Tips in General | Passport & Visa | Where to Stay | Carry them, Always | Restricted & Protected Area |
Health Regulations | Money & Foreign Exchange

Other Informations

Language
Hindi is the national language, but each region has its own official regional language. English is very widely understood all over the country and serves as the link language.

Liquor/drugs

	Certain states (eg Gujarat) have a prohibition policy. This does not apply to foreigners. They are advised to obtain liquor permits from the Govt. of India Tourist Offices in India or abroad.
	Possession of drugs (opium, hashish, marijuana, etc.) is illegal.

Time/Measurements

	Indian Standard Time (IST) is five and a half hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time(GMT).
	India has officially adopted the Metric system of measurements.
	All packaged goods have to have a maximum retail price (MRP) printed on the packaging, inclusive of all taxes.
	Taxis and auto-rickshaw fares change regularly and do not always conform to the meter reading. Ask for the latest official fare-conversion tariff-card so that the meter-reading can be read in conjunction with it. Tipping is not customary, except in restaurants, and at the discretion of the customer.

Export Regulations
Export of most wildlife and their products is banned or strictly regulated, even as personal baggage. Certain permissible items require an appropriate export permit.

Communications
The postal services in India are efficient and there are many courier companies in most cities who are connected globally. There are STD (domestic) and ISD (international) telephone booths in every town, most of which have fax sending and receiving facilities. It is also possible to hire cellular phones or pagers in all the major cities.

Tourist information centres
The India Tourist Offices in India and in many cities abroad are run by the Government of India Department of Tourism. They are very helpful, and a source of excellent maps, pamphlets, addresses, etc. Get in touch with the nearest Tourist Office for information.

Photography

	Ask permission before taking any photographs, if possible try to carry a Polaroid instant camera. Indians loved to be photographed. You can earn a lot of cooperation and friendship.
	Photography is prohibited in places of military importance, railway stations, bridges, airports and military installations.

Indian Railways Classes
The Indian Railways have 8 Classes of accommodation available. They are as under :-

	Ist Class AC Sleeper Car.
	AC 2 Tier Sleeper Car.
	AC 3 Tier Sleeper Car.
	AC Chair Car.
	First Class Ordinary.
	Sleeper Class Ordinary.
	Chair Car Ordinary.
	General Class.
	Reservation is computerized.

Refund Rules
If an unused ticket without reservation is presented up to 3 hours after the departure of the train, full fare after deducting Rs.10/- per passenger, will be refunded.

Lost Tickets
No claim for refund is entertained in the case of lost or misplaced or torn tickets.