Tourists when traveling to Calcutta must follow certain Kolkata Travel Tips for smooth movement and comfortable stay in the capital city of West Bengal. These Calcutta travel tips pertain to season, transport, lodging, eating and visiting tourist venues.
Kolkata Visiting Season
The preferable time to visit Calcutta is from October to March. The period from November to February is specially splendid. The climate after November cools, and tourists should carry light woolens till February. The evenings from end December to middle of January can be quite cool.
Kolkata Transport tips
Travelers should avail the Metro Railway (underground railway) as much as possible for commuting within the city. Metro Rail is the safest, cheapest, and fastest mode of transport in Kolkata The main tourist attractions along the Metro stretch from Dum Dum to Tollygunge are sketched out at the stations. Belgachia, Girish Park, M.G. Road, Esplanade, Park Street, Maidan, Rabindra Sadan, and Kalighat stations cater to most of the tourist attractions of the city.
For short journeys buses or taxis may be availed. While traveling in a taxi, the passenger must insist on the revised fare chart from the driver before paying fees. During late nights and early mornings tasi drivers may demand inflated charges, which can be negotiated upon.
Most of the hotels have travel desk for assisting the tourist in providing rental cars. Rental cars are useful for visiting a number of tourist sites in one outing, or visiting nearby places. Places where rental cars may be useful are Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Belur Math, Bandel Church, arrackpur Gandhi Ghat, and Aquatica.
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Electric trams ply in certain selected routes. These moderate speed vehicles are ideal for aged and diseased people. A journey in a tram car through the North Calcutta streets relives the old charm of Kolkata.
For visiting places along the Hooghly river like the Botanical Gardens in Shibpur, the Strand, High Court, Eden Gardens, the ferry service is extremely useful. This ferry service also carries passengers to Howrah station from different Kolkata locations like Babughat (Eden Gardens, High Court), Fairlie Place (Dalhousie), Armenian Ghat (Burrabazar), Ahiritolla, Sovabazar, Baghbazar, Chitpore, Cossipore and Baranagore.
Kolkata Eating Tips
Food stalls and restaurants dot the streets of Kolkata. Tourists must always have food in the more frequented places. Road side food should be avoided as they are kept in the open. However, freshly prepared food can always be eaten. Kolkata is famous for its 'rosogolla', 'rosomalai', 'mishti doi', and 'natun gurer sandesh'. All these are Bengali traditional sweets. 'Natun gurer sandesh' is a winter delicacy prepared from the sap of date palms and caesin.
Among the other cuisines favored by Bengalis are 'Bhapa Ilish', 'Bhetki paturi', 'Mangser jhol', 'Chongri Macher Malai kari', 'Daab Chingri', Cholar Daal, and 'ghee bhaat'. All these items are available in Specialty Bengali restaurants.
Apart from the Bengali restaurants, there are Chinese, Thai, Continental, Mughlai, and South Indian restaurants in Calcutta city. Multi-cuisine restaurants, and fast food counters are found in good numbers also.
Kolkata travel tips should help a tourist to have a pleasant and contented stay in this beautiful city.
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