How to Travel from Kolkata to Siliguri?

There are many options for travelers traveling from Kolkata to Siliguri. One may take the air route by taking flights from the Dum Dum airport to Bagdogra airport, or a train from Sealdah station to New Jalpaiguri station or simply travel by road. The journey from West Bengal's capital city Kolkata, to the major North Bengal town of Siliguri has many options for the mode of travel which is given here in details

  Siliguri is the main hub of North Bengal which acts as a gateway to Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Darjeeling and the North-Eastern States. There are plenty of people travelling to and fro from Kolkata to Siliguri and vice versa. Well, approximately about 600 kilometres in distance, the way to Siliguri from Kolkata, there are various means by which one may travel.

   The various ways in which one can travel from Kolkata to Siliguri are:

By Air - Daily flights are available from Dum Dum Airport at Kolkata. Flights like AirIndia, Jet Airways, Spicejet, etc are available which lands in the Bagdogra airport which is the nearest airport to Siliguri. SIliguri town is just about few kilometres from Bagdogra airport which hardly takes more than 20 minutes drive from the airport.

By Train - There are plenty of train that is available from Kolkata that goes to Siliguri. One must board at Sealdah station and get down at New Jalpaiguri Station which is the nearest railway station to Siliguri. It is about 15 minutes drive from New Jalpaiguri Railway Station to reach Siliguri town. Daily trains that are available from Sealdah are Uttarbanga Express, Darjeeling Mail, Teesta Torsa, Kanchankanya Express, Kamrath Express, etc. Darjeeling Mail is the best train to travel as it travels with efficiency in time and takes only about 10 hours to reach New Jalpaiguri from Sealdah. It leaves from Sealdah at 10pm and reaches New Jalpaiguri at 8am. Other trains may take about 12 to 14 hours. Garibrath Express is also available from Chitpur station which is a fully air-conditioned train and is comparatively cheaper than other air-conditioned trains. Though Garibrath Express travels only on specific days of the week and not everyday.
By Bus - There are lots of Government and private buses available from Kolkata that runs to Siliguri. Buses are available from Esplanade bus terminus in Kolkata from where passengers may book tickets and board in there which has its last stoppage at Siliguri junction. Buses are available with various options, from Air-conditioned to non-air-conditioned, and from two seater push back and sleepers. Popular volvo buses with air-conditioned coaches like Royal Cruiser buses are also available. The fare of the buses depends upon the season though a good bargain can be made on the fares. An air-conditioned bus charges about Rs 750 per person though one can still bargain in it. Sometimes at low seasons, specially winters, air-conditioned coaches are available at prices as low as Rs 400 per person. Non-air-conditioned buses with sleepers or push back seats are available at rates from Rs 250 to 350, though it depends upon the season too. The good thing about travelling in buses is that tickets are available easily and one doesn't have to book tickets in advance. Though for some people travel by bus may be very inconvenient  but most people find it easy and cheap. The bus journey takes about 12 to 14 hours though the time depends upon the road traffic too. One disadvantage of travel by bus is that sometimes excessive traffic may occur and delay the bus leading to inconvenience.

Esplanade

By Personal Cars - Travel by personal car may be very convenient making sure that one has an experienced driver who can drive for hours as the journey may be more than 12 hours long. It is also necessary that one is well acquainted with the route.