You’ve decided to travel to India. It’s a beautiful country and you’re sure to have a great time; however, you will have to be careful as to how much money you spend. Traveling in India, especially when going to several places each day that you’re there, can get quite costly. Fortunately, there are several tips you can follow to get the most out of your trip.

Choose Cheaper Hotels

If you’re going to India to explore, you’re not going to be cooped up in your room the whole time. So why do you need to stay in a four-star hotel? Look into your options as far as inexpensive hotels or alternative lodgings with price tags that won’t break the bank, but be sure to read reviews so that you don’t end up in a hole in the wall. One of the best Hotels in India at an affordable rate is The Leela in Kovalam. For less than $150 USD a night, you can get a double bedroom. Many other hotels are going to cost you at least $220 a night. Best of all, The Leela sits on a cliff and overlooks the ocean.

Travel During The Off-Season

If possible, you don’t want to travel to India during peak season, which is generally from the months of October to March. If you end up in India during this time, you will quickly notice it’s very crowded, and worse yet, many prices are marked up, especially those on souvenirs. Also, airfares tend to be up to 10 percent higher during peak season than the rest of the year. The best way to get the cheapest fares is to book in advance for the spring and summer months.

Bring Your Own Baby Food

It’s often more convenient to bring just what supplies you need for the plane ride, and then purchase what you’ll need during your trip when you arrive. But if your small child is coming with you to India, you should bring your own baby food, diapers, etc. These items are often outrageously priced overseas, so you can save a lot of money if you bring them along with you.

Stay Out Of The City

When you’re planning your trip, it might seem natural to gravitate toward the most well-known locations. But big cities in India are quite expensive to stay in as well as travel around in. If you’re looking to save money, your best bet is to look into some of the less populated areas. There are a number of organizations that provide inexpensive rural tourist attractions, with some of the more popular being Grassroutes and The Blue Yonder.

Use Local Transport

When you do find yourself in the big cities, make sure to take advantage of inexpensive local transport. As an added benefit, traveling as the locals do allows you to take in the true culture of India. If you take taxis all the time, you’ll miss out on all that India has to offer, and your wallet will quickly become empty. To give you an idea as to how much money you can save using local transport, a single ride on the metro from the airport will cost you about $2.41. A taxi, on the other hand, from the airport will likely cost about $6.44.

Skip Out On Hotel Food

Here’s another opportunity to embrace the culture. Avoid eating at your HOTEL or chain restaurants. There are plenty of local eateries and Markets for you to visit and try out different kinds of food, and the prices will likely be much less than if you’re sitting down to every meal at the hotel cafe. In fact, you may be able to slash your food expenses bill by more than 50 percent when eating out instead of at your hotel.