| Getting
Here By Air
Bangalore is connected to all the four metropolitan cities and other major places by air.
Indian Airlines and private carriers operate regular flights to the Silicon Valley of
India from Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras. Trivandrum, Hyderabad, Goa, Kochi,
Ahmedabad and Mangalore, are the other cities on the air route of IA and private airlines.
A few international flights come in directly form Singapore, Dubai, London, Oman, Hong
Kong and Saudi.
Bangalore
Airport is 8 km from M.G. Road area. Transfer to the city by tourist taxi takes about 20
minutes and costs about Rs. 180. Prepaid taxi service is also available. An autorickshaw,
charging about Rs. 80 takes nearly the same time.
By Rail
Bangalore is connected to the National Capital by weekly Rajdhani Express and daily
Karnataka Express. It is also well connected with Bombay by Udayan and Kurla Express, to
Madras by Madras Mail, Lal Bagh Shatabdi and Brindavan Express and also to
Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Calcutta, Hyderabad, and Mangalore by express trains. Mysore
(140 km) is just 2.5 to 3 hours from Bangalore by train but it is preferable to do it by
road.
By Road
Bangalore is well connected with Bombay and Pune through National Highway No. 4, to
Hyderabad (565 km) and Kanyakumari (719 km) through National Highway No. 7 and Mangalore
(349 km) on NH 48. Madras is approachable via Dharmapuri and Vellore (340 km). Buses of
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala State Transport Corporations, and a large
number of private roadways connect Bangalore with all the major centers in the region.
The
interstate bus terminus of Bangalore is situated in Subashnagar near Majestic Circle and
faces the Bangalore City Railway Station.
Autorickshaws
The only way to get around. Mostly available, accommodating and honest. The odd
opportunist is to be expected. Plenty of autos in Central Bangalore. Getting one in a
residential area late at night is difficult. Do not pay over the meter unless you want to
tip(See "Tipping" section). After 10 PM autos generally charge 50% over the
meter. They may charge extra to go to remote areas.
If invited
for a dinner, do not hesitate to ask your host to drop you back or arrange a ride.
Bangaloreans usually go out of their way. If a taxi is too expensive, hire an auto for the
round trip - fix price in advance and tell the driver clearly what time you will expect to
return. Restaurants will help you to get auto.
Buses
Avoidable(except for residents). Erratic service. Never punctual. Very rude conductors and
rash drivers. But wait!! there are always exceptions. In this case its Cauvery, very
recently introduced by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, especially for
tourists.
Tipping
This is indicative advice. In restaurants and hotels, tips are pooled and shared by all
working staff. Be generous - most service people run their lives on tips more than
salaries. When in doubt, 10% of the bill amount will do nicely.
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