Don't consider travelling to or from Kolkata by car or by coach unless you have too much time on your hands and a tough constitution. Distances from other major cities are vast, roads are potentially pretty bad and driving conditions worse. If you insist on driving, hire a car and driver via a reputable dealer or good hotel and don't drive yourself - any savings on the driver's salary will be more than overtaken by the additional insurance. All in all, it is advisable to get the train or fly and hire a car locally when you arrive.

Some of the more useful long-distance bus services include Siliguri (12 hours) for onward travel to Darjeeling or Sikkim, from the Esplanade bus stand at the northern end of the Maidan. There are also daily buses to/from Puri and Bhubaneswar, also around 12 hours, leaving from the Babughat bus stand just north of Eden Gardens Road.