Travel

By Air

Mumbai is a major international gateway to India with international flights from most countries of the world. Air India and many other international air carriers operate regular flights to and via Mumbai. Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (also known as Sahar Airport) is the main gateway to India. It is 25 km from the main business district and is not served by bus or train; use car or taxi. Travel time from the airport to the city is about one hour, but during peak hours it can take two hours also to reach the airport. To find more information about the airport please take a look at www.csia.in

By train

Mumbai has two zonal Railways, the Western Railway (WR) and the Central Railway (CR). At present, the fast corridors on Central Railway as well as Western Railway are shared for long distance (main line) and freight trains. Trains on all lines start operations after 4 am and close operations between midnight and 1 am. Second class travel is very cheap. However it is advisable to buy first class tickets as the economy class is extremely crowded. First Class can be quite expensive and if 4 people are travelling together a taxi might be better. Also avoid using local trains during rush hour, first class or otherwise. Rush hour is between 8:30 am and 10:30 am towards CST (VT) and Churchgate and between 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm in the opposite direction. Click here for the railway map of Mumbai.

Taxis

Taxis are cheap and plentiful. Taxis in Mumbai are small-medium sized cars.

The standard Yellow and Black Taxi is not air-conditioned and generally uses mechanical meters. Calculating the fare is done by matching the meter reading with a tariff card to arrive at the final payable fare. The minimum fare is Rs. 13. Night charges apply from midnight to 5 a.m. when the fare is marked up by 25%.

Large items of luggage are chargeable at approximately Rs.10 per piece. Refer to the tariff card. If you have extra pieces of luggage, the trunk of the taxi will not provide sufficient space - one large suitcase is all that will fit there.

Hiring a taxi with a top carrier will be better - top carriers can accommodate upto three large suitcases. Before starting the journey, ensure that the luggage is securely fastened to the carrier.

Generally the only way to call for the standard taxi is to hail one on the street. This will not be a problem if you are inside city limits but if you are in the suburbs, you will be hard put to find a taxi as here they have been out competed by the cheaper auto-rickshaws.

Auto Rickshaw

Autorickshaws are only allowed to operate beyond Bandra in the western suburbs and beyond Sion in the central suburbs. They are banned in the downtown areas. Before departing, ensure that the meter is visible and shows the flag-down reading as 1.00. If the the number is higher, insist that the driver to flag it down once again. The minimum fare is Rs. 9.

The fare is Rs. 5 for every km, except for the first two kms for which it is Rs. 9. The meter also keeps ticking if you are waiting and/or are stuck in traffic. Autorickshaws are slower than cars and have terrible suspensions. The autorickshaw is a slow vehicle and not recommended for very long distances.

By bus

Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (known as BEST) provides efficient and comprehensive services connecting up all places of the city and the suburbs. Some services also link the city with the extended suburbs like Navi Mumbai, Thane and Mira-Bhayanadar areas. There are bus stops all over the city. There is usually a crowd and sometimes there is a queue too. Buses run from 5 am to midnight. Selected routes run beyond these timings, even all night but with very reduced frequency. Average frequency between buses ranges from 5 to 30 minutes depending on the route. Fares are reasonable and buses can be travelled in even in peak hours, unlike trains which are far too crowded.

Buses are numbered, and the final destination is marked on the front in Marathi and on the side in English. BEST has introduced the DayPass (For Adults cost RS. 40/-, For Childrens it's less), a ticket valid all day (till midnight) on all buses except Express and A/C services.

By car

Travel Agents and Hotels can arrange private chauffeur driven cars to provide services. Expensive by comparison with taxis, they are the most trusted, secure and comfortable way to travel around the city. Driving in India is an uphill task with the poor driver discipline and chauffeur services are very reasonable. These can be arranged by travel companies or online from the countries of origin. Click here for a city map of Mumbai.