Great question! We recommend that you take and an airplane to get there (although there are unconfirmed reports of people having done part of this journey by boat). More seriously, in this section we will talk about visas, vaccines you might need, flights from the US to Calcutta, getting from the airport in Calcutta to the hotel/guest house, the guest house itself and how you can get from the guest house to the wedding/my house.
Citizens of the United States need a visa to visit India. If you are coming for the wedding you will be applying for a tourist visa. Applications for an India tourist visa have to be made through this website. The color scheme of the website is a little startling but all the tabs seem to work and they have good information about what you will need to apply for the visa and the process. Be aware that the online form is actually on a different website; it's a Government of India web page. YOU DO NOT NEED TO VISIT THE CONSULATE IN PERSON; you can simply mail in the application. It's not a very complicated process unless you are a Pakistani citizen.
THE VISA APPLICATION PROCESS
Citizens of the United States need a visa to visit India. If you are coming for the wedding you will be applying for a tourist visa. Applications for an India tourist visa have to be made through this website. The color scheme of the website is a little startling but all the tabs seem to work and they have good information about what you will need to apply for the visa and the process. Be aware that the online form is actually on a different website; it's a Government of India web page. YOU DO NOT NEED TO VISIT THE CONSULATE IN PERSON; you can simply mail in the application. It's not a very complicated process unless you are a Pakistani citizen.
We
have gone through the application form and most of the questions are fairly self-explanatory. Please excuse the grammatical atrocities that are present at a few points in the form. Anyway, we thought you might appreciate help with some of the questions, so we have a helpful key.
FIRST PAGE: "Education Level".
Matriculation means you finished the sophomore year of high school
Graduate means you have a Bachelors degree in something
Higher Secondary means you have finished high school
Post Graduate means you have a Masters or a PhD
Professional means you have an MD or JD or MBA
THIRD PAGE: You will probably want a 6 month visa (you can also get a visa for 5 or 10 years but they cost more). For a tourist visa it makes no difference if you want a single, double or multiple entry visa as far as costs are concerned. If you won't be leaving the country while you are there and popping back in again, it might be better to get a single or double entry visa because they are treated with less suspicion. The purpose of your visit can be either "Tourism" or "Visiting Friends/Family"
THIRD PAGE: Some of you have visited me in India before. The address you stayed at is the address below. The address is the same for the "Reference in India"
Name:
Mr. Anandarup Chakravorty
Address:
P518 Raja Basanta Roy Road
Kolkata 700029
West Bengal, India
Phone:
+91 33 24642714
Reference in USA is me
Name:
Adityarup Chakravorty
Address:
911 East Dayton Street
Madison, WI 53703
Phone:
608-220-0568
If you have any other questions, please call or email Rup and he will be happy to help you through the process.
It is probably cheaper to fly to Delhi from the US and then take a separate domestic flight to Calcutta (that's what Pat and I are doing). Currently there is a fare sale going on at Austrian Airlines that allows you to get from Chicago to Delhi for around $800. THIS IS A FANTASTIC PRICE. You will then have to buy a separate ticket to get from Delhi to Calcutta. Try to buy the Delhi-Calcutta ticket on Air India or Jet Airways because then you won't have to transfer between terminals in Delhi. The Delhi airport is very nice (I think it's the second best airport I have ever been to, right after Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport) and there are showers and even a place for a nap if you have a long layover.
We would like to tell you though that most of the time we just get a ticket that gets us all the way to Calcutta from the US on the same itinerary. It's MUCH less hassle this way and you don't have to worry about the reduced domestic baggage allowance. In the past I have paid between $1200 and $1500 to get home. If you see anything below $1300 that gets you to Calcutta, BUY IT! If it's above $1400 I would wait a little bit and see if anything better comes up. I wouldn't wait much past mid-September though.
The domestic airlines have a cabin luggage allowance of between 7 to 8 kg (that's between 15 and 17 lb) and a checked baggage allowance of ONE baggage with a weight limit of 15 kg (around 33 pound). If you plan to travel with more than two checked luggage per person it might be cheaper and much less hassle to get your international and domestic flights on the same ticket (then you usually get 2 bags and a 50 lb checked baggage allowance).
I would recommend NOT flying into Mumbai (Bombay) if you can avoid it because you have to transfer terminals once you get there to get on a domestic flight. This is not impossible but it can be difficult and confusing especially if it is your first time in India.
Alright, so now you have arrived in Calcutta, at the venerable Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. It's a fairly nice, new airport but WAY smaller than the New Delhi airport. While Pat and I would LOVE to be able to meet you ALL at the airport it might be difficult because we have a LOT to get ready before the wedding, and only a couple of days to do so (we get there only on the 12th). Fortunately, there is a splendid pre-paid taxi service that will take you from the airport into the city itself. You pay at the counter and get a taxi all the way to your destination. It should cost you no more than Rs. 300 (or $5) to get to the guest house.
There are also a couple of cab companies that you can call to pick you up at the airport. Megacabs and Kolkata Cabs are both pretty good and quite safe. I would go with Megacabs, and it should cost you no more than Rs. 500 (or between $8-$9) to travel the 21km (about 12 miles) to the guest house in about an hour or so (this is VERY dependent on traffic).
If you will be getting into Calcutta at night, please let us know and someone will be there at the airport to pick you up. The taxis tend to charge more for night travel.
If you need ANY help getting from the airport to the guest house Rup's parents are happy to reserve the cabs ahead for time for you as well. Just email us your travel itinerary and we will do the rest. If you have any trouble or doubts when you get to the Calcutta airport just use a pay phone (there are several in the airport or you can ask any airport official; they are nice) and call either Rup's dad at 9836062841 or his mom at 9903878195. We will come and get you.
The guest house that we have reserved for you is the Innra Guest House (the stars aren't review stars; it's a two star hotel). We have the entire hotel (13 rooms) reserved from the 14th to the 18th (4 nights). Once we know who all are coming we will contact the hotel and make sure that they are expecting you at the proper time. You do not have to make a reservation or payment for the hotel from the 14th to the 18th; it's all been taken care of. You just have to show up! If you are getting to Calcutta before then (or staying on afterwards, but we will get to that here) please tell us and we will be happy to make arrangements so that you can stay here starting earlier than the 14th. There will be breakfast at the hotel - if you choose to breakfast there - and lunch and dinner are going to be at our house from the 14th lunch through dinner on the 17th.
Again, if you have any questions or need any more information about where you are staying please call or email us and we will help you get everything straight.
FIRST PAGE: "Education Level".
Matriculation means you finished the sophomore year of high school
Graduate means you have a Bachelors degree in something
Higher Secondary means you have finished high school
Post Graduate means you have a Masters or a PhD
Professional means you have an MD or JD or MBA
THIRD PAGE: You will probably want a 6 month visa (you can also get a visa for 5 or 10 years but they cost more). For a tourist visa it makes no difference if you want a single, double or multiple entry visa as far as costs are concerned. If you won't be leaving the country while you are there and popping back in again, it might be better to get a single or double entry visa because they are treated with less suspicion. The purpose of your visit can be either "Tourism" or "Visiting Friends/Family"
THIRD PAGE: Some of you have visited me in India before. The address you stayed at is the address below. The address is the same for the "Reference in India"
Name:
Mr. Anandarup Chakravorty
Address:
P518 Raja Basanta Roy Road
Kolkata 700029
West Bengal, India
Phone:
+91 33 24642714
Reference in USA is me
Name:
Adityarup Chakravorty
Address:
911 East Dayton Street
Madison, WI 53703
Phone:
608-220-0568
If you have any other questions, please call or email Rup and he will be happy to help you through the process.
VACCINES
The CDC website has a good layout and information on what vaccines you might need for a visit to India.
FLYING FROM THE US TO CALCUTTA
It is probably cheaper to fly to Delhi from the US and then take a separate domestic flight to Calcutta (that's what Pat and I are doing). Currently there is a fare sale going on at Austrian Airlines that allows you to get from Chicago to Delhi for around $800. THIS IS A FANTASTIC PRICE. You will then have to buy a separate ticket to get from Delhi to Calcutta. Try to buy the Delhi-Calcutta ticket on Air India or Jet Airways because then you won't have to transfer between terminals in Delhi. The Delhi airport is very nice (I think it's the second best airport I have ever been to, right after Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport) and there are showers and even a place for a nap if you have a long layover.
We would like to tell you though that most of the time we just get a ticket that gets us all the way to Calcutta from the US on the same itinerary. It's MUCH less hassle this way and you don't have to worry about the reduced domestic baggage allowance. In the past I have paid between $1200 and $1500 to get home. If you see anything below $1300 that gets you to Calcutta, BUY IT! If it's above $1400 I would wait a little bit and see if anything better comes up. I wouldn't wait much past mid-September though.
The domestic airlines have a cabin luggage allowance of between 7 to 8 kg (that's between 15 and 17 lb) and a checked baggage allowance of ONE baggage with a weight limit of 15 kg (around 33 pound). If you plan to travel with more than two checked luggage per person it might be cheaper and much less hassle to get your international and domestic flights on the same ticket (then you usually get 2 bags and a 50 lb checked baggage allowance).
I would recommend NOT flying into Mumbai (Bombay) if you can avoid it because you have to transfer terminals once you get there to get on a domestic flight. This is not impossible but it can be difficult and confusing especially if it is your first time in India.
GETTING FROM THE CALCUTTA AIRPORT TO YOUR GUEST HOUSE
Alright, so now you have arrived in Calcutta, at the venerable Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. It's a fairly nice, new airport but WAY smaller than the New Delhi airport. While Pat and I would LOVE to be able to meet you ALL at the airport it might be difficult because we have a LOT to get ready before the wedding, and only a couple of days to do so (we get there only on the 12th). Fortunately, there is a splendid pre-paid taxi service that will take you from the airport into the city itself. You pay at the counter and get a taxi all the way to your destination. It should cost you no more than Rs. 300 (or $5) to get to the guest house.
There are also a couple of cab companies that you can call to pick you up at the airport. Megacabs and Kolkata Cabs are both pretty good and quite safe. I would go with Megacabs, and it should cost you no more than Rs. 500 (or between $8-$9) to travel the 21km (about 12 miles) to the guest house in about an hour or so (this is VERY dependent on traffic).
If you will be getting into Calcutta at night, please let us know and someone will be there at the airport to pick you up. The taxis tend to charge more for night travel.
If you need ANY help getting from the airport to the guest house Rup's parents are happy to reserve the cabs ahead for time for you as well. Just email us your travel itinerary and we will do the rest. If you have any trouble or doubts when you get to the Calcutta airport just use a pay phone (there are several in the airport or you can ask any airport official; they are nice) and call either Rup's dad at 9836062841 or his mom at 9903878195. We will come and get you.
OF HOTELS AND GUEST HOUSES
The guest house that we have reserved for you is the Innra Guest House (the stars aren't review stars; it's a two star hotel). We have the entire hotel (13 rooms) reserved from the 14th to the 18th (4 nights). Once we know who all are coming we will contact the hotel and make sure that they are expecting you at the proper time. You do not have to make a reservation or payment for the hotel from the 14th to the 18th; it's all been taken care of. You just have to show up! If you are getting to Calcutta before then (or staying on afterwards, but we will get to that here) please tell us and we will be happy to make arrangements so that you can stay here starting earlier than the 14th. There will be breakfast at the hotel - if you choose to breakfast there - and lunch and dinner are going to be at our house from the 14th lunch through dinner on the 17th.
Again, if you have any questions or need any more information about where you are staying please call or email us and we will help you get everything straight.
GUEST HOUSE TO THE WEDDING/MY HOUSE
It's a short walk from the hotel to our house. In the map below the distance from A (the hotel)to B (our house) is about 700 meters (or about a 8-10 minute walk). This part of the city is quite safe, but if you are walking to or fro after dark it's better to not be alone. Actually, someone will be over at the hotel to escort you to the wedding or the house and back at all time.
The place where the wedding will take place is actually on the map as well! It's going to be held at the Sree Thyagaraja Hall, which is between the hotel and the house (about a 7-8 minute walk from the hotel).
As always, if you have any questions or doubts, feel free to call or email us!
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