Varanasi is well connected by plane, train, and buses. The trains and buses are dirty and overcrowded.

By Plane

Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport is located 25km northwest of the city center. A taxi to or from the airport takes an hour , while a tuk-tuk orauto-rickshaw can take twice as long . Allow extra time due to traffic. Air India , JetKonnect , SpiceJet , and IndiGo all operate regular flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Khajuraho, and Visakhapatnam. There are flights to Colombo on Mihin Lanka Airlines, and flights to Bangkok on Thai Airways.

Its easy to get a state-run bus to city center (opposite Varanasi Junction/Cantt station), which costs less than half a dollar. Bus stand is 10 minutes walking distance from airport. If taking state run (or private operator) bus from Varanasi to airport, take bus going to Jaunpur and get down at Babatpur airport stop. After walking 10 min, you can easily get to airport.

By Train

There are multiple daily services to cities including Delhi (13 hours), Agra (13 hours), Lucknow (7 hours), Mumbai, and Kolkata.

Varanasi is served by three major railway stations:

• Varanasi Junction (IR station code : BSB). The trip between the train station and the Ganges-area costs ₹100 in a tuk-tuk. 
•  Manduadih Railway Station. The trip between the train station and the Ganges-area costs ₹100 in a tuk-tuk. 
•  Mughal Sarai Junction. Mughal Sarai Junction (IR station code : MGS) is about 20km east of the city .

Here is a list of useful trains to reach Varanasi:

Train Number	Train Name	You may board at	You may alight at
12424	Rajdhani Express	New Delhi	Mughal Sarai Junction
12436	Rajdhani Express	New Delhi, Lucknow	Varanasi Junction
12560	Shivganga Express	New Delhi	Varanasi Junction
12165	Lokmanya Tilak (T) – Varanasi Express	Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (Mumbai)	Varanasi Junction
12336	Lokmanya Tilak (T) – Bhagalpur Express	Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (Mumbai)	Mughal Sarai Junction
12333	Vibhuti Express	Howrah (Kolkata)	Mughal Sarai Junction, Varanasi Junction
12307	Howrah-Jodhpur Express	Howrah (Kolkata)	Mughal Sarai Junction
12669	Ganga Kaveri Express	Chennai Central	Varanasi Junction
12295	Sangamitra Express	Bangalore City, Chennai Central	Mughal Sarai Junction
17091	Secunderabad-Patna Express	Secunderabad (Hyderabad)	Mughal Sarai Junction, Varanasi Junction
14854	Marudhar Express	Jaipur, Agra Fort	Varanasi Junction
14864	Marudhar Express	Jaipur, Agra Fort	Varanasi Junction

By Bus

The bus station in Varanasi is located just east of the Varanasi Junction train station. A tuk-tuk from the bus station to the Ganges area costs ₹100.