India Travel

Flights from regional airports and Ireland

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Getting there from Britain and Ireland

British Airways and Air India fly nonstop from Britain to Delhi and Mumbai (Bombay), and fly direct to Chennai (Madras), Calcutta and Ahmedabad; feeder flights from Air India and the extensive domestic airline network can link you to any number of Indian cities. Discounted return fares on these vary from just under £450 in low season {roughly Jan-June, except Easter, & Nov) to upwards of £600 in high season (July, Aug & Dec). A cheaper option is to take an indirect flight which involves a change of plane and inevitably takes a few hours longer, though the airline may also allow

As well as the agents listed below, check out the travel supplements of national papers, regional listings magazines and the Evening Standard in London and free giveaways like TNT. Aeroflot 9 020/7355 2233, Some of the cheapest fares around but you will have to change at Moscow for flights to Delhi, which are nearly always full, and Calcutta. Air France S 0845/0845 111, Fly to Pans and change for flights to Delhi and Mumbai. Competitively priced efficiency if you shop around. Air India % 020/8560 9996 or 8745 1000, Nonstop flights to Delhi and Vlumbai and a ieeder network to Chennai,Bangalore and

By air in Delhi

Indian Airlines, whose main office is in the Malhotra Building on F-Block, Connaught Place, near Wimpy, operate the largest network of internal flights, though private carriers serve more destinations; tickets can be bought through travel agents or the main offices. All flights leave from the domestic terminal, 15km southwest of town, easily reached by the convenient EATS bus service (Rs50 plus Rs5 for luggage; 30min) that departs from Pahka Bazaar, just opposite Wimpy. Rickshaws and taxis are more expensive, but slightly quicker. Passengers on domestic flights must check in two hours prior to departure. A simple food counter sells tea,

Getting to the Andaman Islands

Port Blair, on South Andaman, is served by Indian Airlines flights from Calcutta (daily except Wed & Fri) and Chennai (Mon, Wed, Fri & Sun); Jet I Airways now runs a daily flight from Chennai, which means that availability is a lot easier than it used to be on that sector. Tickets for the two-hour flights remain expensive though, at around 5200 one way, unless you qualify' for a discount. It's also possible to get to Port Blair by ship. Services to and from Chennai have stabilized and can now be reasonably relied upon to leave in each direction every Friday.

By air in Delhi

International flights land at Indira Gandhi International Airport, also known as Terminal 2, 23km southwest of the centre (formerly Palam airport). The State Bank of India and Thomas Cook in the airport offer 24hr money changing facilities; be sure" to ge: some small change for taxis and rickshaws. If you need to book accommodation, 24hr desks, including ITDC m the departure hall and Delhi Tourism (DTTDC), have a list of approved hotels and will secure reservations by phone. Beware of bogus booking counters: there have been several cases of trickery and overcharging. Not all budget hotels accept telephone bookings; for

Accommodation in Delhi

Delhi has a great range of accommodation, from dirt-cheap lodges to extravagant international hotels. Bookings for up market hotels can be made at the tourist desks at airports and railway stations, but budget travellers have to do their own searching. If you want to stay in comfort, try booking your ticket through the Travel Corporation of India (TCI), which offers substantial discounts on double rooms in select upmarket hotels (see p. 151)-

Arrival and information of Mumbai

Unless you arrive in Mumbai by train at Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), be prepared for a long slog into the centre. The international and domestic airports are north of the city, way off the map, and ninety minutes or more by road from the main hotel areas, while from Mumbai Central train or bus station, you face a laborious trip across town. Finding a place to stay can be even more of a hassle; phone around before you set off into the traffic.

Book and map outlets in the UK and Ireland

Blackwell's Map and Travel Shop, 53 Broad St, Oxford 0X1 3BQ 01865/792792, Daunt Books, 83 Marylebone High St, W1M 30E 020/7224 2295, 020/7224 6893; 193 Haverstock Hill, NW3 4QL 020/7794 4006, Heffers Map and Travel, 20 Trinity St, Cambridge, CB2 1TJ 01223/586 586, John Smith and Sons, 26 Colquhoun Ave, Glasgow, G52 4PJ 0141/221 7472, James Thin Melven's Bookshop, 29 Union St, Inverness, IV1 1QA 01463/233500, The Map Shop, 30a Belvoir St, Leicester, LE16QH 0116/2471400 National Map Centre, 22-24 Caxton St, SW1HOOU 020/7222 2466, Newcastle Map Centre, 55 Grey St, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6EF 0191/261 5622, Stanfords: 12-14 Long Acre. WC2E 9LP 020/7836 1321; British Airways

Accommodation for Mumbai

Even though Mumbai offers all kinds of accommodation, finding a room at the right price when you arrive can be a real problem. Budget travellers, in particular, can expect a hard time: standards at the bottom of the range are grim and room rates exorbitant. A windowiess cell with wood-partition walls and no running water costs Rs300 and above, while a comfortable room in the centre of town, with an attached toilet and shower, and a window, will set you back the best part of Rs1000. The best of the relatively inexpensive places tend to fill up by noon, which

Information of Mumbai

The best source of information in Mumbai is the excellent Government of India tourist office (Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm. Sat 8.30am-2pm; 022/203 3144) at 123 M Karve Rd, opposite Churchgate station's east exit. The staff here are exceptionally helpful and hand out a wide range of leaflets, maps and brochures both on Mumbai and the rest of the country. There are also 24hr tourist information counters at Sahar International (022/832 5331) and Santa Cruz (022/615 9320) airports. Maharashtra State Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (MTDC) main office, on Madam Cama Road (Mon-Sat 8.30am-7pm; 022/202 6731), opposite the LIC Building in Nariman Point, sells tickets

From Calcutta to Bangladesh

Calcutta is the main gateway to Bangladesh from India; you can reach Bangladesh by air, train or road. The Bangladesh Consulate is at 9 Circus Ave; visas must be obtained in advance. There are at least two flights daily from Calcutta to Dhaka and a return ticket costs around $100. Biman flies daily to Calcutta and twice weekly to Chittagong. Indian Airlines have five flights a week to Dhaka and two to Chittagong. Although there is no direct line from Calcutta into Bangladesh, trains from Sealdah take you as far as Bongaon. From here you can take an auto-rickshaw to Haridaspur, 5km

Arrival and information in Delhi

Delhi is India's main point of arrival for overseas visitors, and has two airports, one domestic and one international. State buses from all over the country pull into the Inter-state Bus Terminal in Old Delhi, while private buses stop in the more central location close to New Delhi railway station. Trains arrive at the railheads in Old or New Delhi, both well connected to Connaught Place, the commercial centre of the city, by rickshaw and taxi. For a summary of the kinds of accommodation available in different areas of the city, which may well determine where you head first, see p.

Museum of Natural History in Madhya Pradesh

The newly constructed Regional Museum of Natural History (Tues-Sat 10am-5prn; free) is several kilometres southeast of New Market, so again the only real option is to go by auto-rickshaw. Around a courtyard with model dinosaurs and colourful murals there are attractive and well-written displays on biodiversity and ecosystems, and on the geological history of the earth. There are also temporary exhibitions, a discovery centre (10.30ani-noon & 2.30-4pm) and a film show at 4pm.

Around the airports in Mumbai

Hotels near Sahar and Santa Cruz airports cater predominantly for transit passengers and flight crews, at premium rates. If you arrive in Mumbai at an inconvenient hour when most of the hotels in the city proper are closed or full, you may want to arrange less expensive accommodation in the nearby suburbs of Santa Cruz. Vile Parle or Andheri. Bookings can be made through the accommodation desk in the arrivals concourse at Sahar, or by phone. Nearly all the hotels below have courtesy buses to and from the terminal building. Airport Palace, Vakola Bridge. Bull's Royce Colony Road 022/614 0057. Small,

Eating to Rameshwaram in Central Tamil Nadu

Eating in Rameshwaram is more about survival than delighting the taste buds. Most places serve up fairly unexciting "meals". Arya Bhavan and Kumbakonam, W Car Street. Both places are run by the same family and dish up standard, inexpensive veg “meals”. Ashok Bhavan, W Car Street. Offers cheap, regional varieties of thalis. TTDC Hotel Tamil Nadu, near the beach. Gigantic, noisy, high-ceilinged glasshouse near the sea, serving good south Indian snacks and "meals:: - many items on the menu are unavailable, however.

Juhu Beach in Mumbai

Since the early 1970s, a crop of exclusive resort hotels has been creeping steadily down the road that runs behind Juhu Beach, twenty minutes' drive from Santa Cruz airport. Most offer the predictable hermetically sealed five-star package, with bars, restaurants and a pool to lounge beside. It's hard to believe that anyone would come to India expressly for this sort of thing, but if money's no object and you want to keep well away from all the hustle, bustle and poverty, you'll be spoiled for choice. Vile Parle (pronounced Veelay Parhy) is the nearest suburban railway station to juhu. Both

Information of Lucknow in Central UP

The national government's regional tourist bureau, close to the railway station at 10 Station Rd (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, closed 2nd Sat of each month), provides information only; they also operate a stand at the railway station. The UP Tourism office, at 3 Newal Kishore Rd, has an information counter. Lucknow's GPO is onVidhan Sabha Marg. Among banks for foreign exchange are Punjab National Bank, Ashok Marg, Hazratganj, and State Bank of India, also on Ashok Marg and at Mod Mahal Marg. Top-range hotels such as the Taj Mahal also have foreign exchange facilities.

Practicalities in North Bengal

Bagdogra airport, 12km west of Siliguri and served by flights from Delhi, Calcutta and Guwahati, is connected not only with Siliguri itself, but also directly to Darjeeling as well as to Gangtok in Sikkim by helicopter.

Getting there from North America

India is on the other side of the planet from North America. If you live on the East Coast it's somewhat shorter to go via Europe, and from the West Coast it's shorter via the Pacific, but either way it's a long haul, involving one or more intermediate stops, and you'll arrive fresher and less jet-lagged if you can manage to fit in a few days' layover somewhere en route. Most North American travellers arrive at either Delhi or Mumbai (Bombay), India's busiest - and, in general, cheapest - air gateways. Either one makes a good starting/ending point for a tour

Near the IGI Airport in South Delhi

There are retiring rooms at both airports, but if you are in for a long wait, head tor the hotels clustered around the turn-off for the international airport. Several good dhabos can be found around there too; the Banaz restaurant next to the International Inn serves good Chinese and tandoori food, while the Radisson boasts a cake shop and seven cafes, bars and restaurants where you can while away the time agreeably. Ashok Country Resort Rajokri Road, Kapashera. Just off the Jaipur road, spacious carpeted rooms in four-star comfort, with a pleasant lawn and a swimming pool but low-key service.