Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) serves Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), the capital of West Bengal and one of India's most culturally significant cities. Located 17 km from the city center in Dum Dum, it's the gateway to eastern India, Bangladesh, and the Himalayan region.

The airport has a single integrated terminal opened in 2013, replacing the old domestic and international terminals. The modern facility handles around 20 million passengers annually.

Key airlines: IndiGo (largest), Air India, SpiceJet, Vistara, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Emirates, Malaysia Airlines, and various Asian carriers.

CCU is north of central Kolkata:

• To Howrah Station: 20 km, 45-75 minutes
• To Park Street/central: 17 km, 40-60 minutes
• To New Market area: 16 km, 35-55 minutes
• To Salt Lake (IT hub): 10 km, 20-35 minutes

Kolkata traffic is heavy; times vary significantly.

Uber and Ola operate at CCU—recommended for transparent pricing.

• To Park Street area: ₹400-600 (~$5-7 USD)
• To Howrah Station: ₹500-700
• To Salt Lake: ₹250-350

Prepaid taxis available from counters in arrivals:

• Fixed rates to destinations
• Pay at counter, receive voucher
• Reliable but marginally more expensive than apps

Yellow taxis: Kolkata's iconic Ambassador cabs available, but metered rates can be confusing.

Metro

Kolkata Metro doesn't directly serve the airport yet. Line 6 extension is planned but not operational.

Current option: Take taxi/Uber to Dum Dum Metro (5 km) and connect:

• Metro runs to Esplanade, Park Street, Kalighat
• Fare: ₹10-30 depending on distance

Bus

NBSTC and private buses run from the airport:

• Routes to Esplanade, Howrah
• Infrequent and crowded—not recommended for visitors

Type	Daily Rate	Notes
Multi-level	₹400/day	Terminal adjacent
Open parking	₹200/day	Short walk

Affordable parking by international standards.

CCU has improved dining:

Domestic/International Concourse:

• Mainland China/Oh! Calcutta: Excellent Pan-Asian and Bengali
• Café Coffee Day, Barista
• Theobroma: Mumbai bakery chain
• Quick-service restaurants

Try: Bengali food if available—fish dishes, mishti (sweets).

Network: AAI WiFi

• Cost: Free (30 minutes), then paid
• Speed: Variable
• Registration via phone number

SIM cards available from:

• Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Jio counters in arrivals
• Prices: ₹200-500 for tourist SIM

Requirements: Passport and photo. Activation may take several hours.

ATMs throughout the terminal:

• SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Axis
• Located in arrivals and departures

Currency: Indian Rupee (₹). Approximately ₹83 = 1 USD.

Currency exchange: Available in arrivals. ATMs typically offer better rates.

Airside:

• Duty-free (alcohol, perfumes, electronics)
• Bengali handicrafts
• Indian sweets and snacks
• Books and souvenirs

Best buys: Bengali sweets (sandesh, rasgulla), Shantiniketan leather goods, Bengali textiles.

Travel Club Lounge

• Location: Domestic departures
• Access: Priority Pass, credit cards, or walk-in
• Amenities: Food, drinks, WiFi

Encalm Lounge

• Location: International departures
• Access: Priority Pass, business class
• Amenities: Hot food, drinks, showers

Air India Maharaja Lounge

• Access: Air India Business, Star Alliance Gold

Hotels near the airport are in the Dum Dum/Salt Lake area. Most visitors stay in central Kolkata (Park Street area).

Kolkata is India's cultural and intellectual capital—a city of literature, art, colonial architecture, and passionate traditions:

Top attractions (with travel time from airport):

• Victoria Memorial: 50 min—stunning white marble monument, museum
• Howrah Bridge: 60 min—iconic cantilever bridge over Hooghly River
• Indian Museum: 45 min—one of Asia's oldest museums
• Kali Temple (Dakshineswar): 30 min—important Hindu pilgrimage site
• College Street: 50 min—world's largest secondhand book market
• Park Street: 45 min—colonial-era street, restaurants, nightlife

Colonial Kolkata:

• Writers' Building: Historic government complex
• St. Paul's Cathedral: Gothic architecture
• Marble Palace: 19th-century mansion with European art
• BBD Bagh (Dalhousie Square): Heart of colonial Calcutta

Day trips:

• Sundarbans: 4 hours—mangrove forest, Bengal tigers, boat safaris
• Shantiniketan: 3 hours—Tagore's university town, crafts
• Bishnupur: 4 hours—terracotta temples
• Diamond Harbour: 2 hours—river estuary, British-era resort

Bengali cuisine (Kolkata is a food city):

• Fish: Hilsa (ilish) is king—mustard preparations, steamed
• Kosha mangsho: Slow-cooked mutton curry
• Luchi-aloor dom: Fried bread with spiced potatoes
• Mishti doi: Sweetened yogurt
• Sandesh & Rasgulla: Bengali sweets, world-famous
• Kathi rolls: Kolkata street food, stuffed parathas

Sweet shops (mandatory visits):

• KC Das: Original rasgulla
• Balaram Mullick: Historic shop, excellent sandesh
• Nahoum: Jewish bakery, fruit cakes

Local tips:

• Durga Puja (September/October): Kolkata's biggest festival—incredible pandals, city transforms
• Yellow taxis: Iconic but increasingly replaced by app-based services
• Hand-pulled rickshaws: Still exist in some areas—unique to Kolkata
• Bengali: Local language; English widely understood
• Trams: Kolkata has Asia's oldest tram network—worth a ride
• Adda culture: Kolkatans love intellectual conversation over tea
• Humidity: Extreme in summer (March-June); October-February is pleasant
• Book lovers: College Street has the world's largest used book market
• Kolkata retains a literary, intellectual atmosphere unique in India