India Guide
Kerala
Arrival
Connected to most major Indian cities, as well as Sri Lanka, the Maldives and the Middle East, Beemapalliairport is 6km southwest of town and serviced by an airport bus and bus #14 to and from the City Bus Stand. Auto-rickshaws will run you into the centre for around Rs80 and there's also a handy pre-paid taxi service, for which you pay a set fee before departure of Rs180 for the train station, and Rs385 for Kovalam's Lighthouse Beach. A Kerala Tourism information booth and Thomas Cook foreign-exchange facility are located just before the exit of the arrivals concourse.
The long-distance KSRTC Thampanoor Bus Stand and railwaystation face each other across Station Road in the southeast of the city, a short walk east of Overbridge Junction on MG Road. Local buses (including Kovalam) depart from City Bus Stand, in East Fort, ten minutes' walk south from the KSRTC and railway stations. Auto-rickshaws run to Kovalam for Rs100–150, while taxis charge around Rs250–275 – but beware of overcharging scams.