How To Reach Andaman From Bangalore

Bangalore to Andaman: Travel Options at a Glance

Bangalore to Andaman by train (via the Chennai / Kolkata railhead)

There is no direct train from Bangalore to the Andaman Islands; the islands have no rail link of any kind. "Bangalore to Andaman by train" means taking a train to a mainland coastal railhead and then continuing by ship or flight. The two practical railheads are Chennai and Kolkata, and from Bangalore, Chennai is the natural choice.

Step 1: Train from Bangalore to Chennai (the railhead)

Trains run frequently from Bangalore (SBC / KSR Bengaluru) to Chennai Central (MAS), a journey of about 5-7 hours over ~350 km. Popular services include the Shatabdi Express, the Brindavan Express and several daily mail/express trains. Fares run roughly Rs 400 (sleeper/2S) to Rs 1,800 (AC chair/3A) depending on class.

Prefer the bus? The same Chennai railhead is an easy road trip: overnight and daytime coaches (KSRTC and private operators) cover Bangalore to Chennai in about 6-7 hours, and self-drive on NH48/NH44 takes a similar time. It is the budget multi-modal route, take the bus to Chennai, then continue to Port Blair by government ship or a short flight. There is still no direct bus to Andaman, road only reaches the mainland port.

From Bangalore you can also rail to Kolkata (Howrah/Shalimar) as an alternative railhead if you prefer the Kolkata-to-Port Blair ship route, but it is a much longer journey (~30+ hours) and is rarely the better option for travellers starting in Bangalore. Chennai is closer and has both ship and flight onward links.

Step 2: Chennai to Port Blair (ship or flight)

From Chennai you have two onward legs:

• By ship: Government passenger ships (operated under the A&N Administration / Shipping Corporation of India) sail from Chennai to Port Blair, taking about 60-70 hours across ~1,200 km of sea. Sailings are limited (a few per month) and tickets are sold by class from bunk to cabin. This is the cheapest sea option but requires advance booking.
• By flight: A direct flight Chennai (MAA) to Port Blair (IXZ) takes about 2-2.5 hours and is the fastest onward leg. The Bangalore-Port Blair sector is flown by IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express and Akasa Air, so most Bangalore travellers simply fly the whole way via Chennai rather than splitting rail and air.

Is the train worth it from Bangalore? For most travellers, a one-stop flight straight to Port Blair (~4-6 hrs) is faster and not much costlier once you add the rail leg. The train route earns its place only as the cheapest path: pair a budget train to Chennai with the government ship, or with a deeply advance-booked flight. See the Cheapest Way section below.

Cheapest way to reach Andaman from Bangalore

The cheapest way to reach Andaman from Bangalore is to break the journey: take a budget train from Bangalore (SBC) to Chennai (Rs 400-1,800), then continue to Port Blair on the government passenger ship (cheapest by bunk class). If you would rather fly the onward leg, booking a Chennai to Port Blair or a direct Bangalore to Port Blair flight 4-6 weeks in advance can bring the air fare down to roughly Rs 6,000-9,000 one-way, often cheaper, all-in, than the rail-plus-ship combination once you count the days of travel. For most budget travellers, an advance-booked one-stop flight is both the fastest and the most economical option; the train-plus-ship route is the true rock-bottom choice if you have time to spare.

Once you have picked your route from Bangalore, the next step is the trip itself. Andaman tour packages from Bangalore bundle the flights, transfers and island stays so you only book once. For when to go, see our best time to visit Andaman guide, and the Andaman travel guide for everything else to plan.