Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
RIDING THE RAILS WITH YOUR BIKE
For long hauls, transporting your bike by train can be a convenient option. Buy a standard train ticket for the jour-
ney, then take your bike to the station parcel office with your passport, registration papers, driver's licence and in-
surance documents. Packing-wallahs will wrap your bike in protective sacking for around ?200 to ?500 and you
must fill out various forms and pay the shipping fee - around ?2500 to ?3500 (charges are less on an ordinary
train) - plus an insurance fee of 1% of the declared value of the bike. Bring the same paperwork to collect your
bike from the goods office at the other end. If the bike is left waiting at the destination for more than 24 hours,
you'll pay a storage fee of around ?100 per day.
Boat
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Scheduled ferries connect mainland India to Port Blair in the Andaman Islands.
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There are sporadic ferries from Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) to the Andaman Islands.
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Between October and May there are boat services from Kochi (Kerala) to the Lakshadweep Islands.
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There are also numerous shorter ferry services across rivers, from chain pontoons to coracles, and various boat
cruises.
Bus
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Buses go almost everywhere in India and are the only way to get around many mountainous areas. They tend to be the
cheapest way to travel. Services are generally fast and frequent.
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Roads in curvaceous terrain can be especially perilous; buses are often driven with wilful abandon, and accidents are
always a risk.
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Avoid night buses unless there's no alternative: driving conditions are more hazardous and drivers may be inebriated
or suffering from lack of sleep.
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All buses make snack and toilet stops (some more frequently than others), providing a break but possibly adding hours
to journey times.
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Shared jeeps complement the bus service in many mountain areas.
Classes
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State-owned and private bus companies both offer several types of buses, graded loosely as 'ordinary', 'semi-deluxe',
'deluxe' or 'super deluxe'. These are usually open to interpretation, and the exact grade of luxury offered in a particular
class can vary from place to place.
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In general, ordinary buses tend to be ageing rattletraps while the deluxe grades range from less decrepit versions of or-
dinary buses to flashy Volvo buses with AC and reclining (locally called 'push-back') two-by-two seating.
