Following the small car boom in India, highway travel has become very popular with domestic tourists. Motels, petrol stations and rest rooms have come up all along important tourist highways such as Delhi-Jaipur and Delhi-Agra, expanding the facilities once offered only by dhabas to truckers. India's road network covers 2.9 million km, including 34,608 km of national highways and 128,622 km of state highways. Several highways, such as Delhi-Agra and Delhi-Jaipur, have recently been upgraded and widened. National highways have been widened to four lanes in the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, West Bengal, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. In particular, the tourism departments of Haryana and Rajasthan, neighbouring Delhi, have set up attractive resorts along their highways.

Some places, particularly in remote areas and hill towns, are accessible only by road. Roads are not always smooth off the highways, so examine your vehicle thoroughly before embarking on a journey.

Bus Services: All states maintain transport corporations, which operate extensive bus services, and even the most remote places are accessible by these buses. (Check respective cities for details.) However, not all buses have cushioned seats and some rides can be bumpy and irksome. The good thing is that tourist districts have a range of clean, air-conditioned buses, for example Jaipur's Pink Line and Silver Line buses. Going by road is the cheapest way to travel. Book well in advance in the tourist season.

Self-drive: This is an adventurous and interesting way to explore India. Tourists may import their own vehicles into India (free of duty for up to six months) with a Carnet de Passage (Triptyques) issued by recognised automobile associations or clubs affiliated to the Alliance Internationale de Tourisme in Geneva; vehicles must be re-exported at the end of your holiday. You will need an International Certificate for Motor Vehicles (ICMV), an International Driving Permit and a third-party insurance for the driver.

Things to remember when driving in India:

• Vehicles drive on the left. Traffic 'discipline' is minimal, and it will take time to learn about road conditions and unspoken traffic rules. Fortunately, the traffic speeds are comparatively slow.
• Keep a map of the journey to chart your course, but don't expect people along the way to be able to read the map. Instead, ask for directions for the "next" place you need to get to.
• Most gas stations offer unleaded petrol.
• The regular safety precautions apply. Avoid driving at night. Do not offer lifts to strangers.

To hire a self-drive in India, you have to be at least 25 years, hold a valid driving licence for at least two years with no major conviction (foreign nationals must hold a valid international driving licence) and make an insurance deposit of Rs. 10,000 (refundable).

Rent a Car

Several agencies offer rent-a-car service in all metros, including international agencies such as Avis, Hertz, Euro Car, Budget, Apace, which have counters at airports and offices in major metros. Your hotel will probably have a travel counter from where you can hire a car, or the hotel will recommend reputed travel agencies which hire out cars such as Mercedes, Ford, Opel, the sturdy Indian Ambassador or the range of Maruti cars and four-wheel drives by Tata. See respective sections for details on car hire agencies. You could also contact the Indiatourism- offices for car hires, offering reliable and value-for-money services.

Taxis: The yellow-top metered taxis operating in cities and large towns charge fares on a kilometre basis, but since fare-metres are infrequently updated, a certain percentage is added to the metre - reading to calculate the current fare. An extra charge is levied for travel between 11 pm and 5 am, and for luggage. Drivers must carry - but often don't - a "metre-reading chart" to indicate the amount you need to pay. In cities where taxis don't operate on metres, negotiate the rate before stepping in.

In metro cities, taxis normally operate from "taxi stands" conveniently located almost all over the city. You can telephone the nearest stand as you may not find many vacant taxis on the road. In Kolkata, Mumbai and other cities, however, taxis can be comfortably hailed on the roads. Opt for a taxi from a pre-paid taxi stand, particularly at airports and railway stations. This service, operated by the city police, allows you to pay your fare in advance; give the payment receipt to the driver only when you reach your destination.

Other Local Transport: Bus services abound in every city, but buses are usually crowded and uncomfortable.

Auto-rickshaws: These hooded three-wheelers in most cities are convenient and cheap. If metred, the meter reading system for auto-rickshaws operates like the taxis system, except that they are far cheaper. Motorcycles can also be hired in tourist cities such as Goa.

Golden Quadrilateral

The Golden Quadrilateral connect the four metropolises: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. Yet another project will connect the smaller towns with expressways. The end-product will resemble a quadrilateral. The first phase of the 5,846-km long Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) project of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), linking the four metros of Kolkata, New Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai, is nearing completion. Of the 38-lakh-km of roadways in India (the second largest in the world), national highways account for 58,000 km and the balance fall within the purview of the states. The former takes care of 40 per cent of the total traffic handled by all roads.

A good example would be the four-lane expressway developed and maintained by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) between Delhi and Jaipur. The traveller is charged a nominal toll tax and this allows for the maintenance of the highway. These roads are particularly delightful to drive on. But remember, not all roads in India are like this - several are pot-holed and rough.