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Travel Checklist
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Visa
All non-Indian-citizens are required to have an Indian visa to enter the country. Please allow yourself sufficient time (say 2-3 weeks) to procure an appropriate visa from your nearest Indian consulate. There are several Indian consulates worldwide. Indian consulates in the continental US are located in Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Houston, and San Francisco. An online copy of the application form for Indian visa is available.
- Flight Reservations
There are direct convenient flights from several European cities (and from a few US cities) to Bangalore and we recommend that you arrive in Bangalore directly instead of landing in other Indian cities and connecting to Bangalore. Please make your flight reservations well in advance, to be on the safe side as December is a very busy season. For more information, including about domestic flights within India, check here.
- Vaccinations (shots)
Many first-time travelers to India prefer to get preventive vaccinations (shots). The Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India has some more health tips for tourists.
- Foreign Exchange
While international credit cards are widely accepted in commercial establishments in India, several places rely on cash transactions in the local currency (Indian Rupee). We suggest that you either carry some Indian currency when entering India or buy Indian currency at the currency exchange agencies in the Indian airports, upon arrival.. The current exchange rate is about Rs. 48/- per US dollar. Once in India, you can buy additional Indian currency from local branches of Citibank, Thomas Cook, etc. However, it is typically difficult to convert Indian currency back into foreign currency because of exchange regulations.
Most international airlines have direct flights to India from Europe and Singapore/Hong-Kong. From the US, most international airlines fly to India with a single stop, either in Europe or in the Far East with a few offering direct flights to India. Economy class round trip airfares from the US to India and back are typically significantly less than US $3000/-. Check with your travel agent for current fares.
Most airlines such as Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Air Lanka, Air France, British Airways, Malaysian Airlines, Jet Airways and Air India fly directly into Bangalore. Almost all airlines have daily flying. We recommend that you fly directly into Bangalore.
Alternatively, most international airlines fly into Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras) or New Delhi. If you fly into these cities there are several domestic airlines connecting Bangalore to these cities (Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Sahara Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines). Chennai-Bangalore is a 45 minute flight, Mumbai-Bangalore is a 90 minute flight, and Delhi to Bangalore is 2.5 hours. We recommend flying into Chennai as the domestic and international terminals are in the same building. In New Delhi and Mumbai one has to take a bus to go between the terminals. Flying into other cities have the difficulty that International flights from Europe typically arrive into India around midnight, and the first flight to Bangalore out of Mumbai, New Delhi or Chennai is not until 6am, leaving you with a tiring 5-6 hour wait around the airport.
Chennai is also connected to Bangalore by the Shatabdi Express train, a comfortable 5 hour journey; but the trains usually run fully booked, hence advance reservations are required.
Check with your travel agent for attractive local air travel offers that are usually available with your international travel ticket.
The airport is equipped with adequate number of immigration counters and baggage carousels for quick baggage retrieval. A large duty free shop is also located near the baggage claim area.
How to reach IISc Campus
Local name for IISc is 'Tata Institute'. Always use 'Tata Institute' with the taxi, auto drivers, and bus conductors. IISc is about 35 km from the new Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL) (both domestic and International).
Commute To Bangalore International Airport
All phone numbers have an area code +91-80 (for landline) and +91 for mobile. Airport helpline can be reached at 4058-1111. Flight enquiry can be reached at 1-800-425-4425
Taxi Service Providers
- AirLift : 4052-8888 (Rs 300 to airport!)
- CelCabs: 6060-9090
- SGL Tours and Travels: 4299-4399
Basic Taxi Services
- Meru: 4422-4422
- EasyCab: 4343:4343
* Fares: Rs 15/km with waiting charge of Rs 60 per hour
* You pay at the end of the journey based on the metered charge. Credit card payment with printed receipt facility is available.
Limousine And Car Rental
- Akbar Travels: 1-800-226-000
- Hertz: 99725-02292
- Choice of sel-driven or chauffeured cars
* Fare: indicative rate upto 25 km is Rs 1,200
Airport Shuttle Service
Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) plans to run buses from various points of the city every 15 minutes to the Bangalore International Airport (BiAL). Contact details,
- BMTC Control Room: Telephone No: 2295 2522 / 2295 2422
- BMTC, Kempegowda Bus Stand: Telephone No: 2295 2311 / 2295 2314
- BMTC, Shivajinagar Bus Stand: Telephone No: 2295 2321 / 2295 2324
Few highlights
- Vajra buses will be alternated with non-AC Suvarna buses - to and from the airport.
- BMTC will run a total of 156 buses, of which 40 will be Volvo
- Pickup/drop off points will be from all key locations of the city.
- Vajra services are provided with space for passenger's luggage
- Fare includes luggage charges
- The buses will have public address system, LCD panel showing real-time route information such as en-route pick up points, distance, travel time apart from entertainment videos, internet connectivity, mobile charger, newspapers and helper facility for luggage handling.
BMTC routes to BIA |
| ORIGIN |
DURATION |
STOPS |
No. OF BUSES |
FREQUENCY |
FARE |
| Hebbal |
45mins |
2 |
16 |
10mins |
RS 80 |
| Mysore Road Bus Station |
1hr 50mins |
5 |
18 |
15mins |
Rs135 |
| JB Nagar |
1hr 50mins |
8 |
18 |
15mins |
Rs80-135 |
| HAL airport |
2 hrs |
10 |
18 |
15mins |
Rs 80-135 |
| JP nagar 6th Phase |
2 hrs |
11 |
20 |
15mins |
Rs 80-140 |
| Whitefield Post Office |
2 hrs |
6 |
20 |
10 mins |
Rs 80-150 |
| Koramangala |
2 hrs 10 mins |
15 |
20 |
15mins |
Rs 80-150 |
| Electronic City |
2 hrs 45 mins |
10 |
26 |
15mins |
Rs 80-200 |
| Kempegowda Bus Station |
1 hrs 15 mins |
5 |
16 |
15mins |
Rs 80-120 |
Tickets on BMTC bus routes can also be looked by logging on to www.viaworld.in or calling 41431000.
Getting around Bangalore
Auto-rickshaws
are a convenient mode of transport as they are easily available. Most of the drivers are affable and honest and are multilingual. Apart from the local language most of the drivers are conversant in Hindi, and English. The fare charges are Rs 7.00 per km with a minimum fare of Rs 14.00 for three passengers. When operated out of city limits and between 2200 and 0500 hours, the autos charge one and a half times the normal meter reading. Wherever possible, use of pre-paid auto service is recommended.
Reaching IISc From the Main Railway Station:
The main railway station in Bangalore is called Bangalore City which is about 7 km from IISc. The railway station and the main bus stand (called as Majestic and Kempegowda Bus station) are opposite to each other. Pre-paid autorickshaw facility is available at the Bangalore City Railway Station. You could tell the counterperson that you are travelling to Tata Institute. A trip to IISc may cost about Rs. 55. Travel by autorickshaws between 10:00 p.m. and 06:00 a.m. will cost 50% more. You can also use the bus services from the Majestic bus station: Bus Route nos. 252 E, 258 C, 271 E, 273 C, 275, 276, 99 A and B . Alight at TATA INSTITUTE Bus Stop.
Reaching IISc From the Cantontment Railway Station:
Another important railway station in Bangalore is Cantontment Railway Station, also known as Bangalore Cantt. The distance from this station to IISc is almost same as the Bangalore City railway station and it also has prepaid autorickshaw facility. You can also use the bus services from the bus stop just opposite to the station. Route Nos. 94 A and E, 252 A, 270 A, 272, 276 A.
Reaching IISc From the Yeshwantpur Railway Station:
Yeshwantpur is a small railway station, located within Bangalore, but it is NOT the main railway station of Bangalore. One good thing about Yeshwantpur is that it is very close to IISc, but very few trains stop here. The autorickshaw ride from Yeshwantpur to IISc will cost around Rs. 25. No prepaid autorickshaw facility available here.
Visiting places in and around Bangalore: Most places in and around Bangalore are easily accessible from IISc and the cost of travel is most reasonable. Bangalore has it all, so take your time and enchant yourself. Places like Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, Vidhana Soudha, Cubbon Park and Museums, Bull Temple and Tipu Sultan’s Palace are all worth visiting. So are the central shopping locations of Brigade Road, M.G.Road and Commercial Street. And before you go away and leave us don’t forget to check out all that Bangalore has to offer.
Additional Information on Travel
Departure from Bengaluru International Airport
The new Bengalure International Airport is situated 35 kms from the city. Information on the airport can be found at its official website: (http://www.bengaluruairport.com/)
Rail tour packages
Use this occasion, and plan your visit to other cities in India. You may book e-ticket (Courtesy: Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation). The Rail tour packages offer selection on attractive theme categories, such as: Adventure, Spiritual, Wildlife, Heritage, Hills etc.
Location Map
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