Getting Around Mumbai

this is a problem today with most of the big cities around the world. bombay is no exception to that.

during the peak (9,11am-5,7pm) hours it gets horrible. sometimes takes around 2 hours to reach from one part to the other part of bombay.

if you are planning to catch a flight or a train i would suggest you leave 30mins in advance. i do that myself, inspite of this have missed my flight and train sometime
during the monsoon things get worst. more traffic and more waiting.

Traffic in Mumbai is absolutely horrendous. So make sure you set aside lots of time if you need to get somewhere within the city. I was there for three days. The only day where it seemed more calm was on Sunday when many of the shops are closed. If you're planning to see several sites by car/taxi in one day, that might be the day to do it. This picture doesn't do justice to the noise you'll hear from all the honking in the streets!

Mumbai’s two airports are 30 km north of the city centre. The journey to the city centre by taxi takes about one hour at Rp 300 (€ 6). And 30% more between midnight and 5 am. This was the price in February 2006.

Chattrapathi Shivaji International Airport handles all international flights and is 4 km from the domestic airport. A free shuttle service connects the two airports.

Domestic flights of Air India depart from the International Airport.

Some domestic carriers:
http://www.airdeccan.net/airdeccan/home.asp
http://www.flykingfisher.com/
http://www.airsahara.net
http://goair.in

More info about domestic airlines:
http://www.indiatravelite.com/airway/domestic1.htm

More info about airports worldwide:
http://www.airlinequality.com/index.htm

2 more images

Ferries leave from Apollo Bunder at the Gateway of India for Elephanta Island. You may find yourself crossing over one or two other boats just to get to your ferry moored on the outside of the others. The ride takes around 1 hour each way. You can sit on the lower covered deck or upstairs – which in Summer may prove to be way too hot. Try and pick a calm day as even then you will get a little of a bumpy ride. There is a sign on the boat which says no photography. No one took any notice of this and in fact I believe it more pertains to the taking of photos of the naval base there as my guide told me to make sure I did not take photos of that area as we passed by.

Boats leave from Apollo Bunder around every half-hour from 9 am to 2 pm and between 1 pm and 5 pm from Elephanta Island. You can buy tickets at the booths near the Gateway or you can book a tour with the MTDC. The boat services are suspended during the monsoon season.

2 more images

Mumbai is connected by good connecting roads with all major tourist centres. It is an important junction for several highways (3,4,6,8,9 and 17) which link to all parts of the country.

Delhi – 1,460km
Bangalore – 998km
Chennai – 1,329km
Calcutta – 2,236km
Hyderabad -711km

There is a regular shipping service between Mumbai, Goa and Ratnagiri. This is primarily by catamaran but the service is suspended during the monsoon season. The duration of the voyage takes around 8 hours. The Princess Cruises also call at Mumbai port.

The airplane arrived at the noon time in Mumbai. Since I am on budget, I took the rickshaw to Adheri station. After I bought the ticket and went to the platform, I realized myself looked like an alien there.

However, when train arrived, when I saw thousands of Indians(men mainly) are packed on the train, I was shocked and lost the mind. Because I can't see any space to get inside (even later I realized there was the lady compartment). I am the only "white" among thousands of Indian people.

In one moment, I changed my mind by running out of the station and took the taxi to the hotel.

It's probably that I am not very prepared. However, if I am with another person, I am sure I can try this adventure.

Taxi cost from Airport to Columba area is around 300Rs in day time. In the night time, they may raise to 400Rs. But you can still neogotiate it.

When you walk out of Mumbai domestic airport, you get swarmed by touts, offering to take you by either Taxi or Tuks, which is normal. What a person should be wary of is that the prices they ask are ridiculous overpriced. If you do not have too much baggage, then you should try and get to the "Ville Parle" train station, which is just over a kilometre (5 - 10 minutes walk), so you should pay very little for the trip. Though you need to be prepared to bargin hard, because the drivers are use to people paying the overinflated price. Once at the station, you can catch a very crowded train on the "Harbour Line", from platforms 1 & 2, which runs all the way to "ChurchGate" train station.

If you need to get to Mumbai CST station or places in the Fort Area or Colba (Gateway to India is in this area), then it is a very quick and cheap taxi ride from ChurchGate station.