The 10 Questions to Ask
1. How long have you been operating?
Look for at least 8–10 years of continuous operation. India travel is full of fly-by-night operators.
2. Are your guides employees or freelancers?
The best operators have a stable network of guides they've worked with for years. Random freelancers from a directory = inconsistent quality.
3. Will I have one point of contact throughout?
You should be assigned one travel designer who knows your itinerary inside out — not bounced between sales, ops and accounts.
4. Show me a sample itemised quote.
If they refuse, walk away. Your quote should list every hotel, every transfer, every monument fee — nothing hidden.
5. What's your refund policy if I cancel?
Reasonable cancellation terms (often tied to hotel cancellation policies) signal a confident operator. Vague terms = red flag.
6. Do you take commission from shopping stops?
Many low-cost operators pay drivers/guides via shopping commissions — meaning you'll be dragged to gem shops "for 15 minutes." A premium operator forbids commission stops in writing.
7. What's your 24×7 emergency support?
Get a name and number before booking, not a generic "office hours" email.
8. Can you share recent client references?
Not just published reviews — actual recent clients who'll do a quick email exchange. Premium operators always can.
9. Do you specialise in any region or just sell everything?
"All India + Nepal + Sri Lanka + Bhutan + Maldives + Tibet" probably means specialist depth in none.
10. Who actually receives my money — them, or a sub-contractor?
The operator you communicate with should be the operator who runs the trip — not a marketing brand subcontracting to whoever quotes lowest.
Red Flags to Walk Away From
- Pressure to book within 24 hours 'before prices go up'
- Demands for full payment upfront (50% is normal)
- Vague hotel names ('similar 5-star') instead of specific properties
- No physical office address or only a Gmail/Hotmail address
- Reviews only on their own website, none on Google or TripAdvisor
- Very low quotes — usually means cheap hotel substitutions on tour
What Premium Operators Do Differently
- Send 2–3 alternative itineraries, not one take-it-or-leave-it
- Offer to call you to discuss before quoting
- Confirm hotel category in writing (e.g. "Premier Room with Taj view")
- Provide a pre-departure pack: visa, currency, dress code, packing list
- Have a named 24×7 concierge who answers your WhatsApp
- Conduct a post-trip debrief and refund/credit if anything failed
Why European Travellers Choose Us
Rediscover Vacations operates only India, Nepal and Bhutan — by design. We've spent over a decade refining one specialism deeply, with a stable network of guides, drivers and hotel partners. Every quote is itemised, every guide is hand-picked, and your designer stays in touch from first email to landing back home.