India: Before You Go Guide (Printable + iPad)

India is one of the most rewarding trips you can take, and one of the easiest to get wrong: an online e-Visa and a new arrival card, trains that need an IRCTC account, UPI payments that foreigners cannot simply use, touts at the station, heat, air pollution, altitude and a dress code that changes by region.

This 28-page printable guide puts everything you should know before a trip to India in one place, in short, plain-English points with real numbers, researched in September and October 2026 with links to official sites so you can double-check anything.

WHAT'S INSIDE

• Visa and entry paperwork (e-Tourist Visa, e-Arrival Card, passport rules, permits)
• Money (rupees, ATM limits, cards, UPI for visitors, tipping, bargaining, two-tier monument prices)
• Getting around (IRCTC, train classes, waitlists, Foreign Tourist Quota, flights, metros, ride apps, autos)
• Phone and internet (tourist SIMs, eSIMs, coverage in Kashmir and Ladakh)
• Etiquette and dress
• Food, water and eating safely
• Weather, seasons and festivals
• Health and vaccines
• Scams and safety
• Where to stay
• Book ahead: sights and permits
• Choosing where to go and permits
• Sample daily budgets
• What things cost: 22 prices, from chai to a Taj Mahal ticket
• A month-by-month calendar: weather, crowds, festivals and what to watch out for
• A pre-trip countdown checklist, from 3 to 6 months out to travel day
• A tick-box packing checklist (39 items)
• A first-day checklist for arrival day
• 20 useful Hindi phrases with easy pronunciation
• Emergency numbers
• Two editions: a printable PDF and an iPad edition with a tappable contents page

PERFECT FOR

• First-time visitors to India
• Anyone who wants the practical details in one place
• Travellers who like to arrive prepared
• A thoughtful gift for someone with an India trip booked

PAIRS WELL WITH

Our India Travel Guide (the 150 best things to do, by region) for what to see once you're there.

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

You'll receive 2 PDFs. No physical item will be shipped.

• Print edition (28 pages): US Letter, prints fine on A4
• iPad edition (37 pages): tappable contents, room to write

This guide is general travel information, not legal, medical or immigration advice. Entry rules depend on your nationality: always confirm with the official sites before you travel.

PLEASE NOTE

Rules and prices were checked in September and October 2026 and are subject to change: visa fees, fares, hotel rates and taxes can change without notice, and some details are marked "check before you go" where official sources could not be confirmed. Please confirm important details with the official sites before you travel. Photos are illustrative. Researched and written with the help of AI tools.

Made by Global Trip Insight. For personal use only.