Getting Around India: Cars, Trains, Flights, and City Transport

This is how most of our guests travel within a region: flexible, door to door, and the easiest way to add an unplanned stop or change the day's pace. It's the default for a Golden Triangle or Rajasthan circuit, where the distances between cities are drivable and the roadside stops are often worth the detour.

Between distant regions — say, Delhi to Kerala, or the plains to Kashmir or Ladakh — a short domestic flight usually beats a very long drive. India's domestic network connects all the major tourist hubs, and for multi-region trips it's usually the sensible way to cover ground without losing a day or two to the road.

Indian Railways is enormous, and for the right route a train is worth building a day around rather than treating as a mere transfer — a window seat past the Western Ghats or into the hills is part of the trip. Foreign travellers can book through IRCTC, the national booking system, or through an operator or agent, and it's worth booking well ahead on popular routes and around festivals. See our full train travel guide for how booking, classes and the foreign tourist quota actually work.

• Metro systems — Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, among others, have modern metro networks that are often the fastest way across a congested city.
• Auto-rickshaws — cheap and everywhere; agree the fare or confirm the meter before you get in.
• Ride-hailing apps — Uber and Ola operate in most major cities and are a straightforward way to avoid haggling over a fare.

On a guided trip with us, the mode is decided for you as part of the itinerary: a private vehicle and driver throughout, with flights or trains added in wherever they make more sense than the road. You don't need to work out Indian Railways yourself unless you want to.