How to reach Andaman Nicobar?

I am from Pune interested in finding out how to reach Andaman Nicobar? I would like to know which port I need to go to reach the islands.

I am trying to work out the costs for the travel and trying to make it cost effective so that I can spend the extra on some good accommodation on the island. I would also get a good idea on how long it would take on time to travel from Pune to Andaman Nicobar.

 

Hello there, welcome to the forum!

Since you're asking for the port that you need to get to, to reach the Andaman Islands, I'm assuming that you're inquiring about the ship journey. So for that, you have three options for ports but you need to pick the one which is closest to you:

• Chennai Port - The Chennai Port is about 1,195 kilometres away from Pune which can take around 18 hours or more to reach.

• Kolkata Port - The Kolkata Port is about 1,843 kilometres away from Pune which can take around 33 hours or more to reach.

• Visakhapatnam Port - The Visakhapatnam Port is about 1,206 kilometres away from Pune which can take around 20 hours or more to reach.

Pune to Chennai Port - How to Reach

The closest port to you is the Chennai Port and luckily, there are more frequent passenger ships plying from here than the other two ports. You have several ways of reaching Chennai Port from Pune:

1. By Air - Chennai has its own international airport, the Chennai International Airport, which is directly connected to Pune by flight. The airport also has international flights from countries like Doha, Hong Kong and Kuwait. Local flights include Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and many more cities. From Pune though, here are some affordable flights plying to Chennai:

Affordable Flights from Pune to Chennai

Airline (Number)	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Fare
Go Air (G8 633)	23:00	00:40	Rs. 4,106
Indigo (6E 6406)	02:10	03:55	Rs. 4,107
Spice Jet (SG 423)	23:15	00:55	Rs. 4,107
Jet Airways (9W 494)	20:00	21:45	Rs. 6,177

Flight duration would be around 1 hour and 45 minutes. This is the most expensive option to reach Chennai from Pune but also the most convenient and fastest. From the Chennai International Airport, the Chennai Port is about 22 kilometres away. You can just ride a cab to reach the port from the airport.


2. By Bus - There are direct private buses plying from Pune to Chennai. All are Volvo with air-conditioning so journey is a bit more comfortable. Journey duration varies though but it's a little longer because of the stopovers. Here they are:

Direct Private Buses from Pune to Chennai

Bus Company (Type)	Departure (Time)	Arrival (Time)	Fare
SRS Travels (Volvo AC Multi-Axle)	Katraj (16:45)	Koyambedu (14:00)	Rs. 2,300
Sea Bird Tourist (Volvo AC)	Katraj (23:00)	Koyambedu (20:30)	Rs. 2,130
National Travels (Volvo AC Multi-Axle)	Katraj (17:00)	Chennai (15:00)	Rs. 2,500
Geepee Travels (Volvo AC)	Katraj (23:55)	Central (23:22)	Rs. 2,580

Journey duration is around 22 hours to 26 hours. Depending on where the bus drops you off, you still have to ride a taxi or an auto rickshaw to reach the Chennai Port. Koyambedu is about 13 kilometres away from the port, while Chennai Central is about 2.3 kilometres away.


3. By Train - From Pune Junction, there are also direct trains to reach Chennai Central. As mentioned above, this station is just 2.3 kilometres away from the port so you can easily hire an auto rickshaw to take to your destination. Here are the schedules for the trains plying this route:

Trains from Pune Junction to Chennai Central

Train Name and Number	Departure	Arrival	Schedule
Chennai Mail Train No. 11027	3:35	3:30	Daily
Lokmanya Tilak Chennai Express Train No. 11073	16:45	13:10	Mondays
Mumbai Chennai Express Train No. 11041	18:10	16:30	Daily
Ahmedabad Chennai Express Train No. 19420	21:10	17:10	Wednesdays & Saturdays

Journey duration is around 20 to 24 hours. Fare varies depending on the class, it's at Rs. 3,340 for the highest class, first class while it's at Rs. 1,915 for the second class. A sleeper class costs Rs. 485. If you reserve or book a tatkal ticket, that costs even higher.


Chennai Port to Andaman - How to Reach

Anyway, once you reach Chennai Port, you have to find the STAR ticketing counter from where you can buy your ship ticket to Andaman Islands. It is located near Gate Number One, just opposite to the Customs Office in the Chennai Port. Schedules for the different ships plying to Andaman Islands vary and it's best to check their website to be updated before reaching the ticketing counter. Journey duration from Chennai Port to Port Blair in Andaman Islands can be up to 60 hours or more. Here are the fare rates for the different ships:

Fares for Ship Journey from Chennai Port to Andaman

Cabin Type	MV Swaraj Dweep/MV Nancowry	MV Harshvardhana	MV Akbar
Deluxe	Rs. 9,750	Rs. 9,750	Rs. 9,750
First Class	Rs. 8,080	Rs. 8,080	Rs. 6,890
Second Class	Rs. 6,420	Rs. 6,420 (A) & Rs. 4,960 (B)	Rs. 4,190 (AC Dorm)
Bunk	Rs. 2,500	Rs. 2,500	Rs. 2,180