The Essentials
The bible on driving your own car to Bhutan was coined by none other than HVK and can be found here :
https://sites.google.com/site/hvkuma...rivingholiday8 Here is some additional information :
People based in Kolkata have the option of getting their entry permits issued from the city itself. Thanks to “asishdas” on IndiaMike for this significant piece of information.
The details can be found here
http://www.rbckolkata.bt/ , the entry form itself is found here
http://www.rbckolkata.bt/wp-content/...ermit-Form.pdf
You may use these coordinates in Google Earth or Google Maps for the location of the consulate 22°37'30.55"N, 88°25'11.98"E
It is a hassle free process , you need to visit the consulate office about a week to 10 days before travel , between 9 AM to 1 PM to deposit the filled up form. Please carry the originals for verification. Passports are the best and next is Voters ID card , all members of the touring party need an individual entry form , irrespective of age. Children too will need an identity proof. Once everything is checked , you will be given a date (about 6 -7 days later) to come back and collect the printed entry permits between 2 PM to 5 PM. Anyone can come and deposit the application form(s) , I noticed hordes of travel agents at the consulate. As usual , this permit is only valid for Thimpu and Paro , special area permit for other places are only issued at Thimpu. Make sure you calculate the entire duration of stay in Bhutan appropriately and apply for the permit , otherwise you will need to apply for an extension route permit in Thimpu to extend your length of stay. Please keep ample photocopies of this permit as it is needed for all subsequent documentation. The other option off course it to get the permits issued at Phuentsholing, however you will loose time. These permits are issued free of cost to Indian Nationals
Once at Phuensholing with your own car , you will need to visit the RSTA office at the Bus Station (26°51'52.33"N, 89°23'4.89"E) to get the route Permit for your vehicle. The timings are 9 AM to 11 AM and 4 PM to 5PM BST (not IST). You will need to make an application in a white paper with your car plus itinerary details and submit photocopies of your own Entry Permit , D/L ,R/C, PUC and Insurance. They take a nominal fee , you hop 4 to 5 desks and get the coveted permit in an hour. There is a photocopy machine right in the ground floor of the bus station to create the necessary clones.
Fuel is marginally cheaper in Bhutan so use it to your maximum benefit.
Now to equip yourself with a local SIM card , since roaming charges with Indian operators are exorbitant, the general advice is to procure a local SIM. Tashi Cell is a local private operator and can be easily obtained by Indian Nationals. You will need a copy of your entry permit to procure one. It seems that nowadays the SIM itself is not available everywhere , though recharge can be done from many shops. At Phuentsholing, the SIM can be obtained from the Tashi Cell Office (26°51'43.46"N, 89°22'54.88"E) , which is within the Tashi Shopping Mall.
Indian currency upto 100 Rupee denomination is freely acceptable at 1:1 ratio in Bhutan , Rs 500 and higher is a strict no no. Obviously you cannot use the Bhutanese currency in India , so please plan accordingly.
Between Phuentsholing to Paro / Thimpu , there are 2 immigration check posts where your permits are checked , one post is within 5 kms of Phuentshoeling , the other is about 3 hours away. They do not need photocopies now , only the original permits are required and these are stamped. During exit , the original stamped permits need to be surrendered at the last check post on the route.
Travel to any other destination other than Paro and Thimpu is through a special area permit issued at Thimpu only, between 9 AM to 5 PM BST , Monday to Friday barring Bhutanese National Holidays. Note that travel to Haa also requires the special permit. Plan your journey so that you reach Thimpu first on a weekday to get the special permits done , ear mark a full day for the job and keep this day aside for local sightseeing. My plan was not ideal since I reached Phuentshoeling on a Friday , hence I opted for Paro first as travelling to Thimpu over the weekend would have meant no permits. Make sure that you reach the immigration office in Norzim Lam at Thimpu (27°28'41.80"N, 89°38'7.49"E) a few minutes before 9 AM, if you are able to submit your papers by 9:30 AM you should get the prized possession by 12 PM (it all depends on the season , and can be considerably earlier as well). You can use the time to see the local Museums. The entire party is not required at the office , only one person will do. If you need to extend the duration of your stay as granted in the original entry permit , you will first need to file an extension of the route permit , only once it is issued , you will need a photocopy to next file for the special area permit . Otherwise you can apply straight for the special area permit , photocopies of the original entry permits are needed for the same. There is a photocopy shop about 5 to 6 buildings away on the same side of the street (towards the town center) , if you you need one. If you have a longish itinerary and plan to exit through Samdrup Jongkhar , the best practice is to enclose a day wise itinerary of your travel plan with night halts mentioned in a white piece of paper , along with your application. The office is known to make mistakes with the duration of stay and places covered , so be prepared and explain everything in detail to the issuing clerk. For extension of Route or the Special Area permit , only one application form is needed per party unlike the original entry permit application procedure.
Forms are available online at :
http://www.mohca.gov.bt/?mode=FORMS
Route Permit Extension (extension of duration of stay )
http://www.mohca.gov.bt/forms/38extension%20form.docx
Special Area Permit
http://www.mohca.gov.bt/forms/19sptourist.pdf
Once you have this , next stop is the RSTA office at Thimpu to get the vehicle route permit extended as well . The office is at Thimpu Bus Station (27°28'5.54"N, 89°38'35.04"E) on the other side of the river. A nominal fee is required and no new permits are issued , the original vehicle permit is stamped with the extended route details. You visit the Base In Charge at the ground floor to get the original permit checked , go up to pay cash and again come back to the Base In Charge with the receipt and get the endorsement done. Should take you 1 -2 hours depending on the queue at the cash counter.
The permit is checked just before Dochula pass , if you come back the same way , the original needs to be surrendered.
Parking at Norzim Lam : if you choose a hotel at Norzim Lam , beware that it is paid parking from 9 to 9 , if you book a hotel on this road , make sure you negotiate with the parking attendant on daily rates and keep his number!. That way he can reserve a spot for you in front of the hotel when you are back any time of the day.
What is so special about Tuesday : It is a pedestrian only day in Thimpu and in many other towns / cities and no private vehicles are allowed from 7:30 / 8 AM till 6:00 PM within city limits. Make sure you plan for this if you happen to be at Thimpu on a Tuesday. Only some commercial vehicles and buses are allowed to ply.
You can always negotiate a hotel on arrival , but beware of high seasons around Sep / Oct when it might be better to pre book. I found this site to have a lot of information on Local Hotels in Bhutan
http://www.hotel.bt/