Mumbai is divided into two parts, town and the suburbs. Colaba to Mahim constitutes Town, and the Suburbs include areas from Bandra to Borivili. Mumbai is well connected by various modes of local transport.

Driving times from place to place

• South Bombay to Bandra: Anywhere from 20 minutes (at 1am) to an hour and a half (rush hour, ~4-7pm)

Cars and drivers

Taxi:

Taxis are marked as black and yellow, and travel to all parts of the city and its suburbs. The fares are reasonable and operate by a meter. The minimum fare is Rs. 13 and most taxis carry a printed tariff card (If you can find a printed copy in the bus schedule booklet, it's useful to keep one with you so you don't have to argue with the driver to show his!)

Auto-Rickshaw:

The Auto rickshaws, painted in black and yellow, operate only in the suburbs of Mumbai. Bandra is the last point on their routes from the North and Sion to the west. The minimum fare is Rs. 9. If you are in an area that has rickshaws, they are much faster and cheaper than the regular taxis.  To calculate the fare, you take the first two numbers on the meter and subtract 1. For example, if the meter reads 1.00, ignore the last zero and subtract 1 from the 10, your fare is 9 rupees.  There is an additional night charge after midnight, either give a few more rupees or ask to see their night rate card.    

Bus:

BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) (022 2414 3611) provides an extensive network of buses. Fares are very cheap and the service is fast. Bus routes and maps are easily available at newspaper stands or railway stations. Entry is through the rear door and the exit is at the front.

On the front of the bus the destination and bus number will be written but ONLY in Hindi (numbers as well).  The destination and bus number in English are written on the side of the bus by the entrance.  Be quick about reading the numbers, as the buses don’t stop for more than a few seconds, so get on/off quickly!  There will be a money collector on the bus, you tell him where you want to go and he will tell you the fare (the conductor and fellow passengers are quite good about telling foreigners when they must get off, so don’t worry if you are not sure where to get off).

Train:  

Mumbai has the best suburban electric train travel system in India. It is the best option for commuting in Mumbai and also long distance. The trains run from 3:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. on three lines; Western, Harbour, Central.

Trains in India are unique in that they have separate compartments for First class Men & Women and Second class Men & Women.  We recommend traveling in First class as the second-class compartments are typically so crowded you will find it difficult to breath! Below you can see the markings on the trains for the first class compartments.  Men’s first class will always have the red/yellow stripes and women’s first class will typically have the blue/yellow stripes. Markings on the platform for Men’s first class. If you do not see markings for women’s first class anywhere on the platform, then stand near the men’s first class as there is usually a women’s compartment close by. Also, you can look along the platform for a group of women, or always ask someone.

You can easily learn the sign boards to find out where the trains are going.

Here is an example:

C 1:17 F 01

This sign says that the train is going to Churchgate station (C), the current time is 1:17pm, this is a Fast train (F) and is expected in 1 minute. When you are at Churchgate station, you might see a BO in the place of the C, which means that the train is going to Borivili station.  Another option you might see on the trains is an S in place of the F, which would mean it is a Slow train and will stop at all stops. At smaller stations the signboard might only say “ST  01:20”.  This would mean that the destination of the train is Victoria Terminus Station and it will ARRIVE at the station you are at, at 1:20 p.m. After riding the train a few times you will learn the correct “codes” for your stations.

Here is an outline of all of the major stops on all three lines

(NOTE: stops outside of Bombay Proper are not included)

Western Line:

Churchgate (C) – Marine Lines – Charni Road – Grant Road – Mumbai Central – Mahalaxmi – Lower Parel – Elphinstone Road – Dadar – Matunga Road – Mahim Junction – Bandra – Khar – Santa Cruz – Vile Parle – Andheri – Jogeshwari – Goregaon – Malad – Kandivali – Borivali (B) – Dahisar – Mira Road – Bhayandar – Naigon – Vasai Road – Nala Sopara – Virar (V) (The stops in BOLD are the stops for Fast Trains)

Harbor Line:

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (ST) – Masjid – Sandhurst Road – Dockyard Road – Reay Road – Cotton Green – Sewri – Vadala – Kings Circle – Mahim – Bandra (B) – Khar Road – Santa Cruz – Vile Parle – Andheri (A)

(Another branch of this line: Wadala Road, Guru telgh Bahadur Nagar – Chunabhatti – Kurla – Tilak Nagar – Chembur – Mankhurd – Panvel (PL) )

Central Line:

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (ST) – Masjid – Sandhurst Road – Byculla – Chinchpokli – Currey Road – Parel – Dadar – Matunga – Sion – Kurla – Vidyavihar – Ghatkopar – Vikhroli – Kanjurmarg – Bhandup – Mulund – Thane

If you are here for a month or more and plan to use the train frequently (or even on the weekends), the best option is to buy a railway pass which enables you to just get on the train without waiting in line for a ticket. The monthly train pass is also significantly cheaper than buying return tickets even a few times within a month.  Most passes, for first class will cost less than 10USD per month.  You will need one passport size photo to buy the month pass.