Get in
Descriptions
Many people take the train to Jammu followed by a taxi or bus ride to
Srinagar. The journey from Jammu to Srinagar is costlier in the summers because
the capital is being shifted from Jammu to Srinagar on both the state buses and
Sumos. State buses are safer but take more time and are a bit uncomfortable.
Foreign travelers on visas are required to
register upon arrival at the airport or to their hotel or houseboat.
By plane
Sheikh ul Alam Airport (Urdu: خی ش م لاع لا ی ئاو ہ اڈا) (Hindi:
शेख़उल
आलम हवाई अड्डा) is commonly known as
Srinagar Airport (Urdu: یرس رگ ن ے ک ی ئاو ہ اڈا) (Hindi: श्रीनगर हवाई अड्डा) It is an international airport (IATA: SXR) (ICAO:
VISR).
A new terminal for arrivals and departures with
air bridges and other up to date operational facilities was inaugurated on 14
February 2009. International, domestic and seasonal Hajj pilgrimage charters to
Jeddah are operated from Sheikh ul Alam airport.
Flights are operated by Jet Airways, Air Deccan,
SpiceJet, Kingfisher Airlines, Go Air, Jet Lite and Indian Airlines [1] from Delhi
and Mumbai to Srinagar, with or
without a stopover at Jammu. The frequency is once or twice a day by each
airline. The cost is approx Rs 2,500 from Jammu,
Rs 2,500-8,000 from Delhi one way and
higher from Mumbai, depending on the season.
The airport is still heavily patrolled and you
may see many soldiers or other armed security detachments. Winter flights can
easily be canceled due to weather conditions. Tickets are easy to purchase in
the city. The airport requires a ticket for entrance. A taxi into town should
be Rs 750 and direct to Gulmarg is Rs
2,000-3,000
When departing Srinagar by air, make sure you
have a printed copy of your ticket at hand, otherwise you will not be able to
enter the airport. Additionally, allow approximately 1 hr to get from Srinagar
to the airport. Security checks can cause traffic to bank up if there are a few
flights leaving at around the same time.
By taxi
Hiring a TATA Sumo SUV (fits up to 9 people, or 5
comfortably plus luggage) from Jammu
costs approximately Rs 3,900-4,700 depending on time of year or even time
of day. To reduce costs many people choose not to
take an exclusive taxi, and share the Sumo taxi with other travelers. This
costs about Rs 700-1000 per person. For a comfortable trip, try for a seat in
the middle row - the front bucket seat is (sometimes uncomfortably) shared by 2
people, and the far back could be quite bumpy as the highway is full of
mountainous roads. The journey takes around 8-9 hrs.
By bus
J&K State Road Transport Corporation
(J&KSRTC) operates fairly comfortable buses from Jammu costing around Rs 350 and do the journey in around 12
hr. 2 day buses run between Srinagar and Lehstaying
overnight in Kargil.
There are also direct buses from Delhi taking
almost 24 hr to reach Srinagar.
Get
around
Auto-rickshaws can be found everywhere. Taxis and
buses area also available. Motorcycles can also be rented for enthusiasts.
Negotiate a price with a rickshaw driver before
getting in, or just act like you know and pay the driver upon arrival. Drivers
usually don't speak English but there will always be a passer-by to help
translate for you.
A rickshaw from Nigeen Lake to Boulevard is
approx. Rs 70 depending on negotiation skills (August 2009 prices).
Usually private service buses run throughout the
city and are well networked with major tourist spots.
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