Get around

Getting around Delhi is always an adventure. Traffic is, by and large, horribly congested and many drivers will think nothing of quoting ten times the going price to a tourist. Use the prices below as broad guidelines, agree on prices before setting off, and don't get too hot under the collar over a rupee or two — they mean a lot more to the cycle rickshaw-wallah earning Rs. 50 on a good day than they do to you.

By metro

Three lines of the new Delhi Metro [4] are now open and provide a cheap, quick, hassle-free and air-conditioned way of zipping around the city. Unfortunately, the network is still limited and does not cover southern Delhi or neighboring areas like Gurgaon or Noida, but ambitious expansion plans are under way. As of 2008, the following lines are open:

• Line 1 (Red Line): Dilshad Garden-Kashmere Gate-Rithala
• Line 2 (Yellow Line): Vishwa Vidyalaya (Delhi University)-Kashmere Gate-Connaught Place-Central Secretariat
• Line 3 (Blue Line): Indraprastha-Connaught Place-Dwarka Sector 9

Line 2, in particular, is useful for getting to the Old Delhi (Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid) and New Delhi railway stations, the ISBT bus terminal and the backpacker ghetto of Paharganj. Fares range from Rs. 6 to 22. Take the token until the final destination and change lines if required. If you're planning on sticking around for a while, you can buy a "Smart Card" for 200 Rupees, which is worth 110 Rupees and includes a 100 rupee deposit. There is also a "Tourist Card" allowing unlimited use for Rupees 70/day , but it's highly unlikely that you'll travel enough to make this pay off.
Line 3 is useful for reaching Karol Bagh, a large shopping area. The Karol Bagh metro station is located in the crossing of Pusa Rd and Ajmal Khan Rd. The RK Ashram Marg station is very useful for reaching the western parts of Paharganj (and the station is located on the same side of the railroad tracks, which is not the case with the New Delhi station on line 2). Unfortunately the line 3 stations are not marked on most tourist maps as the line has only recently been opened.
Note that Metro stations all use the new Indianized names, so Connaught Place is "Rajiv Chowk", Old Delhi Railway Station is "Chandni Chowk" and ISBT is "Kashmere Gate".

By train

There are limited commuter services on Delhi's railways, but the facilities are a far cry from the user-friendly Metro and stations. For the most part, train stations are inconveniently located. There is no passenger service on the Delhi Ring Railroad outside rush hour.

By bus

All parts of Delhi are well connected by buses and with tickets ranging from 3-10 Rupees they're very cheap, but they're also the least comfortable means of transport and the hardest to use. Delhi's buses are quite crowded, rarely air-conditioned and drivers often drive rashly. Bus routes are often written only in Hindi and bus stops don't have any route lists, so it can be difficult to find your way. Asking other people at the bus stop is often the best way to find out about bus routes to your destination. Buses are pretty frequent, running every 15-20 min or so on most routes. There are two kinds of buses in Delhi:

• Government run DTC [5] buses
• Privately run Blue-Line buses

If you have a choice, go for a DTC bus. They will stop less frequently and will generally be less crowded too. Note that many buses, DTC ones too, will stop pretty much anywhere if there are enough people getting on or off.
Board buses at the back and pay the ticket seller sitting right next to the door. Be sure to hang onto your tickets, as ticket checks are fairly frequent. Some seats on the left side of the bus may be reserved for women and the handicapped. When it's time to disembark, move to the front of the bus and hop out from the door near the driver. As you might expect, all these guidelines are regularly ignored when buses are very crowded.

By taxi

A taxi or hired car (usually with driver) is required to see many of the far-flung sites within and around Delhi. To get a taxi or a hired car, you have to go to a taxi stand. They are not usually flagged from the street. Alternatively, you can call for a cab at 1090.
Most Delhi taxis are old but reliable Ambassadors in distinctive black-and-yellow livery. While all are equipped with meters and should cost 6 Rupees to start plus 7 Ruppees per km, they are often rigged and it's better to agree on the price in advance. Most trips around the city should be 50-100 Rupees, while a trip to the airport would be around 200 Rupees. An eight-hour charter should cost around 500 Rupees, and a tip is expected if the driver is helpful. Note that most Ambassadors are not air-conditioned.
The death knell of the Ambassador was rung in December 2006, when a modern radio taxi service was launched. At 15 Rupees per km, they're twice the list price of the competition, but they use modern vehicles with air-conditioning and can be dialed up 24 hours/day at 123 or 1921 or 432434343 or 1920. The fleet starts off with a rather modest 15 vehicles, but this is expected to increase to 10,000 by 2010.
You shouldn't take non-official taxis, sometimes they take you to a wrong hotel, or to a "tourist information center", and try to sell you overpriced things.

By auto rickshaws

Auto rickshaws (also called three-wheeled scooters or simply autos) are good for shorter trips. Always in a distinctive yellow-and-green livery, auto rickshaws are three-wheeled partially enclosed contraptions (no doors!) that run on CNG and can seat three people in the back. In general, they are much cheaper than taxis and can be hailed from the street. Although by law the rickshaw drivers should charge according to the meter in their vehicle (10 Rupees for the first km, 4.50 rupees per km after), they will almost always try to haggle for price. Even the shortest journey will cost around 20rRupees. Always insist on using the meter. This might be hard to accomplish in the tourist/backpacker areas such as Connaught Place and Paherganj but in the rest of the city most drivers will put the meter on for you. The driver will usually quote a price first but just tell him to use the meter. For short distances, less than 2 km, many drivers will not accept use of meter so paying 15-20 rupees for a short distance is acceptable.

In Paherganj you will often be quoted 50 rupees to be taken to Connaught Place. The normal price by meter is about 10 rupees as it is very close.

If you have any trouble with them, go to any of the numerous tourist police stations in the city center and they will give you a complaint slip which will result in a 500 rupee fine for the auto driver. There should also be a telephone number written on the vehicle to call in case of any complaint.

There are a number of "PRE PAID" Auto stands run by the Police. Tell them where you want to go and pay them upfront. The charge will include 5 rupees for the service. You then take the coupon and stand outside where a policeman will direct you to the next available Auto. When your journey is completed you hand the coupon to the wallah and that's it. Nothing more to pay (despite what they may say).

By cycle rickshaws

Cycle rickshaws are three-wheeled, pedal-powered rickshaws with seats in the back to seat passengers and a driver in the front. They are good for short distances, or places which are too far to walk but too short for taking a bus/taxi/auto rickshaw. Cycle rickshaws don't use meters, so establish a price before getting on. Twenty rupees is reasonable for most journeys of a kilometer or two, although many Delhiites will haggle if the driver dares to suggest 10 rupees.
Cycle rickshaws are best to use in Old Delhi to visit the intricate galis (walkways) and to enjoy the smells and sounds of the city.

On foot

Much of Delhi is quite pedestrian-hostile. Distances are long, road signage is poor, and you'll be constantly accosted by beggars and touts. Crossing roads often involves wading across multiple lanes of heavy traffic. Try your best to move in a predictable straight line, so vehicles can weave around you. (Better yet, latch onto a group of locals and cross in their shadow.) If you really want to walk around, these places would be good:

• Walk from Rashtrapati Bhavan (President's house) to India Gate on the Rajpath (a walk of close to 3-4 kms).
• Walk from Jama Masjid to Red Fort in the Chandni Chowk area.
• Far South Delhi go walk about in the forest. Try starting from south of Indian Institute of Technology through Sanjay Van to Qtub Minar
• South Delhi- Green Park to Hauz Khas Village, then to the Hauz Khas ruined madrasa, offers a newer shopping area, a posh arts village, old ruins, and some quality greener.