Pre-paid taxis - Mumbai airport

Hi all!!!!

Actually this is my first time visiting mumbai and i need to get a train to Surat from mumbai by 8 or 8.30 at max since in need to be in Surat around 12....... my flight reaches mumbai by 7.15 in the morning

so please suggest me which railway station should i go borivali railway station or bandra terminus???????? I'll have luggage with me so suggest me a quicker way to reach the respective station...... and if you can just tell me how much the taxi or auto fare will be............

for information i have booked a train ticket from borivalli to surat in a train which stats by 8.30....... will i be able to catch that train on time????........

If your (international?)flight reaches mumbai at 7:15am then there is very little possibility of reaching Borivali railway station(or even Bandra terminus) by 8:30.

Bandra terminus will be closer to the airport compared to borivali.

You will have to take a train later in the morning.

its not an international flight its a flight from chennai only

Hi Sasha
Even though your on a domestic flight it still leaves very little chance of getting on your train best to have a second plan just incase, 8 oclock is crazy time in mumbai you dont get anywhere fast what should be a 20min journey will be 45min then you still have to find the platform ect ect
and thats if your flights on time anyway good luck
Sharon

For all those who have been troubled by cab hire at mumbai airports this will prove helpful.

After landing in mumbai, DO NOT come out fo the airport nor let anyone solicit help inside the airport. If you want a dependable cab, call (022) 44224422 for Meru cabs, Mega cabs (022)42424243, Easycabs (022)43434343. All of them are AC, 100% dependable & Safe! They will give you a bill for whatever they charge. NOT a dime more. My experience with Meru has been good. Blue & white COOLCABS (Association not an organization)are the most UNdependable. Avoid them. For cabs driven by women for women: Priyadarshini private cabs 9820221107. Yellow black cabs are cheaper & dependable if you don’t pose as a stranger/tourist. So till you get used to city, avoid these.

At the domestic Arrival terminal, before you come out of the building, on the right hand side are 6 phone lines that give you instant access to these cabs. Pick up & dial 5. (Avoid COOLCAB counter on the left hand side) These cabs text you the cab no. & driver's handphone no on your phone, the cab arrives in 5 minutes. Once you board the cab, a voice message welcomes you. This is an indication that the meter has started. Thank you message after your cab journey has ended. So welcome to Mumbai, enjoy your stay. Forgive Mumbai. Mumbai accomodates all & hence cannot control all those who may give unpleasant situations. Please post your good & bad experiences.

Because of issues with the taxi driver's union the various cab companies are NOT allowed to pick up following a phone call at the international airport and you have to either book a 'pre pay' one at the window or walk out and find one.

Things got so bad that we actually booked into a hotel that offered a free airport pick-up service for a time, but now we have a friend pick us up...

Had no hassle at all taking cabs to and from Mumbai airport a couple of times. The prepaid desk is to the left near the exit, cost was 490 rupees for non AC and I think another 100 rupees for AC cab, going to Fort or Colaba.
Returning was a bit cheaper, 450 rupees non AC to international, 350 to domestic terminal.

So, if you call a Meru cab from the international airport, where do you ask them to pick up from (and where do you go), and how long do they take to arrive?
I've always used the pre-paid cabs to get to the Fort area and never been impressed, e.g. I've paid for air conditioning and have to really hassle them to turn it on - I'm determined not to use them next time!

hail a cab and pay according to the meter !!!! dont pay extra .. and learn how to read their meters .. and make sure you ask them to turn on thier meters when they start .. its realy not that hard ...oh and the fares have recently increased so ask them to show you the fare card ..

Could anyone tell me more information about taxi expense in Mumbai?

Appreciating for U

Hi
I am in Mumbai at the moment and I got a pre-paid taxi from the airport to the Fort area (South Mumbai) for 480 rupees, no AC , driver was ok and got me to the destination intact
Otherwise it is usually 10 rupee/km so you have to estimate how far is your ride before bargaining!
So the counter for the pre-paid taxi is blue, inside the terminal, on the left side of the exit.There are lots of people queueing there so it is easy to see.
Hope this helps!
xxx

I have the same question... Meru works well in many Indian cities, so it's disappointing that the Mumbai taxi drivers union has managed to keep them out of the international airport after all these years.

It is astonishing that getting a well maintained, relatively new taxi is SUCH a big hassle at India's commercial capital. I find myself being defensive / managing expectations of expat colleagues every time they land in Mumbai

Hi Gattu, I think I'm going to contact Meru directly to see if they can suggest a solution. It's not going to be an issue for me until November (I do like to plan ahead!), will let you know how I get on.
Glowded - it doesn't matter whether you pre-pay for the airport taxi's or just hail one, they're all from the same grotty company!

I had the same experience about 4 years ago. I was transferring from domestic to international, my inbound from HYD was late and the inter terminal had a long line, so I went by a taxi (not a pre paid) from dom to intl. The taxi driver knew I was in a hurry and after a short distance from the airport, another person joined the taxi and I was robbed, fortunately for me the taxi stopped in a fairly busy aread, and I gave him about $50, the taxi robbers got nervous and let me go there.

Best is to use the bus, second choice is prepaid taxi.

Meru Taxis ( http://www.merucabs.com/ )have their headquarters at the domestic airport in Bombay.

Phone 4422 4422 for a cab and it'll be there in about five minutes.

No security issues or problems...