Srinagar is the summer capital of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and the largest city in the Kashmir region.
About
The city has become safer to travel since 2003; however, the streets are still lined with armed soldiers. Any building of value will also have a sandbag bunker and razor wire for protection. If arriving from the airport, you will also notice hundreds of large, Western-style vacation homes. These were built before the current conflict when domestic travel to Kashmir was booming. Currently most of these homes are empty, being squatted in or have been usurped for military use.
Most people visit the city in the summer months. The temperature at this time is cool to pleasant. Light sweaters may be needed for occasional cool nights in the summertime. In winter, you will need full winter gear and expect snow and few places to have hot water.
How to Reach
Many people take the train to Jammu followed by a taxi or bus ride to Srinagar. The journey from Jammu to Srinagar is costlier in the summers because the capital is being shifted from Jammu to Srinagar on both the state buses and Sumos. State buses are safer but take more time and are a bit uncomfortable.
Foreign travelers on visas are required to register upon arrival at the airport or to their hotel or houseboat.
Sheikh ul Alam Airport is commonly known as Srinagar Airport. It is an international airport (IATA: SXR).
A new terminal for arrivals and departures with air bridges and other up to date operational facilities was inaugurated on 14 February 2009. International, domestic and seasonal Hajj pilgrimage charters to Jeddah are operated from Sheikh ul Alam airport.
Flights are operated by Jet Airways, Air Deccan, SpiceJet, Go Air, Jet Lite and Indian Airlines [1] from Delhi and Mumbai to Srinagar, with or without a stopover at Jammu. The frequency is once or twice a day by each airline. The cost is approx Rs. 2,500 from Jammu, Rs. 2,500 - 5,000 from Delhi one way and higher from Mumbai, depending on the different season.
The airport is still heavily patrolled and you may see many soldiers or other armed security detachments. Winter flights can easily be canceled due to weather conditions. Tickets are easy to purchase in the city. The airport requires a ticket for entrance. A taxi into town should be Rs. 550 and direct to Gulmarg is Rs. 1,500 - 2,000.
When departing Srinagar by air, make sure you have a printed copy of your ticket at hand, otherwise you will not be able to enter the airport. Additionally, allow approximately 1 hr to get from Srinagar to the airport. Security checks can cause traffic to bank up if there are a few flights leaving at around the same time.
Hiring a TATA Sumo SUV (fits up to 9 people, or 5 comfortably plus luggage) from Jammu costs approximately Rs. 1,900 - 2,700 depending on time of year or even time of day. To reduce costs many people choose not to take an exclusive taxi, and share the Sumo taxi with other travelers. This costs about Rs. 300 - 400 per person. For a comfortable trip, try for a seat in the middle row - the front bucket seat is (sometimes uncomfortably) shared by 2 people, and the far back could be quite bumpy as the highway is full of mountainous roads. The journey takes around 8 hour.
J&K State Road Transport Corporation (J&KSRTC) operates fairly comfortable buses from Jammu costing around Rs. 350 and do the journey in around 12 hr. 2 day buses run between Srinagar and Leh staying overnight in Kargil.
There are also direct buses from Delhi taking almost 24 hours to reach Srinagar.
Get around
Auto-rickshaws can be found everywhere. Taxis and buses area also available. Motorcycles can also be rented for enthusiasts.
Negotiate a price with a rickshaw driver before getting in; they are notorious for overcharging. Their usual ploy is : "no problem" or " up to you". As soon as you reach your destination they will have a volte-face! Drivers usually don't speak English but there will always be a passer-by to help translate for you.
A rickshaw from Nigeen Lake to Boulevard is approx. Rs. 70 depending on negotiation skills (August 2009 prices).
Usually private service buses run throughout the city and are well networked with major tourist spots.
Reproduced from Wikipedia
