India, the land of colours, smells and diversity. A backpackers favourite with its beauty, adventure and world wonders.
If you’re planning on backpacking India, here are the must-have travel APPS that I wouldn’t go without.
MAPS.ME
If there is one app I wished I had the first time I travelled to India, it would be this one! Offline maps. If you don’t have an online connection abroad and you have no idea where you’re going, this app will come in handy. It is free to download and very easy to use. You’ll need to “pre-download” the map of the country before your visit. The downloading part will require an internet connection. Once you have it downloaded, you’ll be good to go. No more getting lost or being mislead in India!
Ola
Goodbye wasting your time haggling with auto-rickshaw drivers. Ola is the Indian version of Uber; a transportation network company. Much cheaper and with much better options. The only thing with Ola is that you’ll need to have an Indian SIM card with an Indian number. You can get the SIM at the airport on arrival. I recommend getting one, because SIM cards aren’t easy to get in India, especially as a foreigner.
Ola offers different types of taxis: Prime (for the high-end traveller), Mini and Micro (for the budget traveller) but also “shared travel”, rickshaws and motorbikes.
XE converter
The best way to avoid getting overcharged abroad is to have the latest exchange rates with you all the time. The currency conversion app has saved me a lot of headaches. This app allows you to quickly work out currencies on the go!
Every little bit of money saved on travel helps, right?
Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is one of the best ways to connect with locals, get off the main tourist path and save money by getting free accommodation. I always use couchsurfing on my travels. Not everyday, but I do like to make friends and share moments with people who know the area. I’ve made friends all over India, and when I go back I always try and make sure I visit the people I previously stayed with when I couchsurfed. They become great friends!
Booking APPS
(bus, trains, planes & hotels)
Make My Trip
MakeMyTrip is an app to book tickets, from hotels, to trains, planes and buses. I use this app a lot in India. It is so easy to use. I would 100% book through Make My Trip, rather than Booking.com.
Avoid Booking.com; a lot of hotels/hostels up the prices so much because it is a world known website. You can find the same hotel cheaper on MMT app. I found a dormitory room for 6 euros on Make My Trip VS 16 euros on booking.com CRAZY!
OYO
I have heard many negative reviews about OYO but having used it myself, it wasn’t as bad as everyone said. My partner and I stayed in some great places. If you’re looking for good value for money it’s definitely via this app. We found rooms for around 200/300 rupees a night. If you’re on a tight budget, this is one app to have. Again, you may need an indian number, if I remember well.
One thing! Be careful when booking. To avoid being rejected at check-in (like we did), don’t forget to click on “international guests accepted” when searching for hotels.
Goibibo
This hotel booking website is used by many indians, if not, by the majority of them! It’s the indian version of booking.com, but with a shabbier website design lolz. Whilst, I was solo traveling, I used it a lot and found some great deals; rooms for 200 rupees (2.50€). I made a few booking without realizing that on their website it’s sometimes stated that foreigners aren’t allowed. As a solo female traveller, I got away with it. They don’t usually want you to struggle looking for other places to stay at.
Be careful though as I realised that while traveling with my partner we weren’t accepted.
IRCTC Connect
This is an Indian Railways official App which offers options to book train tickets or even look up train times.
To experience the real India, train is the best option. The train system in India is very well-developed and the fares are so low. For short distances, opt for general ticket and for longer distances opt for sleeper class or AC 3tier.
Redbus
The pioneer of bus-ticket bookings in India. A lot of people use this app, and for a very good reason. You can book last minute! Many private bus companies are available. The advantage with Redbus is that unlike trains, you don’t have to book months in advance.
Have you travelled to India, did you have an APP that I haven’t mentionned here?