India Domestic Travel Options
Traveling to a new country may cause anxiety at times. Here are some basics on domestic travel within India.


Main domestic carrier:
India's domestic airline is Indian Airlines whose network links over 70 cities in India
Other domestic carriers:
Other domestic airlines include Sahara Airlines, Jet Airways, Jagson and Alliance Air
Special fares:
There are various Indian Airlines special fares offered to foreign nationals and Indian nationals living abroad.
Discounts:
With the exception of the Youth Fare India, discounts of 90 percent are offered to children under 2 years and of 50 per cent for kids aged 2 to 12.
Group travel:
Group discounts of as much as 30 per cent are also offered


Scope of the rail system:
The network spans over much of the country, and is moderately inexpensive
Intercity:
Express services connect all the major cities and local services link most other parts of the country.
Domestic bus system:
Buses connect with trains to serve parts of India not covered by the rail system.
Child fares:
Children aged 5 to 11 are charged half price, children under 5 travel free.
Classes of travel:
1st-class air-conditioned, 2nd-class air-conditioned, 3rd class air-conditioned, air-conditioned chair car, 1st-class sleeper and 2nd-class.
Restaurant cars:
Major trains have restaurant cars


Left sided driving:
Traffic flows on the left side of the road Bus network reach:
Bus network reach:
A far reaching network of bus services links all regions of the country, and is especially useful for the mountainous areas where there are no rail services
Comfort level:
However, public transport is usually over crowded and uncomfortable
About the routes:
Details of routes may be acquired from the local tourist office


Tourist taxis:
There are a many chauffeur-driven tourist cars (AC also) operating in the main tourist centers
Tourist taxi rates:
These un-metered tourist cars operate at a somewhat higher rate than the regular taxis.
Rental cars not a good idea:
Self-drive vehicles are not usually available, which is a good thing!
Be safe:
Driving in India is not recommended.


Intercity Transport :
Taxis and auto rickshaws are available in major cities and fares are charged on the basis of the distance traveled.
Check the meter:
Private transport operators at times don't have meters. If it is there passengers should ensure that it is flagged in their presence.
Cost:
Fares keep on changing and therefore don't always match the reading on the meter, but having a copy of the admissible fares is obligatory on the part of the operator.
Subways:
Kolkata (Calcutta) and New Delhi have
subterranean railway systems or tubes.