Travel Tips:

• Airport Kolkata's Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is 22km from the city centre. The domestic and international terminals are housed in separate buildings but are walking distance from each other.
• Railways Howrah Station and Sealdah Station are the two main termini. Each station in turn has two complexes. To avoid wasting time, check the station name and the complex in advance. Suburban railway services are fairly extensive. The Metro rail is the city's underground system.
• Taxis Taxis are plenty in number but they may not be very cooperative. Tipping is expected. Efforts to improve the taxi services are on. Prepaid taxi services are available at the NSCBI Airport and the Howrah Railway Station.
• Travel Documents All visitors are required to carry a passport valid at least for the next 6 months after arrival in the country. Visa exemptions include: Bhutanese and Nepalese visitors who are staying for less than 3 months, nationals from the Maldives, if they are staying for a maximum of 90 days (this includes any periods they may have spent in India up to 6 months prior to the visit in question) and transit passengers who have a follow-on ticket within 72 hours of arrival as long as they are not going to leave the airport. Special restrictions apply to Pakistani and Afghan nationals. It’s always wise to check updated visa requirements prior to travel.
• If you are visiting West Bengal, permits are necessary only to visit the Sunderbans Wildlife Sanctuary. For Sajnekhali and the Project Tiger areas, permits are available at the Forest department in the Writer’s Building Kolkata and the permits for other areas in Sunderbans are available at the office of the Divisional Forest Officer, 24 Parganas Calcutta.
• Customs & Duties If you are above 17 years you may import the following in without attracting duty; 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco, a litre of alcoholic drink, 250 ml perfume, gifts up to a value of Rupees 750 (foreign passport holders), gifts up to a value of Rupees 6000 (Indian passport holders) and articles of personal use. It is illegal to bring in drugs, gold and silver bullion and coins that have gone out of use.
• Climate Summer and during the monsoon eriod (mid April to September) are not the best time for tourists. The cooler period, October to February, is the best time to visit.
• What to Wear Light cotton in summer and light woollens in winter. Avoid clothes which show too much skin. Sun glasses and UV protection cream is recommended.
  

Things to carry:
Kolkata, the City of Joy, as coined by the author Dominique Lapierre, is a city next to none. A teeming metropolis and the hub of trading activity in Eastern India, Kolkata is an amazing city that combines the old-world charm of the imperial history with the modern glass and concrete shopping mall.
These are some guidelines for visiting Kolkata.
Do's:
Check into a hotel of repute, listed in the Government website, Lonely Planet guide, Yahoo Travel or Yatra.com, or one that has been recommended by a person known to you.
Always make it a point to carry an umbrella during the rainy months of June to September. You can pick up beautiful folded umbrellas very cheaply.
Carry water, face towels and tissues to mop up your face. The humidity at Kolkata is high, averaging a 80-90 %. Use anti-perspirants.
Do your homework using the Internet or local tourist office, before fixing your itinerary.
Check out timings and locations on your map, to prevent delays and unnecessary travel across the city.
Use the official state tourist operators or well reputed operators for your touring plans.
For any doubts, check out with the hotel desk or nearest Government tourist office.
Once you have mastered the art of walking down busy lanes without getting knocked down or knocking someone over, this is the ideal way to get to know this throbbing metropolis. Kolkata may shock the visitor with its dirty pavements and narrow alleys, yet is bound to charm the tourist with its warm, vibrant hospitality and traditional simplicity.
Don'ts:
Do not give any alms to roadside urchins posing as beggars, as they are a part of the organized crime in the city.
Do not use the services of touts for ticketing, reservations or those of tourist guides.
Do not walk through narrow alleys or deserted areas late at night or during hot afternoon siesta time.
Do not venture out without your sun glasses, sun blocks and hats.
Do not shop from roadside shops.
Do not eat from roadside eateries, except for buying packaged, branded foodstuff like chips and soft drinks.

By Road:
Kolkata is well connected with most parts of North Eastern states through road. State buses also ply daily to/from Puri and Bhubaneswar in Orissa.