Accommodation in India
Depending on your chosen type of accommodation, your room will vary. India offers some beautiful international hotels of a very high standard. In general, accommodation is clean, comfortable and acceptable for western travellers. All the hotels have private facilities. You may even be lucky enough to stay in a palace that a King once lived in as a lot of palaces in India have now been converted into 5 star hotels.
There are lot of other hotels and lodgings that are available for cheap prices. You can book them through telephone or email. When booking your reservation, ask for a pick up from the airport or the train station if that´s how you are arriving.
Some of the websites that you can use to book your accommodation are:
www.makemytrip.com/hotels/
www.booking.com/country/in.en.html
www.travelguru.com/
These three websites will help you make your booking anywhere in India. They provide hotels fitting any budget, from one star to five star. Not forgetting there are car rentals available too, so you do not need to worry about finding another car rental website as these are one of the most famous and most prefered in India.
Renting a car in India
If travelling around India on the rail network is not for you, consider renting a car in India and travel in comfort. There are Indian rental cars to suit every budget from economy class to luxury.
The cost of renting a car in India varies, depending on the type of car that is being rented and the place where it is being rented from. Visitors should expect to pay daily for an air conditioned car with chauffeur, including fuel and taxes. Renting a car for a day means the rental is 8 hours and 80 kilometers. If time or mileage exceeds this limit, a per kilometer charge is added to the daily rate.
Renting a car in India usually includes a driver. This suits most visitors as no one would want to drive in difficult traffic conditions anyway. In case a car without a driver is required, then rental companies require a hefty deposit. In the event any damage is done to the car the deposit is forfeited. Furthermore in India, liability waiver and collision waivers are not easily available, insurance companies do not offer this type of protection in India.
In case of a minor accident, for a self driven vehicle, the renter is fully liable. To rent a car without a chauffeur. You need to submit a photocopy of your driving license, credit card and passport. In case you do not have a passport, any other acceptable proof of your identification needs to be submitted. The best option if you want to avoid all the hassles is to rent a car with a chauffeur.
There are many taxi stands in major cities that rent cars, either for the day or to destinations all over India. While prices will depend on the type of car you rent. To give you an example, The Tata Indica (5 seats) air conditioned car should not cost more than $20-$25 per day.
This should include a chauffeur as well as the cost of fuel, insurance etc.