Tips for Mumbai mini-bus and coach tourism

Useful tips for Mumbai bus groups with ‘what to see’ and ‘what to do’ items and  ‘bus- friendly’ or must see tourist sites in Mumbai . Check our list of attractions before planning your bus tour with a stop or departure in Mumbai . Let us know if your favourite attraction or ‘bus-stop’ is not there and you think we should add it to our list of Mumbai highlights.

What to expect when renting a car with driver in Mumbai?

Hiring a car with driver is one of the best ways to fully experience everything Mumbai has to offer. Your driver is also your guide and can help you plan your itinerary, as well as taking you to hidden spots that you won"t find in guidebooks. So why not self drive? You"ll understand when you make your first journey on Mumbai"s roads. 8 lanes of traffic whizz around, most vehicles are littered with dents, and people and cows regularly block the roads. Only the most confident and crazy drivers should attempt it. And even then they should expect their nerves to be permanently jangling.

When renting a car with driver in Mumbai the price will depend on both the quality of the vehicle and the quality and experience of the driver.

Ardhanarishvara (centre) at Elephanta caves

Ardhanarishvara (centre) at Elephanta caves credit: Ricardo Martins CC BY 2.0
Note the sculpture"s left is female and the right is male, depicting Shiva and his consort Parvati.

Different Car with Driver rental Prices in Mumbai

When renting a car with driver you could get anything from an old Indian Tata with its doors half hanging off to a brand new Mercedes. Larger companies like Sam-San Travels in Tardeo Road and Ashapura Travel World in Nariman Point only have new vehicles. For a Maruti Swift expect to pay around €30 - 40 per day, €40-50 per day for a Toyota Corolla, and €120-170 a day for a Mercedes.

At the other end there are smaller one person operators who rely on local travel agents for business. Here you could get an old Tata for €20 a day or slightly newer Maruti or Tata for €30 a day. You can request a quote for car with driver in Mumbai by using the form below and specifying the quality of vehicle you are expecting.

Berggruen Car Rentals Pvt. Ltd. wedding

Wedding car from Berggruen Car Rentals Pvt. Ltd.

The Driver"s Experience

Your chauffeur is also your guide and you can expect all drivers in Mumbai to speak good English. With companies offering modern vehicles like Toyotas and Mercedes you can expect a driver with excellent customer service and a long experience of being a chauffeur. When hiring a car with driver from a Mumbai agent the price will also depend on the experience of the driver. Those with most experience and the best skills working with tourists will cost €5-10 a day more, but this extra cost is usually worth it. For example there is Raji Rani Travel in L J Road, Mahim or Kripa Balaji Tours on New Nagardas Road.

kingsofcarhire luxury car

Luxury car with driver from kings of car hire 

Tipping and Recommending

It"s important to tip your driver if they have provided a good service. How much is entirely up to you. However, drivers should not expect a tip automatically and tipping for bad service only encourages poor service for future customers. It"s also important to provide the travel agency with feedback about the quality of the driver. Recommendations from customers are important to the driver"s standing and for the agency to keep employing only the better drivers. By completing our feedback questionnaire our website will continue to offer the best service to future customers. This is also probably the best way to say thank you to your driver.

What happens if there is a problem?

If there is a problem then you should speak directly to the rental company or agency. Either call them yourself or ask your driver to call them. If you are still unhappy with the service then ask for a new driver. The rental company or travel agency will almost always want to offer you an alternative than lose your business.

Tempo Traveller Hire Mumbai luxury 9 seater

Luxury Tempo Traveller 9 seater from Hire Mumbai 

What to see with your chauffeured rental car in Mumbai?

With your car with driver you"re mobile to visit all of Mumbai"s sights. You"ll have the ideas about what you want to see, and your chauffeur will help arrange the route to minimise driving time and maximise your time enjoying the sights.

Southern Mumbai

Downtown Mumbai, or the Colaba suburb, if where you"ll find the city"s rich past. It"s packed with glorious old buildings like the Gateway to India, the Prince of Wales Museum, Esplanade Mansion, Rajabai Clock Tower, and Bombay University Fort Campus. While it can be explored on foot, having a car means you can move quickly between the monuments. Being in a car is also an easy way to avoid the touts who will be offering you all kind of scams involving jewellery, gems, and knock off sunglasses.

At the market in Buleshwar.

At the market in Buleshwar. credit: Meena Kadri CC BY-ND 2.0

Religious Buildings

Mumbai has a lot of famous religious diversity that is high on the itinerary printed in all guidebooks. Like the Hare Krishna temple, Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari in Juhu suburb, the Vipassana Pagoda in Gorai,  or the 200 year old Mahalakshmi Temple complex on Breach Candy Road. However, there are temples everywhere, often tucked away in residential neighbourhoods or down narrow streets. With a car you can get out to some of the smaller temples less visited by tourists. Ask your driver or rental agency what they recommend.

Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir

Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir credit: Fif" CC BY-SA 2.0

Local Knowledge

In any city it"s the locals that know best. Their whole lives have been spent searching out the best food and relaxed cafes, as well as the most spiritual temples and local hang out spots. Your driver lives in Mumbai and a huge advantage of having him is to access his local knowledge. Ask him about local street food? Or where he goes to hang out with friends? Some drivers might be initially nervous about imposing, thinking that you"re not interested in what they think is great. Ask questions and your driver will help show a side to Mumbai you don"t find in guidebooks.

Outlaying Suburbs

Having a car with driver means you got the freedom to get away from downtown and out into Mumbai"s different suburbs. For example, in North Mumbai you"ll find the best city beaches and oldest heritages sites, like the 2000 year old Mandapeshwar rock cut temples. You"ll also find the Sanjay Gandhi National Park here. Or visit the Dharavi slums in North Central Mumbai that are home to over 1 million people. Most interesting about the journey is to discover that this slum is bang in the middle of a very upper middle class area.

Friends

Friends credit: sujit jagdale CC BY-SA 2.0
Shot in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali, Mumbai. Lion Safari

 Read more information about travel services in India or transport in Maharashtra on this website. If you want to hire a car with driver in Mumbai, please use our quote request form. RentAutobus is the one-stop car rental shop for smart travellers, location managers and tour operators!

Compare car with driver rental services

Read more information about travel services in India or transport in Maharashtra on this website. If you want to hire a car with driver in Mumbai , please use our quote request form. RentAutobus is the one-stop chauffeured services portal for smart travellers, travel agents, travel managers and tour operators!

More about Mumbai

Would you like to organize a bus tour to see all these beautiful highlights? Request quotes and compare the different bus and coach hire companies:

Bus tours in Mumbai