How to Reach Darjeeling
The hill station of Darjeeling even if situated at such an altitude, is easy to reach. Tourists heading for this destination may have to toil a little more to reach the place. A break journey is needed to reach the place but the trip is equally enjoyable and finally pays off.Tourists opting for a flight will have to get down at the Bagdogra airport near Siliguri. The airport is located at a distance of 93 kilometers from Darjeeling. Domestic carriers like the Jet Airways, Indian Airlines and Air Deccan have frequent flights from other cities like Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati.
The most pleasurable trip to Darjeeling is however by train. The nearest major railhead to the hill station is New Jalpaiguri. A number of long distance Express Trains operate from other destinations across the country like Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Lucknow and Guwahati. From Kolkata, the trains which are available consist of Darjeeling Mail, New Jalpaiguri Express, Kamroop Express, Teesta Torsa and Kanchenjunga express are available. Bombay Mail departs from Mumbai, Howrah Mail from Chennai and Assam Mail from Guwahati. Another way to reach Darjeeling by train is by availing the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or the famous Toy Train. Meandering through the valleys, hills and tunnels, this train is nominated as a World Heritage Site. Operating on the narrow gauge line, time taken to reach the hill station by the toy train is nearly 7 hours.
The road journey to Darjeeling is convenient as a number of buses operate between Siliguri and Darjeeling. The Hill Cart Road also known as the Tenzing Norgay Road is followed to reach the hill town. Darjeeling is also connected to the towns of Kalimpong, Kurseong and Gangtok. Apart from the buses, tourists can also hire a taxi, private car, jeep or a land rover to reach Darjeeling. The journey by road takes nearly 4 hours.