• Airport Kolkata's Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is 22km from the city centre. The domestic and international terminals are housed in separate buildings but are walking distance from each other.
  
• Railways Howrah Station and Sealdah Station are the two main termini. Each station in turn has two complexes. To avoid wasting time, check the station name and the complex in advance. Suburban railway services are fairly extensive. The Metro rail is the city's underground system.
  
• Taxis Taxis are plenty in number but they may not be very cooperative. Tipping is expected. Efforts to improve the taxi services are on. Prepaid taxi services are available at the NSCBI Airport and the Howrah Railway Station.
  
• Travel Documents All visitors are required to carry a passport valid at least for the next 6 months after arrival in the country. Visa exemptions include: Bhutanese and Nepalese visitors who are staying for less than 3 months, nationals from the Maldives, if they are staying for a maximum of 90 days (this includes any periods they may have spent in India up to 6 months prior to the visit in question) and transit passengers who have a follow-on ticket within 72 hours of arrival as long as they are not going to leave the airport. Special restrictions apply to Pakistani and Afghan nationals. It’s always wise to check updated visa requirements prior to travel.
  
• If you are visiting West Bengal, permits are necessary only to visit the Sunderbans Wildlife Sanctuary. For Sajnekhali and the Project Tiger areas, permits are available at the Forest department in the Writer’s Building Kolkata and the permits for other areas in Sunderbans are available at the office of the Divisional Forest Officer, 24 Parganas Calcutta.
  
• Customs & Duties If you are above 17 years you may import the following in without attracting duty; 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco, a litre of alcoholic drink, 250 ml perfume, gifts up to a value of Rupees 750 (foreign passport holders), gifts up to a value of Rupees 6000 (Indian passport holders) and articles of personal use. It is illegal to bring in drugs, gold and silver bullion and coins that have gone out of use.
  
• Climate Summer and during the monsoon eriod (mid April to September) are not the best time for tourists. The cooler period, October to February, is the best time to visit.
  
• What to Wear Light cotton in summer and light woollens in winter. Avoid clothes which show too much skin. Sun glasses and UV protection cream is recommended.
  
• Currency The Indian rupee is available in denominations of Re1, Rs2, Rs5, Rs10, Rs20, Rs50, Rs100 and Rs500. One rupee is split into a hundred paise, available in denominations of 10p, 25p and 50p. There are coins for Re 1, Rs2 and Rs5.
  
• Banks & Money Changers Foreign banks have a sizeable presence and there are more and more ATMs almost daily. Banking hours usually are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 12-noon on Saturdays. Most international banks have their offices on Chowringhee Road, Old Court House Road and BBD Bagh. Changing money can be a tedious process so change substantial amounts at a time. Not all banks accept travellers’ cheques or currency other than U.S. dollars or pounds sterling and if you find one that services your needs take advantage of it. Changing money anywhere but at accredited bureaux is illegal.

Note: Save up all exchange receipts (encashment certificates); these are required for visa extensions and other formalities, and when you want to convert rupees at the end of your trip.

• Costs If you want to save pennies and survive on a low budget you’ll need about $25 per day for your stay excluding your accommodation fees. A healthy budget in Kolkata is about $45 a day or more, again excluding your accommodation costs. It’ll fetch you three decent meals, a spot of shopping and some auto-rickshaw rides. The dollar goes a long way in India (the pound sterling, longer). However much your budget is make sure you bring enough for souvenirs.
  
• Business Guide Kolkata is one of the major centres of business wheeling and dealing in India. With increasing liberalisation at both the economic level and the societal level, business protocol has begun to adhere to western standards. In the big cities expect thorough professionalism when dealing with private companies and high-ranking bureaucracy. Keep appointments, be punctual (though that’s a value that Indians are only now picking up), and shake hands if one is offered or greet with hands folded in ‘namaste’. You’ll most likely be asked questions about family and home not because anybody wants to pry but because many Indians believe that curiosity conveys concern.
  
• There are many women executives, often top-level management. Most will not take shaking hands amiss. Some however, are still conservative. To ensure you don’t misstep, be sensitive to how the lady greets you and respond accordingly.
  
• Dress formally for business meetings. Women would probably be more comfortable in trousers than a skirt. Men should wear formal cotton shirts with a tie and trousers if the weather is warm. Otherwise a business suit is appropriate.
  
• Business Hours Usually between 0900 hrs to 1700 hrs. Lunch hour is around 1200 hrs. Banks have short public hours - generally from 1000 hrs to 1400 hrs. Saturdays and Sundays are holidays for most establishments. Punctuality is not one of the city's characteristics and getting the simplest work done may not be very easy.
  
• Tipping It is customary to tip 10% of the bill at restaurants, but you may tip less if service charges have been included in the bill. At hotels tip 10 bucks to the bellhop, the same to the doorman ‘Durban’; if the service is particularly good, substantially more to the concierge and housekeeping.
  
• Black and yellow cab drivers do not expect to be tipped. The opposite is true if you have a hired a cab for a long period. You’ll find some of the most friendly and colourful service at tiny nondescript roadside stalls called ‘dhabas’. A small tip, even if it is only loose change, will be appreciated tremendously. Coolies (porters) at railway platforms have to be paid; negotiate the payment before you hire one.