Get in to Bangalore

 from: http://wikitravel.org/

By plane

          Bengaluru International Airport (IATA: BLR), (ICAO: VOBL) [2] is located in Devanahalli, 40 km (25 mi) from the central business district of Bengaluru (MG Road) and 30 km (19 mi) from the Bengaluru City Railway Station.

The airport, open since May 2008, is among India's busiest and most modern. The airport is host to 10 domestic airlines and 21 international airlines connecting the city to about 50 destinations across India and the rest of the world. The airport serves as a hub for Kingfisher Airlines and a focus city for Jet Airways [3], JetLite [4], IndiGo [5], SpiceJet [6] and GoAir [7].

Notable international flights:

• Air India [8] flies from Dubai, Male and Muscat;

• Qatar Airways [9] flies from Doha;
• Emirates [10] and Indian Airlines [11] fly from Dubai;
• Etihad Airways [12] flies from Abu Dhabi;

• SriLankan Airlines [13] flies from Colombo;
• Thai Airways [14] fly from Bangkok;
• AirAsia [15] and Malaysian Airlines [16] fly from Kuala Lumpur;
• Singapore Airlines [17], SilkAir [18], [Indian Airlines [19] and Tiger Airways [20] fly from Singapore;
• Dragonair [21] flies from Hong Kong;

• British Airways [22] flies from London;
• Air France [23] flies from Paris;
• Lufthansa [24] flies from Frankfurt.
• Air Mauritius (www.airmauritius.com) flies from Mauritius

Sometimes the airport is subject to operational restrictions due to fog from 15 Nov-15 Feb, between 3AM (IST)- 8:30AM (IST). Flight delays and diversions may occur on some mornings due to the morning fog. The airport operator has an enquiry number to check on weather related delays. ☎ +91 80 66782255, +91 80 66782251 or call the airline's call centre.

The airport has an international and a domestic terminal. There are ATM's and bureaux de change at the airport.

When departing from Bangalore airport, make sure to check restrictions on times for baggage check-in, and make sure to bring a printout of your boarding pass with you to the airport. For flights leaving in the early morning hours (such as 3am) you may need to check bags as much as 2.5 hours in advance.

From the airport(BIAL) to Bengaluru City

• Buses Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC)[25] operates buses from various points of the city every 15 min to the Bengaluru International Airport (BLR). A total of 156 buses ply to and from the airport. 40 of these buses are air-conditioned Volvo buses, called Vayu Vajra. The cost for each trip in these buses ranges between Rs 50-250 depending on the distance. This is the cheapest and an extremely convenient way to get to the airport moreover, this service is available everyday, day and night. While taking this mode be aware that you will need some one to pick you up from the bus stop or you will need a auto rickshaw ride for the last mile.

• Post-paid taxi BIAL has selected Meru and EasyCabs to provide basic taxi services. The taxi operators will have basic A/C cars, all equipped with tracking devices to ensure safety and transparency. Both operators have professional call centres. Hence, guests traveling to the airport can call the cab call centres and a cab will pick them up and drop them at the airport. Meru Cabs have been reported to be highly un-reliable by users.They have been known to cancel the appointment at the last hour leaving the customer high and dry. The Meru Cab drivers do this if they find a better deal from a street pick up while they are on their way to an airport pick-up. For travellers arriving at the airport, there is a dedicated taxi holding area. The post paid taxi facility will be available on meter charges @ Rs 20/- per km (subject to Govt regulation). These are by far the best and most convenient mode of transport from the airport. It may cost you approximately Rs 600 to get to Bengaluru's CBD. About Rs 700 to Koramangala.

There is another more trusted taxi brand from the Karnataka State Government which is called KSTDC cabs. You can find the queue for KSTDC cabs as soon as you exit from the airport arrival hall. It's a postpaid metered fare and wont cost you more than 800 - 1000 Rs for anywhere in Bangalore.

• Share Taxis are operated by Airlift. As soon as you exit the airport terminal, look for the bus stand with the bright red Volvo buses. The share taxis are yellow and red Toyota Innovas parked just next to the buses. These are very convenient and cheaper than a regular taxi as a one way drop to Bengaluru's CBD will cost around Rs 300. These are air conditioned and offer each passenger a personal television screen. (Dis-functional as of now) This service has ceased to operate.

• Pre-paid taxi Hertz and Akbar Travels provide pre paid Limousine and car rental facilities through counters at the terminal building. These cost above Rs 1,200 to CBD

• Self drive cars will also be available on self drive basis. There will be three ranges of self drive cars - the compact category (Suzuki Swift), the intermediate range (Ford Fiesta), the standard category (Toyota corolla), Multi Utility Vehicles (Toyota Innova) and Sports Utility Vehicles (Ford Endeavour). These cars will be given to the renter with a full fuel tank and the car has to be returned with full fuel tank. A flexible pick up and drop off facility in town and at the airport will be offered. The renter can pick up the car at the airport and then drop it off anywhere in the city or in Hyderabad or Chennai. Similarly, the car can be picked up at any of these cities and dropped off at the airport. Conditions apply (the renter must be over 21 yrs of age and possess a valid Indian license). In India it is not as easy as in the west. One needs to to do a lot of paper work and depending on the company and type of car you want to rent a large deposit will be required. Please check well in advance before making plans. Much easier to rent a chauffeur driven taxi.

• Hotel pick-up Another option is to arrange with your hotel in Bengaluru to have a driver pick you up at the airport. Some hotels, especially the higher-end ones, provide this service for free if you are staying with them. If it's your first time traveling to Bengaluru, this is the recommended way to get from the airport to your hotel. The driver will be found outside the airport with a card bearing your name, the only difficulty being that about 100 other drivers will also be waiting outside the airport, all vying for your attention. Luckily there is a short fenced walkway that separates the drivers from those leaving the airport, giving you ample time and space to find your ride into Bengaluru.

• Taxi (other) You can still find a ride into Bengaluru City in your own taxi at a much cheaper rate than the above options, if you are willing to take the risk involved. Taxi drivers not approved by the airport will attempt to negotiate with you a much lower fare than the approved EasyCabs and Meru cabs, and may come down to as much as Rs 200-300 for a ride to Bengaluru's CBD. One really has to bargain very hard or you will be taken for a ride. These drivers can be found just beyond the terminal plaza at the covered walkway that leads to the parking lots. Once you leave the walkway, some drivers may become fairly aggressive, and might try to take your bag without your permission. The best thing to do is to keep track of, and be in control of, your belongings. Even the most aggressive taxi driver or tout will leave you alone if you stand firm and make it clear that you do not want their help. It is recommended to fix the price before you enter the cab and no tip is necessary once you arrive at your destination. Do not opt for this mode if you are not familiar with rates.

• If you are in a hurry and have a lot of money, helicopter services are offered by Deccan Aviation and Birdie. There are eight helipads across Bangalore and a ride from the international airport sets you back by about Rs 5,000.

• A high-speed electric train is planned to connect the airport with the city, cutting travel time to about 22 min, but no date of completion has been announced. A new express toll road is also planned to connect the airport to the city's ring road at Hennur.

By train

The Bangalore Metro is a new suburban rail service that will cut down the time taken to get from one area of the city to the other.

Bengaluru has two major railway terminals. The Bengaluru City (IR station code: SBC) railway station is situated in the heart of the city, opposite the Majestic Bus stand. Most trains, both local and long-distance, arrive and depart from here. The other terminal is Yeswantpur Junction (IR station code: YPR) located on NH-4 (Tumkur Road). A few (mostly long-distance) trains arrive and depart from here. Two smaller railway terminals are Bengaluru East (IR station code: BNCE) and Bengaluru Cantonment (IR station code: BNC).Of late Krishnarajapuram (KJM) has become an important stop owing to proximity of IT companies and the ring road just passing close to the station and well connected by buses to major parts. It also forms the 1st stop for majority trains leaving Yeshvantapur towards Jolarpettai.

Bookings can be done at either the railway stations or at the Indian Railways booking counters located in major commercial residential areas. Booking can also be done online [26]. Note that if you are booking at Bengaluru City and are traveling to Mysore, there is a separate counter for travellers to Mysore. This is to cater for the large amount of travelers between Bengaluru and Mysore. If travelling to Mysore on a Sunday afternoon, arrive early as there is usually a long line for buying tickets.

As with all Indian railway travel, have some patience for delays. Trains are usually on time (within 20 mins of scheduled time), but can sometimes be late. A digital departure board in the station will tell you what platform your train is on and what time it leaves.

Train travel is usually fairly cheap. For example, a ticket to Chennai, about 360 km (5-6 hr) away, costs anywhere from Rs 125 for the lowest class to Rs 1,105 for the highest class.

For train arrival/departure and PNR status inquiries at various railway stations at Bengaluru, call 139.

Travelling from Mumbai to Bengaluru by train takes a long time (24 hrs or so). Buses are comparatively faster and take 18-20 hrs, provided there are no traffic jams in Mumbai and Pune enroute. Effective travel time by both train or bus is long. Air travel is recommended for traveling between Mumbai and Bengaluru, the duration of which is about 90 min. Low cost airlines charge the same fare as A/C train or Volvo bus. However, sleeper class (non-A/C) train travel from Mumbai to Bengaluru is economical and you can have a view of some lush evergreen forests and river valleys across Western India.

Also see Rail travel in India

By bus

        If you have difficulty in arranging a plane or railway ticket to your next destination, or you prefer a little more adventure, you can go by bus. There are both government and private buses that run services to major cities like Mumbai, Goa, Chennai, Mangalore, Coimbatore, Madurai etc. Buses can be a normal luxury bus, a Volvo A/C bus or a sleeper bus for night travel.

• Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, [27]

• KPN Travels, [28]

• Durgamba Motors, [29]

• Bangalore Bus Tickets Online, [30]

All intercity buses arrive and depart from Bengaluru bus stand, which is located opposite the Bengaluru city railway station. The bus station is named after the founder of Bengaluru,

• Kempegowda Bus Station, is more commonly known as the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus stand or the Majestic Bus Station. It handles buses that connect Bengaluru to all major cities and states in south India.

• Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), maintains bus services within Bengaluru. The main bus stand is located next to the Kempegowda Bus Station.

Unlike other metros, the display boards in the bus show the destination in the local language Kannada. But the bus numbers are mostly in English. If you don't speak Kannada, you will likely need to get some help to get on the right bus. However, the newer Volvo buses are all equipped with electronic displays that display the destination and route numbers in both Kannada and English. Non-Volvo buses are being gradually retrofitted with these electronic displays; this should make bus travel much simpler if you are unfamiliar with the local language.

By car

         Driving in India can be very stressful. Lane discipline is practically nonexistent, excessive honking, high vehicle density, lack of regard for traffic law, combined with razor thin passing margins are common. One ride in a taxi will most likely convince you that driving yourself is not worth the risk, so if you do want to arrive by car, you will probably want to hire both a car and a driver. Cost varies, but most car/driver combinations cost Rs 1,400-1,700/day. The fares for hired private taxis are usually in the multiples of 4 hr/40 km, fares for which start at around Rs 450 for a non-air conditioned small car. Depending on where you are coming from, you may be able to negotiate a lower fare if the trip isn't far, and it may be a higher fare if you are traveling far and your driver has to travel back on his own time. Having an approximate idea of the fare or distance beforehand and persistent bargaining skills can lead to significant savings. Although it costs more, consider requesting an air conditioned car if you aren't used to the heat, especially in summer. An air conditioned car will also help filter out the air pollution, which is considerable, especially on congested roadways. If you want something even more special, such as a fancy car or SUV, be prepared to pay extra.