Money and costs
The Indian currency is the Indian Rupee (INR). ATMs that allow withdrawals with international cards are common in cities. Credit card payment is increasingly accepted in more sophisticated establishments which, by the way, remain an exception in vast traditionalist India. India is one of the least expensive countries in the world.
ACCOMMODATION
You can find everything in India, with prices normally regulated from below. The hotels and guest houses Humblers abound in big cities and can charge as little as €5 a night – or even less for a double room. Note that many of the places that charge these prices are perfectly clean and dignified.
Medium-sized hotels, including some of the chain, have prices in the order of €12 to €45 per night, per double room.
At the opposite end of the scale are luxury hotels and resorts, usually located in modernized urban business centers in major cities or in Indian areas with greater tourist value. Often managed by international groups, their prices have little to do with India's economic reality. Expect to pay from €250 per night in exchange for comfort and refinement.
FOOD
Indian food is a lot of what we are used to finding in Indian restaurants in Europe but much, much more. Each region has its own gastronomic touches that alter, in a more or less subtle way, national dishes. But they also generate other completely different dishes. As is understandable, the food in the villages on the slopes of the Himalayas is abysmally different from that of Goa or Kerala. In general, if you are not used to the strong and spicy flavors of Indian food, let us know in English that you prefer food “non spicy" to the employee. As a rule, it's enough.
The logic of accommodation applies equally to meals. You can get nutritious, great-tasting meals at prices you didn't think were possible. For example, a full individual lunch or dinner for €1 or €2 at a market, how can you pay €7 to €15 for a full meal in a restaurant in a tourist place, the interior of Jaisalmer fort, center of Panjim etc. You can also pay €50 to €200 if you order the best specialties at resorts such as the Oberoi or Aman.
INTERNET
If you do not have access at your own hotel or guest house, be aware that internet cafes are absolutely everywhere in India and charge €0,25 to €0,50 per hour of browsing. Hotspots are rare and unreliable. If you own a smartphone ou tablets unlocked or have a laptop and prefer to always have internet with you, buy or rent a SIM card or mini-modem from companies such as Reliance, Airtel (GSM) and Tata DoCoMo. Prices range from €3 per monthly use of 3G with a network limited to certain cities to €20 for 10GB of traffic on a network with much more national coverage. You may have to hand in copies of your passport and hotel bill to make one of these purchases or service hire possible.