Flights
Again there are so many to choose from these days. The price usually sticks around the same amount, but if you do some eager price checking you can find you can save yourself some much-needed pennies.
Where you want to go can also change the price. Whether you make India your numero uno destination or are stopping off along the way to absorb the culture, there is a flight deal to suit all trips and budgets.
By far and away the deal that offers the most for your money is a round-the-world ticket, for approx £1000 including taxes you can get a deal that allows you between 6-10 flights (as long as you go one way and are not over your allotted mileage).
A return flight from London to
Delhi comes in at about £350-£450 depending on time of year.
Visas & Passports
All foreign nationals, including children, require a visa to enter India . It is advised that you apply in person for your visa; this can be done at the India High Commission in London and usually takes from 2 hours to process on the day. Alternatively the Consulate General of India in Birmingham and in Edinburgh issue visas. Or you can apply by post, application forms can be downloaded on the India High Commission's website, www.hcilondon.net/visa
To obtain a visa you will need a current passport that extends at least 3 months after the end of your trip. Once you have acquired a visa it will be attached to an empty page in your passport. You will be required to show this visa on arrival and departure from the country.
In most cases you will need to have purchased a plane ticket before you can apply for your visa, so make sure you have proof of purchase available. And if you plan to cross in and out of the country during your visit make sure you have appropriate documentation for the countries you intend to visit. That means keeping a few of those passport pages spare!
A few simple things to keep in mind:
- Be organised.
- Phone in advance and check out opening hours of the visa section and details of the documents you must carry.
- Have the documents in order for the clerk with your departure and arrival dates handy.
- Arrive early and be prepared to stand in a queue.
- On receiving your visa make sure you check whether the important details are correct before you leave the embassy.
- If you are in no hurry you could apply for your visa via post.
- Make sure you apply in plenty of time, but bear in mind that visas are valid from the date of issue not date of entry, so do not apply too soon either.
- Make it a point to carry passport size photographs with you, preferably endorsed. Most countries require at least 2 passport photographs to process your visa.
Useful Links
Other useful websites and points of contact are listed below. It's a good idea to check out the price of your visa/visa's and any recent changes to requirements that may have been made.
Call us on:
0800 032 33 50