Overland India Travel

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Entering India with a Car or Motorbike

Correct as of: (date last confirmed correct)

Required Paperwork

Without a carnet de passage its virtually impossible to enter India with any kind of motorised vehicle. And they are strict about it!! Besides the carnet you obviously need your car registration, in the same name as the carnet and a pasport with a valid Visa. I have crossed into India many times and never been asked for insurance. The Indians check your papers thorougly, specially when entering at Whaga/Atari border from Pakistan. From Nepal or Bangladesh things are bit relaxter. .

Process at border

(To check if you need a travel Visa for India, application instructions and fees see: India Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)
Briefly describe the process at the border to enter with a vehicle

Cost of entry

Assuming your papers are in order there should be no costs involved crossing inti India at any landborder

Permitted length of stay

India has the rule that a foreign car can be in the country for a maximum of 6 months. After this your car should leave the country for at least 6 months! If you return before these six months the Indian customs wil continue counting as if you have never left. Some travelers solve this by going to Nepal. But officially you can only stay there for 5 months so youre always a month short. Usually if you keep moving between India and Nepal there is no problem since these border crossings are easy but once you want to ship from India or leave India to go to Pakistan, the customs might check'. If you have stayed to long and they find out, you might have to pay a heavy penelty or even have your car impounded. '

Extension of stay

Describe the process to extend the permitted length of entry for the vehicle, if possible.

Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country

Describe if/how a vehicle can be stored, and for how long.
Also mention if the owner / temporary importer can leave the country while the vehicle is in storage.

Exiting with a vehicle

Describe the paperwork requirements and process at the border to exit.

Driving in India

Insurance requirements

Yes or No if insurance is mandatory, and what kind is acceptable.

Cost of insurance

State the price of insurance and a time period.

Where to purchase insurance

Describe where insurance can be purchased.

Driving license

State the kind of driving licenses required. i.e. International Driving Permit.

Driving side of road

Left.
LHD vehicles can be driven in India

Mandatory items in vehicle

State any mandatory items that must be carried in the vehicle. (i.e. safety triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc.)

Roads

General Road quality

Give a brief description of the general road quality. Mention if one way streets are common.

Road signs

Briefly describe the overall quality & existence of road signs for directions and hazards.

Toll roads

There are more and more toll roads in India. Usually you pay rps 50 to 100 depending on the size of your vehicle but prices seem to be going up. As a foreigner they are likely to overcharge you so inspect you ticket!! Mostly the toll roads are the only decent roads in India but its not guaranteed. I once had a bypass for a small city which was so badly potholed it took me 2hrs for just 2 km. In India there is also the practise for small villages to (illigally) construct a toll barier where you have to pay local taxes. Bridges are also simetimes toll and prices are dependent on your negotation skills. .

Bribery in India

Briefly describe how common bribery is and whether it should be expected, and the best way to deal with it.

Checkpoints

describe the frequency of checkpoints (police or military and what to expect.

Traveling with pets

It should be no problem entering India with a pet as long as you have the proper papers, e.g. Pasport with all vaccinations. I have travelled to India with my dog and experienced no problems at the border. Do remember that India is not a pet friendly country. Except in the big cities like Delhi, Mombay and Calcuta, as well as the Goa region, it wil be hard to find pet food. .

Gas and Diesel price in India

Last updated: October 2012

Currency and unit to display:

Gasoline Grade Price
Unleaded €1.06 EUR per Liter[1]
Diesel €0.63 EUR per Liter[1]

Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency

Briefly describe if gas shortages are known to occur.
Also state the approximate average distance between gas stations. This is a very rough estimate.

Gas and Diesel Quality

Discuss if gasoline / diesel considered "clean" or "dirty", and generally high or low quality.
State the sulfur content of diesel, if known.

Safety and Security Considerations

Driving at night

Discuss driving at night and if it should it be avoided. Mention why.

Vehicle parking

Discuss if vehicles can be parked on the street, if they are considered "safe" at night. If vehicles can not be parked on the street, list the other options that exist.

Special driving considerations

India is the hardest country to drive in, often a nightmare. The avarage indian driver has no feeling for traffic, safety or common sense. Trucks and busses are a real danger and will easily push you off the road if it is to their advantage. The common driver has never had any traffic lesson and wil do as they please. Stopping in the middle of the road, just past a sharp and dangerous curve, overtaking without watching traffic ahead, speeding, anyway, you name any dangerous situation and you will find it in India. This combined with the huge amounts of trucks and busses, the chaotic situation in cities and the poor road signs make driving in India a real challange. Expect the unexpected and drive very very defensly. In my opinion, if you can drive in India, you can drive anywhere in the world. Watch out for speed bumps in the most unexpected places without any warning. Watch out for slow traffic like rikshaws, oxen carts, bycicles and lots and lots of pedestrians on the road. in India the road is for everyone, not just for cars. and take special care of cows. hitting one wil give you a lot of problems. And please, never drive at night!
List any roads that are not recommended to drive for safety or other security reasons.

Security advisories and information

Camping in India

Describe if organized "pay" camping is common. List the facilities commonly found at these campsites.
List the approximate average price range of camping in organized campgrounds.
Also discuss the possibility of "wild" or "roadside" camping. How common is it? Is it considered safe, or a bad idea.

Camping guide books

List and link to books specifically for camping.

Drinking water

Describe if the regular tap water is safe to drink. If not, describe where safe water can be purchased and the approximate average price range.

Navigation

Paper maps

Description of the best paper maps and where to purchase them.

GPS Maps of India

Review different GPS companies, quality and coverage (Tomtom, Garmin, OSM, Tracks4Africa). (with links to each).

GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in India

Link to sites that have a list of GPS co-ordinates (or directions) for camping locations (including "wild" campsites), propane filling, gas stations, repair shops, places of interest, etc.

Special Overland Travel interests

List any special items / places that are popular with Overlanders

Travel Guide Books

Lonely Planet India (travel Guide)
Lonely Planet India (travel Guide)
by Lonely Planet, Sarina Singh, Michael Benanav, Abig...
From $18.56 on Amazon
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
by Dan Grec
From $click on Amazon
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $22.49 on Amazon
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $click on Amazon
India Handbook (footprint - Handbooks)
India Handbook (footprint - Handbooks)
by David Stott
From $14.83 on Amazon

List good travel guide books (not necessarily Overland related.

Vehicle Maintenance

Dealers

4x4s / Trucks

Motorbikes

Local Garages

Add known good mechanics here.

Buy or sell a car or motorbike in India

Buy
Describe how a foreigner can buy a vehicle. List any difficulties or limitations on where the vehicle can be driven.

Sell
Describe how a foreigner can sell a foreign-plated vehicle, or list not possible.'

References

Links to the source of any information - blogs or discussion forums, etc.

  1. 1.0 1.1 World petrol prices, gas prices, diesel prices|MyTravelCost.com

Helpful External links

Add any helpful external links here.