Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport: where to stay…

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport is in Dum Dum, in the north of Kolkata: the old town of Chowringhee and Park Street is about 15 km and 40 minutes by taxi away, but the new hub of New Town and Rajarhat, where IT and finance have moved their offices and hotels, is just 5-11 km away. For a short stopover or a dawn departure it's best to stay in Dum Dum, near the terminals; for a business stay, New Town offers international-brand hotels halfway between the airport and the city. Those who want colonial Kolkata, between the Maidan and Park Street, instead have to accept a 30-45 minute drive to Alipore or BBD Bagh.

Dum Dum, near the airport

Airport area · The Holiday Inn Express is 2.8 km from the terminal along Jessore Road, about 10 minutes by car; the Holiday Inn Kolkata Airport is a little farther away, in Rajarhat, about 5 km and 10 minutes from the prepaid taxi counter.

Best for: One-night stopovers and departures at dawn or in the dead of night, when every extra kilometre counts.

Pros

Just minutes by car from check-in, useful for flights in the early hours of the morning
Both hotels are designed for those arriving or departing at awkward hours

Cons

Nothing around but the Jessore Road highway, an industrial area and car dealerships: for dinner you stay at the hotel
For downtown or for New Town a car is still needed, there's no walking alternative

Recommended hotels in this area

Holiday Inn Express Kolkata Airport by IHG: At 28 Jessore Road, in Dum Dum, 2.8 km from the terminal and about 10 minutes by car; among the hotels near the airport it's the one with the highest reviews for location.
Holiday Inn Kolkata Airport by IHG: On Biswa Bangla Road in Rajarhat, about 5 km from the terminal: taxis from the airport's prepaid counter take about 10 minutes.

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New Town and Rajarhat

Neighbourhood · Between 5 and 11 km from the terminal depending on the hotel, 15-28 minutes by car along Biswa Bangla Sarani depending on traffic.

Best for: Business trips to the IT hub of Rajarhat or a base halfway between the airport and the city.

Pros

International-brand hotels opened in recent years, newer than many in the centre
Closer to the airport than to the heart of Kolkata, convenient for those who don't need to visit the old town

Cons

A district of IT offices and shopping malls, with little evening life outside the hotels
The old town and Park Street remain a 30-40 minute drive away

Recommended hotels in this area

Taj City Centre New Town, Kolkata: Integrated into the City Centre 2 shopping mall in Action Area II, about 5 km from the terminal: among the New Town hotels it's the closest to the airport.
The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat: In New Town's Action Area II, 8.6 km from the terminal.
ibis Kolkata Rajarhat - An Accor Brand: A budget option from the Accor group in Rajarhat, about 11 km and 24-28 minutes from the terminal.

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JBS Haldane Avenue and Science City

Neighbourhood · About 15-16 km from the terminal, 30-35 minutes by car depending on traffic on the EM Bypass.

Best for: Trade fairs and conferences at the Science City hub, in the south-east of the city.

Pros

JW Marriott and ITC Sonar share the same avenue, a few steps from Science City, Kolkata's largest conference centre
A district better connected to the rest of the city than New Town, closer to Park Street

Cons

Neither property is within walking distance of anything but Science City
Farther from the airport than New Town or Dum Dum

Recommended hotels in this area

JW Marriott Hotel Kolkata: On JBS Haldane Avenue, a few minutes from Park Street and the New Market, opposite Science City; 16 km from the terminal.
ITC Sonar, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kolkata: The twin of the ITC Royal Bengal on the same avenue, opposite Science City; about 15 km and 30 minutes from the terminal.

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BBD Bagh and Alipore, the old town

City centre · Between 19 and 28 km from the terminal depending on the area, 40-45 minutes by car.

Best for: Those who want colonial Kolkata, between the Maidan, Park Street and the New Market, and accept a longer transfer from the airport.

Pros

The Lalit Great Eastern is inside BBD Bagh, a few minutes' walk from the Maidan and Park Street
The Taj Bengal, in Alipore, is among Kolkata's most awarded hotels

Cons

The two areas are the farthest from the airport among those in this guide
Traffic downtown makes the transfer longer and less predictable than from New Town

Recommended hotels in this area

The Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata: A historic hotel, which started as a bakery in 1830 and was reopened in 2013 by the Lalit Suri group on Old Court House Street, in the heart of BBD Bagh; 19 km from the terminal.
Taj Bengal: In Alipore, a residential area south of the city on Belvedere Road; 28 km from the terminal, the farthest in this guide but among the most awarded in Kolkata.

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