KenR wrote:

Do not drive yourself, driving in India relies on the rule of size and while a SUV is above bikes, motor bikes and Tut Tuts they are below buses and lorries. Playing chicken with a lorry overtaking a bus which is overtaking a car on a corner is not recommended.
At night, lights are optional and if anyone has a puncture they roll a rock into the road to protect themselves while they change the wheel.
You are also a rich tourist so any accident will be your fault and therefore liable for monetary compensation.

DSL wrote:

If India is like much of “developing” Asia I’d not even think about driving. Craziest place so far we’ve been driven in is Indonesia, with Vietnam not far behind. “Foreigners” have no concept about how things work and our perception of how rules are followed is completely different from what happens on the road. And at night it’s even worse as lots of traffic forgoes the luxury of lights. Much better being driven, unless you want a nervous breakdown or worse. Not been to India but from what I’ve heard (BIL was there last year) it’s not somewhere I’d want to drive in.

But, more importantly, don’t forget the golden rule. No pics = didn’t happen.

PS Just reread and assumed you would be self driving, that might be a wrong assumption.

stick wrote:

Agree with others, and add that camels and elepahants also are on road - no tail lights-- and lorries tend to drive at night as cheaper taxes- drivers chew a narcotic to keep them awake and therefore judgement severly impaired. Strongly recommend not driving yourself.

charlie3 wrote:

I am off to a 3-week vacation to India this coming November and torn between renting an SUV like https://cars.t2india.com/land-rover.aspx and having a guided car tour. I heard driving in India can be dangerous for foreigners especially at night as described here https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/i...d-security. I think I would feel safer if a local guide would show me around India. I have never done a guided car tour in my travels in the past as I am comfortable and enjoy freedom of driving in my own mostly in Europe. Has anyone got a recommendation on guided car tour or can share good experiences with renting a car and driving in India?

Gilgamesh wrote:

charlie3 wrote:

I am off to a 3-week vacation to India this coming November and torn between renting an SUV like https://cars.t2india.com/land-rover.aspx and having a guided car tour. I heard driving in India can be dangerous for foreigners especially at night as described here https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/i...d-security. I think I would feel safer if a local guide would show me around India. I have never done a guided car tour in my travels in the past as I am comfortable and enjoy freedom of driving in my own mostly in Europe. Has anyone got a recommendation on guided car tour or can share good experiences with renting a car and driving in India?

If this is your first time visiting India, I would recommend going with a guided car tour rather than renting a vehicle yourself. Driving is kinda hard, especially with all those tuk tuks and autos over there. they don't follow any traffic rules. Also a local guide will know best routes, areas to avoid, customs etc to ensure a smooth and safe experience. You can check https://gowithguide.com/India They have private car tours as well. You can still customize your itinerary and explore freely while having that security. It's worth paying a bit extra for the peace of mind in my opinion when visiting somewhere new.

nigethecat wrote:

Having been to India and seen the traffic I would certainly recommend against driving there, even the short trips from the hotel to the office and back every day were a nail biting, frustrating episodes where there are simply no rules

As for venturing further out then even our colleagues who lived over there advised against it! As an example a new section of dual carriageway was treated as two single carriageway roads with traffic travelling both ways on each side! Major roads also tend to just stop with no warning as the local governments ran out of money

Agree with all the comments above regarding who will be at fault WHEN an accident occurs (not if)... think of a "crash for cash" scheme over here but on a national scale... just my experience...

NJSS wrote:

I have visited India & Nepal 3 times.

I strongly recommend following the advice above and hiring a car & driver.