Mumbai is a huge city with unbelievable populations of 22 million people. When we first got out from the airport we were shocked. There is too many people, tuktuks, buses, offers coming to you from each side and it’s EXTREMELY NOISY. It might be hard explore Mumbai and not fall for tourist prices. Find out how to get around Mumbai.
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The easy way - taxi
Getting tuktuk is really easy in most of India. In Mumbai you find taxis on every corner. Tuktuks are only available in outer parts of the city. If you want to explore the city center you will have to go by car. As a tourist expect to always pay more. Many will try to charge you at least double. We usually paid around 100 INR for 2km. With a meter on, it was around 78 INR. You always have to haggle the price and in some parts taxi drives will refuse to go lower. All of them. I guess they make a pact 😀 If you are not in a rush and want to save a bit, use Uber app!
Uber
Uber is the best and most reliable way to get around as a tourist. You will never get a better price on the street than using Uber. And you will never end up somewhere else because of a misunderstanding. Make sure to get a local SIM card ASAP and download Uber. It will save you a lot of money and nerves since you do not have to haggle. However, waiting times for Uber might be longer. We had to wait for 20 minutes sometimes
The local way - suburban trains
Using local trains is very easy and cheap. Most of the best tourist attractions are easily reachable via suburban railway system. Trains go very often. Expect to pay around 10-20 INR for a ride (0.15-0.25€). Some trains can get very overcrowded especially during rush hours. It is very common to see a train so packed that people hang out of the doors (which are never closed by the way). In that case just wait for another connection. Make sure to get on the right carriage. The whole train is split into different sections.
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Different sections of the train
In every train you will find first class, second class, ladies only, cancer patients and divyang and luggage storage. On our first ride we were so confused we ended up in a crowded lugagge storage. It’s basically a small space with a few seats for people carrying a lot of luggage. DO NOT USE IT. You can always choose if you want to travel first or second class. There is not a big difference and it is not worth spending extra money for those few minutes of slightly more comfortable ride.
Always stand in the right part of the platform. Every platform has a signs (just look up). You will see where to stand if you have the first class ticket, want to travel in ladies only or cancer patients carriage. It is really super easy.
A few extra tips
One thing we noticed was that trains always have open doors and people like to hang out of them even if it is not crowded. Everyone tends to get off while train is still moving. It is the same way when people are getting off. It seems like they are all in a hurry. Do not worry, trains usually stay at the station long enough for you to board. Once it happened though that the train barely stopped for a minute and it started to move while I only had one foot inside. But we survived, so you can too!
Walk
Obviously you can walk around the city, too. We walked many streets and there was not one place where we would feel unsafe. However, Mumbai is a hectic city full of people, cars, scooters and animals. Walking most of its streets can be very stressful. You have to be completely concentrated to surive 😀 And get yourself some earplugs. The constant honking will drive you crazy. But as a reward you will meet many people and see things you would miss otherwise. Just so you know, you might meet a few rats on the way, too.
