Getting There & Getting About

International Airports

• Mumbai (BOM): 29 km from city.
• Calcutta (CCU): 13 km from city.
• Delhi (DEL)
• Chennai (MAA): 14km from city.
• Full list of airports in India with associated airport codes >

Internal Transport

India's domestic air network connects over 70 cities, and there are a number of special passes and discount available to visitors. These include the Discover India pass (7-day, 15-day and 21-day) which offers unlimited economy-class travel on all domestic Indian Airlines services. There is also a Youth Fare India pass, which offers a 25% discount to those aged 12-30 on the normal fare and is valid for three months.

There is a catamaran service from Mumbai (Bombay) to Goa, and there are also ships from Kolkata (Calcutta) and Chennai (Madras) to Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, and from Kochi and Calicut to the Lakshadweep Islands. However, services are often seasonal and are usually suspended during the monsoon.

There is an extensive rail network, with fast, deluxe trains connecting major and secondary city centres, including Delhi with Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. There is also an Edwardian-style luxury steam train that runs from Delhi, passing through Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Ranthambae, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Bharatpur and Agra before heading back into Delhi. Known as The Palace on Wheels, the journey takes eight days and fares include the cost of travel, full catering and conducted sightseeing tours.

India had an good network of bus services connecting all parts of the country, although they tend to be crowded and can be uncomfortable. However, buses are particularly useful for travelling though the mountainous regions where there are no rail services.

Outside the major cities, roads tend to be poorly maintained and congested with poor visibility and inadequate warning markers. Driving around India is not recommended due to the erratic nature of Indian driving standards, and self-drive cars are not generally available for hire. However, there are a large number of chauffeur-driven tourist cars (some air conditioned) available in the main tourist centres.

Auto rickshaws and taxis are available in large cities and fares are normally charged by the kilometre. Fares change from time to time and so may not always correspond to the reading on the meter, but drivers should always have a copy of the latest fare chart available for inspection.

A metro system opened in Delhi in 2004, with the remaining sections to be completed in 2008. Kolkata (Calcutta) has a 16.5 km (10-mile) underground railway.