[dhans]

Money and costs

India is a cheap country by any standard, but travelling with the kids certainly made it a bit more costly. For comparison; in 1997 we spent about 35 Euros a day during our seven week honeymoon in India and in 1998 we spent 25 euros a day during a trip to Nepal and Sikkim. Now our daily budget averaged 120 euros. From this amount we spent about half on accommodation, a bit over 25 % on the car plus driver and the remainder on food, drinks, entrance fees, souvenirs, tips etc. . Especially the  accommodation cost a lot compared to what we used to spent, but we were with four now, we spent more time in the hotelroom and wanted cleaner and more spacious accommodation.  We used our creditcard for paying the car and some hotels. We used our normal banking cards to get cash from ATM’s, that are now abundant.  Prices we mention are always including tax.  Like almost anywhere in Asia (and the world), tourists are overcharged in India. Two simple rules apply: ask prices before you order anything and bargain for everything. It will make your stay a lot cheaper.

Full report at: http://www.gourmetin...9266

Happy travels,

Hans