How to Reach Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Port Blair, the capital of Andaman Islands is the gateway to Andaman and Nicobar Islands which is very well connected by air and sea. A regular and well functioning ship service are available which connects Port Blair to Chennai, Kolkata, and Vishakhapatnam. The voyage by sea takes about 50-60 hours and it becomes difficult to travel if you have sea sickness. However, the best way to reach Andaman Islands is via air from New Delhi, Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, and Chennai. There are number of flight operators which fly to Andaman Islands. There are no trains connectivity to Andaman Islands from Indian Mainland due to Andaman Sea. Therefore you can reach Andaman only via Air or Sea.
Andaman By Air
Port Blair is connected with Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Bhubaneswar by air. Air India, Jet Airways, Go Air and Spice jet airways have number of flights to Andaman Islands via Port Blair from few cities in India. All these flights to Port Blair depart on a regular basis. A traveller can get attractive offers if you book the flights earlier to you scheduled departures. International charter airlines can also land at Port Blair but first, they have to take permission from the Directorate at General of Civil Aviation.
Flights to Andaman Islands
Here are the Airlines and Flights to and from Veer Savarkar International Airport or the Port Blair Airport. Most of the Flights to Andaman have routes from Kolkata and Chennai.
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air India | Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam |
| Indian Air Force | Car Nicobar, Campbell Bay |
| SpiceJet | Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata |
| GoAir | Bangalore (resumes 1 October 2016), Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai |
| Jet Airways | Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune |
| Vistara | Delhi, Kolkata (both begin 30 September 2016) |
Andaman By Ship
You can also reach the Andaman Islands by ships, these ships are available from Kolkata, Chennai, and Vishakhapatnam. These ships regularly operate to Port Blair and it takes about 3 – 4 days to reach. You can book the tickets through Assistant director of shipping service in Chennai, shipping corporation of India in Kolkata and pattabhiramaya & Co. In Vishakhapatnam. If you want to organise your return ticket also then contact the Ferry booking office at Phoenix bay.
Ships to the Andaman Islands
At Present there are 5 ships that travel from Indian mainland to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These 5 ships to Andaman are M. V. NICOBAR, M.V.NANCOWRY, M.V.AKBAR, M.V.HARSHAVARDHANA, and M.V.SWARAJ DWEEP.
Andaman Ships Fares & Ticket Prices
| Name of Vessel | Class of Accommodation | Fare per berth for Islanders (In Rs.) | Fare per berth for Tourist/Non-islanders (In Rs.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.V. Swaraj Dweep / Nancowry / Nicobar / Campbell Bay | Deluxe Cabin | 5,040.00 | 9,750.00 |
| 1st Class Cabin | 4,550.00 | 8,080.00 | |
| 2nd Class Cabin | 3,420.00 | 6,420.00 | |
| Bunk Class | 920.00 | 2,500.00 | |
| M.V. Harshvardhana | Deluxe Cabin | 5,040.00 | 9,750.00 |
| 1st Class Cabin | 4,550.00 | 8,080.00 | |
| 2nd Class ‘A’ Cabin | 3,420.00 | 6,420.00 | |
| 2nd Class ‘B’ Cabin | 3,010.00 | 4,960.00 | |
| Bunk Class | 920.00 | 2,500.00 | |
| M.V. Akbar | Deluxe Cabin | 5,040.00 | 9,750.00 |
| 1st Class Cabin | 4,380.00 | 6,890.00 | |
| 2nd Class Cabin | 2,280.00 | 4,190.00 | |
| Bunk | 830.00 | 2,180.00 |
You Can Download Andaman Ship Reservation Form Here – Andaman Ship Reservation
How to Reach Andaman From Delhi
You can reach Andaman From Delhi very easily, since Delhi is connected to the all major cities by road , rail and air. Number of flights are available from Delhi to Andaman Islands. There are no direct flights to Andaman Islands from Delhi. But you can take inter connecting flights which haults at either Chennai or Kolkatta. It takes about 6 hours to reach Andaman Islands including halts in between. From Chennai and Kolkatta, Andamans islands are about 2-3 hours away.