[riklem]

Originally Posted by wdp4

Guys
The renovation works of the International Terminal at Delhi Airport are complete. Only 10 more immigration counters are left which will open in Sept. Rest all is done ...

.

I need to travel to Dhaka and wondered if anyone has done it through Delhi, arriving from S'pore on Jet? Transit times are quite long, esp on the way back - are there any transit lounges or day rooms within the Transit area (otherwise I'd need an Indian Visa and there isn't much time...!)? I guess this might be a naive question..but thanks for any helpful advice

[snooooopy]

Thanks for everybody in this forum for their answers, you've helped me a lot. Now it's my time to try and help others. so...

DOMESTIC ARRIVAL

I arrived at Delhi with Jet Airways, which is in terminal 1B. There is no place to change money in that terminal, so be aware. If you arrive from an international destination like I did, the wise thing to do is change money at the port of boarding. Since you probably have to change a terminal, and you'll never get to the arrivals' hall, you may find change at the domestic terminal. For example, in Mumbai the change is BEFORE the security checks at the domestic terminal.
I've been talled that in terminal 1A in Delhi there is a change, but I don't know for certain.

The pre-paid taxi booth in terminal 1B is inside the terminal, and there's no booth outside at all. A taxi to Paharganj costs 210 Rs.

Hope this information helps.
Dana.

[harsha]

Hey Dana that is so nice of you..I hope you had a great time in Mcleodgunj and Amritsar..I am planning to go to Mcleodgunj next month with my friends...any tips on the weather and general conditions?

[Darryl]

Hi all

after all the recent events I was just wondering what it's like coming into and going out of the airport - has anyone experience of any difficulties etc with security issues?

Darryl

[obione980]

Went through last Saturday (December 6th) - departing. No real hassles. Non passengers are not allowed in the terminal at all. e-ticket and passport were checked before entry to the terminal. Checked in luggage was screened in line after checking in. Get a label as you check in for your carry on. Carry 0n checked after Immigration - get your carry on label stamped by security. Armed security checked boarding passes and passports and the stamp on the carry on label again at the actual boarding gate.

[Darryl]

thanks for the feedback on that. I'm a little apprehensive given my appearence - dead ringer for a Pashtun (yes I have the beard too ! Since it's there in my passport photo no point thinking about shaving it off - ironically that might attract attention).

Last time I was in India before sept 11 and all that has transpired since, the jawans up at Milam made a little joke of my fitting the bill for a Pakistani spy - it was all in shared good humour at the time - though the officer interviewing us later raised the same idea without real conviction but certainly minus any intended humour...

Darryl

[obione980]

Hey Daryl - as you know millions of Indians are Muslim too. You could be targetted for closer scrutiny, but I doubt there'd be anything worse happen.

Frequent (largely useless) checks were the 'order of the day'. Walk through metal detectors everywhere in Delhi - most inoperative, or used inappropriately. Every time we went into our hotel in a car - it was scanned with a metal detector, which screamed (whole bloody car is metal virtually) - that was it. Yep!! Car's metal!

[randomviolins]

Originally Posted by machadinha

As with most airports, it's far from close by Gobblede. Try

http://www.newdelhiairport.in/
http://www.toandfromtheairport.com/delhi.html

Just an update on the pre-paid fees.
I arrived at the New Delhi airport international terminal tonight. (Plane landed at 9:30pm, but it took until 11:00pm to go get to the terminal, pass immigration, collect luggage, and make it to the pre-paid booth.)

Just after you exit the luggage collection area and turn your customs ticket over to the officer, the Delhi Traffic Police pre-paid taxi booth will be just ahead and slightly to your left, while you are still within the arrivals building. (Ahead and to your right will be an Avis pre-paid cars booth and an EasyCab booth. Against the walls to the left and right are other transport service booths, including one for ITDC on the left. But most people were queuing for the Delhi Traffic Police booth.)

I was charged Rs. 330 for transport to a hotel just off the southwest side of Connaught Place, including the surcharge for night travel, a 10% "incentive" charge (I assume this is the tip for the driver?), a "service fee" for the running of the booth, and charges for 4 bags (although I really only had 2 large bags, the other two bags were a laptop case and shoulderbag about the size of a purse).

I might mention that the pre-paid booth attendant was rather surly -- I don't know what his problem was.

He also didn't recognize the name of my hotel (neither did the driver), but I gave them the address, and I showed the driver a google map printout I had brought just in case this had happened. The driver had no trouble finding the hotel.

[randomviolins]

I've used the pre-paid taxis on several of my trips to India, and haven't had any problems.

This was after taking the EATS (Ex-Servicemen Air Link Transport Service) bus on my first trip, which cost a mere fraction of even the pre-paid taxi service, but was very un-user friendly for someone who does not know any Hindi. (It took a while to find out where to catch the bus -- I think I had to cross over to the Domestic Terminal. Then there was the wait for the bus. And then the agent on the bus didn't speak English, I wasn't sure whether I was paying the correct fare and getting the correct change, the stops weren't announced in English, the bus was very crowded, and it took the very "local" route.)

[randomviolins]

That link posted by machadinha a while back included a mention of Namaste Tours' transfer service. Basically a flat Rs. 500, one of their drivers will wait for you and take you to the hotel of your choice. Has anyone used them recently?

http://www.toandfromtheairport.com/delhi.html

[adoniskhandu]

what are the timings and frequency for DTC buses especially for delhi airport from Kashmere Gate ISBT ?

Tried to google on the contact of the ISBT but could only find number for inter state bus service.

[ehofen]

Has anyone every stored luggage at the IGI airport? We're leaving India on a 2-week stint to Australia, and would like to leave a suitcase with our india-clothes, rather than haul it with us. The website says this facility is available for 15-20 rps/day. Any insights?

[rhill1]

Originally Posted by ehofen

Has anyone every stored luggage at the IGI airport? We're leaving India on a 2-week stint to Australia, and would like to leave a suitcase with our india-clothes, rather than haul it with us. The website says this facility is available for 15-20 rps/day. Any insights?

Ehofen,
Have an awesome trip downunderin my homeland!!
I had 2 weeks in Delhi, Mumbai & Kolkata in June/July...can't wait to get back there !!!!!!

rhill1

[pibikay]

I am back again with the sane question.Can I have the name of a good Hotel near the Delhi Airport with a restaurant and room sevice wbich are good

[karuna]

Randomviolins, Sitaparityaga recently used Namaste India Tours pickup, search for the NIT thread where she talks about it.

There's a Radisson and a hotel called Centaur near the airport.

Departing the airport's pretty different now. There's now no "middle" bit between immigration and security. You go straight through and there are some brand spanking new duty free shops after security, like in most airports.

They seem to have added an extra layer of ticket-checking, although this might be a post-Mumbai-attacks thing. Someone checks your ticket before you queue to enter the terminal, and then the usual policeman checks your ticket and passport at the door.

Luggage scanning machines have gone it seems.