Get in
Howrah Railway Station is one of the largest stations in the country. The headquarters of Eastern Railways, it is well-connected to other parts of India. The Rajdhani Express connects to Delhi.
Get around
Howrah has an extensive but badly-maintained transport system.
There is an extensive mini-bus network, and the destinations are generally written in both Bengali and English. There are no marked bus stops, you can flag the bus anywhere on its route. However, the brightly painted buses are extremely uncomfortable, noisy and crowded. The ticket is bought from an on-board conductor who hangs out of the doorway, yelling out the names of the streets which the bus will pass. When you want to get off, tell the driver a few blocks in advance and he'll stop the bus for you.
There are the usual Calcutta-type shuttle autos. The routes and fares are fixed, with 5 people per auto, and you have to wait for your co-passengers to turn up. When the three-wheeled contraption is full, it's off. Prepare for a bumpy ride since the suspensions are terrible! Fun, but not highly recommended if you want to get from A to B as fast as you can.
