are not available, we are quoting you on normal hotels. You have a possibility of selecting the hotel of your choice.
LuxuryHotels are of luxury category or the next best available. You have a possibility of selecting the hotel of your choice.
SuperiorHotels are of 5 star or the next best available. You have a possibility of selecting the hotel of your choice.
First class Hotels are a combination of 5 & 4 star category or the next best available. You have a possibility of selecting the hotel of your choice.
Economy Hotels are a mixture of 3, 2 star and tourist category hotels. You have a possibility of selecting the hotel of your choice. Confirmation of desired hotels is subject to availability. In case rooms are not available, bookings will be made in alternate an hotel and you will be informed in advance of any supplement or reduction.
At times we have not followed the Government guide lines but have classified them as per their quality .
If you wish for any other hotels not given in our web-site, we will be glad to quote you on the same.
Check-in and check-out timings at most hotels is 1200 hrs noon. In Houseboats, hotels of Taj, Oberoi and some other hotels, check-in is 1400 hrs and check-out is 1000 hrs Top
Air-conditioned transport (cooling) is used excepting in Kashmir, Ladakh, Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan, Tibet,and a few other places. In some places, where coaches are not available, smaller vehicles will be used.
The chauffeur driven transport is for your exclusive use. During jungle safaris transport may be shared by other visitors. In guaranteed departures, transport will be shared by others.
A half day tour is for about four hours. A full day tour is for six to eight hours. Where long distances are covered in the same vehicle (Rajasthan, Kerala, etc), transport is at your disposal. Check details with us. The transport to be used is -
Small or medium sized cars : These cars can seat upto 3 people and two to three pieces of baggage and the brands are Suzuki Swift, Toyota Ethios, Tata Indigo etc.
Large sized cars : These cars can seat upto 4 people and three to four pieces of baggage and the brands are Toyota Innova, Chevrolet Tavera, etc.
Tempo Travelers :These vans or similar vehicles although are 10 seaters, they can comfortably seat 6 to 7 people and have sufficient space for baggage.
Large coaches : These coaches have 27 to 35 seats and are idle for the groups and have sufficient baggage space
DZire
Indigo
Innova
Tempo
Tempo front
Mini Coach
Large Coach
Large coach interior
In Economy Category, second air-conditioned class or economy class is foreseen.
If the above classes are not be available, we shall book the best available class. You will be informed in advance.
First class & executive class is available on limited trains.
There are no dining facilities on Indian trains. Meals are included in certain trains and in most of the trains, are available at a small cost.
In the night journeys a sleeping berth with a bed roll and in the day journeys normal seating is foreseen.
In first class, the compartments have two or four berths and have a proper door to close for privacy. There is no guarantee of your getting a two berth or a four berth cabin.
The railways do not allow you to buy all the four berths of a first class cabin if only two of you are traveling. Every empty berth/seat is offered to other wait-listed passengers.
The second air-conditioned class has four berths in the cabin and two berths in the passage. There are no doors but only a curtain for privacy.
The third air-conditioned class has six berths in the cabin and two berths in the passage and there are neither doors nor curtains.
No refund or compensation can be claimed from Indian Railways in case of any cancellation of a train or delay in their departure/arrival or loss of baggage.
For reservations we need the full name, gender (Mr or Ms), date of birth, passport number, and nationality.
The bookings are non-transferable.
Normally the train reservations open 120 days prior to departure.
If a particular train is full, we may offer you an alternate. We will be informing you in advance.
We need the following information at the time of bookings:
Hotel bookings : Name, nationality and arrival/departure details with timings.
Tour bookings : Name, nationality and arrival/ departure details with timings.
Flight bookings : Name, nationality with gender (male or female) & passport details.
Train bookings : Name, nationality with gender (male or female), birth dates and a copy of passport.
For groups, the policies depend on the hotels being used. The cancellation policies for Individuals is:
Cancellation received from booking date to 30 days prior to arrival into India - 10% of total billing.
Cancellation received less than 29 days upto 21 days prior to arrival into India - 50% of total billing.
Cancellation received less than 20 and upto 15 days prior to arrival into India - 75% of total billing.
Cancellation received less than 14 days prior to arrival into India - 100% of total billing.
At times, certain services or hotels can ONLY be reserved against deposit or full payment, which of course will be advised to you in advance and accordingly charged also .
MOST IMPORTANT: ONCE WE ISSUE THE NON REFUNDABLE GUARANTEED VOUCHERS TO THE HOTELS, THERE WILL NOT BE ANY REFUND, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE TIME OF CANCELLATION.
CANCELLATION POLICY - For Flight & Train reservations:
Once the Flight tickets ISSUED in Normal Economy class, there will be cancellation of US$ 25 per person/ sector. For Flight tickets issued under INSTANT PURCHASE/ CHEAPER/SPECIAL airfares, full cancellation fees will be applicable. No layover or compensation may be available in case of any cancellation of flight or late running of a flight in case of Low Cost Airlines.
For Train ticket, once issued, the cancellation of US$ 5 per person per sector will be applicable if cancelled more than 3 days prior to travel. Certain trains like Shatabdi Express, Palace on Wheels, Tatkal (special fare) etc. do not fall in this category of cancellations and cancellation of the reserved space on these trains is subject to cancellation of 20-50% at any time. No layover or compensation is offered by the Railways in case of any cancellation of a train journey or late running of a train.
1. Online Payment (There will be an additional charge of 4 %).
Option: 1
https://www.india-travel.com/payment/pay.html (Master, Visa, American Express, Jcb & Diners Club credit card)
Option: 2
http://www.india-travelinfo.com/op/pay.html (Master & Visa credit card)
2. Bank Cheque
The cheque in favour of Services International Ltd should reach us at least three months in advance.
Services International Ltd.,
25/8, Guru house Old Rajinder Nagar,
New Delhi 110060,
India.
3. Bank Transfer .
Beneficiary : SERVICES INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Bank Name : Standard Chartered Bank
Address : 1st Floor, Express Building, 9-10, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-110 002.
US$ Account number: 520-0-501721-8
EURO Account number: 520-0-502282-3
CAD and other currency Account number: 520-0-500522-8
Swift Code- SCBLINBBXXX
4. Credit Cards - American Express (There will be an additional charge of 3 %) .
I ___________________________ (Cardmember Name) Hereby authorize
_________________________(Merchant Name) to charge my American Express Card an amount of Rs.__________________ for the Servies rendered.
Card number:
Card expiry date: __ __ / __ __ __ __ [MM/YYYY]
Billing address _____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
City ___________________________________ Pin Code: _______________
Telephone: ( )____________________________ Mobile: ________________________
I understand that the Record of charges in respect of Services Recieved / Availed by me, submitted by Merchant Establishment as mentioned below to American Express Banking Corp. will neither bear my signature nor the imprint of the Card and I therefore undertake to unconditionally honor and pay without any demur and contentions, the charges as and when I am billed for the same by American Express Banking Corp.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
(Signature as it appears on the American Express Card)
Name: ________________________________________________________________
To be filled by Merchant Establishment
Merchant number __________________________________________
Merchant name ____________________________________________
Fax Number ____________________________________________
Contact Number ____________________________________________
Contact Person ____________________________________________
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Credit cards - Visa or Mastercard (There will be an additional charge of 3 % )
25/8 Old Rajinder Nagar
New Delhi 110060, India,
I hereby authorize Services International LTD to debit my Credit Card Account, details of which are:
Visa Card / Master Card (kindly tick the appropriate card type)
Name of the Cardholder : __________________________________________
Credit Card No : ___________________________________________________
Expiry Dat e:______/______ (MM/YY) (Should be valid for at least 6 months)
Amount : ____________
Issued by :___ __________________________________ (Name of the issuing bank)
Complete Address :_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Contact No: ____________________________________
I understand that all payments for services rendered/to be rendered are to be charged to my Credit card account and I undertake to unconditionally honor and pay the said charges as and when I am billed for the same by the aforementioned bank.
I agree to inform Services International LTD in writing about the alternative payment option in the event that the above card is cancelled, substituted, or not renewed.
Signature of the Cardholder (As appearing on the Credit Card): _________________________________________________
Place : _____________________________
Date : ______________________________
Encl: Photocopy of the front & back side of the credit card duly signed by me
Services International LTD: Option to International Credit Cardholders
As a convenience to our international customers, we now offer you a choice to be billed in your card billing currency or Indian Rupees when you pay with a Visa or MasterCard payment card. Please indicate your choice of transaction currency by checking the box below and signing, to confirm your option.
_______________________________________ (Signature) I would like my bill to be transacted in my card billing currency
_______________________________________ (Signature) I would like my bill to be transacted in Indian Rupees/billing to be in INR in case card billing currency is not supported for DCC
Your choice of transaction currency is final. The exchange rate for currency conversion will be determined on the order processing date. This service is offered by the merchant's service provider. No additional fee or commission is applied.
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Indian Visa
A valid visa can be obtained from the nearest Indian mission in your country. If visiting any other country along with India (example Nepal) , you have to apply for a multi-entry visa for India. Please check with the Indian Embassy as some changes are being made.
Nepal Visa
A visa can be obtained in advance from the Nepalese mission or on ARRIVAL at Kathmandu airport with one photograph.
Documentation
A valid passport for at least 6 months. Vaccinations are not obligatory but anti-malaria medicines are recommended. Consult your doctor for any medicines you may require during your visit. For people coming from African & South American continent consult your travel agents for Yellow Fever Vaccination.
Baggage allowance
The baggage allowance is normally 15 to 30 kilos but varies from airline to airline. Normally 1 handbag is allowed. For safety reasons, your suitcase should be locked. All liquids, more than the specified quantity, should be placed in your checked in baggage..
Tipping
Although not obligatory, guides, drivers, porters etc. expect a tip. Depending on the quality of the service, we suggest you to tip them equivalent to USD$ 5 to 10 for the tour guide, driver/per day and US$ 1 for the porter. Tipping in the restaurants depends on the quality of the food/services. You may tip 10% of the bill amount.
Currency
The currency is INDIAN RUPEE (INR) & comes in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 Rupees. Coins are in denominations of 50 paise, one rupee, two rupees, five rupees and ten ruppees. We suggest you to carry Travellers cheques. All major credit cards etc. are accepted. You may withdraw cash in local currency from ATMs available in all the major cities. You may exchange money either in the hotels or banks/money changers against an official receipt.
Restroom facilities
Most public washroom facilities in India are of the traditional Western Style toilets. Please carry your own toilet paper and hand wipes. The washroom facilities in most of your hotels are as you are accustomed to.
Meals/drinks
The breakfast at most of the hotels is usually buffet style and has a mix of Indian and Continental dishes. Lunch and Dinners is also normally available in buffet style as well as A la Carte. Most Indian food is cooked, not raw and is safe to eat. If you are sensitive to spicy food, please ask for NO SPICE food. A wide variety of fresh fruits/juices is available round the year. A large variety of vegetarian food is available. Mineral water and other beverages are not included in the meal cost and needs to be paid for if used.
Taxis
Taxis are not very expensive. You also have less expensive mode of travel called Auto Rickshaw which cost you almost half of the taxi fare. Please insist on the meter fare or negotiate before boarding. It is recommended that you carry the name card of the hotel. You may also get private taxis with drivers which are hired on half or full day basis.
Traffic and Safety
Traffic is chaotic and we drive on the left side. The traffic rules are not followed & you need to be careful walking on the roadsides. Self-driving is possible in certain cities with a valid International driving license but we recommend you to take chauffeur driven cars which are not expensive and are available all over India/Nepal.
Do's & Dont's
Removing shoes is a must before entering a shrine. Some Temples are off-limits to visitors. People should be properly dressed and should cover their head before entering a Sikh Temple , cover their legs while entering a mosque etc.. In most of Hindu and Jain temples leather products like shoes, belts, handbags, camera cases etc. are prohibited in the main shrine and should be left outside or in your bus. Smoking is not permitted in public places as well as in the bus.
Shopping
India is a paradise for shopping - you may find souvenirs, handicrafts, antiquities, carpets, precious and semi precious stones, gold and silver jewels, spices, woodcrafts, clothes in cotton and silk. Every nook and corner of India offers a different product and you can hard-bargain for the prices everywhere except at the shops or emporiums which are run by the Govt.
Climate & clothing
Basically a tropical country cotton clothing is recommended. From April to October it is hot and dry barring the two months of July/August of rains when it gets humid. Winter months are November till March. This is the best period to visit India . In December, January and February it may get quite cold in some parts of the country and you will need woolens.
Electricity
India has 220 volts/50 cycles of Alternating Current (AC). 2 or 3 round pin plugs are used.
Time
India lies east of Greenwich and has a time difference of 5.30 hrs in winter and 4.30 in summer.
Travel Insurance
Travel Insurance is recommended and should be taken from your home country and should cover medical assistance, repatriation, cancellation or curtailment of your travel, loss of baggage or valuables etc. All our transport as well as that of the suppliers carry a comprehensive insurance for the vehicle, driver and the passengers - as per the prevailing laws of the country. Claims, if any, will be processed as per the Indian Laws in local currency. No claim is possible in case of any damaged/lost or delay of the baggage and is not covered by the insurance either.