Travelling around India is an adventure in itself and not always in the romantic, Instagram kind of way.
When we visited India as a family, we travelled mostly by taxi and also attempted to drive from Mumbai to Goa by hiring a car… which, honestly, was an experience I wouldn’t rush to repeat.
If you’re planning a trip to India and wondering:
- How easy it is to get around
- Whether you should hire a car
- Or if taxis are a better idea
This post will give you a very honest, real-world perspective based on what we actually did.
No sugar-coating. No pretending it was smooth.
How We Travelled Around India
During our time in India, we:
- Used taxis for most journeys
- Stayed in Mumbai
- Attempted a self-drive journey from Mumbai to Goa
- Did not use trains
- Did not take internal flights
So this post is based purely on:
🚕 Taxis
🚗 Self-drive car hire
🛣 Real road conditions
Using Taxis in India: The Easiest Option
For city travel and shorter journeys, taxis were by far the easiest and least stressful option.
In places like Mumbai:
- Taxis are everywhere
- Very affordable compared to Europe/UK
- You don’t have to deal with traffic, navigation, or road conditions
- And you can just sit back and take it all in
We used taxis to get around Mumbai when we were staying there and avoid the chaotic roads!
If you are wanting to venture outside of Mumbai the get a car! We attempted to drive to Goa and the roads were terrible so we ended up burst tyres and didn’t quite make it there but we did get to explore other places outside of Mumbai that we probably wouldn’t have had we not had a car. I wouldn’t recommend if you’re not a confident driver though, Indians drive wildly!
Would We Recommend Driving in India?
For most travellers?
No. Honestly, no.
Unless:
- You are very experienced with chaotic road systems
- You’re used to driving in countries with very different road rules
- And you’re happy to accept delays, stress, and unpredictability
For us as a family, it was an adventure. If it was me driving, then I would have probably had a breakdown but Ashley is confident. The breakdown showed us the hospitality of Indians once again. We happened to break down right next to a shack at the side of the road fixing tyres! They had us back on the road rapidly!
We decided not to make the full journey to Goa as we realised the estimated time for journeys was a lot longer than google maps says. Mostly down to the roads. So we stayed in regions just outside Mumbai and explored those areas and it turned out to be amazing!
What We’d Do Differently Next Time
If we went back to India, we would:
- Use taxis for cities and local travel
- Hire a car for exploring regions outside of Mumbai
- Use trains and/or flights for trying to make it from one side of the country to the other!
Is India Worth It?
Absolutely. 100%.
India is:
- Intense
- Beautiful
- Overwhelming
- Fascinating
- Challenging
- And unforgettable
The key is just to:
Choose the least stressful transport options where you can.
If you’re planning your India trip and are yet to decide what to do and where to go, you may find some of these posts helpful: Family Travel In India – The Crazy World Of Mumbai
Chor Bazaar: Visiting Chor Bazaar in Mumbai with Kids: Our Honest Experience
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