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BY TRAIN: To reach Sikkim, you must first take the train to New Jalpaiguri Railway Station (NJP) at Siliguri, 125 Kms from Gangtok. NJP is the nearest railway station to any part of Sikkim. If you are in any of the following cities, you can get connected to NJP by direct trains as shown below. However if you don't fall in any of them, you will have to connect to the given trains coming from various cities to reach NJP. If you are in any part of North East, you will have to reach either Guwahati or Dibrugarh from where you will find numerous trains to NJP as all trains from any part of North East pass through this junction. Most trains from Delhi reaches NJP in 26– 30 hours, Kolkatta 12 hours, Guwahati 10 hours, Mumbai 40—42 hours, Chennai 36 to 38 hours, Bangalore 46 to 48 hours

BY AIR :If you wish to travel by air, then you must take a flight to Bagdogra Airport (IXB) at Siliguri which again is 4 hours drive (124 Kms) from Gangtok. Bagdogra is connected by direct flights from Delhi, Kolkatta and Guwahati. However if you are in any other city, then you will have to reach to either of the below cities and connect to the flights mentioned below

Option 1: to take a taxi directly to Gangtok (these are usually Tata Sumos / Spacios or Mahindra Maxx). You will find number of taxis waiting outside the airport. However it is recommended first to check with the pre-paid taxi booth on the left side of the exit gate. The hiring charge for the prepaid taxi to Gangtok is Rs 1450/-. Few drivers or brokers may prompt you for hiring their vehicles. The vehicles with number plates bearing SK- 04 (in yellow) are Sikkim bound taxis while those bearing WB 73 / 74 or 76 are West Bengal taxis from Siliguri, Darjeeling or Kalimpong. For a full vehicle reserve upto Gangtok, these taxis may charge you any where between Rs. 1,400 to Rs 1,600 (depending upon the rush of the passengers).
Option 2: Incase you are unable to avail the taxi for Gangtok from the airport, then you may choose -to take a cab (Maruti Van) to Siliguri (11 kms)-the main city from where you will find number of taxis for Gangtok on a share as well as reserve basis. In the parking area outside the airport you will find many Maruti Vans, these are usually for hire upto Siliguri. These cabs charge you about Rs 250 for drop to Siliguri. When you board these cabs, advise your driver to drop you in front of SNT in Siliguri. SNT stands for Sikkim Nationalized Transport and is the main hub for Sikkim bound vehicles.

Upon your arrival at NJP, the first thing you may need is the porter / coolie. An over bridge between your platform and the outer exit is about 200 meters long. If you just have a carry bag or two, then you may not need a porter. however , other wise, it is usually necessary to hire one till the exit gate. A usual porterage charge from the platform to exit gate is about Rs. 40, the porters may however nag you, therefore it is essential to bargain. Incase you want to freshen up, then you have the waiting room and restrooms on the first floor above Platform no 1. Once you exit the railway station , the scenario and the options are almost the same as in the airport. However, here, you should expect much more thronging of brokers, rickshaw pullers and drivers around you. Hire charge for full vehicle reserve upto Gangtok would be between Rs.1400– 1600. You may also find few vehicles on a share basis for Gangtok, they usually charge Rs.130 to Rs.140/- per person.

Tricycle Rickshaw: You will also find horde of tricycle rickshaws outside NJP. Tricycle rickshaws are the most common mode of within city travel in Siliguri. These rickshaws will charge you between Rs.25 to Rs.30 for drop till SNT. The 20 minutes of the tricycle ride from NJP to SNT is an enjoyable experience. These rickshaws however can accommodate only two people and may be a bag or two.

Auto Rickshaw: Incase you have a time constraint or you are about 3 to 4 people with some luggage, then you can opt for an auto rickshaw. These autos lined up outside NJP may charge you anything between Rs 80 to 100, but Rs.80 is the approved govt rate for a drop till SNT, so try not to pay more than that. In all cases, make sure that you fix the price with the drivers /rikshaw pullers before you board them to prevent unwanted hassles. 

SNT or Sikkim Nationalized Transport on the Hill Cart Road is the Sikkim Government Bus Depot. However , there is also the Tenzing Norgay Bus Terminus on the opposite side of SNT. This whole area therefore serves as a main junction for visiting various parts of the region. All busses and taxi services to Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Nepal (Kakari Bhitta), Bhutan (Phuntsoling) and bus services to Kolkatta, Guwahati, and numerous other places depart from here.

SNT AREA
Share Taxis: Just outside the SNT gate, is the main taxi stand for service Jeeps to Gangtok. These are usually Tata Spacios, Sumos Mahindra Maxx, Bolero, or Tempo Cruiser and are more suitable and faster in hill roads than the busses. A ticket booking counter is on the left side of the entry. A jeep fare to Gangtok is Rs 120 per head. A vehicle is permitted to carry only 10 passengers. The seating configuration is strictly 2 – front, 4 - Middle and 4 Back.

The vehicles will be available from 7:00 AM in the morning to almost 6:00 PM in the evening. The departure timings mentioned in your tickets are usually tentative and they do not exactly leave unless all 10 seats are booked. However due to normal rush, you can expect one departure every 20 to 25 mins.
 

SNT Buses: If you choose to take a bus, then you need to enter the SNT complex. Taxis are not allowed inside, only Sikkim Govt vehicles and the regular SNT Buses are allowed. The travel to Gangtok by bus usually takes about 5 hours and is slightly tiring. There are deluxe Buses and standard Buses. You will also find buses from SNT to various other parts of Sikkim. Please refer the chart given below for their timings and fares

A drive from Siliguri to Gangtok
Drive from Siliguri to Gangtok takes about 4 hours by service jeeps and 5 hours by regular busses. The journey starts with a straight plain drive on a beautiful Sevoke road cutting right through the dense Mahananda Wild life sanctuary. The straight road continues for about twenty five minutes until you reach the railway crossing at Sevoke. After the railway crossing, the road starts taking a slight uphill meanders along river Teesta– this is NH 31 A, the only highway to Sikkim. Your drive runs almost parallel to the scenic Teesta river, cutting through some of the most picturesque valleys. You pass by couple of small clustered bazaars without stopping and come to a huge “Coronation Bridge” over the river Teesta. This bridge was constructed in 1937 and connects West Bengal with Assam.
We continue our drive over NH 31 A without crossing the bridge. In another twenty five minutes time we arrive at Teesta. The overall travel time from Siliguri to Teesta will be about two hours. Near Teesta you come across a bifurcation, one of the two roads lead to Darjeeling and the other to Gangtok. We take the upper road that is for Gangtok and cross over the bridge. About five minutes later, we come to our first stop of the drive that is Malli Bazaar.
 

Malli Bazaar: is a usual midway stopping point for lunch / tea or snacks. This is also a boarding point for river rafting activity. You will see couple rafts and row paddles displayed in front local raft operators just beside the highway. The drivers usually stop here for about 20 mins .

Rangpo: Rangpo is a first border town of Sikkim to West Bengal. Your arrival at customs check post Rangpo marks your entry to Sikkim. If you are an Indian, then you do not have any formalities involved. However if you are a foreigner, then you need to get your passports and ILP stamped at FRO (Foreigner’s Registration Office) counter at the check post. Some vehicles stop here for refreshments instead of Malli. Rangpo has many good fast food points which serves delicious Indian snack. From Rangpo you continue with your last stretch of drive along the serpentine Teesta river. After about 25 minutes we arrive a small town of Singtam, from where we part with Teesta and follow its tributary towards Gangtok. Enroute, we pass through a small tunnel, the only one in Sikkim and finally reach Ranipul Bazaar. The last twentyfive minutes drive from Ranipul to Gangtok usually meets up with vehicles coming from all parts of Sikkim which sometimes causes long traffic jams. Nevertheless, its just few minutes more, the next minute, you arrive Gangtok, your destination. If your pick up is arranged by the travel agents, they usually drop you to your hotels, else they drop you at the taxi stand. You will find number of cabs on the ground floor, which can be hired till your hotel. The hire charge depends upon where your hotel is located, however the usual rate till the town (around MG Marg) is Rs 40.

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