The best way to get to Thane from Mumbai using public transport is to take the local train service.
Although Andheri is the nearest railway station from the airport a better option would be to take an auto-rikshaw to Kurla or Ghatkopar station(both these stations fall on the central suburban line) and then board any suburban Northbound Local Suburban train (all local suburban trains halt at Thane)to Thane. You've the option to board a fast or a slow train. But better option is to board Thane Local Train which ends at Thane station. Trains can be located by Abbrevations for example T - Thane so any train with T abbrevation on Digital Train time display will end at Thane.
The auto-rikshaw ride to Kurla or Ghatkopar stations would cost a little more, about Rs 60 to Rs 70, compared with Andheri which will be about Rs.40 to Rs.50 but you would end up saving about 1 hour to 1&1/2 hour. An added benefit is that you get to board a direct train to Thane thus avoiding the change over at Dadar.
Other option if you are coming from the airport is, take an auto-rickshaw to Andheri station which is served by the Western Railway and buy a ticket to Thane. You need to take a southbound train towards Churchgate, get off at Dadar (which is the interchange point) if possible avoid peak hour journey if you are new in Mumbai specially between 8 and 11 am or between 6 and 8 pm, get on the Central Railway Line and then take a northbound train to Thane. This method is recommended only if you are adventurous at heart and are not carrying any luggage.
Thane is also well served by long distance trains, many of which stop at Thane station en route Mumbai.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Thane
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Thane - updated May 2024
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Thane Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.