Nomad Saikat
Located in the foothills of the Kumaon range in the state of Uttarakhand, Nainital is a quaint hill station. It is however a very popular tourist destination as well because of the beauty that it offers. Located very close to Dehradun and Delhi, Nainital is the perfect getaway as well for short holidays. People from nearby cities and towns visit here for a 2 day trip as well to get some relief from the hustle and bustle of the city life. However people from major cities and states also travel here to enjoy the beauty of this location. With varied activities, sightseeing spots as well as the natural beauty the location is a must visit. But to visit here first you definitely need to know how to reach Nainital from major locations.
How to Reach Nainital
If you get to figure out how to reach Nainital from different locations you can easily plan a trip there. So keep on reading this article as I will mention some of the popular ways on how to reach Nainital. Here I will mention the details about the nearest airport, nearest railway stations as well as the road distances to reach there. If you are planning a trip to this beautiful hill station then this article will be extremely helpful for you. After reading this article you will be able to plan a trip to Nainital very easily from any part of the country.
From Delhi
By air
If you wish to travel by flight from Delhi to reach Nainital then the Pantnagar airport is the nearest airport. However this is not a very regular airport but you can get flights from Delhi to reach there. It takes around an 1 hour by flight to reach Pantnagar Airport. The flight fare starts from Rs. 2500. From Pantnagar however the distance to Nainital is 70 km. And it would take about 2 hours and 10 minutes to reach there from the Airport. You can opt for buses or else you can take a cab or a taxi as well to reach there from the airport.
By train
If you are travelling from Delhi by train then you will get regular trains to reach Kathgodam which is the nearest railway station to Nainital. You can opt for trains like Kathgodam Shatabdi Express, Uttaranchal Sampark Kranti Express, Ranikhet Express. It takes around 6 hours to 7 hours to reach Kathgodam from Delhi and the distance is about 278 km. The train fare starts from Rs. 850. From Kathgodam the distance to Nainital is around 35 km and you can reach there in about 1 hour and 10 minutes. However it would be most convenient to take a taxi or book a cab to reach there from Kathgodam. The taxi fare starts from Rs. 1750 for one way.
Furthermore there are buses as well that you can opt for to go to Nainital from Kathgodam. The bus fare starts from Rs. 650 and it would take about 1 and a half hours to 2 hours to reach there by bus.
By road
The total distance from Delhi to Nainital is 323. 7 km. You can easily drive through your own vehicle to reach there in about 6 and a half hours. Or else you can also take a cab or hire a car as well to reach there by road. However there are buses available from Delhi as well to go to Nainital. In a bus it would take about 9 hours to 11 hours to reach Nainital from Delhi. The bus fare starts from Rs. 450 and goes up to Rs. 2500 depending on the type of bus.
From Mumbai
By air
The nearest airport to reach Nainital from Mumbai is the Pantnagar Airport in Uttarakhand. However the flights are a little irregular here. Mostly you will get connecting flights to reach there from Mumbai and it would take around 9 hours to 11 hours to reach there by flight. From Pantnagar it would take another 2 hours to go to Nainital. However if you are searching for the nearest international airport then the Delhi International Airport is the nearest. You can get regular flights from Mumbai to reach Delhi first and it would take around 2 hours to reach there. The flight fare starts from Rs. 4400.
From Delhi however it would be most comfortable to take a cab or hire a car to go to Nainital in about 6 hours and 35 minutes. The taxi fare starts from Rs. 3300 for a one way trip. So you can opt for that as well.
By train
The nearest railway station to reach Nainital from Mumbai is the Kathgodam Railway Station in Uttarakhand. You can get trains from Mumbai to reach Kathgodam like MMCT KGM SF SPL and BDTS RMR SFAST. It takes approximately 24 hours to 27 hours to reach Kathgodam from Mumbai. From Kathgodam you can take a bus or take a cab or hire a car to reach Nainital in about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
By road
The total road distance from Mumbai to Nainital is about 1690 km and it would take about 29 hours to reach there by road. With halts in between you can opt to drive your own vehicle or take a cab or a hired car to reach there. It will be like a long road trip that you can enjoy.
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From Kolkata
By air
If you are travelling by train then the nearest airport is the Pantnagar Airport. You can get flights from Kolkata to reach Pantnagar in about 5 hours and 30 minutes. The flight fare ranges from Rs. 8500. However flights are not very regular from Kolkata to Pantnagar. In that case you can get a flight to Delhi from Kolkata first. You can get regular flights from Kolkata to reach Delhi first. It would take around 2 hours and 20 minutes to reach Delhi from Kolkata by flight. The flight fare starts from Rs. 5700. From Delhi you can however take a cab or a bus to go to Nainital in about 6 to 7 hours.
By train
You can opt for the Bagh Express from Kolkata that is a regular train to reach the nearest railway station Kathgodam. From Howrah Junction it would take around 35 hours and 30 minutes to reach Kathgodam. There is the Lal Kuan Weekly SF Express as well that is the fastest train to reach Kathgodam from Kolkata. It takes around 23 hours to reach there from Kolkata. The train fare starts from Rs. 625 and ranges up to Rs. 2400. From Kathgodam the distance to Nainital is about 35 km and you can reach there in about an 1 hour and 10 minutes.
You can also take trains to reach Delhi as well from Kolkata. There are trains like Rajdhani Express, Howrah Junction New Delhi Yuva Express, Poorva Express to reach Delhi in about 17 to 20 hours. From Delhi you can take buses or cabs to go to Nainital in about 7 to 9 hours.
By road
The total distance from Kolkata to reach Nainital by road is 1422 km and it would take around 27 hours to reach there. You can take your own vehicle or reach there by taking a cab with halts in between to reach there by road.
From Lucknow
By air
If you are travelling by air then the nearest airport to go to Nainital is the Pantnagar airport. There are flights from Lucknow to reach Pantnagar in about 4 hours 30 minutes. The flight fare starts from Rs. 6400. From Pantnagar then you can take buses or take a car or a cab to go to Nainital.
By train
You can take trains to reach Kathgodam from Lucknow which is the nearest railway station to reach Nainital. There are trains like Bagh Express and Kathgodam Garib Rath Express that you can take to reach Kathgodam from Lucknow in about 7 to 9 hours. The train fare ranges from Rs. 850 to Rs. 2000. From Kathgodam you can either take a cab or hire a car to reach the location conveniently.
By road
The total road distance from Lucknow to reach Nainital is 401 km and it would take around 8 hours and 30 minutes to reach. You can take your own vehicle to reach Nainital from Lucknow or you can also hire a cab or take a car as well.
Wrapping Up!
Nainital is one of the quaint hill stations which is specifically popular for its unparalleled beauty. A location like this surely needs a lot of attention and love. Also this location is one of the budget friendly locations as well where you can complete a trip within a budget as well. With multiple options of transport you can choose what suits you best and plan your trip accordingly. No matter wherever you are travelling from you can opt for the different modes of transport to reach here conveniently. Furthermore Nainital is situated at an accessible location as well so you can reach there easily. So when are you planning a trip to Nainital? Also let me know if this article on how to reach Naintal is helpful for you in planning a trip there.
