BlaakLane.com provides chauffeur service in Kolkata for transfers at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU), business travel between BBD Bagh, Park Street, Salt Lake Sector V and New Town, and runs to Howrah and Sealdah stations. The fixed fare appears before you confirm. Trips are driven by a vetted local affiliate whom the confirmation names.
Getting a car with driver in Kolkata
The booking engine on this page, or /book/, takes your flight or address, destination, time and vehicle class, and returns a fixed price. It includes the chauffeur, fuel and the included waiting time; there is no meter, and gratuity and any airport parking at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose are added at actual cost. The 24/7 Toronto desk assigns a vetted Kolkata affiliate contracted to the BlaakLane.com standard. Programmes for visiting delegations, trade fairs at the convention centre or Durga Puja hospitality with several vehicles are planned by a coordinator and confirmed in writing.
Kolkata airport: terminal and pickup point
CCU is at Dum Dum in the northeast of the city and runs domestic and international flights from one integrated terminal. Standard pickup is at the airport's designated pre-arranged pickup area outside arrivals, and the chauffeur messages the car number and spot when you land. Being met with a name board at Dum Dum is an add-on. Add-ons are only available in selected locations.
We track every CCU flight. After touchdown you have 60 minutes of included waiting on an international arrival, 30 on a domestic one and 15 on any other pickup, then 15-minute blocks. Since August 2025 the Yellow Line metro has reached the airport at Jai Hind (Bimanbandar) station, useful for light travellers. Kolkata airport details are on the Airports Authority of India site; see also airport transfers.
From the airport to the business districts
| Route | Distance | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| CCU to New Town and the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre | 10-12 km | 20-35 min |
| CCU to Salt Lake Sector V | 12 km | 25-40 min |
| CCU to Park Street and Camac Street | 17-20 km | 45-80 min |
| CCU to BBD Bagh (Dalhousie) | 18 km | 50-80 min |
| CCU to Howrah station | 22 km | 60-90 min |
| CCU to Alipore | 25 km | 60-90 min |
The eastern side is quick on the VIP Road and the EM Bypass; the older centre and Howrah take longer because of narrow streets and bridge traffic.
BBD Bagh, Park Street, Salt Lake and New Town
Kolkata has two business maps. The historic one is BBD Bagh (still called Dalhousie Square) with the Writers' Building, banks and shipping houses, and a short drive south, the offices of Camac Street, Park Street and Chowringhee. The newer one lies east: Salt Lake Sector V, the city's main IT hub, and New Town (Rajarhat) with its planned office parks. A day moving between a Dalhousie bank and a Sector V campus fits hourly chauffeur service. Regular visitors use corporate accounts.
Hotels, venues and Eden Gardens
The Oberoi Grand on Chowringhee and the Taj Bengal in Alipore are the classic addresses; the ITC Royal Bengal, ITC Sonar and JW Marriott sit along the EM Bypass. The Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in New Town is the main conference venue. Eden Gardens, the cricket ground by the Maidan, hosts Tests and IPL matches; roads around it close on match days, so cars stage on side streets.
Kolkata's calendar
- Late January to February: the International Kolkata Book Fair.
- March to May: IPL cricket at Eden Gardens.
- June to September: the monsoon; waterlogging can slow central roads after heavy rain.
- September or October: Durga Puja, the city's largest festival, when pandals draw huge crowds and many roads close in the evening.
- November to December: the Kolkata International Film Festival, and Christmas lights on Park Street.
During Durga Puja we plan routes around closures and agree fixed meeting points.
Rail stations: Howrah and Sealdah
Howrah Junction, across the Hooghly, is one of the busiest stations in India; the chauffeur meets you at an agreed point on the approach, since the forecourt is crowded. Sealdah serves the eastern and suburban lines, and Kolkata (Chitpur), Shalimar and Santragachi handle some long-distance trains. Allow extra time for Howrah Bridge and the Vidyasagar Setu.
Port and river cruises
The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, formerly Kolkata Port Trust, handles cargo at the Kidderpore docks, and Kolkata is a designated e-Visa seaport. River-cruise ships on the Hooghly and Ganges start or finish here; tell us the vessel and the embarkation jetty, as berths vary. See cruise lines and ports.
Day trips and longer routes
- Sundarbans gateway at Godkhali or Sonakhali: about 100 km, 3 to 3.5 hours, then boat.
- Shantiniketan in Bolpur: about 160 km, 3.5 to 4.5 hours.
- Digha on the coast: about 185 km, 4 to 5 hours.
- Bandel and the old European settlements on the Hooghly: 45 to 55 km, 1.5 to 2 hours.
Longer Bengal runs are covered under intercity transfers and city tours and day trips. For other Indian cities, see New Delhi and Mumbai. Tourism information is at Incredible India.
Driving realities in Kolkata
India drives on the left. Many central streets turn one-way in set directions at different times of day, which the local chauffeur handles. Yellow Ambassador taxis, trams on a few routes, buses and hand-pulled carts share the road. Tolls on the bridges and expressways are paid by FASTag.
Visa and entry for Kolkata
Foreign nationals generally need a visa; the e-Visa is applied for on Indian Visa Online at least four days ahead and is accepted at Kolkata airport and seaport. The online e-Arrival card must be filed within 72 hours before arrival.
Vehicle classes
Sedans, executive SUVs, Standard Black SUVs, Sprinter Vans, minicoaches and motorcoaches, with partner luxury cars and armoured vehicles on request after a risk assessment. See the fleet and rates.
Using a chauffeur for a working day in Kolkata
Distances in Kolkata are short on the map but slow on the ground, and parking near Dalhousie or Park Street is scarce. A typical working day might start at a New Town hotel, go to a bank on BBD Bagh, continue to lunch on Park Street and finish at a Sector V office. As separate trips that means four waits for four cars; on hourly service one chauffeur circles or parks nearby and returns when you message. The local chauffeur also knows which central streets switch direction in the morning and evening, which saves real time. Visiting teams from the tea, jute, engineering and financial sectors often book this way, and government and diplomatic visitors use the same model with a coordinator in charge.
Fare terms, cancellation and extras
The fare you see at booking is fixed and includes the waiting allowance. No charge applies if you cancel more than 72 hours before pickup; the fee is 10 % at 72 hours or less, 50 % at 48 hours or less, and 100 % at 24 hours or less or for a no-show. Child seats are free on request. For more on West Bengal, see West Bengal Tourism.
