Kerala is located at the very tip of the country's Southwestern borders. Travelling in Kerala is problem free, the public transport system being quite well run. The state boasts of three airports located at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. Almost 200 railway stations distributed across this small state maintain rail connectivity within the state and to the rest of the country. The road network is quite big as well. Kerala also has an efficient inland navigation system, with boats being used quite extensively.
Travel to Kerala, hop on to a State-run bus and hang on to your braces. This is going to be one fast ride!
Below you can find a list of transportation information & providers in Kerala. We are happy to organise any transportation needs you may have. For information about things to see & do, our Kerala Destination Guide can help you out. For more general information about India, take a look at our India Destination Guide & India Transportation Guide. A great way to experience the wonders of Kerala is by taking one of our Kerala Tours.
Kerala Transportation Guide
To understand Kerala's easy accessibility and modern systems of transportation, it is worthwhile to look at the state's social background. Kerala's government strongly encourages the growth of education and, in fact, the state has the highest literacy rate in India. Kerala has also marched ahead in a number of industries, Information Technology and Tourism being two areas where it has shown tremendous growth. The Tourism industry is one of the leading industries of Kerala. The government's constant support and the efforts of the private organisations have brought about this positive growth.
Reaching Kerala and Getting Around
Airports - International airports at Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin (Kochi) and Calicut (Kozhikode).
Bus Services - The state run KSRTC has services within the state as well as to all the major cities in the neighbouring states. Private bus services run in the rural and urban routes.
Rail Services - Trains run to and fro between Kerala and all parts of the country.
Other Services - There are taxis, auto rickshaws, rental cars, and boats to get around while holidaying here.
Air Travel
There are daily flights between Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and Singapore, Colombo, Male, Muscat, Bahrain, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai. Gulf Air, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air Lanka, Air Maldives and India's very own Air India are the airlines operating out of the capital city.
Cochin is connected by air to New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Mali and Goa. Calicut has services to and from several Gulf destinations.
All the airports are situated outside the city limits but there are pre-paid taxi services at the airports to ferry passengers to the city.
Road Travel in Kerala
The state has a huge network of roads connecting Kerala to the neighbouring states as well as connecting almost all the towns and villages within the state. Five National Highways pass through the state. NH 47 runs from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu to Coimbatore, also in Tamil Nadu. The highway passes through five districts of Kerala. NH 17 runs from Edapally in Ernakulam district, cuts through six districts and reaches Mangalore in neighbouring Karnataka. NH 49 runs from Kochi to Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Calicut and Kollegal (in Karnataka) are connected by NH 212. And finally, Cochin and Palakkad are connected by NH 213. All in all, the road connectivity is excellent.
Bus Services are managed by the state run Kerala State Road Transport CorporationKSRTC. The corporation maintains bus stations in all district headquarters and other towns and cities. There are services for travel within the state as well as to and from the neighbouring states. There are several types of services, all with different ticket rates and different comfort levels. There are several private bus services to choose from as well. They run on both rural and urban routes.
Taxis are available at all hours near bus and railway stations. Tourist Taxis can also be hired to get around the different places.
Auto rickshaws are available at designated stands throughout Kerala. These vehicles are quite commonly hired by the local population and are a cheap mode of transport.
Rental cars with or without chauffeurs are available for inter and intra city travel.
There are different types of taxes to be paid when you hire a car or taxi. These payments will have to be borne by the traveller and are usually not included in the quoted rates. State taxes if you travel out of the state, toll taxes, parking fees, ferry charges, night halt charges etc. are some examples.
Rail Travel
Kerala has around 200 railway stations and about 101 train services connect Kerala to the rest of the country. Trains from Kerala go as far as Northeast India and as far North as Jammu-Kashmir. With a total railway route of 1,050 km, the trains cover 13 railway routes.
Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Shornur and Kozhikode are the main stations in the state. The Konkan line along the West coast runs from Kerala to Mumbai and further on to the Northwestern states. Connecting Kerala to the other states are the Kollam-Madurai and Shornur-Erode lines. It is common for train timings to change at the last minute so it would be wise to confirm before travelling.
Ports in Kerala
It is quite common to see people travelling by boat in Kerala. With 16 ports, 12 of which are quite small, boats are a common mode of transport. Kollam, Alapuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam are the districts with inland water transport systems. An inland waterways project to link the southern and northern most tips of Kerala is under debate.
Col & Mrs John Abraham - your local connection in Kerala will ensure you have a memorable KERALA EXPERIENCE. Kerala - "God's Own Country" - a land bestowed with beauty so enchanting that visitors and warriors alike have been attracted to its shores since ages - the warmth and hospitality of its people, the exotic produces of this Spice Garden and the inviting coconut groves that Mother Nature has gifted to its people have made it one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Asia.
