By foot : like everywhere in the world, the best way to discover a place is by walking.
Pondichery has the advantage of being quite a small city. It is thus possible to walk around all of it. However, there are no pavements (except in the French area), and, during mid day hours, the sun is very strong. It’s thus prudent to wear a hat and have plenty of sun protection cream.
By bike : It is possible to rent a bike in Pondichery, the question is : Are you ready? Although there are Rules and Regulations for road use, nobody follows them!
Priority, right of way, signals... Forget about that, only keep in mind that people honk the horn to warn that they are behind you, do the same and be extremely watchful.
By motorbike: it is possible to rent scooters, motorbikes. It is easy to find some renting agencies, mainly on Mission street, do not be hesitant to negotiate.
Be aware : An international or Indian driving licence is compulsory for the type of vehicle you drive. People who rent scooters often don't ask for any documents, however, in case of an accident or problem on the road, the driver can be in serious trouble. Without a valid licence, the person would not be covered by any insurance ( even the insurance from your own country) and it is the responsibility of the driver. It is possible to take a driving licence here, for this you will need to contact a driving school.
Rickshaw : There are two types of rickshaws in Pondy: Bike-rickshaws or auto-rickshaws. If you have the time, the bike-rickshaw is a very pleasant (even though some are not so comfortable) way to travel. Bike-rickshaws are increasingly being replaced by auto-rickshaws, enjoy them as long as there are some left.
Auto or auto-rickshaw : the best way is to share it, there are plenty around. Negotiate the price before the getting in, in order to avoid bad surprises at the end of the journey. To have an idea of prices, the basic fare is about 25-30 rs (in the French quarter), and around 35/40 rs between the ring road.
Car/taxi : Self driven car renting is not common in India and besides which not advisable for people used to driving in countries where rules and regulations are enforced. In some places, as Goa, it is possible to rent a car without car-driver, not here. In Tamil Nadu and Pondichery, it is common to rent a car with a driver- recognizable by their yellow licence plate- mostly through a travel agency. You can find some addresses on our Travel agencies section.
Bus : The cheapest way to travel in India, though not the most comfortable. There are many different types and classes of buses, from the older and noisier ones to the most luxurious with sleeping berths. Private buses are better than buses from the government (no permanently open windows and noisy music).
Train: the Indian railway network is huge. Express trains are recommanded and it is imperative to book in advance either at the train station or on the website. Journeys by train are often slow but experiences are in general fun and nice, comfort is rough but generally ok ( according to the chosen class of course) and it allows you to see wonderful landscapes.
Timetable and reservations (essentials) on :
Another website gives all kinds of detail : availablity, delays etc :
Plane : Pondicherry airport, which was operational for a short time, should have some internal flights operating in the near future.
We are still waiting for this and we gather that initially the flights will be between Pondicherry, Chennai and Bangalore. For now, the nearest airport is Chennai Airport, (140 km North of Pondichery). It is the third largest airport of the country in terms of trafic after Mumbay and Delhi, with 25 Airlines operating and 12 million passengers annually.
Moving around Pondicherry
