Namaste! This is TabiZuki India, a travel agency for Japanese in India!
To all those who are planning a trip to India!
Learn how to get to the city from Delhi Airport!
Delhi Airport is a huge 24-hour airport located about 15 km south of the center of Delhi.
If the roads are clear, it takes about 15 minutes to drive to the city.
Access to the city, I am ashamed to say that as an Indian, I have the worst reputation for access to the city from the airport (google it and you'll find a lot of information).
A smooth transfer into the city is a great way to start a fun and life-changing trip to India, but what if you get into trouble at the airport?
I don't want to go back to India anymore! I want to go back to Japan!" Many of them say, "I don't want to go back to India anymore!
This is truly the first gateway to India!
As TabiZuki India is a locally-incorporated travel agency in India, we would be very sad if our first impression of India was a bad one.
We want people to return to Japan thinking, "I'm really glad I traveled to India.
We hope this article will help you arrive safely and smoothly in the city!
The worst part of traveling in India: getting from Delhi airport to the city.
I'm a seasoned traveler, so I'll decide how to get there after I leave the airport."
I had a good time on my trips to Paris and New York, even though I had to go through the guidebooks on the plane on the way there.
If you are an experienced traveler, there is a good chance that your previous experience will not be applicable in India!
And the only way to get to the city is to "use the shuttle service from your travel agency or reserved hotel!
As a travel agency, we do not want to create barriers to come to India and we do not want to scare you off.
But many Japanese have gotten into trouble at the Delhi airport, either being ripped off by white-collar taxi drivers or being sold overpriced travel plans by being lied to about the hotel you booked or the road being closed.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' overseas safety information also warns as follows.
There have been frequent cases of people taking cabs or autorickshaws (three-wheeled cabs) from Delhi Airport to the city, being demanded to pay high accommodation fees by the hotels they are taken to, or being forced by travel agencies to take them on expensive tours.
Travel agents should be especially careful around Pahalganj, Karol Bagh, and the adjacent Connaught Place area in front of Delhi Station, which is famous for its cheap accommodations.
For example, it is not uncommon to see hotel rates that originally cost around US$10 per night being raised to US$200 to US$300 per night, or tours that cost several thousand dollars being arranged forcibly.
In most cases, cab and auto rickshaw drivers are in collusion with unscrupulous hotels and travel agencies. To avoid such damage, when traveling from Delhi Airport to the city, please make hotel reservations in advance and use a rental car, cab, or subway with a driver arranged by the travel agency or hotel. In order to avoid such cases, when traveling from Delhi Airport to the city, please make a hotel reservation in advance and use a rental car with a driver, taxi or subway arranged by a travel agency or hotel.(Quoted from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan's overseas safety website, Basic Data on Safety Measures in India)
All direct flights arrive at Delhi airport in the evening or later
JAL, ANA, and Air India offer direct flights from Japan to Delhi, but all direct flights take off from Japan in the morning and arrive in Delhi later in the evening when the sun goes down.
Unlike during the day, if there is a problem at the airport at night and you are delayed in getting to the city, you are going to be a bit nervous.
Japan is safe even at night, but outside of Japan, it becomes less safe when it gets dark (this is really not limited to India).
Travelers with travel luggage are especially vulnerable to being targeted.
I would like to move to my reserved hotel as soon as possible.
Once you leave the airport building, you cannot enter again.
If you carelessly leave the airport building to see what is going on outside, there is no going back!
In Indian airports, even if you want to turn back for reasons such as "I want to ask the airport staff about the means of access or to exchange money," you cannot go back inside once you exit the exit.
So, if you carelessly go out of the exit, you will be in trouble! It's a big problem!
In India, airport security is very strict, with policemen standing at the entrances and exits, checking each person's passport and airline ticket.
Only those with a ticket for the day of departure are allowed to enter the airport building.It is.
This is a system that does not exist at Japanese airports.
Since anyone can enter Japanese airports, you would never think of this Indian security system.
Caution.
There are five ways to reach the city of Delhi
Please be convinced and choose the means that are right for you.
| means | Advantages | demerit |
|---|---|---|
| pick-up and drop-off service | Fast, safe, and gets you where you need to go with no explanation | Rates are the highest (from 1,500 yen) |
| Uber/Ola | Cheaper than transportation service (from 500 yen) | It is a white cab (not illegal in India) |
| prepaid cab | Cheaper than pick-up service (from 700 yen) | Difficult to have a conversation about directions |
| metro | Cheapest (about 90 yen) | Auto rickshaws must be used at the nearest station. |
| bus | Cheap (about 150 yen) | Difficult for foreigners to use |
Below are details on how to access the site.
Access 1: Pick-up service by travel agencies and hotels
The best way to get there as TabiZuki India is to arrange a car to pick you up!
It avoids problems from rip-offs that often occur at airports and people who lie about your hotel reservation or roadblocks and sell you hotel changes or overpriced travel plans.
The reason is that it is the safest, most secure, and quickest way to get to the hotel in terms of time, so you can have time to enjoy a delicious Indian curry or go shopping.
Or, if you want to go to bed early, you can take time to relax in your hotel bed.
Since there is a time difference of 3.5 hours between Japan and India, Indian night falls at midnight in Japan, so it is important to rest your tired body for the trip that starts tomorrow.
The fare is usually about 1,500 rupees (about 2,000 yen) from any travel agency, and the trip takes about 30 minutes to one hour, depending on traffic conditions.
Some may think, "Well, it's India, but the price is high," but it's a private car, and when you factor in parking fees while waiting for customers, that's about the going rate.
I hate to say this as an Indian, but it is also important to be aware that safety is bought with money!Oh my god!!!
In India, in order to save 500 yen or 1,000 yen, you end up losing 10, 100, or 1,000 times that amount because it takes so much time, your body is worn out, or you get ripped off! In the end, you end up losing 10, 100, or even 1,000 times that amount!
Please avoid typical problems as noted in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' overseas safety information described in the previous section, and have an enjoyable trip to India! I really beg you!
Flights from Japan will arrive in the evening or later, so we strongly recommend that you use our transportation service just for the trip to and from the airport!
If your flight is late, the pick-up truck will be waiting for you with a placard with your name on it, so there is no need to worry.
TabiZuki India can arrange airport transfers
Pick-up/drop-off: private air-conditioned car
Fare: From 1,200 rupees to the airport and 1,400 rupees for airport departure
Depending on your needs, we can freely arrange transportation with a Japanese-speaking guide, or transportation + dinner and shopping, etc.
For example, you can make the most of your evening by shopping and dining at the newest mall near the airport before checking in to your hotel!
Please feel free to contact us.
Access Method 2: Using Uber or Ola
Uber is well known in Japan as Uber Eats, but Uber cabs are also widespread in India.
There is also Ola, which was born in India, and I believe Ola has more vehicles than Uber.
Rates depend on the location of the hotel,Within Delhi, it costs about 300-600 rupees (500-900 yen) and takes about 30 minutes to one hour.
The advantage of these car-dispatch application services is the security of being tracked by GPS and following the car navigation system for the shortest distance.
Also, the fact that the drivers are people of a certain educational and economic level will give new travelers to India a sense of security.
Many of the drivers for the dispatch app service are at an economic level where they can afford their own cars (drivers use their own cars to dispatch the cars), have a smartphone, and have enough education to use English apps (= understand English).
This is a major differentiator from the government-run prepaid cabs at the airport.
Disadvantages,In India, Uber and Ola allow ordinary people to earn money as drivers (so-called white cabs) in their own carsTherefore, it is difficult to say that driving safety is ensured as a cab driver.
Also, if you cannot call a customer waiting for a ride, the driver will often cancel the ride.
The streets of India are chaotic and many people come and go. It is quite difficult to find your customers among them, park your car in a safe place, and ask them to get in.
So, as a driver, you want to call the customer directly to confirm the location of the ride.
The app also has a chat function, so you can communicate by text, but Indians like to call more than Japanese. Many drivers will cancel if they cannot call.
In this case, you will have to submit several dispatch requests until you find a driver who will respond to your request using only the chat function.
But once you get used to the car-dispatch app service, it can be an easy-to-use mode of transportation, so it might be a good idea to give it a try in India.
How to use the car dispatch app at the airport
The photo below shows the exit from the airport.
Metro is to the left, Uber and Ola cab stands are to the right.In Terminal 3 parking lotIt is.
Follow the directions to the parking lot.
The sign ”T-3″ in the picture means Terminal 3. Head in the direction of the arrow and you will enter the multi-story parking building.
In the photo below, you have just entered the multi-level parking garage; you can see the Uber and Ola stops.
When you arrive at the boarding area, request a car to be dispatched.
Since there is a fixed boarding area here, drivers are less likely to cancel a ride on their own.
We have not checked early morning or late night hours, but we have seen attendants assisting in dispatching cars during the evening hours.
Access Method 3 : Using a Prepaid Taxi
Prepaid cabs under government jurisdiction. It seems safe with a fixed fare, but there have been problems with additional charges for tips or some other reason.
Also, near the prepaid cab stand, white-collar taxi drivers posing as prepaid cab drivers tout their services in a very verbal manner.
Since travelers have difficulty distinguishing between legitimate cabs and white taxis, considerable caution and good judgment are required.
Also, drivers often do not speak English (if you can use English, you may make more money being an Uber cab driver).
Even if they speak English, they will try to get you to change hotels for various reasons or take detours to get extra fees.
And since there is no car navigation system, first-time visitors to India are especially anxious.
Indian passengers can show themselves the way, and since they know the market price, there is no rip-off, and our Indian staff may also use it.
However, for foreigners, it is a method that should be avoided as much as possible because it is easy to get into trouble.
Access Method 4: Using the Metro
The cheapest way to get into the city is by metro, which runs from the airport to the New Delhi station.
However, although there are some routes, they are not recommended because they are difficult to use and stop at only a few stations.
The service runs until around 11 p.m. The fare to New Delhi Station is about 60 rupees (90 yen), and the trip takes about 20 minutes.
Once at the New Delhi station, you will transfer to another line to the nearest hotel.
'Are there any hotels near the New Delhi train station?' You may be thinking,metroThere are no hotels near the New Delhi station intrain stationThere is a cheap accommodation area in the direction of the New Delhi station of
If you only have a backpack, you can go on foot, but if you have a suitcase, it is difficult to pass through the streets with many steps and many Indians moving left and right.
However, if you take an auto rickshaw without knowing where the hotel is located or how much it costs, you are in great danger of being ripped off.
If you have booked a hotel in another area, you will have to transfer to the metro to another line. There are escalators, but no elevators are installed, and the image is more tiring than changing trains in Japan.
Also, since it arrives in Delhi at night, it is crowded with commuters. It is also difficult to ride there with luggage.
Indian metro trains are different from Japanese commuter trains in that they are more crowded than in Japan, and the passengers are all males in their late teens and twenties.
That would be true since India is a country where the average age is 25 (Japan is 45).
Indians who are middle-aged or older have some economic power and often travel by car.
In addition, since India is a more male-dominated society than Japan, women are less likely to enter society, and fewer women ride the metro, which means that the metro is full of young men.
For these reasons, we do not recommend that Japanese, young or old, take the Metro when traveling from the airport to the hotel.
I don't really want to make you all feel threatened in this way, but...,
But it is good to use the metro during the day while walking around the city.
On the Metro, the rearmost car is the women's car, and most women ride in the women's car.
Cameras are also installed in the car to ensure a safe ride.
Access Method 5: Using the Airport Bus
Although the Metro is closed late at night, the Airport Bus runs every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, connecting the long-distance bus terminals in Delhi via "Connaught Place," the heart of Delhi.
Since the route is not via major hotels like the airport limousine buses in Japan, you will have to take a cab or auto rickshaw to your hotel after arriving at Connaught Place.
It takes about 1 hour to Connaught Place, and costs about 100 rupees (150 yen).
summary
How about how to get to the city from Delhi Airport?
TabiZuki India recommends that you use the pick-up and drop-off service provided by your travel agency or hotel!
The reason is safety and security!
- Safety: You will not have to deal with the kind of problems that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan's overseas safety information warns about.
- Peace of mind: The pick-up service will be provided by a driver registered with the government, not a white-collar taxi.
- TabiZuki India can leave your luggage in the pick-up truck before heading to your hotel for dinner or shopping.
Of course, we can take you to dinner or shopping after you check in to your hotel.
The following photos are images of the private car. The Indian woman on the left is our Japanese-speaking guide and the man on the right is the driver.
Fare: From 1,200 rupees to the airport and 1,400 rupees from the airport
Please feel free to contact us.
I hope you find the above information on how to get from the airport to the city helpful and have an enjoyable trip to India!
Extra: Origin of the Airport's Name
The official name of "Delhi Airport" is "Indira Gandhi International Airport.
It is named after Indira Gandhi, a woman politician and the 8th Prime Minister of the 1980s.
When I hear the name Gandhi, I remember Mahatma Gandhi, the father of India's independence.
But there is no blood relationship between him and Indira Gandhi, for whom the airport is named.
