The Many Ways of Getting to Srinagar

Srinagar is easily one of the most beautiful cities in the Kashmir, and getting to Srinagar is fairly simple given that it has long been reliant primarily on tourism for a huge part of its economy. Unfortunately, this gorgeous city is situated at the coordinates 34°5’24″N 74°47’24″E and is thus located in a rather politically prickly place. Indeed, it has been the site of several incidents branded with the “terrorist” label as recently as 2011 (specifically, an attack involving grenades thrown at security outposts), but officials and third-party organisations alike have noted that attacks have gone down significantly in the past decade even so. It pays to take warnings of this type with a grain of salt: many other tourist spots in India, Mumbai included, have actually been suffering similar to equal numbers of “attacks” or “incidents”, yet people continue to visit them.

The smart thing to do is to check your travel advisories first prior to visiting. The India travel advisories for Srinagar are actually quite frequently updated, so that could help you figure out when it might be best to plan your trip and which places might be safest. It is generally advised to stay within the city and not get too close to the actual borders of the state, since authorities are still concerned about the possibility of some mines existing. You should also make provisions for your security in the city, especially as there have been a few cases where tourists were abducted. Prepare your travel insurance as well.

The first thing to know is that you can actually get to Srinagar both by plane and by rail or bus. However, as far as the government is concerned, tourists must consider getting to Srinagar by air before they consider getting to Srinagar by land. This is because air is considered a much safer way to enter the area.

Srinagar Airport is also known as Sheikh ul Alam Airport, and it is in fairly good condition. You are likely to see a few (or more than a few, depending on the political climate) soldiers patrolling the airport for security, so do not be alarmed if so. Do not be surprised either if they subject you and your belongings to closer scrutiny than what you are used to: this is to help prevent further attacks being made by malevolent elements, after all. Be warned, though, that you are going to have to pay for a ticket just to enter the airport. You should always have a copy of your ticket when you are in or heading to the airport in Srinagar, or else you might not be allowed into the building.

The other option of getting to Srinagar is by land, typically reserved for strictly domestic travellers. This is often achieved by people travelling to Jammu first, then taking either a cab or a bus from there to Srinagar. As mentioned earlier, this is not as secure as the airport would be, so it is best if you get to the city by air instead. Whichever method you do take, be certain that you have covered all bases for your own security, though, and learn to be vigilant in checking travel advisory updates as you go: travel restrictions, including airport suspensions, may actually pop up if the state government considers a grave threat to have been posed.