India 's major international airports are Mumbai ( Bombay ), Delhi , Kolkata, Chennai ( Madras )and a newly constructed international airport at Kerala. Flights from Europe tend to arrive in India in the early hours of the morning, which can be inconvenient if you don't have reserved accommodation or don't like tramping around unfamiliar cities in the dark. Delhi is the cheapest place to buy air tickets in India , followed by Kolkata and Mumbai. International flights to neighbouring countries can be very cheap: especially between Kolkata and Dhaka ( Bangladesh ), Delhi and Karachi ( Pakistan ) and Tiruchirappalli and Colombo ( Sri Lanka ). A new international airport near Kochi in Kerala is due to open soon. The departure tax on flights to Pakistan , Sri Lanka , Bangladesh and Nepal is approximately US$5, but to other countries it's US$10.

The most popular overland routes between India and Nepal are Birganj-Raxaul Bazaar, Sunauli-Bhairawa and Kakarbhitta-Siliguri. If you're heading from Kathmandu or Pokhara to Delhi or elsewhere in north-western India , then Sunauli is the most convenient entry point; to reach Kolkata or most of eastern India , Birganj is the best place to cross the border; and to get to Darjeeling , it's easiest to go via Kakarbhitta. It's fairly easy to travel between Kolkata and Dhaka overland. The only border crossing currently open between India and Pakistan is between Lahore and Amritsar . This crossing can be done either by train or by road. All other border crossings are by road only.

The historic bus service between Lahore and Delhi , operating four times a week, is now up and running. It's open to non-residents and although its a symbol of national unity, it's also the obvious target for disgruntled nationalists looking to continue the feud.