How to Reach Kolkata

By air. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) at Dum Dum is about 17 km northeast of the city centre. It is eastern India's principal airport, with comprehensive domestic connections and international routes to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

Getting into the city: app cabs (Uber, Ola) and prepaid taxis are the main options, typically taking 45 minutes to over an hour depending on traffic and destination. Prepaid taxi counters inside the terminal are reliable and avoid negotiation. Airport bus services also operate to central points.

By train. Kolkata is a major rail hub with several terminals, and it matters which one your train uses:

1. Howrah Junction (HWH) — the largest and busiest, on the west bank of the Hooghly across Howrah Bridge. Serves most long-distance trains to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and across India. One of the oldest and biggest stations in India.
2. Sealdah (SDAH) — on the east bank in the city proper, serving northern West Bengal, the northeast and many suburban routes
3. Kolkata (KOAA) at Chitpur — serves some trains including services towards Bangladesh
4. Shalimar — serves additional long-distance routes

Check your ticket carefully. Howrah and Sealdah are on opposite sides of the river and getting between them takes time.

By road. National highways connect Kolkata to the rest of eastern India. Long-distance buses run from Esplanade (central), Karunamoyee in Salt Lake, and Babughat.

Typical journeys: Digha (coastal) around 4 hours, Shantiniketan around 4 hours, Darjeeling around 12 hours by road (better done by train to New Jalpaiguri then car), Bhubaneswar around 7 hours.

By river. Ferries cross the Hooghly between Kolkata and Howrah, which is both a practical route and one of the more pleasant short journeys in the city.