Getting There

Before independence, the many rivers that drain across Goa made getting around a problem. Nowadays, however, thanks to a network of road bridges, life is a lot easier.

For tourists, white Maruti Van Taxis serve as the main means of travelling between resorts. One will find them lined up outside most charter hotels, where a board invariably to destinations in and around the region. The fixed rate fares only apply to peak season, however, and at other times one should be able to negotiate a hefty reduction.

By Air
Goa's international airport is 29 km from Panjim at Dabolim. Mumbai-Goa is a 45-minute flight and one has the option to fly on Indian Airlines or Jet Airways. Regular flights also link Goa with Delhi, Pune, Cochin, Bangalore and Chennai. Some charter companies fly into Goa directly from Europe. has coach services operating to and from the airport. All the major hotels also arrange transport for the guests. A prepaid taxi service is also available over here. All the major airline services have daily flights to Goa from Bangalore , Delhi , Mumbai and Pune and twice a week from Chennai and Kochi. The International Service of airlines also connects Goa with Kuwait and Sharjah twice a week.

By Rail
The Konkan Railway makes Goa easily accessible by rail from cities such as Delhi , Mumbai , Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Mangalore , Ernakulam and Thiruvanantapuram . The daily New Delhi (Nizamuddin) to Vasco-da-Gama Goa Express has been resumed. Goa is also linked to Bangalore , Chennai , Hyderabad and Pune via Londa.

By Road
The Goan Transport Corporation, Kadamba, runs long-distance services throughout the state from their main stand at Panjim, Mapusa, Margao and destinations in the adjoining states of Maharashtra and Karnataka . Private buses, serving everywhere else including the coastal resorts, are affordable, frequent, and more relaxed than many in India.

By Ferry
If auto-rickshaws are the quaint essentially Indian mode of transport, flat-bottomed ferries are their Goan equivalent. Crammed with cars, buses, commuters on scoters, fisherwomen and clumps of bewildered tourists, these rusting blue-painted hulks provide an essential service, crossing the coastal backwaters where bridges have not yet been built. They're also incredibly reasonable, and run from the crack of dawn until late in the evening.

The most frequented river crossings in Goa are Panjim to Betim, across the Mandovi; Old Goa to Divar Island; Siolim to Chopdem, across the Terakol River; and Cavelossim in the far south of Salcete Taluka, to Assolna.

Local Transport

By Motorcycle Taxi
Goa's unique pillion-passenger motorcycle taxis, known locally as "pilots", are ideal for nipping between beaches or into town from the resorts. Bona fide operators ride black bikes with yellow mudguards and white number plates. Fares, which should be settled in advance, are comparable with auto-rickshaw rates.

By Rented Motorcycle
Renting motorcycle in goa gives a lot of freedom. Officially, one needs an international driver's licence to rent, and ride, anything more powerful than a 25cc moped. Rates vary according to the season, the vehicle, and how long one wants to rent it for most owners also insist on a deposit and passport as security. The range is pretty standard and the reasonable choice is a 50 cc moped. These are fine for buzzing to the beach and back, but to travel further try the stalwart Enfield Bullet 350cc, popular mainly for its pose value; the smaller but more reliable Honda Kinetic 100 cc, which has automatic gears and is a good first-time choice or the best all rounder, the Yamaha RD 100 cc; light, fast enough, reliable, economical and with annual gears.

Tours and Cruises
GTDC operates guided bus tours out of Panjim and major coastal resorts to sights around the state. The itineraries, however, cover too much ground in too little time, and are somewhat rushed for most people. Those offered as optional excursions by package tour companies and large hotels.

Boat trips from the coastal resorts are popular among foreign tourists. Billed “dolphin-spotting” or “crocodile-watching” cruises, they usually last all day and the price includes meals, drinks and transport to and from your hotel or designated pick-up point.

Buses
Cheap, frequent and running just about everywhere accessible by road, buses are by far the most popular mode of transport in Goa, and you’re bound at some point to catch one, if only to get into town or to the next resort. Visitors not yet initiated into the joys of Indian public transport are unlikely to forget the experience.

If you’re lucky or catch the bus near the beginning of its route, you might get a seat. Otherwise, be prepared for an uncomfortable crush as more and more passengers squeeze themselves and bags of shopping. Private buses are particularly notorious for overloading. Conductors dangle out of the side doors chanting their destination with the rapidity of horse-racing commentators. One consolation for the crush is that fares are so low as to be virtually free by Western standards. Traveling by bus is also a great way to experience the Goans’ Goa.

Tickets are generally sold by conductors on the bus itself - keep some small change handy for this.

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