All you need to know About Interstate Traveling within India 

A fervent passion for exploring and travelling seldom dies down with time; a traveller is always on the lookout for opportunities to pack bags and leave for a travelling spree. As one of the leading providers of self-drive vehicles, we salute such passion and Vigor for exploring and traveling beyond the conventional path. A traveller and explorer is beyond the typical attributes of a civil being; a traveller is governed by the roads, the destination, and the overall experience that the trip will leave behind. As per internet forums and polls, bike touring is one of the most asked-about topics. Every youngster in the nation wants to travel and explore the country and learn about the ways of life while travelling on the roads.

Passing through different states and riding through different terrains is an inherent part of travelling. A long trip along any part of the nation, be it south or north, would require you to pass through various states; it's inevitable that even without stopping, you would be able to witness the changes in landscapes and natural beauty as you pass through the different terrains. Diversity is ubiquitous in India, and every few kilometres, the cuisine, the language, and the inhabitants' apparel change. For travellers, such details and changes are the source of inspiration behind travelling and exploring, and if you have been someone who relates with what we have iterated so far, it's imperative that you would want to travel as well. To help all such travellers, we have researched all the necessary information you should be aware of before starting your journey. 

Necessary Information that Every Rider Planning to Ride Through Cities Should be Aware of 

Different Rules and Regulations for every state

A few laws that you abide by change in every city, and hence, it's essential that every traveller should be privy to them. To help fellow travellers gain such knowledge in one go, we have iterated this list of a few of the laws that change after crossing or riding beyond city limits.

• The permittable alcohol drinking age in every city is different
• There are different laws regarding travelling with alcohol. 
• Check the specific laws of the states you would be crossing while travelling to ensure that you don't have to pay any kind of fine while being checked.
• In case of dry states, it is advised to not carry any kind of alcohol with yourself.
• Certain prescription drugs could also be questionable; most of them are psychotropic drugs necessary for anxiety attacks and several other ailments. If you suffer from such conditions, carry medical prescriptions with you. 
• A certain class of drugs, such as Alprazolam as well as Xanax Xr, may lead the state police officers to question. As per the rules of the international conventions as well as India's act and rules on the subject of travelling with psychotropic drugs, a person is allowed to maintain such psychotropic substances for personal use provided they have a valid prescription, and the dosage should not exceed 100 units. 
• In case you suffer from such challenges and issues, always carry a prescription that can be presented to the authorities if necessary. 
• In case of elections or any religious festival, police might be on the lookout and possibly check and investigate vehicles that fit their purpose. 
• Taking care of all such differences in rules and regulations would help you travel freely without any challenges or issues. 

Fuel Prices 

Due to various taxes and other kinds of charges that the state government imposes upon fuel prices at the time of retail, the cost of petrol and diesel differs in different states. Before leaving for the trip, ensure that you plan a budget according to the price differences that might be present between the states. For example, in Rajasthan, the fuel price is at about 104.52 Rs/L, whereas in the adjoining state of Punjab, the fuel prices hover around 96.57/L. While such differences might seem like a headache on paper, these would enable you to save up on some money while travelling. 

As a rider, you would gain an understanding of the vehicle and how long the vehicle takes to run out of a full tank of petrol, so plan your fuel stops in such a manner that you can quickly elope any kind of fuel stops in a city where petrol is expensive. 

Taxes/tolls

Over the years, the infrastructure of the nation has grown at a fast pace, and even as travellers, we have not been able to keep pace with such new developments in India in recent periods. Hence, it's essential to ensure that while travelling, you are aware of all the toll roads as well as the taxed roads that are present in a city. The prices of toll charges as well as taxes have increased over time. Hence, it's essential to ensure that you take such aspects into consideration as well while trying to budget a trip. An in-depth analysis of the routes you are about to take would help you work out in detail the amount of money it would take you to ride through the various cities easily. 

Police Checks 

Certain states have a volatile history; over the years, checks and investigations in such places have increased. So, while driving through such places, comply with the police officers and try and explain how you are travelling on an interstate journey. In most cases, they would check your vehicle and baggage for any kind of contraband goods. In case you are carrying camping equipment, you might have to explain to them your intentions and hence show reasonable cause for carrying tents, lighters, sleeping bags and other stuff.

As a traveller, it's your responsibility to fully ensure that all your bike documents are complete. If carrying papers is a hassle for you, you can always use Digi locker to store your Aadhar, Pen card and other valuable documents. 

National Forest Areas 

Several highways that run along the length and breadth of the country pass through various national forest reserves and areas. In most cases, there would be a police check before the vehicle passes through such roads. Upon such roads, the police would advise you to follow certain rules, refrain from getting out of the vehicle, and also ensure that you don't litter or provide any kind of snacks to the animals.

Here are some of the official rules that every traveller has to follow while passing through the National Forest Areas. 

• Distributing any kind of edible to animals is strictly prohibited. 
• Getting out of the vehicle shall be prohibited at all costs.
• Collecting saplings and flowers or trying to remove any plant is also strictly prohibited. 
• Plants and animals, whether living or dead, are not to be touched or removed as they are instrumental in the development of tidal bluffs and flats. 
• Riders should not, at any cost, enter any place which is prohibited from general entry 
• Meddling with any kind of sign or post in the forest that informs the travellers about important information is prohibited as well. 
• It's essential that you travel in a closed vehicle for your own safety reasons. If in case you're travelling in an open jeep, its top should be converted to be covered before entering.
• Before entering, you should be aware of the whole route or use the Satellite navigation as necessary.   
• While photography should be prohibited at all costs, passengers are supposed to take notice of their phone flashes. These can startle the animals and turn them to be defiant and ready to attack. Ensure that the flash of your phone is switched off. 
• Avoid littering, especially pungent-smelling foods that can tip off the animal about your location and cause them to attack or get closer to your vehicle. 

Areas with unique biodiversity footprint 

Certain areas around the nation have been regarded as having a unique biodiversity footprint, and due to the hazards of extinction, no individual Is allowed to meddle with the biodiversity of the place in any manner possible. There are not many such critical areas in India, but its important that all riders who plan to travel and explore India are aware of such issues. Certain intricate parts of the flora and fauna of such places might be on the verge of extinction, and hence, it's important that one does not at any cost meddle with any element of the diaspora. 

Certain plant species exist and prosper through symbiotic relationships with other plants and species. Any changes or issues that might hamper such relations would affect the presence of such species, which in turn harms the overall natural balance between the species.

Water Crossing 

In certain areas up above in the mountains, its possible that you might witness that roads have been washed away by the sudden flooding of roads. These roads mainly connect somewhere to small tributaries that are up above in the mountains, and when sudden rainfalls increase the water levels, such floods and issues arise. In such cases, it's necessary that you are ready with your vehicle to easily ride through such water accumulation.

To help you for such situations, we have devised a step-by-step guide on how to pass through such water crossings. 

Inspect the Water Crossing 

If flooding and excessive rainfalls have been recent, it's possible that the water crossing would not be that deep, but in case it has been a result of a few days' worth of excessive rainfall, it's possible that the water crossing might be a bit deep. Or sometimes small tributaries along the roads and highways are pretty deep; hence, its important to get off your vehicle before crossing and then checking the depth as well as the speed of the current that is present in the floods.

Dipping a rock through the water or trying to use a stick to gauge the depth of the flowing water while standing safely might prove to be helpful. In case the depth is such that it might submerge your bike till the engine, then it's not worth crossing. If it is lower than that and you want to cross the water tributaries, ensure that the bike is upright and take the necessary small steps to reach the end of the floods.

Taking care of the Air Intake 

In most cases, the air intake is one of the most accessible access points wading water could have into your bike; hence, it's essential to ensure that the air intake stays up above the ground in all instances. In most new bikes, the air intake is positioned below the seat at a high position, and hence, these might fall prey to water only if the vehicle is dropped right into the passing waters. In case you realize that water has covered the intake, ensure that you push the car ahead rather than riding it. As starting the vehicle might lead to water getting sucked into the engine. 

Turn off the engine immediately in case you realize that water has gone through the intake and push the water through. In case the bike stalls or shuts off in the middle of the water crossing, it is advised to pass through quickly without standing in the running water. After passing the water crossing, check the brake discs, brake lines, spindle forks underbelly of the engine and the silencer for any signs of damage. If all seems fine, you can quickly start the ride again and test the brakes once or twice in a safe area to ensure that any water stuck to the brake discs gets expelled.To help you through such ordeals, here are a few accessories you can carry along with you on trips.

Village Roads

In certain cases, roads pass through the interior of small villages; hence, it is important to ensure that your vehicle does not harm their peace and calm. It's also important to ensure that you follow all the necessary rules for passing through a company of houses. Beware of loose animals or dogs that might be startled by the sound of the bikes. So beware. 

If you have been planning to take that bike or car of yours on a travelling spree across the states of India, now is the time, but in case you dream of such trips and don’t have a vehicle of your own, we can help you. At RenTrip we can offer you cars and bikes for monthly, daily or hourly rentals at the most affordable prices. Every vehicle that we offer has been tested and then added to the fleet; hence, you would not have to worry too much about the condition of the vehicles. Or you can always check the vehicle while picking it up and check the cars in and out before taking them out in a journey. For all your travel and exploring aspirations, contact us today.