The major airports in India are at Bombay (Mumbai) and Delhi. Other international flights arrive at Madras and Calcutta. A taxi from the airport to the center of New Delhi runs about Rs150. In Bombay it will cost you Rs170 and takes about an hour; in Calcutta, about Rs120. You can prepay in New Delhi and Bombay, but drivers will haggle a fixed price with tourists.
Indian Airlines has an extensive network inside India. In addition to the four international airports, 115 other airports serve domestic routes. The international carrier, Air India, also runs some domestic flights. These folks are facing some competition these days from upstarts Jet Airways and Sahara Indian Airlines.
The size of the railway network was estimated at approximately 63,900 kilometers (37,850 miles) in 1990. India's railway network is the largest in Asia and the second largest in the world. The rail system is the lifeblood of the Indian people. There are a number of different classes of trains-and the reservation system can be confusing for all classes. Foreign visitors can take advantage of the tourist quota allotment. Train passengers have been subjected to robberies and schedule disruptions due to protest actions. There are six classes of bus service-from ordinary to deluxe sleeper. The private buses tend to be faster and more comfortable than the state buses. Travel by road after dark is not recommended.
Restricted Areas
Permission from the Indian government (from Indian diplomatic missions abroad, or in some cases, from the Ministry of Home Affairs) is required to visit the states of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, parts of Kulu district and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, border areas of Jammu and Kashmir, areas of Uttar Pradesh, the area west of National Highway 15 running from Ganganagar to Sanchar in Rajasthan, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Union Territory of the Laccadive Islands. All are considered dangerous areas except the Andamans and Islands where the government tries to preserve the indigenous people's way of life from the Nikon-equipped eco-yuppies. Oh, before the Andamans were pacified sailors, they ate anyone who washed ashore.
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