Getting around Bengaluru (Bangalore)

Public transport

Transport in Bengaluru is by road, metro or on foot. Pavements are often narrow and broken and crossing the roads can be difficult, so the best bet is to use metered auto-rickshaws (tuk-tuks) which are everywhere, and are cheap. They also cope with the often gridlocked traffic better than a bus.

Buses are run by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) (tel: 1 800 425 1663, in India only; www.mybmtc.com). Its services radiate from the City Bus Stand next to the Majestic Bus Stand. As well as regular stopping services, the BMTC operates several deluxe express services to designated destinations. The KR (City) Market Bus Stand is to the south of the city, and Shivajinagar to the north. Daily and weekly passes are available at discounted rates.

Namma Metro (tel: +91 80 2296 9300; www.english.bmrc.co.in), Bengaluru's modern metro system, runs air-conditioned trains on two lines (green and purple), with additional routes planned in the upcoming years. You can buy a token for a single journey or save money by using a reloadable smartcard.

Taxis

The main taxi companies are Ola (www.olacabs.com or download the app), Beecabs (tel: +91 81 4800 1001; www.beecabs.in) and KSTDC (tel: +91 80 4466 4466; www.kstdc.co). Uber is available in the area as well.

Driving

Driving in India requires familiarity with local driving customs, not to say skill and daring. Although traffic drives on the left, hazards include animals wandering in front of vehicles, speeding trucks and overloaded buses.

Visitors should have insurance and an international driving licence to drive in India but the licence requirement is often waived if you have your licence from home.

Car hire

Hiring a car with a driver is inexpensive. The main companies are Hertz (tel: +91 80 4330 2201; www.hertz.com) and Akbar Travels (tel: +91 87 9200 2223; www.akbartravels.com). Most hotels can also arrange this service.

Bicycle hire

Cycling in Bengaluru can be a hair-raising experience, and a hefty dose of courage is required. If you decide to give it a go, bikesharing scheme Yulu (www.yulu.bike) has docking stations at several metro stops. You can download the Yulu app for iOS and Android.