Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
way to reach Goa from anywhere else overseas is to take a flight into Mumbai (Bombay)
or Chennai (Madras), and then a one-hour hop by domestic airline to Goa. There are
plenty of domestic flights daily through Jet Airways, SpiceJet, Air India and several other
budget airlines to most major capitals.
Dabolim Airport has a money-exchange office, a GTDC counter, charter-airline offices,
an ATM and two prepaid taxi booths.
BUS
Plenty of long-distance interstate buses - both 'government' and 'private' - operate to and
from Panaji, Margao, Mapusa and Chaudi, near Palolem. Fares for private operators are
only slightly higher than for Kadamba government buses, and they fluctuate throughout
the year. Long-distance buses can be standard, air-conditioned (AC), Volvo (the most
comfortable seater buses) and sleeper. Sleeper buses have improved over the years to in-
clude sidebars or even fully-reclining seats, but this is not like travelling on a train - be
prepared to be thrown out of your bed while hurtling round a corner at 3am! Most inter-
state buses depart between 6pm and 10pm.
TRAIN
between Mumbai and Mangalore. The biggest station in Goa is Margao's Madgaon sta-
tion, from which there are several useful daily services to Mumbai. Other smaller useful
stations on the line include Pernem for Arambol, Thivim for Mapusa and the northern
beaches, Karmali (Old Goa) for Panaji, and Canacona for Palolem.
Book tickets online; at Madgaon station; at the train reservation office at Panaji's
Kadamba bus stand; or at any travel agent vending train tickets (though you'll pay a small
commission). Only the stations at Margao and Vasco da Gama (near Dabolim Airport)
have foreign-tourist-quota booking counters. Book as far in advance as possible for sleep-
ers, since they fill up very quickly.
Getting Around
TO/FROM THE AIRPORT
Dabolim's two prepaid taxi counters - one in the arrivals hall and the other just outside -
make arriving easy; buy your ticket here and you'll be ushered to a cab. Real budgeteers
without much luggage can try walking out to the main road and waving down one of the
