Price of taxis etc

alidoll

How much does it cost to get around India from place to place ? i.e from hotel to shopping, to sights. I have a slight mobility problem so cant walk long distances.

I was thinking of styaing at Rahul Palace - had good reviews wherever I have looked (trip advisor etc) but is it too out of the way ?

When I was in bangkok is cost peanuts to get about, and I was just wondering if Delhi was the same (I am an expert haggler by the way)

I also need to join a tour at Siddarth Hotel and dont know where that is in relation to anywhere.

My budget is up to £30 per night, so any good recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Merchant

Price varies wildly. Usually it's negotiable (some big city taxis have meters, though). Just agree on price before you drive off, else you're screwed. Autorickshaws are far cheaper than taxis--so use them for short distances. Cars attached to hotels are usually more expensive than taxis at a stand. By and large, taxis are not expensive in India, though you will always feel as if you have paid more than you should have (can't be helped).

You'll be encouraged to hire a guy for the day, instead of just to drop you off somewhere. It's the Indian norm to retain the guy for a day of touring, and it is to your great advantage. Included in the price are all the driver's services--as translator, fixer, emissary, protector, guide, etc. He'll take good care of you beyond just the driving, and when you walk out of the Red Fort and into a sea of identical Indian drivers and their identical cars, your guy will hail you and take you back to your hotel.

So if you'll be in one spot for a few days, hire one guy for the duration (assuming you like him and his English is good). It makes things much easier.

alidoll

Thank you for that excellent advice, but how much are we talking about ?

Say I wanted to go here there and everywhere in a day in Delhi, stopping off at tourist places and maybe being about 8 hours or so ?

I know it varies widely, but even a rough price ?

I hired a driver in Nairobi for the day and he took me everywhere possible and it was $20 USD. A tuk tuk in Bangkok was $4-5 for the day.

I do like the fact that he will spot me a mile away before I get harassed by someone else.

Thanks

Merchant

Should be under $20 (800 rupees or so) for a full day of touring in Delhi--that's in a car. An autorickshaw (tuk-tuk) will be half that, but you'll be face-to-exhaust pipe with all the traffic.

alidoll

Thank you, seems extemely reasonable when you see what I pay for taxis in Edinburgh !!

One last thing, how do they like to be paid, rupees or do they like dollars sometimes ?

Merchant

Everything in India is to be paid in rupees. There are restrictions on exchanging money. So dollars in the hands of a taxi driver aren't useful (he'd be royally screwed in some informal exchange arrangement). There's no parallel dollar economy in India.

alidoll

Thanks, no more questions from me !