Your first trip to India: the honest checklist

India rewards preparation more than most countries, and punishes over-planning just as quickly. The sweet spot is to lock the big moving parts — flights, long-distance trains, the first two nights — and leave the rest loose.

Start with the e-Visa. Most nationalities can apply online about a month before travel; keep a printed copy with you, because immigration queues are not the moment to hunt through email. Carry two passport photos as well; they are still asked for at some monuments and permits.

Get a local SIM at the airport on arrival, or order an eSIM before you fly. Almost everything in India now runs through a phone number — UPI payments, ride hailing, train updates, restaurant tables. Without a working Indian number you fall back on cash and hotel desks.

On money: carry a few thousand rupees in small notes for autos, chai and temple donations, and use cards or UPI for everything else. ATMs are plentiful in cities and unreliable in mountain districts, so withdraw before heading to Spiti, Ladakh or the deeper North East.

Trains are the best way to cross the plains. Book AC 2-tier or AC 3-tier on IRCTC as soon as your dates are fixed — popular routes sell out sixty days ahead. For anything under four hours, a car with a driver usually wins on flexibility.

The packing mistake? Too many clothes, too few layers. India swings from 6°C mornings in Rajasthan to 34°C afternoons on the same day. Two pairs of trousers, a scarf, a light fleece and shoes you can slip off at temple doors will carry you further than a full suitcase.