The best accommodations India

Budget & Tips

Although prices have risen sharply in recent years, it is still possible to travel and stay in India on a very reasonable budget.

Low budget: it's possible to travel for less than €20 a day, eating in dhabas, staying in small guesthouses and taking sleeper class local buses or trains.

Average budget: at €60 per day, you'll be sleeping in good-quality hotels. From time to time, you can treat yourself to a luxury night or a chauffeur-driven car. All restaurants are affordable.

Big budget: with €150 to €200 per day, you'll sleep every night in a palace. You'll fly if necessary and travel in a chauffeur-driven car.

To be booked

During the major festivals that punctuate the Indian year, particularly numerous in winter, it's best to plan your accommodation in advance: the Ganesh festival in Mumbai at the end of August/beginning of September, the Pushkar fair in Rajasthan and the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela in 2025.

We advise you to book a room in the city of your arrival before you leave. You will also be asked for the address and telephone number of your accommodation at the airport when you pass through immigration. If you wish to stay in Delhi, it's best to book a hotel in advance.

What's very local

Bring your own mosquito net if you intend to sleep in budget hotels during the monsoon season and in the south all year round.

Tipping. Large and medium-sized hotels include in their prices a tax which appears on the bill and corresponds to the usual 10% service charge. In more modest establishments, where this tax is not included, it is customary to leave a few rupees as a tip, which does not have to be calculated on the bill. Generally, doormen and bellboys expect a little something ranging from 10 to 50 Rs. Money in general and tips in particular have the virtue of speeding up most processes and getting you regarded with a certain amount of respect. Baksheesh is more a way of ensuring the quality of an employee's service than a way of thanking him or her for a service rendered. If this system annoys you, take comfort in the fact that it's not as much of a "tourist trap" as you might think: Indians themselves abide by this habit and always give a small tip. Without a tip, you'll probably have to deal with grumpy, depressed doormen/drivers/guides... Having said that, let's not forget that most of the people who serve you and provide you with services here live mainly on bread and water, as we'd say back home (here, it's more like rice), and that your contribution will be greatly appreciated, without ever impoverishing you. Also, try to reward the drivers, guides and hotel staff who have gone out of their way to make your stay enjoyable. In Indian society, where the baksheesh system is omnipresent, tipping is seen as an attempt to redistribute wealth to the lowest rungs of society.

When you arrive at the hotel, you'll be asked to fill in a register with your name, address, length of stay and passport number. The hotelier is required to make a copy of your passport and complete an online form, C-Form.

For food lovers

North and South India have different versions. But in both cases, you'll enjoy hearty breakfasts in hotels or on the street, with real cooked dishes, delicately spiced, nourishing and very varied. A real pleasure to start the day. Most hotels also offer a Western version with toast and butter.

Smokers

Smoking is not permitted in public areas of hotels and other accommodation. Nor will you smoke in your room.

Tourist traps

Beware of touts at train stations and airports who will try anything to lead you to a hotel where they will receive a commission. Any lie or argument will do to make you believe that the hotel you have booked or in sight is closed, has burnt down, is fully booked, and so on.