Asia > India > Mumbai (BOM)
The Car or no Car advice for Mumbai can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Mumbai ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Mumbai ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Mumbai?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
🚗 Should you rent a car in Mumbai?
Short answer: no — almost never 🧭🇮🇳
For most visitors, the answer to should you rent a car in Mumbai is essentially self-explanatory.
📍 Getting Around Mumbai — the Reality
Mumbai is dense, intense, and constantly in motion.
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Severe traffic congestion
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Very limited parking
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Highly improvised driving styles
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Long journey times even for short distances
Driving yourself is challenging even for locals. For visitors, it is rarely a sensible option.
🚆 Rail Is the City’s Backbone
Mumbai functions because of rail.
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Suburban trains carry millions of passengers every day
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Services run at very high frequency
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The rail network defines the city’s north–south structure
For everyday movement, trains do what cars simply cannot.
🏛️ Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus — Transport and Landmark
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus is Mumbai’s most important historic station and one of the city’s defining landmarks. It was formerly known as Victoria Terminus, but today its current name is the correct and widely used one.
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UNESCO World Heritage Site
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Iconic Victorian Gothic architecture blended with Indian influences
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Major hub for both long-distance and suburban rail services
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A working station and a major visitor attraction in its own right
It powerfully illustrates how central rail travel is to Mumbai’s past and present.
🚇 Metro Expansion: A City in Transition
Mumbai’s Metro system is expanding rapidly, reshaping how the city moves.
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New lines opening across east–west corridors
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Faster cross-city journeys
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Air-conditioned, modern, and reliable trains
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Reduced pressure on already congested roads
Although still under development, the Metro is already making parts of Mumbai far easier to navigate without a car, and its impact will only grow.
🚕 What Works Instead of a Car
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Suburban trains for longer journeys
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Metro where available
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Taxis and ride-hailing apps for short distances
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Walking in dense neighbourhoods
This combination is far more effective than self-driving.
🚫 Why Renting a Car Rarely Makes Sense
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You won’t travel faster than rail or metro
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Parking is difficult and time-consuming
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Stress outweighs any flexibility gained
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You’ll still rely on trains and taxis anyway
🔑 Bottom Line
So, should you rent a car in Mumbai?
❌ No, unless:
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you have a very specific reason
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you are travelling well outside the city
💡 Rule of thumb:
Mumbai is a rail-first city — from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to the expanding Metro, trains are the real engine of movement. 🚆
