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Delhi is India's major gateway for international flights and is a
good place to pick up cheap airline tickets. There are domestic
flights from Delhi to all major Indian destinations. The main
bus
station is the Interstate Bus Terminal at Kashmiri Gate, north of
the 'Old' Delhi Railway Station. Popular bus routes head into
Rajasthan via Jaipur, and to the hill stations of Himachal
Pradesh. Delhi is an important
rail
centre and New Delhi Railway Station is an easy place to make
bookings. Useful, long-distance trains head east across the Ganges
Plain to Kolkata via Varanasi, and south to Mumbai (Bombay) via
Agra.
 Airports
Delhi has two airports. Indira Gandhi is the International Airport
and Palam is the Domestic Airport.
Delhi Airport Contacts
(Note: when calling from outside India prefix 91-11 to all Delhi
Tel. Nos.)
|
Palam
Domestic
(Terminal I) |
Airport Exchange |
329-6535 |
|
Indian Airlines (Recording) |
General Enquiry |
140 |
|
Reservation |
141 |
|
Arrival |
142 |
|
Departure |
143 |
|
Private Airlines |
Airport Exchange |
329-6351
329-5126 |
|
Indira Gandhi International
(Terminal II) |
Airport Exchange |
565-2011, 565-2021, 565-2050 |
|
Air India (Recording) |
Arrival |
144 |
|
Departure |
145 |
|
Reservation |
146, 147 |
|
Cancellation |
148 |
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Information
There are three tourist
information counters in domestic arrivals and one in international
arrivals; counters are located in the baggage claim areas. A 'May
I Help You' counter for the assistance of international travellers
is located in the arrivals hall after customs clearance and there
are signs in the international and domestic terminals to help
guide passengers.
 Disabled
Facilities
Physically accessible toilets as well as ambulift facilities for
disabled travellers are available. There is a special parking area
for disabled travellers.
 Car
Rental at the Airport
Available at domestic Arrivals and international Arrivals outside
the customs hall; no facility for hiring self-drive cars is
available at the airport (self-drive cars are not generally
available in India).
 Public
Transport & Taxis from the Airport
There is a Delhi Traffic
Police pre-paid taxi booth in the arrival areas which issue
vouchers for travel to the city; retain the receipt until you
reach your destination and then hand it to the driver. It is also
possible to find a metered taxi outside. Buses run from the
airport to central Delhi every 25 minutes around the clock, with a
journey time of around 50 minutes, and auto-rickshaws are also
available. Delhi Transport Corporation run (green and yellow)
coaches and EATS run (white/blue) coaches 24 hours a day departing
from the international terminal; both services travel via the
domestic terminal and stop at New Delhi Railway Station.
Getting Around Delhi and Surrounds
Tip: Delhi Tourism offers a half/ full day sightseeing tour of the
city which covers important sites of the city.
By
Bicycle
Cycling is an excellent way of getting around, especially in New
Delhi, where the roads are wide, in good
 condition
and, by Indian standards, un-crowded. At the large traffic
roundabouts just take a deep breath and plunge in.
 By
Bus
Delhi is well connected through a network of national highways and
state roadway buses regularly ply from Delhi to various towns and
cities. Detailed enquiries can be made by calling either
2523145 or 2520290. Be warned though that the Delhi bus
system is for thrill seekers and those with time on their hands.
Buses are
generally hopelessly crowded and driven by maniacs. Avoid them
altogether during rush hours; otherwise, try boarding or leaving
at the beginning or end of a route because there's more chance of
a seat and less chance of being trampled to death. Delhi Transport
Corporation runs a large fleet of buses operating throughout the
city. Some of them on certain routes are available at all the
railways stations and the interstate bus terminals. Peak hours are
from 7a.m. to 10p.m., with the frequency being slightly lower from
1p.m. to 2.30p.m.in the afternoon. Night service buses are also
available on selective routes and they are also operated from the
railway stations. The timings are from 11p.m. to 5a.m and for
confirmation of exact bus fare contact the nearest bus booth.
 Interstate
Buses
The Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) is located at Kashmiri Gate,
Sarai Kale-Khan and Anand Vihar. Delhi Transport Corporation and
Road Transport Corporations of the neighboring States provide
frequent bus services through Air Conditioned, Deluxe and Ordinary
Coaches. Buses from all the major places in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab,
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are
available for getting to Delhi. During summer months,
air-conditioned coaches are recommended.
Note:
Seats reserved for women can be found on the left-hand side of the
bus. Buses are not recommended for sightseeing but if you have no
other option at least you will eventually get to where you want to
be and if you are looking for a true experience, catch a bus.
By
Rental Car
There are several private operators,
who offer this facility and if one has a valid driving license,
there are several outlets from which to choose.
 Chauffeur
Driven Cars
with English-speaking guides are strongly recommended for
sightseeing and outlets for these are scattered throughout the
city. Chauffeur driven cars can be hired oneself or one can go on
a conducted tour, which is probably the best way to see various
places of interest in the least possible time. There are also
private operators apart from the tours conducted by the India
Tourism Development Corporation, Delhi Tourism Development
Corporation and Delhi Transport Corporation.
 Rickshaws
A more economical option that renting a car or hiring a taxi is to
hire a three-wheeler auto rickshaw, which carries two
passengers, runs on a meter and costs roughly half the equivalent
taxi fare. These are found all over the city. Auto-rickshaws are
generally faster than taxis on short trips. Negotiate a fare
before you board. Six-seater motorcycle rickshaws run fixed
routes at fixed prices and are good value during rush hours.
Cycle rickshaws are banned from New Delhi itself, but can be
handy for travelling
around 'Old' Delhi.
 By
Train
Delhi is well connected with all the state capitals and
international cities in the country through a well laid out
railway network. In India, most of the express and mail trains
have facilities of air conditioned comfort. There are three
important railway stations in Delhi to all major and minor
destinations in India, namely New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi
Railway Station and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. Trains run
from all the parts of the country to Delhi. For nearby places like
Chandigarh, Dehradun, Gwalior, Bhopal, Lucknow and Kanpur, the
Shatabdi Express is recommended. Detailed information on train
fares and times can be had from railway enquiries on (91-11)
131, 3313535
Metro Stations
are Shahdara, Welcome, Seelampur, Shastri Park, ISBT (Kashmere
Gate) and Tis Hazari. All Delhi Metro stations have the logo
prominently displayed. Feeder buses enabling commuters to
conveniently reach Metro stations are available.
 Taxis
are available at all hotels and in almost all commercial and
residential areas. Black and Yellow Taxis are metered.
Ensure the meter is turned back before starting the trip. There is
a surcharge over the meter and you are advised to check the rate
list available from the driver before payment. There are plenty of
metered yellow-and-black taxis, but invariably the meters are out
of date, not working or the drivers will simply refuse to use
them. If this happens, hail another taxi and don’t forget to
negotiate a fare before you set out. Note: Rates of these
vehicles change after sometime and new rate cards are available
with all drivers. Extra charges are payable for baggage and
vehicles engaged between 11pm at night to 5am in the morning. It
is 25% extra for taxis. A no waiting charge is payable. The
luggage charges for taxis are - first luggage up to 20 kg free. Rs.
0.50 per luggage for every subsequent piece of luggage weighing
more than 5 kg is payable. All-white taxis are not metered
and have a flat rate based on hours. A new concept recently
introduced, are the Radio Taxis known as "Dial-a-cab". They
can be contacted on 1920. Charges however are more than
those of the normal taxis.
By Taxi
Scooter
These are metered. Ensure that the driver flags down the meter
before he starts. Revised meter reading fare charts are available
with all public transport drivers. Extra charges are payable for
halting, baggage and vehicles
 engaged
between 11 am and 5 p.m. To complain about overcharging or
misbehaviour call 3319334 (during office hours) or
3014896.
Walking
Generally Delhi is too vast a city to be explored extensively on
foot, although some areas can be walked quite comfortably because
of the city's flat terrain.
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