Getting Around Bhimavaram
Bhimavaram is a town and the headquarters of West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, and one of the major pilgrimage centres in the state as the home of Somaramam, one of the five great Pancharama Kshetras. It also serves as a commercial and distribution centre for the surrounding Godavari delta region. For a visitor, that means the town is compact enough to navigate without much fuss, with a mix of buses, auto-rickshaws, taxis, local trains and your own two feet.
How Tourists Move Around the City
The practical options for getting around Bhimavaram are buses, cars, commuter rail, taxis, auto-rickshaws, and motorbiking or bicycling. Which one suits you depends on whether you are staying in the downtown area or heading out to the suburban railway stops and surrounding places.
- Auto-rickshaws — a common way to cover short trips within town.
- Taxis and local cars — useful for longer errands or when you have luggage.
- Buses — the main public transport within and around the city.
- Commuter rail — links the downtown and suburban parts of the Bhimavaram city region.
- Motorbiking or bicycling — in downtown and busy areas this can often be quicker than taking an auto-rickshaw or a taxi.
Rail Network
Bhimavaram is served by two railway stations, and together they cover both the heart of town and its suburban edge:
- Bhimavaram Town railway station — the downtown station, well connected with daily trains to major cities such as Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupathi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Nellore and Hyderabad.
- Bhimavaram Junction railway station — the suburban station, classified as 'NSG-4' in the South Coast Railway zone.
The two stations work as a pair: almost all trains passing through the Junction also pass through the Town station, and vice versa. In practice, that means you can usually board or alight at whichever of the two is more convenient for where you are staying.
The Gudivada–Bhimavaram section connects the town with the Howrah–Chennai main line, which is how Bhimavaram links into the wider national network. For shorter hops, local (suburban) train travel is available between Gudivada, Bhimavaram, Nidadavolu and Narasapur. Circular trains for the city region are described as a future introduction, so for now plan around the existing services.
There is no metro or tram network in Bhimavaram; rail here means the conventional railway stations and the local trains that serve them.
Buses and Other Public Transport
The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) operates bus services from Bhimavaram bus station. These buses travel longer distances within the state and outside it — for example, to Hyderabad and Bangalore. Many private buses also travel across the region, covering the centre city, suburban and rural areas.
For a visitor, the bus station is the natural starting point for both in-town journeys and onward trips to nearby towns and cities. Buy your ticket on boarding or at the station, as is standard for state-run and private services in the region.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are one of the listed ways to get around Bhimavaram, alongside auto-rickshaws. The town also has car travel operators, so pre-booked cars for longer journeys or day trips can be arranged locally. Auto-rickshaws are the more typical choice for short, everyday trips within town.
If you are weighing up a short trip in a busy part of town, remember that motorbiking or bicycling in downtown and busy areas can often be quicker than taking an auto-rickshaw or a taxi.
Walkability
Bhimavaram is a town rather than a sprawling metropolis, and its main draws — including the Gunupudi Someswara (Somarama) temple and the temple of the local deity Mavullamma — sit within the town itself. Walking is a reasonable way to cover the downtown area, and it pairs well with the note that two wheels can beat motorised transport in busy central streets.
If you are driving or riding, parking in the city is improving. Parking two-wheelers is generally easy, but finding parking for cars is a bit harder. Parking is generally provided by the city government and by business owners.
Getting from the Airport into the City
The nearest airport to Bhimavaram is Rajahmundry Airport. Beyond that, the practical air gateways are Vijayawada and Hyderabad:
- Via Vijayawada — there are flights from Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore to Vijayawada, which is less than two hours away from Bhimavaram by bus.
- Via Hyderabad — you can take a national or international flight to Hyderabad airport and then a train to Bhimavaram, a journey of roughly nine to ten hours.
- Via Chennai — for other international connections, Chennai can also be used; it is about a ten-hour train ride from Bhimavaram.
Once you reach Bhimavaram by rail, you arrive at either Bhimavaram Town (downtown) or Bhimavaram Junction (suburban), and can continue by auto-rickshaw, taxi or bus to your accommodation.
Practical Tips
- Decide which station suits you: Bhimavaram Town for the downtown, Bhimavaram Junction for the suburban side. Most trains serve both.
- Use local trains for short regional hops to Gudivada, Nidadavolu and Narasapur.
- For longer journeys out of the region, APSRTC and private buses run from Bhimavaram bus station, including services to Hyderabad and Bangalore.
- In busy central streets, consider walking or two wheels over an auto-rickshaw or taxi.
- If you are arriving by air, plan the last leg by bus from Vijayawada or by train from Hyderabad or Chennai.