| India
Getting There - International Travel |
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Note
It's strongly recommended not to travel to Kashmir and Jammur, areas
of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Punjab near the border or areas of Ladakh
close to the Line of Control because of political unrest. For additional
information,seek official advice.
Air
India’s national airline is Air India (AI). British
Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly to India from the United
Kingdom; United Airlines and Delta Airlines fly from
the United States of America.
Approximate
flight times:
From London
To Delhi- 9 hours.
To Kolkata (Calcutta)- 12 hours.
To Chennai-12 hours 30 minutes.
To Mumbai 9 hours.
From Los Angeles
To Delhi- 25 hours 30 minutes.
From New York
To Delhi - 18 hours.
From Singapore
To Delhi- 5 hours.
From Sydney
To Delhi-10 hours.
International
airports
Each airport that is listed below have currency exchange facilities,
tourist information, and hotel reservation services:
Delhi (DEL) (Indra Gandhi International) is located 21 kilometres
(13 miles) south of the city (travel time – 45 minutes). It's
possible to travel to the city by coach, bus or taxi. There are
restaurants, banks/bureaux de change, 24-hour duty-free shops, post
office, and car hire.
Mumbai (BOM) is located 29 kilometres (18 miles) north of
the city (travel time – 50-75 minutes). Taxis to the city
are available, and fares should have a fixed rate from the airport
to the city. Public transport is also offered in the form of the
EATS bus service and local buses. Facilities include a bank/bureau
de change, restaurant, 24-hour post office, nursery, and shops.
Kolkata (Calcutta) (CCU) is located 13 kilometres
(8 miles) northeast of the city (travel time – 40-70 minutes).
A 24-hour coach service operates to Indian Airlines city
branch and major hotels. A bus departs every ten minutes 05:30-22:00.
Taxi services also go to the city. There is a 24-hour post office,
24-hour bank, restaurant, bars, and duty-free shops and available.
Chennai (MAA) is located 14 kilometres (9 miles) southwest
of the city (travel time – 20 minutes). A coach meets all
flights arriving between 09:00-23:00. A train runs every 20-30 minutes
from 05:00-23:00. Bus number 18A runs every 25 minutes from 05:00-22:00.
Taxi services is available to the city.
Departure
tax: £10. (£8 for neighboring countries only).
Sea
The primary passenger ports are Mumbai, Kochi, Kolkata (Calcutta),
Chennai, Calicut, Panaji (Goa) and Rameswaram (the main departure
location for the crossing to Sri Lanka; passenger services are currently
suspended due to the political climate in Sri Lanka). Many international
shipping firms also serve Indian ports and several cruise lines.
However, no regular passenger liners operate to South-East Asia.
Departure tax: Seaports
levy the following departure tax:
RS150 (for journeys to Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives,
Nepal Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka).
RS500 (all other destinations).
Rail
This section gives details of the main overland routes to nearby
countries (where borders are open); usually, these will involve
road as well as rail travel. Check India Tourism for details, as
they may be subject to change (see Contact
section).
Connections to Pakistan
Presently only available between Amritsar and Lahore (New Delhi–Amritsar–Lahore–Hyderabad–Karachi).
Connections to Nepal
The most practical and popular mode of travel to Nepal is by train
to Raxaul (Bihar) and then by bus to Kathmandu or by train to Gorakphur
(or by bus if arriving from Varanasi), then by bus to Kathmandu
crossing the border at Sunauli. Also, by train to Nantanwa (UP)
and then by bus to Kathmandu/Pokhara, or Bhairawa to Lumbini for
Pokhara. It is also possible to cross from Darjeeling by bus to
Kathmandu across the southern lowlands.
Connections to Bhutan
The best way to travel to Bhutan is by train to Siliguri, then bus
to Phuntsholing. An airlink is available from Kolkata (Calcutta)
to Paro by Druk Air.
Connections to Bangladesh
The best way to Bangladesh is Kolkata (Calcutta) to Bongaon (West
Bengal) by train, rickshaw over the border to Benapol, with connections
through Khulna or Jessore to Dhaka. An alternative route is from
Darjeeling via Siliguri, then by rail or bus from Jalpaiguri to
Haldibari.
Presently no land borders are open between India and Myanmar or
India and China.
Road
The overland route between Europe to India has become very popular,
however travellers should have current information about border
crossings, visa requirements and the political situation en route.
The most popular border crossings to India are Sunauli
(for Delhi and northwest India), Kakarbhitta
(for Darjeeling) and Birganj (for Kolkata (Calcutta) and
east India). Amritsar is currently open for overland crossings into
Lahore (Pakistan).
Many adventure holiday’ companies organize overland
tours and buses to India. A bus service between New Delhi and Lahore
(Pakistan) has recently started operating (the 1st one in 50 years).
The trip takes approximately 10 hours and there are four return
trips available weekly. For information on this and other overland
journeys to nearby countries, contact India Tourism (see Contact
section). |
| Useful
travel links |
| Airports-India
|
information about airports
in India |
| Delhi-International
Airport |
information on Indra Gandhi
International Airport |
| Hot
Spots |
air security
international daily reports |
| IATA |
international air transport
association |
| Indian
Airlines |
information on Indian Airlines |
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