Entry Requirements

A majority of travelers will need a visa to enter India. Visas must be obtained prior to your visit, as there are no provisions for visas upon arrival. We also strongly recommend that anyone traveling internationally make copies of their visa and passport in the event of theft or loss.

Contact the Indian Embassy in your home country for rates, application details, and delays.

To obtain the latest information about required and recommended vaccinations before your trip to India, we recommend you visit the CDC’s web site a couple of weeks prior to your trip. When possible, visit your doctor or travel clinic, a few weeks prior to your trip, to get any necessary medicines or vaccinations you may require.

In Case of Emergency

If you find yourself in an emergency situation, first contact your local consulate or embassy, your travel insurance, and then your hotel.

Other emergency numbers that you could use are:

• Police: 100
• Fire: 101
• Ambulance: 102 
• Traffic Police: 103
• Women's Crisis Response Center: 1091

Note that people manning these services speak little or no English or will have a problem understanding a foreign accent, so it would be advisable to try to get someone who knows the local language (Kannada or Hindi) to speak on your behalf.

Health:

It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance prior to your trip or check with your company about their policy.

Certain medical facilities in Bangalore closely approach Western standards. Should you become ill, first contact the number listed on your travel insurance. In the event that you do not have travel insurance, contact your hotel’s front desk.

Some of the best hospitals in Bangalore include:

• Apollo Hospitals
• Manipal Hospital
• Wockhardt Hospital
• Mallya Hospital

Legal: 

While in India, you are subject India’s laws and regulations, which can differ significantly from those in your homeland.
Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States and Western Europe for similar offenses. Persons violating Indian laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Corruption in India, especially at local levels, is a concern.
In case of any legal issues, contact your nearest consulate.

Crime: 

Bangalore is usually safe during the day time around major hotels, business and shopping districts, like M.G. Road, Brigade Road, and Koramangala.

In India, women should observe stringent security precautions. Avoid placing yourself at risk with the following precautions

• Do not walk alone in isolated areas
• Avoid walking alone after dark
• Do not accept a ride from taxi drivers or auto rickshaws even if they offer
• Avoid traveling by public transportation such as buses and auto rickshaws
• Do not accept lifts from strangers
• Always know the address and contact numbers of your destination before you head out of your hotel or office
• If you have to ask strangers for directions and they offer to take you there themselves, do not accept the offer
• Do not divulge information about yourself to strangers
• Refrain from wearing overly revealing clothing on the streets

However, this does not mean that you cannot go out! In order to enjoy the entertainment Bangalore has to offer, we suggest that you plan your excursion ahead and let your hotel book a car with a driver to take you around the city. The driver will pick you up once you have finished your activities (e.g., shopping, visiting, meals). Make sure you carry your hotel phone number at all times.

In case of any emergency, first contact your consulate, and then your hotel. Despite its rapid growth, most consulates do not have a post in Bangalore; rather, the nearest consulate general offices (generally speaking) are located in Chennai.

To see the list of consulates in Chennai, click here. 

Telecommunications Mobile:

GSM-based cell phones are widely used in India, so if you have a GSM-based phone (in the US, those provided by T-Mobile or AT&T), it should work. The popular carriers are Airtel and Vodafone. We recommend contacting your local carrier prior to your departure in order to turn on the international feature (and potentially save a lot of money), check the covered area and  roaming charges. 

If you are carrying a GSM, you may also consider buying an Airtel or Vodafone SIM card in Bangalore from one of the local STD/ISD stores and replacing your existing GSM card. This is the cheapest way to make and receive calls because you will be charged at local rates and all your incoming calls will be free. However, as part of mandatory procedure as per Indian law, you will need to provide identity and address proof (a photocopy of your passport) and passport-size protographs before your SIM is activated.

For more information, check the Airtel and Vodafone web sites.

*Note that for this to work, your GSM phone should be “unlocked”.

Landlines:

In the event that your cell phone does not work, there are a multitude of stores or phone booths on the streets offering STD (national) and ISD (international) calls.

For local calls, dial the eight-digit number. For domestic calls (calls to other parts of India), dial Area Code (STD) + Number. For any international destination, you must dial 00 + country code + Number. The ISD call rates are $1 to $5 depending on the duration of your call. You do not need a calling card for making ISD (international) and STD (national) calls. 

Internet:

Most of Bangalore business hotels offer all the amenities needed by business travelers, including 24/7 Wi-Fi.

Some coffee shops, restaurants and malls also offer Wi-Fi access, which include the following locations:

• Café Coffee Day outlets across the city
• Barista outlets across the city
• Forum Mall – Located in the shopping district of Koramangala, where you can easily relax in the Café Coffee Day outlet
• Sigma Mall – This new mall is located at the business area of Bangalore, Cunningham Road
• Garuda Mall – This mall is located near another important shopping area known as M.G. Road

There are also plenty of local cyber cafés on the streets where you can check your email from. However, please be wary of network security and viruses.

Transportation:

Due to the hectic traffic and varying road conditions, driving yourself in India or renting a car is not an option. You will need to hire a car with a driver for all your transportation needs whether it is business or pleasure. The prices for a car with a driver are still much lower than in most countries.

Getting to and from the Airport:

There is one international Airport in Bangalore called Bengaluru International Airport.

Taxi:
We highly recommend that you arrange your transportation from the airport to your hotel, prior to your arrival. Some hotels offer this service but you need to contact them at the time of your reservation. There are two additional ways to book a taxi.

Prior to your arrival, you can book a taxi online at:
Airlift
Akbar Travels
Hertz
Meru
*Note that unlike in many countries, in India, most major multi-national rental car agencies (e.g, Hertz) will provide a driver for your car at no additional expense.  We strongly advise against driving on your own in India.

If you haven’t booked a car in advance, use the authorized taxi counters at Bengaluru International Airport. A trip from the airport to the center of the city usually costs between $10 to $12 per trip. In any case, avoid the crowd of independent taxi drivers and luggage porters, and do not take any of the taxis waiting outside the airport.

While lower fare options do exist (government run prepaid taxi services, which offers $2 to $5 per for a trip from the airport to the center of the city), we do not recommend them.

Depending on the rush hour (8am – 11 am, and 5pm – 9pm), the travel duration may varies between 15 minutes to 2 hours. The travel time also depends on your destination. If you want to travel to the center of the city during peak time it may take up to 3 hours to reach your hotel or office.

Public Transportation:

Note: Via Her does not recommend the use of public transportation in Bangalore.

Bangalore Airport has a dedicated bus service known as VAYU VAJRA and SUVARNA, with buses every 15 minutes that connect major hotels and business locations in the city. However, we do not recommended this option, as you may end up standing in a long queue.  Also, if you are not aware of the exact destination, it is not a good idea to ride these buses.

Getting around the city:

Taxi:

As mentioned earlier, women traveling alone should use taxis or pre-arranged hired cars for transportation. Taxi services in Bangalore are known as City Taxi. However, unlike other cities, you will not find reliable taxis waiting for you on the street. Taxi services in Bangalore operate only a call-reservation basis and cannot be hailed on the street.
As mentioned above, we always recommend that you book your taxi through your hotel. However, there are several professionally run travel agent/taxi services which operates out of Bangalore. When you call a taxi service, always request a quote for the trip:

• Akbar Travels
• Airlift
• Hertz
• Carzonrent
• Avis
• Meru

After you board a taxi, make sure you take down the cab driver’s name, mobile number (they usually have one), and the taxi number. Also, do not forget to communicate to the driver your name (first name is enough) and the time you would like to get back. If you forget the taxi number, you might end up looking for your cab for hours, since Bangalore has an extreme parking problem and it is quite difficult to track down one particular taxi in a crowded parking lot.

On foot:

The best way to explore a new area is by foot. However, when you are in Bangalore, do not stray beyond the limits of the shopping and large business districts, such as Brigade Road, M.G. Road, and shopping areas of Koramanagla (Forum Mall). Due to safety issues, we recommend refraining from walking alone after dark. We advise you to be very careful when crossing the busy roads, even on pedestrian crossings or at traffic intersections when the traffic lights are red.

Bus:

Note: Via Her does not recommend the use of public transportation in Bangalore.
The bus service in Bangalore is operated by the state government, popularly known as BMTC buses. BMTC offers two types of bus services: Vajra Volvo (AC buses, red in color) and non AC BMTC bus (Blue and white in color). Vajra Volvo buses (10 to 20c /trip) are fairly safe at anytime, but they usually operate only in limited routes. BMTC also provides buses for women only (pink in color), but these are few and far between and operate on limited routes only.

Auto Rickshaws:

Note: Via Her does not recommend the use of auto rickshaws in Bangalore. In addition to safety concerns, an auto rickshaw ride will expose you to the heat and grime of the city. Never hail an auto rickshaw at night.

Auto rickshaws can be hailed from the street. All auto rickshaws have electronic fare meters, with the minimum fare starting at Indian Rupees 14, but drivers will often try to demand more than the metered fare. All auto rickshaws are required to have the driver’s name, address, and license details pasted where the passenger can see them. Certain areas, such as MG Road, have pre-paid auto stands.

Subway:

Bangalore’s Metro (subway) services are still under construction. The first phase, starting from the central area of MG Road, is scheduled to be operational in December 2011.

Additional Information:

Languages spoken:

Bangalore is a cosmopolitan city, with people from different parts of India and the world living here. English is understood and spoken by a large majority of people. Most taxi drivers and shop keepers will know basic English although some may have a problem completely understanding a foreign accent. Sign boards, billboards, restaurant menus, and major newspapers are all in English. Other local languages spoken are Kannada and Hindi.

City Information:

Just Dial is a company that provides any information you may need about the city including names, telephone numbers, and addresses of hotels, restaurants, stores (including where you can buy certain products), hospitals, offices, taxi services, flight information, and more. The English-speaking customer service representatives can be contacted 24/7 online, over the phone, or via SMS.
Phone: 6999 9999
Internet: www.justdial.com
SMS: 53999