Cross Border Road Trip from India - Reality Check!
We have all taken a thousand road trips within the country.
To the most corner of the beaches to scaling the mountains of Himalays. Whats
next?. Should we try n cross the
borders?.. Why not friends, driving to a foreign locale may be quite an
adventure, but planning it right is crucial. India shares International borders with 6
countries, mentioning them in the order from easiest to the most difficult ones
to enter.
1. Nepal
Crossing the Nepal Border by your own car is the easiest. You
can enter Nepal in your vehicle at any time of the year without prior
permissions. The most famous land border crossing is the Sunauli border in
Uttar Pradesh, which is around 185km from Gorakhpur. In less than 30 minutes,
all the formalities can be completed at the border and you are ready to drive
in Nepal. From Nepal, you can enter China and go on to the Middle East, Russia
and Europe too. Trust me, you will not want to go anywhere as Nepal is
beautiful beyond imagination.
Documents – Any
photo ID proof
Best places to visit – Kathmandu,
Pokhara, Chitwan National park, Sagarmatha National Park, Langtang, Sarankot.
Currency – NPR
Conversion –
1INR = 1.60 Nepalese Rupee
Cost - 300
INR per day for driving permissions in Nepal for an Indian registered
vehicle.
Visa – Not
required for Indian Nationals
Important
Tip : Go early in the morning to avoid rush.
2. Bhutan
Indian citizens don’t require a passport and visa to enter
Bhutan. You require a permit which is easily achievable. If you plan to take your own Indian vehicle,
all you need to do is pre-register yourself. This can be done at the
immigration post at Phuntsholing border and at the transport department for
vehicle registration. The process takes around 2-3 hours as there are two
separate buildings for vehicle registration and individual registration. The
most popular land border is the Jaigaon-Phuntsholing border in West
Bengal. If you have to go beyond Thimphu (capital of Bhutan), then you need to
take permissions again. Though Bhutan shares a land border with China, there is
no land connectivity, so one cannot go anywhere beyond Bhutan. I have visited
Bhutan thrice and I personally feel Bhutan is a place where you must go by
road.
Best places to visit – Thimpu,
Paro, Punakha, Royal Manas National Park, Bumthang, Trashigang, Jigme Dorji
National Park
Documents – Passport/
Voter ID/Adhaar car(Driving license is not accepted as an ID or Add proof)
Currency – Bhutanese
Ngultrum
Conversion –
1 INR = 1 Bhutanese Ngultrum
Cost - INR
900 for one time vehicle registration at the border.
Visa – Not
required for Indian National, A permit is required
Important
Tip : Take the permit first, then rush to the building in opp lane
for road permission. To avoid delay take help from agents outside immigration
office. They are happy to help.
3. Bangladesh
First Get a Visa and apply for a Carnet. Okay so to cross
this border and enter Bangladesh, you need ‘A carnet’ (You need to deposit 200
per cent of your vehicle’s value to obtain it of your vehicle). You don’t need
to apply for special permissions or permits other than Carnet & Visa.
Visitors can enter Bangladesh from the Petrapole–Benapole border.
You can engage any travel company to take care of the hotel bookings and tour planning.
Though a guide is not mandatory, it’s advisable.
Best places to visit – Dhaka,
Cox’s Bazar, Saint Martin, Sundarban, Kuakata, Rangamati, Sylhet.
Currency – Bangladeshi
Taka
Conversion –
1 INR = 1.17 Bangladeshi Taka
Visa – Required
Important
Tip : Hire a travel agent to take care of your bookings and to
make a neat itinerary. It will save you from unnecessary delay. The deals they
give is not available online, plus you can take further help if stuck.
Cost - Approx
2 lac for a seven day trip including Carnet, good hotels, visa & guide etc.
4. Myanmar
This is bit tricky and expensive too. Please read this
carefully. One has to cross Myanmar on the Delhi to Bangkok Highway. To exit
and re-enter India via the Indo-Myanmar land border (Moreh), one
needs to apply for a carnet. You need to pay 200 per cent of your vehicle’s
value to obtain it. Thailand customs also accept carnet as a valid document
should you wish to enter the country driving a foreign registered vehicle.
It is not possible to enter Myanmar without a pre-planned
itinerary and hotel booking in place. It is mandatory to hire a local Burmese
guide, approved by the Ministry of Myanmar Tourism, who will travel with you.
Hiring the services of a travel company that specializes in organizing road
trips is ideal. The company needs to be registered with the Myanmar tourism
department in order to apply for permits and permissions on your behalf.
Vehicle and driver details are to be submitted a month in advance, along with
50 per cent advance payments. Hotels bookings, guides and other formalities are
carried out by the agent.
Another mandatory rule is to have a lead car for the convoy
— a must, even if it’s a single car. This is because of poor signboards along
the roads and difficulty in communicating with the locals in a foreign
language. This is part of the agent services you would hire for permits.
From Myanmar, you can enter China and go on to the Middle
East, Russia and Europe . You can also enter Thailand from Myanmar and go till
Singapore via Malaysia.
Best places to visit – Yangon,
Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake, Naypyidaw, Golden Rock
Documents – Valid
Passport, Visa, Carnet, original vehicle doc’s & Special overland permit
& permissions.
Currency – Burmese
Kyat
Conversion –
1 INR = 17.65 Burmese Kyat
Important
Tip : You cannot do this without an agent. But I advice you to
take an agent who understands the requirements of a road trip. He must be experienced in handling this trip.
A dull and slow agent can get you frustrated. Also try for a English speaking
agent.
Cost - INR
4,00,000 for a seven day trip including carnet, special overland permits, visa,
basic hotels & guide etc.
Visa – Required
5. China
You can enter China (Tibet) through Nepal via the Kodari
— Zhangmu border. there is the most time-consuming and uncertain process of
taking permissions while your to China. Like Myanmar, China does not accept or
recognize carnet and an international driving license. You need to take all
permissions in advance, and that takes a minimum of two months, as permissions
like special overland permits for Indian registered vehicles and
temporary driving license come from Lhasa.
Best places to visit – Beijing,
Shanghai, Macau, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Lhasa
Currency – Chinese
Yuan
Conversion -
10.21 INR = 1Chinese Yuan
Cost - INR
4,00,000 for a ten day trip including special overland permits,visa,basic
hotels & guide etc.
Visa – Required
Important
Tip : Your permits
can be cancelled without any refund, so it’s a big risk.
6. Pakistan
There is a reason why we have kept this last in the list. There
is no way to enter Pakistan in an Indian registered civilian vehicle. Many
foreign citizens who undertake overland expeditions use Wagah Border to
enter or exit India during their journey but this option is not open to
Indians. So it is out of question.
With the news about a section of
the new Asian highway linking India, Myanmar and Thailand becoming operational,
there’s no better time to set out on a road trip to Bangkok, Beijing, Moscow or
London.
So dear friends, send your car for servicing; it has to be ready for
the trip too.
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