cost!(backpacking)

angelakim

Hi All!
I'm planning to go to India for about 2 months from June-ish.
don't have specific plans, but want to visit as many cities as possible.
I'll probably be staying in dormitories, hostels, or share room with someone else..(but I don't want to sleep in miserable places..) for the food, I think I'll be able to handle local restaurants.

so...here's the big question,

I was thinking to bring 4,900 rupees per week, is it enough?

if not, what's the reasonable amount for backpacker?

thanks in advance
Namaste!

capt_mahajan

there are many similar threads here with a detailed breakup of costs, do search.

Meanwhile, 700 rupees a day is tough, all inclusive, and you will not be able to avoid 'miserable places' in bigger cities.
Transport, travel, water and food can eat quite a bit into the budget, and it does look like you are planning to cover a lot of ground.

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angelakim

Thanks!
I'll keep looking for other threads

delhiwala

At Rs. 700 per day, you'll have to rough it out and you can't visit many cities as travel costs will eat into your budget.

I do not know what do you mean by miserable places to sleep, but hotels do not come cheap even at budget end. In Delhi a very basic room at Paharganj will cost you at least Rs. 300. Food will at least 150 per day, that leaves you with Rs. 250 only. Site Entrance fee and local travel are other factors to be considered.

Budget at least Rs. 1200 per day for a very shoe string tour....

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gaurav1441

You need to avoid expensive cities like Mumbai and stay more in lesser known cities. Howe-ever tourism oriented cities/towns have more options to stay.Also, need to book early your trains/bus in order to avid last minute emergencies..etc. But within Rs700 is very difficult to manage.

wonderwomanusa

$14/day is enough for food and lodging in many places, but it won't allow you to travel.

There are guest houses with dormitories. In Delhi, there's Sonny's Guest House. In Puri, the Z Hotel has a women-only dorm. Both those places are clean enough, and have hot water, convenient places to eat. If you're young and can sleep on a plank bed with a thin cotton mattress, you'll be fine.

You may want to have more money available, however, to eat a bit higher up on the food scale.

Beware of sharing rooms with strangers.

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OceanTragic

If you want to visit any of the major forts or palaces etc then each place often costs Rs200. In the space of (a hectic) 24 hours we visited four monuments so entrance fees alone would have blown your daily budget.

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steven_ber

Rs700 is easier than the comments in this thread would suggest.

Yes, you have to be a little careful, and you may not be able to visit many world heratige sites, and Mumbai will kill your budget, but apart from that, just a little care is all that's needed.

Rs2-300 for rooms

and for travel......

Sleeper Class costs Rs200 for 400kms, Rs300 for 700kms, so using overnight trains means it doesn't cost you anything, as you would have spent that money on a room for the night.

In town, don't use autos or taxis, instead, walk, use local busses, or use cycle rickshaws.

You can get very good Veg meals, snacks, breakfast from any of the many restaurant chains in India, food & drinks (non alc) should cost between Rs150 and 200 per day, and that's eating well, it can be done for half that at cheaper places.

So what have we got so far, hotels, food, drink and transport costing Rs500 per day leaving 200 for other things.

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machadinha

Yes; I was reluctant to comment, and I certainly don't want to drive anyone to ending up skint on the road; but I don't think it has to cost you 1200 on a shoestring level no.

See my very personal take on my own recent costs here: India a price guide!!

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machadinha

ps

That's a very good note though; It is popular and common among budget travelers to hook up to share rooms and so cut expenses (double rooms are usually just marginally more expensive than singles, so being solo you're at a disadvantage here).

Having traveled there on a rock-bottom budget in the past though, I soon learned that with different lifestyles or daily rhythms and whatnot, those few bucks may really be worth your privacy. (To name but one thing, having given up on certain substances myself I'm not particularly fond of someone filling up my room with drugs paraphernalia within seconds of settling in, leaving us both open to whatever consequences.) Rather more innocently, some basic incompatibilities may quickly lead to irritation.

Beyond that, to hear of people thinking they'd met the love of their life, only to wake up with their money and passport gone, is sadly not a rarity.

It goes for solo women travelers in particular of course: I've often said before worrying about any Indian men, be wary of your male fellow travelers first.

vko

I agree with steven_ber and machadinha - Rs. 700 per day is certainly doable if you travel by state-buses or trains, and are not too picky about food and stay. Avoid hitchhiking and sharing with strangers - its simply not safe to do so.

Btw, what places do you plan to visit? Make sure to book atleast the train tickets in advance.

janis2555

hi
my name is janis and im fr the northeast of india u may have gone back by now but anyways if u r still around u should visit shillong its an awesome place and its cheap too