Mumbai/Bombay (BOM) Airport to Pune?

We shall be arriving in Mumbai/Bombay very early morning, with 4 big
suitcases and two carry-ons. What would be the best (most comfortable)
options for getting to Pune from there?

I assume there is no point in flying a distance of 120 miles (please
correct me if what seems like normal common sense to me is not
applicable in this case).

Is the road travel (taxi, buses) safe and comfortable? My attraction to
this option is simply that these may be available at the airport
itself.

Usually I prefer trains but I don't know how much hassle it might be to
transfer from the airport to train station, and how easy it may be to
get the tickets as I clearly wouldn't have them in advance.

Has anybody actually done Mumbai airport-Pune? We would love to hear
your advice.

Hi Newbie

"Newbie" wrote in message
...
We shall be arriving in Mumbai/Bombay very early morning, with 4 big
suitcases and two carry-ons. What would be the best (most comfortable)
options for getting to Pune from there?

I assume there is no point in flying a distance of 120 miles (please
correct me if what seems like normal common sense to me is not
applicable in this case).

Is the road travel (taxi, buses) safe and comfortable? My attraction to
this option is simply that these may be available at the airport
itself.

Usually I prefer trains but I don't know how much hassle it might be to
transfer from the airport to train station, and how easy it may be to
get the tickets as I clearly wouldn't have them in advance.

Has anybody actually done Mumbai airport-Pune? We would love to hear
your advice.

Road travel in India is neither fun nor particularly safe, wait until you
see the overturned trucks on the side of the road. Try and arrange for a
car and driver prior to arriving or try on arrival. You may have luck
through the Kempinsky hotel, close to the airport. Bargain hard. You
probably can arrange for a car driver through the tourism desk at the
airport.

PMM

Hi Newbie

"Newbie" wrote in message
...
We shall be arriving in Mumbai/Bombay very early morning, with 4 big
suitcases and two carry-ons. What would be the best (most comfortable)
options for getting to Pune from there?

I assume there is no point in flying a distance of 120 miles (please
correct me if what seems like normal common sense to me is not
applicable in this case).

Is the road travel (taxi, buses) safe and comfortable? My attraction to
this option is simply that these may be available at the airport
itself.

Usually I prefer trains but I don't know how much hassle it might be to
transfer from the airport to train station, and how easy it may be to
get the tickets as I clearly wouldn't have them in advance.

Has anybody actually done Mumbai airport-Pune? We would love to hear
your advice.

Road travel in India is neither fun nor particularly safe, wait until you
see the overturned trucks on the side of the road. Try and arrange for a
car and driver prior to arriving or try on arrival. You may have luck
through the Kempinsky hotel, close to the airport. Bargain hard. You
probably can arrange for a car driver through the tourism desk at the
airport.

PMM

Usually I would recommend you against public Taxi's, as there have been a
few incidents of mugging.

Usually as you get out of Airport, you will find some private bus (mini bus-
16 seat) operators approaching you for travel to Pune. They would drop you
to door step of your destination address. They normally charge around (if I
remember correctly) Rs.450 (~ $10). Only downside is that they will keep
telling you that some people have reservations and they are waiting for
them, and won't start till they have all or nearly all the seats full. I
have traveled in them a few times, and they are quite reasonable. I think I
had traveled with KK travel's bus. I'm not 100% sure though.

Alternatively you can hire a pre-paid Taxi from Inside the Airport. I think
they should be safe enough as their numbers are noted at the Airport. I
would think they will charge you around Rs 1000.

Good luck for your travel.
Deepak




"Newbie" wrote in message
...
We shall be arriving in Mumbai/Bombay very early morning, with 4 big
suitcases and two carry-ons. What would be the best (most comfortable)
options for getting to Pune from there?

I assume there is no point in flying a distance of 120 miles (please
correct me if what seems like normal common sense to me is not
applicable in this case).

Is the road travel (taxi, buses) safe and comfortable? My attraction to
this option is simply that these may be available at the airport
itself.

Usually I prefer trains but I don't know how much hassle it might be to
transfer from the airport to train station, and how easy it may be to
get the tickets as I clearly wouldn't have them in advance.

Has anybody actually done Mumbai airport-Pune? We would love to hear
your advice.

Usually I would recommend you against public Taxi's, as there have been a
few incidents of mugging.

Usually as you get out of Airport, you will find some private bus (mini bus-
16 seat) operators approaching you for travel to Pune. They would drop you
to door step of your destination address. They normally charge around (if I
remember correctly) Rs.450 (~ $10). Only downside is that they will keep
telling you that some people have reservations and they are waiting for
them, and won't start till they have all or nearly all the seats full. I
have traveled in them a few times, and they are quite reasonable. I think I
had traveled with KK travel's bus. I'm not 100% sure though.

Alternatively you can hire a pre-paid Taxi from Inside the Airport. I think
they should be safe enough as their numbers are noted at the Airport. I
would think they will charge you around Rs 1000.

Good luck for your travel.
Deepak




"Newbie" wrote in message
...
We shall be arriving in Mumbai/Bombay very early morning, with 4 big
suitcases and two carry-ons. What would be the best (most comfortable)
options for getting to Pune from there?

I assume there is no point in flying a distance of 120 miles (please
correct me if what seems like normal common sense to me is not
applicable in this case).

Is the road travel (taxi, buses) safe and comfortable? My attraction to
this option is simply that these may be available at the airport
itself.

Usually I prefer trains but I don't know how much hassle it might be to
transfer from the airport to train station, and how easy it may be to
get the tickets as I clearly wouldn't have them in advance.

Has anybody actually done Mumbai airport-Pune? We would love to hear
your advice.

I wrote:

We shall be arriving in Mumbai/Bombay very early morning, with 4 big
suitcases and two carry-ons. What would be the best (most comfortable)
options for getting to Pune from there?..

Thanks to the two responders (so far).

Let me clarify that there would be two of us, with heavy luggage, and
exhausted after about 20 hours of economy class travel. Therefore, we
would not be in the penny pinching mood. We just want something fast
that would be safe and comfortable.

We would land in Mumbai around 5am, which is probably a good time.

I have ruled out the trains (ironically my preferred option in many
European and Asian countries) becuase of the hassle of getting to the
train station and not knowing for sure if we can get the tickets (we
have nobody in Mumbai who can buy the tickets in advance).

So I see three options and need your help in sorting them:

1. Odd as it sounds at first to my American heart, we can take the 120
mile flight if that's what makes most sense. Posted price is about $50
per person, may have to wait 3-4 hours at the airport, would probably
reach Pune at the same time!

2. "Luxury" buses. Do any of them start from the Mumbai airport? Do
they have good safety record (road accidents)? Recalling another luxury
bus I took India once, do they play loud music/videos (very bad, we
prefer quiet)?!

3. Finally, taxi. We don't want to haggle with private operators. How
much would an "official" pre-paid one cost for the full cab?

Basically, if we take the road option, are taxis safer and more
comfortable than luxury buses (assuming the latter are available at he
airport)? How long is the road travel?

Thank you very much for any input.

Thank you very much for any input.

Try asking in rec.travel.asia. They know a lot more about "in-land" travel.

Kennet
.......
Besøg vores rejse- og dyreside på
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Thank you very much for any input.

Try asking in rec.travel.asia. They know a lot more about "in-land" travel.

Kennet
.......
Besøg vores rejse- og dyreside på
www.pernille-kennet.dk