Why a checklist saves the day
Most problems on group trips are small things nobody confirmed: a pickup point that turned out to be the wrong gate, a toll nobody expected to pay, a bag left behind because the roof was already loaded. None of these are hard to avoid. They just need someone in the group to go through a list before the day.
Use the sections below in order. Tick them off a week before the trip, and again the evening before.
1. Fix the date and the headcount
- Confirm the travel date, and a backup date if the weather or a holiday rush might change plans.
- Make a list of names, not just a number. Include every child who needs a seat.
- Note how many elders are coming and whether anyone needs extra space or help.
- Decide one person as the group’s contact with us and the driver.
- Choose the vehicle size with one or two seats to spare on long trips.
If you are unsure about size, our guide on which tempo traveller size to book has a simple table.
2. Share exact pickup and drop points
Pune addresses can be confusing, and large societies and IT parks often have several gates. A clear pin saves the driver from circling Kharadi or Hinjewadi at 5 am.
- Send a live Google Maps location pin on WhatsApp for each pickup point.
- Add a landmark and the exact gate number, such as “Gate 3, next to the security cabin”.
- If there are several pickups, list them in order, with names and phone numbers for each stop.
- Check whether your society allows a large vehicle inside, or whether the group should wait at the main road.
- Confirm the drop points for the return, which may differ from the pickups.
3. Read the quote carefully
Tempo traveller pricing is per km with a daily minimum distance, and a few charges are usually added on outstation trips. Ask for the quote in writing on WhatsApp, and make sure it answers each of these points.
What to confirm
- Per-km rate for the vehicle size you have chosen.
- Daily minimum km, and how it applies on multi-day trips.
- How km are counted, for example from the start point and back.
- Driver allowance per day, especially for overnight trips.
- Night charges, if the driver will be on duty late at night.
- Toll, which is usually paid on the way or added to the bill.
- Parking charges at temples, hill stations and beaches.
- State permit for trips outside Maharashtra, such as Goa.
- Whether the AC is included throughout the trip.
You can see how these pieces fit together on our tempo traveller rent price page. For a long interstate holiday, our Pune to Goa tempo traveller page shows the kind of planning involved.
4. Plan the luggage
- Ask everyone how many bags they are bringing, and how big.
- Decide whether the roof carrier will be used, and ask for a tarpaulin cover in rainy weather.
- Put clothes in plastic bags inside suitcases if luggage goes on the roof.
- Keep one small bag per family inside the vehicle with medicines, chargers, ID and snacks.
- Label bags with names. Many suitcases look the same at 6 am.
5. Food and stops
Feeding a group of fifteen takes much longer than feeding a family of four. A little planning keeps the day on schedule.
- Decide where breakfast and lunch will happen, or carry packed food for the first meal.
- Tell the driver about any food needs, such as pure vegetarian or Jain food stops.
- Carry plenty of drinking water, more than you think you need.
- Plan short toilet and tea breaks roughly every two hours on long drives.
- Keep wet wipes, tissues and a bag for rubbish in the vehicle.
6. Motion sickness on ghat roads
Many popular routes from Pune include winding ghat sections, such as the Khandala ghat on the way to Mumbai, the climb to Mahabaleshwar, Tamhini Ghat and the road to Bhimashankar.
- Seat anyone prone to motion sickness near the front, looking at the road ahead.
- Eat a light meal before the ghat, not a heavy one.
- Keep lemon, ginger candy or anything that usually helps within easy reach.
- If someone takes medicine for travel sickness, check with their doctor beforehand.
- Keep a few plastic bags handy, just in case.
- Avoid reading or watching videos on phones during the bends.
7. Keep the driver’s rest in mind
A rested driver is the single most important safety factor on any trip. Please plan the itinerary around this, not against it.
- Avoid plans that need the driver on the road from very early morning to very late at night.
- On multi-day trips, make sure the driver has proper time to sleep each night.
- Confirm what the driver allowance covers for his food and stay on overnight trips.
- Don’t ask the driver to rush to make up lost time. Adjust the plan instead.
- Agree on the return time at the start of the day.
8. Documents and ID
- Carry original photo ID for every adult, needed for hotel check-ins and sometimes for temple passes.
- Keep digital copies of IDs on one phone as a backup.
- Carry hotel booking confirmations and any entry passes printed or saved offline.
- Make an emergency contact list with one number for each family in the group.
- Note any medical conditions or allergies the group leader should know about.
9. Payment and receipts
- Confirm the advance amount and how the balance will be paid.
- Ask for a receipt for the advance and a final bill at the end.
- Keep toll and parking receipts if you are paying them on the way.
- Note the odometer reading at the start and end of the trip, so the km on the bill are clear to everyone.
- Decide in advance how costs will be split within the group, so nobody argues on the way home.
The evening before
- Re-share all pickup pins and the pickup order in the group chat.
- Confirm the reporting time with the driver.
- Charge phones and power banks.
- Check the weather and road updates for your route.
- Pack the “inside bag” with medicines, ID, water and snacks.
Ready to book, or want help with the plan? Reach us by phone or WhatsApp from our contact page, and share your date, headcount and route. If you are still deciding where to go, our list of one-day trips from Pune is a good place to start.