packing

lotus2008

I am going for 20 days to the north of india, and i am wondering if I should take just alittle suitcase 52/30/20 cm or a bigger one 62/25/38. I am a woman and maybe it will be tough to handle the bigger one ,store it on trains ec. It is my first time so I have no clue. What do you guys normally take? How are the possibilities for washing clothes at guest houses? i heard all sort of horror stories about Indian stations and trains and ha you have o fight for your place and that hey steal your luggage if you are no careful etc...Is it really so hard? What kind of clothes do you need in the delhi area in january? is it cold and do the guest houses usually have a heating? thanks a lot for your help I am really new to this...

Darmabum

Take the biggest case you can manage. I don't know many people who haven't bought something(s) in India; leave room for that. Depending on your guest house you may or may not have heat. Delhi/the north can be chilly in January, often fog sits in the valley til about mid January. You can always buy warm clothes there, then make gifts of them when you leave/when it heats up.

Why are the horror stories the only ones we hear? Most people have NOT had their luggage stolen; in fact, in my three years of traveling in India, I've heard of no one who has. (Another plus for taking a big bag . . . if you're really scared of it being stolen, the heavier the bag, the harder to steal I always carry 20+ kilo bags . . . if they steal it, they've earned it!

Wash can always be done by hand in a guest house. You can always send it out; plenty of laundry people (dhobi's) in India.

__________________
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure - Marianne Williamson

kristinm

Am I right in thinking there are always porters or people who will carry your bags? We are taking 2 60cm bags and a carry on as well as a daypack I guess - I was kind of hoping to contribute to the local economy by getting others to do the carrying?

Darmabum

not shortage of people willing to carry your bags.

Shaktipalooza

As has already been stated, you won't have a problem with finding paid help. Make absolutely certain you agree on a price before letting them handle your bags. This applies to most transactions in India.

Laundry facilities have been available at every hotel/guest house I've ever stayed in. Prepare to have your socks and panties ironed with a nice stiff, starchy finish.

I always have reserved seats on the trains and no, it's actually quite pleasant riding the trains. My wife now prefers 2-tier A/C but I've always enjoyed the 3 tier sleepers.

When traveling light I go with a 3/4 empty pack, filling it up along my journey. Not see easy these days with a toddler in tow.

__________________
IndiaGroove - Train finder now in beta!
Pics from India 2006
Traditional Indian Dance

Brisso

Agree that you will accumulate, however you can always purchase an ancillary bag. You will invariably have a reserved seat on a train. Theft on trains - one in a thousand, two thousand?

Lower end accomodation will have a bucket in the bathroom - you can buy small sachets of soap powder at any neighborhood shop for 2 rupees or so - except in the mountains or in monsoon, things dry very quickly under the room fan ...

lotus2008

Thanks a lot you. Very helpful advise. I yhink in the end I will take the bigger one and leave it a bit emptier. Best wishes Lotus

Nick-H

Take a biggish, light suitcase.

You will buy fragile things, no doubt, but they can be packed carefully, even using cardboard for protection.

A really strong suitcase, unless you are rich enough to buy the really fancy ones, just takes up more of that precious baggage allowance itself, before you even put anything in it.

__________________
.


Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team