As a premier business center and a hub of the IT industry in India, Bangalore attracts a number of domestic and international business travelers. Amid all the hard work during the day coupled with endless conferences, seminars, exhibitions, and all manner of business-related activities, a comfortable flight and stay should be a top priority. Choosing the right flight and route, therefore, is as important as choosing your hotel stays and business meets.
If you are planning to visit Bangalore on business, here are some travel hacks that can smooth out the wrinkles in your travel itinerary.
1. Know your airport: First things first, if you are a first-time business traveler to Bangalore or haven’t visited the city in a while, know that the Kempegowda International Airport with IATA airport code BLR is now the new international airport serving the city Bangalore. The Kempegowda Airport is located a distance of approximately 40 km north of the city near Devanahalli. Built and operated by the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), it is also known as the Bengaluru International Airport and has its International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) airport code as VOBL. If you are getting confused between the two airport codes while booking your trip to the Garden City, note that both IATA and ICAO codes correspond with the same Bangalore Airport Code.
2. Pick your hotel stay smartly: While the Kempegowda Airport is a little away from the heart of Bengaluru, there are ample travel options to reach the city. With a number of good accommodation options near the airport itself, you can also choose to opt for any of the hotels near Bangalore airport. Clarks Exotica Convention Resort & Spa, The Windflower Prakruthi, The Leela Palace Bengaluru, and Mövenpick Hotel and Spa are all good premier accommodation options suitable for business travelers. These are merely a 30 to 40 minute drive from Kempegowda Airport.
3. Choose your “office on the move”: Staying closer to the international airport can be convenient for business travelers as it allows more time at hand for meetings and business-related work instead of using precious hours just to commute between the hotel and the meeting destination. Most business hotels near the Kempegowda Airport have world class facilities and amenities including space for meetings, exhibitions, conferences, and even exhibition facilities ensuring all needs of a business traveler are covered.
4. Time it right: Being a premier business destination, Bengaluru has a host of domestic and international airline carriers connecting it to virtually all parts of the globe. If you are travelling domestically, opting for an early morning flight to Bangalore can help you reach your destination without getting stuck in any of the notorious traffic bottlenecks. The last thing you may want on a business trip is to waste your precious time in traffic pileups. So, go for either an early morning or a late night arrival/departure to avoid the daily traffic. There are ample early morning flight options from all airline carriers for travel from any of the major cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai.
5. Know your commuting options: If you are wondering about commuting options to reach various areas of the city in the late hours, help is at hand. The Bangalore airport is connected to all parts of the city through cabs and air conditioned government-owned Volvo buses known as ‘Vayu Vajra’, which operate 24/7 and run services to almost all parts of the city. Also, check with your business hotel about the best travel option and their airport shuttle service.
So, the next time you plan to hop over to the Garden City for some quick business, keeping the above tips handy will save you time, money, and unnecessary hassles.
