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Ernakulam Essential Information

St Mary's Cathedral Basilica Ernakulam- Kerala

Tourist Information

The KTDC Tourist Reception Centre on Ernakulam`s Shanmugham Rd The office is open 8 am to 7 pm daily. the tourist desk at Ernakulam`s main ferry jetty. Open daily 9 am to 7 pm, you can also book accommodation and tours.

There`s also a DTPC on Park Ave, Ernakulam. Visa Extensions Apply at the office of the Commissioner of Police , at Shanmugham Rd, Ernakulam. Visa extensions can take up to 10 days and you have to leave your passport for processing.

Shopping

There are a number of emporiums along MG Rd, Ernakulam, just south of Durbar Hall Rd. In Jew St, Mattancherry, shops selling antiques and reproductions

Post & Communications

The main post office (including poste restante) is at Fort Cochin. Mail can be sent to the post office on Hospital Rd, Ernakulam. Email is available in Ernakulam at Raiyaan Communication, Raiyaan Complex, Padma Junction, MG Rd, and in Fort Cochin, at Rendez Vous Cyber Cafe, Burgher St.

Money

In Emakulam, there`s a State Bank of India, and a Thomas Cook office on MG Rd. In Fort Cochin the State Bank of India is near Mattancherry Palace

Bookshops

Bhavi Books is on Convent Rd, Errnakulam. A number of bookshops along Press Club Rd,Cosmo Books and Current Books have titles in English. Higginbothams is on Chittoor Rd, and DC Books,is on Banerji Rd.

In Mattancherry, Incy Bella has a range of reference books on India. Opposite there`s the Idiom Bookshop, with sections on Indian art, culture, literature and religion. There`s a second shop at Fort Cochin

Getting There

By Air

The Indian Airlines office (Ph 352065) is in Ernakulam on Durbar Hall Rd, next to the Bharat Hotel. Air India (Ph 351295) is on MG Rd opposite Thomas Cook. Jet Airways (Ph 369212), MG Rd, has daily services to Mumbai. Indian Airlines has daily flights to Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi (via Goa), Goa and four flights weekly to Chennai.

By Rail

Ernakulam has two stations, Ernakulam Junction (the one you`re most likely to use) and Ernakulam Town. Note that none of the through trains on the main trunk routes go to the Cochin Harbour station on Willingdon Island.
Trains regular run from Thiruvananthapuram via Kollam and Kottayam to Ernakulam; less frequently they continue on to Thrissur, Kozhikode, Thalasseri and Kasaragod.

By Road

The KSRTC bus stand, also known as the central bus stand (Ph 372033) is by the railway line in Ernakulam, between the train stations. Because Kochi is in the middle of Kerala, many of the buses passing through Ernakulam originated in other cities you cannot make advance reservationsYou can make reservations up to Five days in advance for many of the buses that originate in Ernakulam.
There are also private bus stands: the Kaloor stand is north-east of Ernakulam Town train station, and the Ernakulam South stand is right outside the entrance of Ernakulam Junction train station.
The fares and times that follow are for superexpress buses from the KSRTC bus stand, unless otherwise noted.