Ooty railway station

Night sleeper from Bengaluru

The way most people actually get here: board in the evening, wake up on the Nilgiri ridge. Coimbatore adds a second, much shorter bus route from the plains.

Best option

Nilgiri Mountain Railway

The rack railway from Mettupalayam is a UNESCO site and a five-hour ride rather than a transfer: 46 km, and the seats go long before the day itself.