SHIMLA Area in Sq Km : 16 Population : 123,000 By Air Jabbharhatti Airport is 23 km south of Shimla on Mandi Road. Indian Airlines runs daily flights from Delhi(Time taken: 1 hour). A 7-seater Indian Airlines plane flies from Kullu to Shimla on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (Time taken: 30 minutes). Except on Sundays, Jagson Airlines runs flights between Delhi and Shimla (1 hr) on all other days. Book a flight with any of the domestic airlines. By Train The nearest railhead is Kalka on the broad gauge. From Delhi there are 2 trains to Kalka. Kalka Mail leaves Old Delhi Station and reaches Kalkaji in 7 hours 30 minutes. A Toy Train (similar to Darjeeling's Toy Train) leaves half and hour later reaching Shimla in 5 hours. Himalayan Queen leaves New Delhi station and reaches Kalkaji in 5 hours 30 minutes. A waiting Toy Train leaves half and hour later and reaches Shimla in 5 hours. From Howrah station (Calcutta), take the Kalka Mail. By Road Buses arriving on the main Chandigarh and Manali highway approach Shimla from the west, via Cart Rd. Buses from Narkanda, Rampur and Kinnaur arrive at Rivoli, or "Lakkar Bazaar" bus stand on the north side of the Ridge. By bus/car/jeep the distances are: Chandigarh (117 km away), Kullu (220 km away) Dehradun (240 km away) Manali (274 km away) and Delhi (324 km away). Late September to early November. Reasons why: Best season for trekking and other winter sports. Clear sky. Not too cold or crowded. From the Airport HPTDC buses always available from the airport to the city centre. Taxis to and from the airport come at a fixed price around Rs 450. From the Railway Station Private Maruti Taxis charge Rs 9INR per km to 12 INR per km from Kalka station. From the Bus Station Shimla is a small town. Most people walk to their hotel unless they have heavy luggage or their lodge is too high up on the hill. Hand over the baggage to local porters. Taxis also make the short trip to hotels but fix the rates beforehand. The main Taxi Drivers' stand is below the foot of the elevator that connects the east end of Cart Rd with the Mall. Taxis lined up outside the tourist reception centre on Cart Rd, are the best way to get to pricier hotels on the outskirts. HPTDC organizes short side trips to destinations around Shimla, including Kufri, Chail, Narkanda and Sarahan. Shimla is in every way a British town: Stately cathedrals flank the town square, big bungalows line the hill slopes and long lanes slip past houses covered in flowers so beautiful that their names become important. Bazaars, walks, modern shopping malls, temples and umpteen fairs and festivals.and you begin to understand why Shimla continues to fascinate. The Nepalese call Shimla (it was once part of Nepal), Shyamala, another name of the Hindu goddess Kali. But the Himachal town became an important destination only after the British made it the summer capital of India. From then onwards every summer till1939, it played host to the British administration, the scene of a hectic social life: balls, bridges and parades. With the construction of the Kalka-Shimla railway line in 1903, the town became easily accessible. To this day, the Toy Train is the favourite way of arriving in Shimla. These days, buses may be quicker, but a ride on the "toy train" is far memorable, especially if you travel first-class. Shopping is a wonderful experience here, such is the variety. Exquisitely designed shawls of Kinnaur, the distinctive woolen caps of Kullu, and the embroidered handkerchiefs of Chamba accent their colourful, festive clothing. The Kangra Valley school of paintings are other popular souvenirs. In summer, temperature ranges between 4° and 33°C. Evenings can be cool, even at the height of summer, especially it if rains. In winter, temperature ranges between 1° to 18°C. Average rainfall in the rainy season is 137 cm. It snows during the last week of December or first week of January -