India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [94]
If you’re looking for a vehicle for the day, you can strike a deal with a private taxi driver directly, but here you should negotiate the deal upfront—you should pay around Rs 700 to Rs 800, plus a tip, for an 8-hour (or 80km/50-mile) stint. Note that it’s worth shelling out extra for an air-conditioned cab—you’re likely to spend long stretches waiting in traffic jams at overcrowded intersections. To rent an air-conditioned car and an English-speaking driver privately (which will cost a bit more but may remove the hassle of haggling), the following operators are recommended: Cool Cabs (Worli 022/2492-7006; or in Andheri 022/2822-7006, or 022/2824-6216); Ashtapura Travel World (907 Arcadia, N.C.P.A Marg, Nariman Point; 022/2283-4689; http://carhirers.com); Euro Cars (Suburban Service Station, 261 S.V. Rd., Bandra W.; 022/2655-2424; www.eurocars-india.com); and Ketan Travels Pvt. Ltd. (R.T. Bldg., P.M. Rd., Vile Parle E.; 022/2614-0554;www.ketancars.com). Carzonrent ( 860/500-1212;www.carzonrent.com) offers chauffeur-driven cars throughout the subcontinent.
Hiring a taxi through your hotel can get very pricey, but the fleet of cars maintained by some of the upmarket hotels is unlikely to be matched in quality by anyone in the city (if you choose your hotel by the quality of its vehicles and chauffeurs, be sure to stay at the Four Seasons, which offers silky-smooth BMWs), and it may be convenient to have transport charges added to your hotel bill. Do, however, remember to tip your driver directly.
BY TRAIN Train travel in the city is strictly for the adventurous, but then again, a ride on a train in the afternoon (or on Sun) gives you the opportunity to see how the other half lives, as the tracks wend their way through some of the city’s most squalid slums. Extending northward of Churchgate is the Western Railway local train line, and moving north of Victoria Terminus (or CST; see below) is the Central Railway network. Together, these two suburban train systems transport over six million commuters each day. A first-class return ticket from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (aka Victoria Terminus or VT) to the suburb of Thane costs about Rs 210. Travel only during off-peak (noon–3pm is best) times and leave luggage and valuables in your hotel room. I don’t advise this, but if you really want to get a feel for the way of life experienced by the millions of people who commute into the city each day, you could probably survive the 30- to 40-minute ride from VT to Bandra during the after-work rush hour (although some don’t, literally—it’s rare, but people have been crushed to death in the sardine-packed compartments)); the cheapest tickets are around Rs 8.
ORGANIZED TOURS & TRIPS
You will be offered tours of various descriptions by at least half the people you meet on the streets of Mumbai; everyone from your taxi driver to the man who asks you for the time will have a contact in the tourism industry who’ll be more than happy to take you “sightseeing.” Use your discretion, watch your wallet, and remember that Mumbai’s traffic makes it impossible to see everything in 1 day.
To arrange a legitimate tour of the city, set it up through your hotel, which should have access to the best guides (meaning those with the best English and best knowledge); better still, check out some of our favorite tours and specialist guides discussed in the “Into the Belly of the Beast: Getting Beneath Mumbai’s Skin” box).
Dealing with Beggars
When long-time BBC India Bureau Chief Mark Tully was asked: “How do you cope with the poverty of India?” he responded, “I don’t have to; they do.” As a first-time visitor, you will no doubt be struck first by the seemingly endless ordeal of the impoverished masses. Families of beggars will twist and weave their way around the cars at traffic lights, hopping and even crawling to your window with displays of open wounds, diseased sores, crushed limbs, and starving babies, their hollow eyes imploring you for a few lifesaving