CCU · Kolkata
Arriving at Kolkata
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. Here is what happens in the 30 minutes between you clearing immigration and being in the city — counters, fares, the one scam to avoid, and what to do if you land at 2am.
Official airport site →Arrival hall
Kolkata has a single integrated terminal (T2) for both international and domestic. International arrivals exit through a separate gate on the ground floor; domestic arrivals are one level above.
Prepaid taxi counter
Two prepaid counters — the yellow-cab (no-ac, classic Ambassador) and the AC-cab. Yellow-cab to central Kolkata (Park Street / New Market) is ₹350–450; AC-cab is ₹600–750. Yellow cabs are a Kolkata institution but increasingly hard to find in good condition.
Uber / Ola pickup
Uber and Ola have forecourt pickup zones. Fares ₹500–700 to Park Street. Rapido bikes are available but also impractical with luggage.
Metro / rail / bus
Kolkata Metro Yellow Line (Noapara–New Garia) does not currently reach the airport — the airport metro station is under construction (expected late 2026). For now, the Chingrighata station is the nearest, a 20-minute auto-ride away. Use app cabs or prepaid taxis instead.
SIM activation
Airtel, Jio, Vi all have booths. Activation in Kolkata can take 2–4 hours on a busy arrival.
ATM / forex
SBI and Axis ATMs on the forecourt. The airport itself has several inside the terminal; expect a queue during peak arrival hours.
The scam to watch for
Kolkata taxi-drivers are generally honest but route-padding can happen with foreigners — use the printed prepaid receipt as your reference. If the driver wants to take a 'shortcut' that would involve crossing a river or the Hooghly twice, decline.
After midnight
Prepaid and app cabs operate through the night. No metro connection yet. Night fare surcharge on yellow cabs is 25% (printed on the prepaid rate card).