Bangalore Tourist Traps

There will be plenty of taxi and auto drivers at the new airport who will try and entice you into taking their service just say no thanks and carry on to the BMTC volvo bus stand- there's one to every corner of the city, board the one that takes you to your destination, the maps are all displayed there for your ready reference

Do not encourage auto drivers to specify a fixedr ate for a ride from anywhere to anywhere! They are supposed to charge as per meter reading only. What shows on the meter is what you give them, no addition, subtraction or multiplication factored in. A minimum of Rs 14 for 2 kms and Rs 7 for every km afterward.

Unique Suggestions: If not go to prepaid counters i the railway station or at Forum in Koramangala or at MG Road

The most valuable advice I learned from VT before I went on the trip, is (and especially if you're visiting a foreign country for the first time) you MUST be careful and prepared when you land at Bangalore airport... When you plan your trip make sure you organise with your accomodation an airport transfer so someone meets you at the airport.

Unique Suggestions: If this isn't possible I believe there is a booking office for prepaid taxis INSIDE the airport, do not walk out of the airport with no transportation organised

Even if you do have transport organised, dont let anyone take your bags or try to persuade you to go with them...... when you get to the exit be prepared to see a LOT of people holding signs... Hopefully your arranged pickup is there waiting for you :)

If someone comes up to you trying to sell you something, and you're not interested, don't feel like you need to smile and be polite and say "no thanks" or make excuses as to why you're not interested... In other words dont get into any sort of conversation with them at all. Normally I'm the nicest person to everyone, but this just wont work with hagglers.

Unique Suggestions: You need to be abrupt and say NO, use a bit of body language, and they will leave you alone

Fun Alternatives: RUN

If you look like a foreigner, you will be over charged for everything. Especially with auto-rickshaws... Try and get them to use the meter, or work out a fare before you get in the auto.

Some of the time they will try to get you to pay double the meter... If this bothers you simply walk away and find someone else

Unique Suggestions: Ask a local (eg someone at the reception of your hotel) how much the fare should be to your destination so you have an idea prior to your trip

Fun Alternatives: Catch the bus (although I would personally recommend paying an inflated price for an auto than traveling on the council buses) but the bus the fare is always fair

After leaving arrival hall of the Bangalore airport your will be immediatelly approached by a number of "taxi" fellows (as in many other airports of the world). One of them, more smart then others on a question "how much", answers "usual tarif". If you are as silly as me to believe him he will show you (later on) a very carefully prepared price list with very high tarifs. It cost me Rp 450 to get to a centraly located hotel. To be honest, this is not 10 times higher then usual prices, but less then twice as.

Fun Alternatives: 1) If you manage to bypass this queue of "taxes" there is an official taxi booth at the very end of the airport court. You will probably find better prices there.

2) further on you can find 3-weels on the street for less then Rp 50 (see the photo)

Upon getting out of the immigration & customs for baggages at Bangalore airport - in case you don't have anyone picking you up - and you want to get a taxi, go immediately for the queue for the prepaid taxi. It's just right before (on your left) you exit the terminal gate.

If you miss that or you think that you might get a better deal from the taxis outside the terminal.... forget it. You won't!

The men waiting outside the terminal asking you if you need taxi are actually and mostly not taxi drivers, instead they will ask you to wait at the parking lot or somewhere near and they will look for a taxi who would agree to their price and pass it on to you.

Cost will be a lot more than the prepaid taxis. I almost fell into this.

Unique Suggestions: So particularly for first-timers in Bangalore... take the prepaid taxis, they're reasonably priced, safe and fast.

I've taken laptops which one for work, another one for personal. Custom official claimed that we are only allowed to take one laptop (even it is so called IT city in India) and they want to tax me for USD300 for my 3 year-old laptop!

The official took me to a room and ask me how much I can pay!!