Bus Information

The main bus station is the Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT) at Kashmir Gate, north of the (old) Delhi railways station. It has 24-hour left-luggage facilities, a State Bank of India branch. post office pharmacy, and Delhi Transport's Nagrik Restaurant. City buses depart from here to locations all around Delhi. State government bus companies operating from here are:

Delhi Transport Corporation:- Booking from 8 am to 8 pm
Haryana Government Roadways:- Bookings from 6.15 am to 12.30 pm and 2 to 9.30 pm. Reservations can also be made at the Haryana Emporium from 10 am to 5 pm
Himachal Pradesh Roadways:- Booking from 7 am to 7 pm
Punjab Roadways:-Booking from 8am to 8pm.
Rajasthan Roadways:- Booking from 7 am to 9 pm. Booking can also be made at Bikaner House just sough of Rajpath from 6 am to 7pm.
Uttar Pradesh Roadways:- Booking from 6 am to 9.30 pm. 

There's also the new Sarai Kale Khan ISBT, close to Nizamuddin railway station. There are buses from here to Agra from 6 am to midnight, Mathura and Vrindaban and Bharatpur. There's a city bus link between this station and Kahsmir Gate ISBT.

Train Information

Delhi is an important rail center and an excellent place to make bookings. There is a special foreign tourist booking office upstairs in New Delhi railway station. It is open Monday to Saturday from 7.30 am to 5 pm. This is the place to go if you want a tourist-quota allocation, are the holder of an India rail Pass or want to buy an Ind rail Pass. It gets very busy and crowded, and it can take up to an hour to get served. If you make bookings here tickets. Must be paid for in foreign currency (US dollars and pounds sterling only, and your change will be given in rupees), or with rupees backed up by bank exchange certificates.

The main ticket office is on Chelmsford Rd, between New Delhi railway station and Connaught Place. This place is well organized, but incredibly busy. Take a numbered ticket from the counter as you enter the building. and then wait at the allotted window. Even with 50 computerized terminals. it can take up to an hour to get served. It's best to arrive first things in the morning, or when it reopens after lunch. The office is open Monday to Saturday from 7.45 am to 1.50 pm and 2 to 9 pm. On Sunday it's open until 1.50 pm only.

Remember that there are two main stations in Delhi-Delhi railway station in Old Delhi, and New Delhi railway station at Paharganj. New Delhi is much closer to Connaught place, and if you're departing from the Old Delhi railway station you should allow adequate time to wind your way through the traffic snarls fo Old Delhi. Between the Old Delhi and New Delhi stations you can take the No 6 bus for Just Rs 4. There's also the Nizamuddin railway station sough of the New Delhi area where some trains start of finish. It's worth getting off here if you are staying in chanakyapuri or elsewhere sough of Connaught Place.

Recently trains between Delhi and Jaipur, Hodhpurand Udaipur have been operating to and from Sarai Rohilla station rather than Old Delhi-it's about 3.5 km north-west of Connaught Place on Guru Govind Singh Marg. They may still be, so check when you book your ticket. The exception is the new Shatabdi Express to Jaipur, which operates from New Delhi.

Airlines Information

The domestic terminal is a further nine km. If you're arriving a t New Delhi Airport from overseas. there' 24 hour State Bank of India and Thomas Cook foreign - exchange counters in the arrivals hall, after you go through customs and immigration. Once you've left the arrivals hall you won't be allowed back in. The service is fast and efficient.

Many international flights to Delhi arrive and depart at terrible hours of the morning. Take special care if this is your first foray into India and you arrive exhausted and jetlagged. It you're leaving Delhi in the early hours of the morning. Book a taxi the afternoon before. They'll be hard to find in the night. See Other Areas in the Places to Stay bottom end section in this chapter for information about the retiring rooms at the airport.

When leaving Delhi with Air India all baggage must be X-rayed and sealed,. so do this at the machine just inside the departure hall before you queue to check in. For international flights the departure tax must be paid at the State Bank counter in the departures hall, also before check-in.

Facilities at the international terminal include a dreadful snack bar, bookshop and bank. Once inside the departure longer there are a few duty-free shops.

Climate