India is the perfect country for first-time travellers as it allows you to go as cheap or as luxurious as you want.
On top of that, you can find a great balance of budget travelling yet with utmost comfort.
Budget travelling is more than just booking cheap flights from Sydney to Delhi. It involves strategic planning and budgeting before you begin your trip.
To make your first-time travel from Australia to India as cheap as possible without compromising dramatically on comfort, here are 7 pro tips and strategies for you to consider.
Here are 7 great tips to consider for first time trip to India from Australia
Decide The Best Time To Travel
Avoid travelling to India during the tourist season, which alone will save you a substantial amount of money.
In low seasons or off-season, even luxury hotels are less expensive. You might even be able to afford a palace in Rajasthan or a resort in Goa.
Usually, the peak season is from October to March in India. Also, not visiting festivals will save you some bucks, too.
April and September are often the cheapest to travel in India. If monsoon isn’t a problem for you, you can get more than 50% discount during the rainy season, i.e. from June to August.
Choosing the best time to fly economically to India from Australia will also make your travel budget-friendly.
For example, February or August is the best month to get cheap flights from Sydney to Delhi.
Experience Rural India
Once you book any cheap flights from Sydney to Delhi, decide to go rural instead of focusing on cities.
Indian villages are a more authentic aspect of the country. They are peaceful and offer cultural experiences to travellers.
The best part of going rural is that you can save tons of money on hotel expenditures. Better to become a house guest or paying guest to a rural household.
Learn About Money In India
The better you know about currency, taxes, exchange rates, and the cost of things in India, the more you’ll save through effective budgeting.
Rupees (INR) is the currency of India. As of Jan 2024, 1 Australian Dollar is equal to 55.40 Indian rupees.
You can exchange currencies at the airport counter. However, they are usually a bit more expensive. So, to save some, prefer private currency exchanges in the country.
Here’s to give you some idea:
- Cost of food in India: 4.51 AUD per meal
- Cost of Local Transport: Local trains/ buses cost as low as 0.54 AUD
- Cost of Accommodation: As low as 8.7 AUD & 15-60 AUD per night
- Average daily travel budget: 50 AUD to 150+ AUD
Also, Mind the Goods and Services Tax (GST) that applies to accommodation, meals, and other services that you will pay for in India.
Go For Hostels
Look for alternative accommodations such as hostels rather than going for pricey hotels. Affordable yet fun and vibrant hostels are opening all over India.
These hostels are ideal for backpackers and solo travellers. You can quickly get inexpensive private rooms if you do not prefer dorms.
Accommodations are a major chunk of travel expenses. By opting for hostels, you can save up to 50% of your total budget.
Book Cheaper Flights
Here are some pro traveller tips for booking cheaper flights:
- Use Incognito mode in your browser to look for cheaper flights.
- Book connecting flights as they are cheaper than direct flights. For example, if you are looking for cheap flights from Sydney to Delhi, the one that has a layover in Singapore will be at least 20% less costly.
- Utilise your debit and credit card offers, special discounts, and cashbacks. Just google “your bank name + flight discount code” to get that offer.
- Try checking for return flights at the same time. You may get a discount there.
- Having the flexibility to change your travel dates often helps you to lower flight prices.
- Make sure to compare flight ticket fares on various platforms.
- Avoid weekends and peak seasons in India for plane tickets.
- Try booking flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays when a lot of people prefer not to fly. Also, early-morning and late-night flights are even cheaper.
Booking flights from major cities in Australia is less expensive. For example, you can get reasonable prices for Sydney to Delhi flights.
Commute Through Train & Bus
Even if you save your airfare by booking cheap flights from Sydney to Delhi, travelling within India can be costly if you choose private transport.
Cabs, taxis, and other private commute methods are costly in India. The cheapest way to travel around in India across places, cities, and states is through Indian railways.
Metro rapid transit systems in many cities are highly convenient, yet cheapest.
Another way to lighten your pockets is to travel around on the bus, particularly for short distances. This is true for some parts of India where you get great bus services, such as Karnataka, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru etc.
Prefer Forex Cards Rather Than Money Exchanges
Exchanging Indian currency at any money exchange can be hectic, but more than that, it can increase your expenses.
At money exchanges, they charge higher exchange rates. You can avoid this entirely and get a Forex card for shopping and cash withdrawals.
Plan Realistically
Money management is also about time management. It is crucial to plan ahead and create a realistic itinerary to save time and, hence, money.
When it comes to covering places, people tend to squeeze more than 5-6 places in just one day, which leads to a lot of stress and hasty decisions.
This also makes you spend more than you should or would usually. It is better to plan strategically to choose at least 2-3 places that are near each other.
You will be able to cover more places and that too without any pressure to move fast or hurry to move to the next one.
Book Affordable Flight Deals With Us!
At Gaura Travel, we offer highly reasonable flight deals and packages, including cheap flights from Sydney to Delhi, to make your trip budget-friendly. Check our best flight deals here.