Rajasthan travel questions, answered by the family who lives here

The main season: October to March. Days are warm and dry, nights are cool, and the light is soft and golden.

For the right traveller, yes: April to June is very hot, often above 40°C in the plains.

The upside of summer: the hotels are quiet, rates are lower and Ranthambore's tigers gather at the waterholes.

First visit: ten to fifteen nights, which allows two or three nights each in Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, with a wildlife or village stop between them.

Most first-timers do: and it makes sense. Agra is about four hours by road from Jaipur.

October to March: six to nine months ahead is comfortable.

Winter: the kite festival in Jaipur on 14 January, and the Jaisalmer Desert Festival in February.

Spring: Holi in March, and Gangaur in March or April.

At the wrong hour, yes: Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal, the City Palace in Udaipur and the Taj Mahal are busiest from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, and on Indian public holidays and long weekends.

Almost everyone does: almost all foreign visitors need a visa, and many nationalities can apply online for an e-Visa.

Delhi: most international guests arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport, which has the widest choice of long-haul flights.

Usually, yes: most long-haul flights land late at night or before dawn, and a long drive straight afterwards wastes your first good day.

Yes, always: on every journey we arrange, a member of our team or your chauffeur meets you as you come out of arrivals, helps with luggage and takes you to your hotel.

Buy comprehensive cover: medical treatment and evacuation, cancellation and any activities you plan, such as safaris or ballooning.

Our usual answer: a private car with an experienced chauffeur, combined with a domestic flight or a fast train for the longest legs.

The main legs: roughly four to five hours from Delhi to Jaipur, about four from Jaipur to Agra, five to six from Jaipur to Jodhpur, about five from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer and five to six from Jodhpur to Udaipur.

Sometimes: fast trains such as the Shatabdi and Vande Bharat services between Delhi and Jaipur are quick and comfortable.

Two names: the Palace on Wheels and the Maharajas' Express run week-long and shorter journeys through Rajasthan in the cooler months.

Legally, yes: visitors with an international driving permit can, but we strongly advise against it.

For long legs, yes: Jaipur to Udaipur is about six hours by road but about an hour in the air.

Palace hotel: a former royal residence, often still owned by the family, run as a luxury hotel.

The best ones, very: but no two rooms are the same.

The three great names: Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, the Taj Lake Palace on Lake Pichola in Udaipur and Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur.

The best of them are: luxury camps near Jaisalmer and in the Thar have large tents with proper beds, private bathrooms and good food, and some have pools.

In a sense, yes: many smaller forts and palaces are run as hotels by the families who own them.

The room makes the stay: in a heritage building the difference between two rooms in the same palace can be enormous.

No: drink sealed bottled water or the filtered water your hotel provides, and use it to brush your teeth.

Yes, carefully: choose busy stalls, food fried hot in front of you and the morning, when the oil is fresh.

Ask your own doctor: or a travel clinic, ideally six to eight weeks before you travel.

Your planner is on call: every major city in Rajasthan has good private hospitals.

Some of it is: laal maas, for one. Much of it is not.

Both: palace hotels, good restaurants and established shops accept international cards.

Customary: for drivers, guides, hotel staff and porters, and appreciated by everyone who looks after you.

Coverage: good in cities and along main roads, patchy in the deep desert and some hills.

The standard: 230 volts, with round-pin plugs of types C, D and M.

The main language: Hindi, alongside Rajasthani dialects such as Marwari, Mewari and Dhundhari.

Not without permission: India regulates drones closely.

Most are, but not all: the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays for prayers, and some museums close one day a week.

Everywhere: light, loose cotton or linen, covering shoulders and knees, is comfortable and respectful.

Shoes off: before entering, and sometimes socks too.

Always ask first: with a smile and a gesture at your camera, and accept a no gracefully.

No: we don't book elephant rides at Amber Fort or anywhere else, and we avoid captive-animal shows.

The oldest trap in Rajasthan: some drivers and guides are paid to bring visitors to particular showrooms, where prices include their cut.

For most visitors, yes, with ordinary care: serious crime against visitors is rare.

Many women love it: many travel here alone.

Wonderfully so: if it is paced for them.

Yes, with careful planning: many forts have steep ramps and steps, and old cities have uneven lanes.

The law: same-sex relationships are legal in India, and luxury hotels are discreet and welcoming.

A conversation first: on a call or by email, about how you like to travel, who is coming and what matters most.

It depends: on the season, the hotels and room categories, the number of nights, guides and any flights.

Licensed and local: most of them born in the cities they show you.