Chandigarh Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Land

Bus

Half a dozen companies operate buses, so it can be confusing, especially as most long-distance buses leave from the new Inter State Bus Station (ISBT) station in Sector 43. Prepaid autorickshaws to the new station from the Sector 17 terminal cost Rs 50.

Regular buses run to Patiala (Rs 45, three hours), Sirhind (Rs 45, two hours), Anandpur Sahib (Rs 45, 2½ hours), Amritsar (Rs 110, seven hours), Dharamsala (ordinary/deluxe Rs 153/200, eight hours), Manali (ordinary/deluxe Rs 215/290, 11 hours), and Haridwar (Rs 120, six hours) in Uttarakhand (Uttaranchal).

Buses to Delhi (ordinary/deluxe Rs 128/248, 5½ hours) and Shimla (ordinary/semideluxe/deluxe Rs 89/130/180, four hours) leave from the Sector 17 stand.

Travel agencies such as Raja Travels (270 0119; Sector 22; 9am-9pm) sell tickets for AC deluxe private buses to destinations including Delhi airport (Rs 850, seven hours, five daily), Amritsar (Rs 250, four hours, three daily) and Ludhiana (Rs 180, two hours, five daily).

Train

A reservation office (8am-8pm Mon-Sat, to 2pm Sun) is on the 1st floor of the bus stand. Prepaid autorickshaws from there to the train station cost Rs 50.

Two fast trains connect Delhi and Chandigarh: the daily Shatabdi Express (chair car/1AC Rs 655/955, three hours) and the Jan Shatabdi Express (Rs 107/495, four hours), which runs daily except Sunday.

Half a dozen trains go to Kalka (Rs 38/350, one hour), from where four daily trains (Rs 51/317, five hours) rattle up the mountain to Shimla.

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Air

Air Deccan (080-39008888; airport) Daily budget flights to Delhi (4.35pm) and Jammu (1.35pm).

Indian Airlines (2262517; Sector 17; 10am-1.15pm & 2-5pm Mon-Sat) Offers daily flights to Delhi (US$105, 3.15pm) and Mumbai (US$290, 3.15pm).

Jet Airways (2741465; Sector 9; 9am-6pm Mon-Sat) Daily flights to Delhi (US$100, 2.25pm).

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