Holidays Travel Guide

Get in and around
By plane

The nearest airport is the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport , Mumbai. Once you get off, you will need to take a taxi or hire a car. The distance to Thane is about 36 kilometers (22 miles), the drive can take between 45 to 75 minutes depending on the traffic.


By taxi

Mumbai's taxis are allowed into Thane. The prepaid taxi service available at the airport is the recommended hassle-free way of getting to Thane. The fare you pay at the counter includes the toll you need to pay when you leave Mumbai.

By train

The best way to get to Thane from Mumbai using public transport is to take the local train service. If you are coming from the airport, take an auto-rickshaw to Andheri station which is served by the Western Railway and buy a ticket to Thane. You need to take a southbound train towards Churchgate, get off at Dadar (which is the interchange point) if possible avoid peek hour journy if you are new in Mumbai specially between 8 and 11 am, get on the Central Railway Line and then take a northbound train to Thane. This method is recommended only if you are adventurous at heart and are not carrying any luggage.

Thane is also well served by long distance trains, many of which stop at Thane station en route Mumbai.

By car


Two main roads enter the city from Mumbai. The older one is the Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg (commonly abbreviated as LBS Marg) and Eastern Express highway. Both of them are toll roads - the toll gate (called naaka) for the former is called Teen Hath Naka while that for the latter is called Check Naka. The toll at both the naakas is 25 rupees one way which is somewhat unfair because there is a huge difference in the condition of the two roads.

LBS marg is invariably congested, encroached upon and potholed. It goes through the heart of Mumbai's Mumbai/Central Suburbs. The Eastern Express highway is wide, well-maintained and smooth. It goes through an uninhabited area where development is prohibited. Use this road to get in, even though the distance will be slightly more. The roads intersect at Marathon chowk ("Marathon square", because that's where the Thane Mayor's Marathon starts from.). LBS marg then goes right through the city, while the Eastern Express highway skirts it and turns into NH - 3 highway to Nashik and Agra.

By bus

There are very few BEST buses that go right up to Marathon Chowk (It is known as "Teen Haath naka")- 399 and 496 Ltd. Check the BEST site [2] for more. Once you get off, catch a TMT bus or auto-rickshaw.From this spot Thane railway station is hardly 10-12 min walk if you go by following Gokhale Road , & auto should not cost more than 10-15 Rupees.

BEST bus kinglong number 700 for Borivali, from Thane railway station east, frequency every 15 minutes. early bus 6.00 AM last bus 11.30 PM

Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) also called ST bus service from Thane railway station west frequency every 15 minutes.

BRTS Buses originate from Cadbury Junction for Backbay and Nehru Planetarium

Most private buses from various parts of the country will stop in Thane. Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses will ply from various parts of Maharashtra to Thane.

Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) commuters helpline number 1800-22-9901 to get the information about TMT buses
By auto-rickshaw

Note that auto-rickshaws from Mumbai cannot enter Thane city limits. You will have to change over to another one at the toll-gate.
Get around

The area around Masunda Lake, called Talao pali ("talao" meaning lake) is the heart of the city. Most of the important landmarks are located here.


By car

Ram Maruti Road, Gokhale Road and LBS Marg are the important roads to criss-cross this area. The other important road is Ghodbunder Road which connects the eastern and western halves of the city and joins the Eastern Express Highway.


By bus

Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) runs a bus service through the city and is a very convenient way of traveling to remote places in thane
By auto-rickshaw

The most common way to get around in Thane is to hire an auto rickshaw. Payment is by meter. The amount to pay, however, is not the amount shown by the meter, but scaled up by a factor which changes whenever there is a rate adjustment. Check the tariff card for the right fare. Ensure Tariff card is stamped & signed by RTO.


By taxi

If you are on a day trip from Mumbai, one of the options is to catch a taxi in Mumbai and use it to go around Thane city. You cannot flag down taxis in the city as you won't find any, but you can certainly hire one.