India and Nepal by Rail with Mystical Bhutan Extension

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

India visa requirements

A visa is required for entry into India. British Citizen Passport Holders will need to obtain a tourist visa. You can apply for an E-visa here no more than 120 days in advance e-visa. Alternatively you can visit The Indian Visa Application Centre in London: 142-148 Goswell Road, London, EC1B 7DU. We also work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250 590 and quote 'Mercury Holidays'. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months before you enter India. Visa requirements are subject to change and obtaining a visa is the responsibility of the traveller and not Mercury Holidays. We recommend you check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy prior to departure for the most up to date guidelines

Nepal visa requirements

British passport holders can now obtain their Nepal visa prior to departure for approx £25 per person on this website https://nepaliport.immigration.gov.np/online A Nepalese visa can also be purchased on arrival into Kathmandu; but you will need to complete and download a form from the Nepal Embassy website and present this completed form on arrival at immigration together with your payment (currently USD $30). You must print the form with the barcode and take it with you for arrival. The barcode is only valid up to 15 days after issue so please complete this form within 2 weeks of travel. You will also need to complete an ‘arrival card’ at the airport. When applying for the visa on arrival you will need to ensure you apply for a multiple entry visa. We recommend you check the following website before travelling for all the most up to date advice, requirements and any changes http://www.nepembassy.org.uk/visa.php. We strongly advise you to check with your destinations’ Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding required passport validity

Bhutan visa requirements

Visas British Passport Holders do need a permit to enter Bhutan. However, we have included the cost of this in the extension price and the Mercury Holidays representative will give this to your before you depart Nepal for your flight to Paro. You will also need to make sure you request a multiple entry visa on arrival in Nepal at the start of your main tour.

Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. Weight restrictions will be finalized on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.

IMPORTANT: A printed e-ticket or boarding pass, along with your passport, is required for entry into Indian airports. Ensure you print your tickets before travelling, as digital copies on mobile devices are not accepted. It's also recommended to carry your invoice with flight details for reference.

Please note we will require your APIS/Passport information at least 2 months in advance to pre purchase your Safari passes, this can be uploaded via our website on "Manage My Booking".

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace of India and Nepal by Rail is rated Challenging due to the tour being packed with activities and experiences. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, and you will be getting on and off coaches, trains and boats and climbing steps which may be irregular. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary.

The currency in India is the Rupee. The Rupee is a closed currency and officially you are not allowed to take any cash out of India. US Dollars and GBP are also widely accepted in India should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. There are restrictions on taking Indian rupees into India. Visitors, including tourists, are not permitted to take any amount of Indian currency into the country. You can take cash or travellers' cheques (in pounds sterling or another foreign currency) and/or a bank card with you and exchange or withdraw rupees once in India. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in your local currency. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country.

The currency in Nepal is the Nepalese Rupee or NPR, divided into 100 paisa. US dollars and UK sterling are both also often accepted should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. There are ATMs in Thimphu and Paro but they generally only accept local cards,therefore, it is important that you take sufficient cash to exchange with you.

The currency in Bhutan is Bhutanese Ngultrum and is officially pegged to the Indian Rupee. Also Indian Rupee is acceptable all over Bhutan. There are ATMs in Bhutan but currently they only operate with their respective Bhutanese banks. Since these ATMs currently do not function with outside banks, so ATM facility can't be used by visitors. Traveller's checks / cash are the best option so please ensure you have enough currency with you when you travel.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.

You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £400 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour. It is a good idea to try and maintain a supply of small notes and change in the local currency for tipping or small purchases. Please also bear in mind that there will be several shopping opportunities throughout your tour.

Tipping

It is customary to tip your guide and driver. This is at your discretion, but we recommend you allow approximately £3 per person per day. It is asked that you tip in pounds and not local currency, please do not give coins as these are difficult to exchange. Your guide may also ask you for £1 or £2 a day to add to a kitty this is for the porters, waiters etc throughout your tour.

The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 35. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

This is a fully escorted tour, meaning you will have the services of an English-speaking guide during each excursion ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times. Local monument guides (may) be provided in some cases, subject to the monument’s rules.

Trains

During your tour you will be getting on and off several trains. You will be booked in Air Conditioned Chair Car carriages. Seats recline and there is overhead space for a bag. Bathrooms are at the end of each carriage but toilet roll and hand sanitiser is advised. Trains in India do vary to the UK in terms of quality.

Safari Vehicles

Your safari will be taken in a canter, this is a large open roofed truck that seats up to 20 people. Safari drivers take you to areas of the park where wildlife are more likely to be seen but as with all wildlife experiences nothing can be guaranteed. Please note that many paths inside the park are bumpy and dusty.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist compared to what you might expect in the UK. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.

Breakfast is always a combination of Indian and western style and served in the hotel each morning (sometimes a packed breakfast depending on train journey). Lunch and dinner where applicable will be taken in hotel/wayside restaurants. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.

Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information. Vegan, vegetarian and non-spicy meal options are available, all meal requests need to be sent over to our suppliers before travel.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. Two bottles of water are supplied per person per day on your tour.

There are some dry hotels in India, and some hotels where alcohol can be consumed on the premise but must be brought in from outside. Your guide will pre-warn you of this and if anyone in the group would like to purchase drinks before getting then he will arrange for you to visit a local shop and get what you need wherever possible.

During visits to Churches/Temples please note long trousers or skirts should be worn to cover knees, long sleeved tops should be worn to cover shoulders and ladies should bring a scarf to cover your head.

Please note that plastic bottles are banned in the national parks so keep a reusable water bottle for your tour.

On your arrival in Delhi, please collect your luggage and proceed to the exit in the Customs Hall. You will be met by a representative of Jayasree Travels & Tours who will be holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Jayasree Travels & Tours representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be able to answer any queries you may have.

Mystical Bhutan Extension: On your arrival in Paro you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Jayasree Travels and Tours, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Jayasree Travels and Tours representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be able to answer any queries.

Jayasree Travels and Tours:

F 341-Ground Floor Lado Sarai New Delhi 110030, Contact number: 0091 471 250 5067

Telephone number 24 hr: Biju Unnikrishnan +0091 952 618 8860, Ms Jayasree Vikraman +0091 974 700 5888, Mrs Samitha Azhar +0091 974 471 3380, Mrs Rekha Anil 0091 9744813380 , Mr Amit Bhardwaj +0091 995 898 8719

E-mail: biju@jayasreetravels.com