I know you are real. And you don’t want apps and you don’t want to book or order anything online. But believe me, with the tips on these apps you will be able to avoid many problems and, if it takes longer on the loo, you might be able to provide yourself with a rusk.
You can still pretend it’s 1990 somewhere in the middle of nowhere and there’s no internet when you’re waiting for your train that’s already 3 hours late.
Table of contents
Trains & Buses
MakeMyTrip
https://apps.apple.com/app/makemytrip-flight-hotel-bus/id530488359
Booking trains and buses in India couldn’t be easier than with this app. MakeMyTrip is the clearest, most stable app, with the fewest passenger fields (with ConfirmTkt, for example, the passport number and other data have to be filled in every time) and the payment works without any problems. The app also has flights and hotels which I never used as I always found better deals on other apps like Trip or Agoda.
💡Only worked for me via the app, not via the web browser!
ConfirmTkt
https://apps.apple.com/app/confirmtkt-train-booking-app/id1037974704
Another app for trains that just works. Be prepared for lots of bugs and crashes, and 2 of my 3 cards were not accepted for payment. Nevertheless, it can be a possibility. ConfirmTkt also has a bus ticket cooperation with Abhibus via inApp Browser. Unfortunately not native, which is why I also prefer MakeMyTrip for Buse.
WhereIsMyTrain
https://apps.apple.com/app/where-is-my-train-live-train/id1316355277
Find the live location of your train and get delay information for your train connection. All you need is your five-digit train number.
In the app you can switch between “Internet” and “GPS”, usually “Internet” is correct. This means that the location is determined by certain stations on the rail network. The “GPS” location is contributed by users themselves when they are on the train and using the app – activate the “I am in this train” button to help others.
Indian Railway
https://apps.apple.com/app/indian-railway-train-enquiry/id888197080
The official app of the Indian Railways. Just this much – very complicated and buggy. Unfortunately, there is no way around opening an account with IRCTC either via the app or browser: https://www.irctc.co.in/nget/train-search. More on this below…
Train Booking
💡 IRCTC is the official ticket office for all train journeys. No matter where you book, your ticket will always be issued by an official authority. That’s why you always have to log in with your IRCTC account at the end of every train booking, regardless of the app.
⚠️ Now for a small problem. To create an IRCTC account, you need an Indian cell phone number. The account must be verified once via email and once via SMS. And text messages to my European number did not arrive. It only worked on my Indian number. This means that you can’t book trains in advance, which makes a lot of sense in most cases, but you can find out why here
Hotels & Flights
Trip.com
https://de.trip.com
Trip is now my #1 choice for flights and rental cars. Trip usually offers the best prices by far and is a great app. What works particularly well are notifications when times change, flights are postponed by the airlines, or gate announcements. I was also impressed by the trip support. The app offers a booking time line of your upcoming events in chronological order. Rental cars have also always been among the top results, and Trip offers its own fully comprehensive insurance which is very favorable.
❤️ If you use this link, you support this blog and receive a small reward for your first booking!
Booking
https://apps.apple.com/app/booking-com-hotels-travel/id367003839
Booking is the classic for hotel accommodation. In India, too, it probably has the largest inventory and often the best offer. What is special about India is that you never pay for a hotel in advance, only on arrival. And there is always additional VAT which is not included in the booking.
Not all hotels are on Booking. In certain places like Varkala or Vagamon you won’t find the best deals on Booking. Better go there via Google Maps and write to the accommodation directly.
Agoda
https://apps.apple.com/app/agoda-book-hotels-and-flights/id440676901
Agoda probably has a similarly wide range of hotels and also very good prices, but it’s a jumble of discounts, voucher codes that can be used in 60min. and any special sales which of course always go towards 80%. Nevertheless, it can be worth booking here, as new users usually get good conditions for their first booking.
Google Maps
https://apps.apple.com/app/google-maps/id585027354
The best way for me to find hotels was via Google Maps. In several places, many accommodations were not on Booking or Agoda. Maps gives you the best overview of where to find what, the most honest reviews from guests, and usually also the cheapest prices on the booking platforms. 💡 Sometimes you also get better prices if you go directly to the accommodation, depending on the season.
https://apps.apple.com/app/whatsapp-messenger/id310633997
You’re woke and don’t want to support Mark Zuckerberg’s capitalist empire. Forget that in India.
Everything to your home
Zomato
https://apps.apple.com/app/zomato-food-delivery-dining/id434613896
Your food delivery service.
Blinkit
https://apps.apple.com/th/app/blinkit-grocery-in-minutes/id960335206
What goes on here is almost scary. You order a nasal spray or a toothbrush and 10-15min. later the delivery is with you.
Cab
Uber
https://apps.apple.com/app/uber-request-a-ride/id368677368
Uber will save you in many situations. Even if it doesn’t fit into your world view, I think it works pretty fairly in India. There are drivers almost everywhere, from motorcycles and TucTucs to intercity cabs. Except in Goa, of course. There is also a delivery service for parcels. Let’s say you’ve ordered a suit for a wedding and don’t want to take a cab for 1.5 hours through Mumbai to pick it up, then just hire an Uber.
Finances
Revolut
https://apps.apple.com/app/revolut-send-spend-and-save/id932493382
Revolut has already been mentioned here and I can only emphasize that this app has paid off for me, especially in India. With Neon you benefit from a free account and cards, interbank exchange rate and the cheapest bank transfers for international transfers.
❤️ If you use this link, you support this blog and receive a small reward yourself
Neon
https://apps.apple.com/app/neon-deine-konto-app/id1387883068
For all Swiss people. Compared to Zak and Yuh, the Neon app is the clear winner for me. Smartphone Bank is free, offers all the functions you need and also offers interbank exchange rates and Wise for international transfers. But decide for yourself.
❤️ Enter this code when opening and receive 10CHF: 68GSBQ. By doing so, you support this blog.
Splitwise
https://apps.apple.com/app/splitwise/id458023433
Last but not least, of course, Splitwise if you are traveling as a group.
VPN
https://windscribe.com/yo/w8gb6ziq
You need a VPN for many conventional eBanking or credit card apps, as otherwise you cannot access them from India. This does not affect neo-banks, but almost all of the old banks.
I currently use Windscribe. You get 3GB for free and can choose the country yourself. But there are dozens of free VPN apps. Be careful with free services as they read all your data traffic. This means that they may sell your data, i.e. your location, your preferences and what you search for and buy. They cannot read your passwords, which are encrypted using SSL.
❤️ If you use this link, you support this blog and receive a small reward yourself
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