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Air: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport of Calcutta is connected by regular flights to all major Indian cities and is also a large international airport. About 20 km from the city (works out to 30 to 60 min). There are coach services costing Rs. 75. Pre-paid taxi service too are good and the fare shouldn't exceed Rs 200. Cars also are available starting from Rs 250.
Rail: Calcutta is connected by a large network of train routes to all major cities. Howrah across the Hooghly and Sealdah in the east are the major trunk railway stations.
Road: Major highways originating at Calcutta link all the regions of the country. The main booking office for interstate bus transport is at Esplanade. Various state run bus services connect districts of the state and beyond.
Road: Buses, cars, taxis, 2 wheelers, bicycles and even hand drawn rickshaws (almost extinct, but a mean tourist curiosity still...) clog the roads of Calcutta. While the roads are broad and planned, the sheer density of traffic defeats the planners. Traffic jams are common. Taxis are cheap, spacious 'ambassadors'.
The important bus termini are Esplanade and Ultadanga. State-run Buses though crowded run all over the important city routes. Private Buses are popular hence overcrowded, but invaluable during rush hour. Mini Buses run between fixed points . More distant suburbs can be reached by CTC buses.
The familiar yellow and black taxis operate within Calcutta city limits. Minimum fare upto 2 km Rs. 5 (displayed on meter) plus 60 per cent of figure displayed (amounts to Rs. 8)and Rs 2.50 per km onwards.
Trams: Calcutta has an extensive tram network but they may be on their way out.
Autorickshaws: ( three wheeler taxicabs) Except for the fact they are not allowed in Central Calcutta, they are quite convenient. They generally ply point to point and carry four passengers. Fare varies from 3 to 15 (depending on distance)
Rail: As mentioned earlier Howrah, across the Hooghly is the main railway station. Sealdah in the eastern side of the city is another large station. The Calcutta Suburban railway network is very large.
The circular railway between Dum Dum in north to Princep Ghat in south is another way of getting about.
The Metro railway is the pride of Calcutta. Built at great cost and the usual delays, it is a showpiece and very functional too. The Metro seems oddly out of place here and seems to be something at home in Moscow. But then there still are Stalin posters on the street walls here and there. Anybody who defaces the Metro is sure to be struck down by irate citizens. Since it runs along the central axis of the city it is very popular with commuters. It runs from Dum Dum to Tollygunge Minimum fare Rs. 2 (upto 6 stations) Max. fare Rs. 5.
River: Catamarans to Haldia (1hr 45 mts) run in the morning and afternoon: tickets start from Rs 400. For passenger traffic, small launches ply the river delta channels. Ferry services on the Hooghly are available. They ply From Howrah to Armenian Ghat, Fairlie, Bagbazar and Cossipore. (It is doubtful business executives would use these services anyway, but if you happen to inherit an old house in the north of calcutta or something you could probably become part of local folklore with your suit and tie and laptop and cell phone and loose socks sitting upright in the prow, fading past the bend in the river near Howrah bridge. and the approaching business buildings emerge slowly from the mist (sorry ! couldn't resist...you got to be literary in Cal, you know.)
Climate: Max Minimum Summer: 41.7C 38.1C
Winter: 29.3C 9.6C
Rainfall: 158 cm (June to August)
Population:
14.00 million (1991 census)
Altitude: 5.8 above mean sea level
Area: 187 sq km
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