Patiala to Chandigarh Airport Taxi Service

Patiala is close enough to Chandigarh's airport that people sometimes leave it too late. On paper it is about 65 km and roughly 1 hour 30 minutes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport (IXC), but the real variable is one place on the route: Zirakpur.

The Zirakpur factor

The road itself is simple. From Patiala we go to Rajpura, take the highway towards Zirakpur, and enter the airport from the Aerocity side. Rajpura is where the Patiala road meets NH44, and from there on you share the road with Delhi and Ambala traffic heading to the tricity. Zirakpur is the meeting point for traffic to Chandigarh, Panchkula, Mohali and the Shimla road, and it can be slow for long stretches.

These are typical, not guaranteed. On wedding-season evenings and long weekends, give it even more room.

When to set off

Plan to be at the terminal 2 hours before a domestic flight and 3 hours before the international ones to Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah. For a 7:00 am domestic flight, a 3:30 am pickup is comfortable. For a 7:00 pm departure, leave Patiala by around 2:30 pm, because you will hit Zirakpur in its busy hours.

Where we pick up in Patiala

1. Homes anywhere in the city and the surrounding villages, including the old city around Qila Mubarak.
2. Punjabi University and Thapar Institute campuses and hostels; tell us the gate.
3. The bus stand and Patiala railway station.
4. Rajpura, including the railway junction, if you are arriving by train and connecting to a flight.
5. Samana, Nabha, Sanaur or Ghanaur on request.

The people on this route

Patiala is an education and government town, so many of our passengers are students and faculty from Punjabi University and Thapar, athletes and coaches at the national sports institute, and officials. There are also plenty of families seeing off children leaving for Canada, the UK and Australia. With a 1 hour 30 minute drive, a lot of them book a round trip: drop the traveller, and the car brings the family straight back.

Visitors work the other way. Guests landing at IXC to see Qila Mubarak and the old city, to attend a convocation, or to come to a family wedding in one of Patiala's many marriage palaces often book a drop from the airport straight to the venue. Tell us the address in advance and we will plan it.

Which car to book

For one to four passengers with normal bags, a Swift Dzire, Honda Amaze or Toyota Etios is plenty. If several family members are coming along, or the traveller has large suitcases for a long stay abroad, book a Toyota Innova, Innova Crysta or Mahindra Marazzo, which seats 6 to 7 and carries much more luggage. Sports teams travelling with kit bags are best in a Tempo Traveller, available with 12 or 17 seats. Whatever you book, it comes with working AC.

Picking you up at IXC

With a flight number in hand, we can time the car to when you actually touch down. Your driver's details are sent on WhatsApp the day before or that morning, and he waits for you near the arrivals exit, so you are not hunting for a taxi with a trolley full of bags. You will usually be home in Patiala in about 1 hour 30 minutes, longer in the evening rush.

Flying from Delhi instead?

For long-haul flights that leave from Delhi, see our Patiala to Delhi airport cab, or the Patiala to Delhi NCR taxi for Gurugram or Noida. Close by, we also cover the Chandigarh airport from Fatehgarh Sahib and Sangrur. The full list is on the IXC hub.

How to book

Ring or WhatsApp +91 72680 42000 with your flight number, the pickup (home, hostel or Rajpura station) and your bags. If the family is coming back in the same car, mention the round trip. Tolls and parking are confirmed with the quote at booking, at any hour.

Questions people ask about this trip