It's better to fly to Goa. North Goa: drive, noise, fun and youth. Independent travel with accommodation reservation

Hello, friends! Get to Goa without package tour not so easy. There are no direct regular flights from Russia there; crooked tickets are expensive. Other paths are quite difficult. However, if you go to this state of India by long term, buying a ready-made tour is not at all an option. And there are a lot of such tourists. Today's article is for them.

How to get to Goa without the help of tour operators? Here I will give all the ways you can get to Goa, with the exception of extreme ones. I hope after studying them, you will not have any questions.

During the tourist season there are direct flights from Russia to Goa charter flights. This flight from Moscow to Dabolim Airport takes about 7 hours. Ticket price – from 23,000 rubles. However, the trouble is that it is almost impossible to buy charter tickets during the season. Moreover, if tour operators throw them onto the market, it is by no means at the “charter” price. However, this is the easiest way to get to Goa, so it is worth keeping an eye out for such offers.

There is another way, but it is only suitable for short trips. You can get to Goa by purchasing a last-minute tour. Sometimes the cost of a tour (ticket, accommodation, insurance, transfer) turns out to be lower than the price of crooked air tickets. You can only use a charter flight, forgetting about the hotel and other services included in the tour. But in order to avoid visa problems later, you will have to limit yourself to the time period of such a tour. Therefore, this option is not suitable for everyone, although it is the simplest.

Flight to Delhi or Mumbai

If you still fail to become the lucky owner of a ticket for a direct flight, you will have to go to Goa by a roundabout route.
By air, Goa can be reached via Mumbai or Delhi. A direct flight Moscow-Mumbai-Moscow costs approximately 25,000 rubles, a flight Moscow-Delhi-Moscow costs about 30,000 rubles. Check current prices, enter data in the form.

Want a more economical option? No problem. There are flights from Moscow or St. Petersburg via Doha, Zurich, and Istanbul. The final point of arrival is Mumbai.

Tip: There are often promotions on airline websites, so keep an eye on them.

How to get there from Delhi and Mumbai?

There are many planes flying to India from Russia, it’s a pity that regular flights are made only to other states of the country. As a rule, you buy a ticket to Mumbai or Delhi. The only way to get to Goa from these cities is:

  1. By plane - the most expensive option, but the most convenient and fastest.
  2. By train - comfortable, although long, average prices.
  3. The bus is uncomfortable, long, but inexpensive.

Of course, there are other ways such as renting a car, taxi, hitchhiking. But I won't consider them. This route is most often chosen by “experienced” travelers to travel around the country, and this is another topic.

To understand how best to get to Goa for you, let's look at each separately.

By plane

Planes from Delhi to Goa fly every hour. The first flight from Delhi is at 11 o'clock. The flight is two hours. Ticket price – 6000 rupees.
If you want to walk around the capital for a couple of days, go to the Pahargani area, there are quite decent inexpensive hotels.

The first flight from Mumbai to Goa departs at 6.20. Flights are every hour, the last one is at 19.00. Price is about 3000 rupees (depending on the airline). Tickets can be purchased online or directly at the airport. The flight lasts 50 minutes.

By train

A good way to get to Goa is by train. The journey from Mumbai to Goa takes around 9-12 hours. Ticket prices depend on the class of carriages - from 450 to 3000 Indian rupees. The option is convenient, cheap and the most optimal. The carriages are a bit like reserved seat cars, but at the same time more exotic. Trains depart from Chhatrapati Shivaji Station and Dadar Station.

The journey from Delhi by train will take 30 hours. Trains from the capital of India depart from Hazrat Nizamuddin and New Delhi Railway stations. Ticket price starts from 800 rupees. You can check the availability of tickets on the website www.indianrail.gov.in. This is important, because if you don’t have tickets, you’ll have to spend the night in a hotel, and the prices are steep; pay at least 1,000 rupees.

The comfort of the trip will not disappoint you; it is very reminiscent of our domestic trains.
Regardless of where you are coming from in Goa, get off at Madgaon or Tivim, Karmali station. It is from here that you can quickly get to any tourist area.

Tip: when purchasing a ticket, check whether the train stops at these stations.

By bus

Want to save money? You can get to Goa by bus. Tickets will cost from 500 rupees (depending on whether there is air conditioning or not, reclining or seated seats). Travel time is 11-16 hours, the departure point is indicated on the tickets. Most buses to Goa from Mumbai depart from Mumbai Central station in the evening. I would call the comfort of the trip relative, but the tickets are cheap.

Arrival location: Mapusa. From here it is a stone's throw to any hotel in North Goa.

Goa: what's next?

Congratulations, you are finally in Goa: on bus station in Mapusa, at Tivim railway station or at Dobalim airport. Go look for a Prepaid Taxi. Ask to be taken to any guest house. Here you can stay for a couple of days, look around, get comfortable and choose better accommodation.

Yes, the crooked path cannot be called easy. You will have to spend a lot of time on the road, in some cases forget about comfort. If you are not ready for this yet, you will have to fork out money by choosing a suitable tour from a tour operator.

Leave comments, I will be grateful if you tell us about your journey. How to publish a review in the “Readers Travel” section, wrote. Share the article on in social networks, subscribe to blog updates, there is still a lot of interesting material ahead. And I wish you a great rest and a lot of positive emotions!

With this I say goodbye, see you again!
Tatiana Solomatina

Goa - very popular place rest of the British and Russians. Many people who can work remotely move here for the “winter.” Hot climate, warm sea, fruits and seafood, yoga classes - all this helps to take your mind off the hustle and bustle and look at the world in a new way. Tourist season begins and ends in May, with the onset of the rainy season.

You need to keep in mind that Russian citizens need a visa to travel to Goa. Usually there are no problems obtaining a visa. You need to fill out a form, provide two color photographs, copies of your Russian passport and international passport, copies of air tickets and hotel reservations.
A little trick: if you plan to look for accommodation locally, you can book a hotel with the possibility of free cancellation at “ ”, and cancel it after receiving a visa.

You can view the air ticket on aggregator sites where offers are collected different airlines. Sometimes you can find ready-made tour for the price of an air ticket - this is even easier, because in this case you can leave some of your things at the hotel and travel light.

Insurance. You definitely need to get it, preferably from a large, reliable insurance company. Insurance will cost you about 30-40 rubles for one day. Read carefully what is not included in the concept of “insured event”.

With accommodation, everything is very simple - just walk down the street and you will see many signs with the inscription “Room for rent”. In northern Goa these are mainly mini-hotels, in southern Goa - bungalows. In addition, any taxi driver will be happy to tell you where to go and take you there.

North Goa has crowded beaches and nightlife. The most famous beaches here - Baga, Calangute, Ashvem, Anjuna, Aguada.

South Goa.
Here are the most beautiful beaches and are located the most expensive hotels. It is calm here, and everything is conducive to contemplation and relaxation from civilization. The most favorite beach of Europeans is Palolem. The clear sea and palm forest on the shore attract tourists. There are also small bungalows here, so when you fall asleep you can hear the sound of the sea.

It is best to visit several beaches during your trip, this way you will get a complete picture of this state.

Most often, tourists do not fly to Goa on their own, but turn to travel companies and buy the appropriate tour there. On this site, the question was discussed about whether it is more profitable to travel to Goa on your own or to buy a package tour, and the majority agreed that it is better to buy a tour, since India is too far away and the lion’s share of the money will have to be spent on flights. In any case, you should understand that the flight time starts from seven hours (in the case of a direct charter flight from Moscow) and can reach 36 hours in the case of a connecting flight.

Of course, first of all you should pay attention to charter flights, which are very popular, since first of all they save time. Usually flights to Goa are carried out not only from Moscow, but also from other major cities. During the season, such flights are carried out 1-2 times a week, depending on the influx of tourists. Direct charter flight time rarely exceeds 9 hours. The cost of such a flight starts from 400-450 dollars, but usually the flight is already included in the price of the tour. But there is one very interesting nuance here, which is that if you buy tickets for a charter flight for $1000 (both ways), you will most likely be given free hotel accommodation and insurance. You have not indicated which city you are planning to travel from, but nevertheless, it makes sense to monitor the websites of airlines that operate both regular and charter flights from your city and it is possible that there will be some interesting options and offers. Usually, along with the ticket, a 2-3* hotel with breakfast, a swimming pool, modest living conditions, but overall not bad, comes as a gift.

Such offers appear when there are several days left before departure, and free seats there's plenty on the plane. It is almost impossible to buy a ticket for a charter flight to Goa several months before departure - only as part of a package tour.

Sometimes people fly to the same hotel on the same plane, but the amount paid for the trip can differ by up to 30%.

Now let’s look at options for flights with transfers, although in this case it’s unlikely to be cheaper. Most often, combined flights to Goa involve a transfer in the UAE. First, a 5-6 hour flight to Abu Dhabi with Aeroflot or Etihad, and then a 2 to 6 hour wait for a transfer. It is better to fly with Arab Airlines, as their service is at the highest level (if the transfer lasts more than 6 hours, then passengers are provided with a free hotel and snack). A flight from Abu Dhabi to Goa is another 3-4 hours in the air.

You can find other options, but it’s unlikely to be faster in terms of time. My advice to you is that it is better to look for charter flights, since independent flights with transfers are simply unprofitable and physically difficult (when traveling with children, you shouldn’t even consider other options besides a charter).

What is better - a tour to Goa or organizing your own trip? This important question often arises before everyone who is going on holiday to Goa, and deserves a detailed discussion.

Each of the three options has its pros and cons and everything ultimately depends on the budget, length of stay and preferences of the tourist.

Question about price

Usually, the first question that comes up is the prices for tours to Goa, and it is generally accepted that going on a package tour is cheaper than traveling as a wild person. But it is not always the case.

Tour operators often offer tours at extremely competitive prices; we must not forget about the so-called “last minute tours”.

On the other hand, if you organize a vacation trip to Goa on your own, you can choose from thousands of offers the one that suits you best - according to your budget and taste. Here you also need to think about what to do: go to Goa as a “classic” savage and look for accommodation on the spot, or before departure, familiarize yourself with rental offers and book in advance with a suitable agency. If you are traveling for a long time, then this third option is sometimes the most reliable and profitable.

Trip to Goa on a package tour

The main advantage of purchasing a tour to Goa is convenience. All concerns regarding organizing the tour, processing documents and visas, purchasing tickets, choosing accommodation and other technical issues are taken care of by the travel agency. In addition, the travel agency is responsible for the fulfillment of the contract, and if you are dissatisfied with the services offered, you can make a claim against it.

The main disadvantage of traveling on a package deal to Goa is that the hotel room you are given may not be what you imagined it to be, and the hotel itself may not always meet your expectations. Here we must also take into account the crowdedness of hotels and the places in which most of them are located, noise, sometimes inappropriate behavior of staff and food that is inappropriate in quantity and quality (when choosing an all-inclusive package or a package with included meals).

Go to Goa as a savage

The advantages of traveling as a wild man to Goa: we choose everything in a real situation, you can see and “touch” everything, if you don’t like something, we move on. Disadvantages: loss of time and effort in searching for housing, inability to settle in and relax immediately upon arrival, inability to calculate the cost of housing in advance.

If you prepare well, study the features of Goa and choose your place of stay in advance, then the disadvantages of traveling as a savage can be significantly reduced. However, this option is not recommended if you are traveling with a child or you simply do not want to waste time and nerves resolving technical issues.

Independent travel with pre-booked accommodation

The advantages of the third option - pre-rental housing in Goa, are obvious. Firstly, we choose the most suitable accommodation for us, be it a hotel, villa, apartment, guesthouse, bungalow. Secondly, we choose a place - North Goa or South Goa, on the seashore or in the outback, in a quiet village or in a busy resort. We provide ourselves with comfort and individual conditions, an escape from “package” tourism. In addition, you can agree with the travel agency about additional services: ticket reservations, visas, rentals vehicle. If the travel agency is good, you will have a personal manager and will also offer you a transfer from the airport in a comfortable car, necessary equipment for babies: a chair, a stroller, a crib, as well as a number of other pleasant and useful services.

The disadvantages of this option for organizing a trip are that you choose accommodation based on photographs. But if the catalog is well compiled, all the premises of the housing you have chosen are shown and you receive all the necessary information from the agency, and the reviews of those who have already visited this place are positive, then the disadvantages are practically reduced to zero.

Let's try to summarize and supplement the characteristics of all three options in the following table.

Options

By package

Savage

Independent travel with accommodation reservation

Trip organization

The travel agency takes care of the entire organization of the trip: hotel reservations, air tickets, visas, document processing, on-site transfers, animation. You receive a ready-made travel package.

You need to organize everything yourself: planning the trip, visas, buying tickets, formalities at the airport, transfers, booking accommodation, all the problems that arise on the spot.

You contact a travel agency for specific services of your choice: accommodation reservation, assistance in obtaining visas, insurance and others necessary documents, transfer and support on site, individual services.

Recreation place and housing

Linked to the same hotel and to the same group of tourists.

Renting housing on site, in real conditions. You can change housing, beaches, surrounding places and move without restrictions

Link to pre-selected accommodation. Choosing the type of housing, degree of privacy, methods of food, transportation, service.

Property

You have to move around with all your belongings and find ways to keep them safe

Your property is safe

Term

You are traveling for a certain period of time and it cannot be changed

You can go for any period and change it depending on the circumstances

You need to indicate what period you are traveling for, but it can be extended on the spot

English language skills

Useful and sometimes necessary to own English language at a decent level

No English language skills required.

Basic English will be useful in case you want to do some excursion on your own and for communicating with local staff

Reliability

Everything you need is provided: accommodation, food, transfer, luggage safety, no need to look for anything on the spot

There is a risk of being left without suitable housing or becoming a victim of scammers

Depending on your agreement with the travel agency

Price

On short term could be cheaper

Depending on preference. Under normal living conditions, short-term accommodation may cost more.

In the short term it may cost more, in the long term it is more profitable

Save time

Saving time on preparing a trip and searching for accommodation on the spot

You may spend a lot of time preparing your trip in advance, searching for accommodation and services on site

Saving time on paperwork and searching for housing on site

Guarantees when renting a vehicle

No additional guarantees are required to rent a vehicle

You will be required to provide additional guarantees when renting a vehicle (ticket, personal documents, deposit)

Depending on your agreement with travel company

Connection

Internet in the hotel, buy a SIM card yourself or with the help of a travel agency representative

You rent housing with or without the Internet, buy a SIM card yourself

Internet - depending on the accommodation you choose. You buy a SIM card yourself or a travel agency gives you one

Who is it suitable for?

A suitable option for those

· who is traveling to Goa for the first time;

· who is traveling for a short period of time (a week or two);

· who have no time or no desire to prepare the trip;

· who likes to stay in hotels and in crowded places;

· who does not speak English.

How to get to Goa: by plane, train, bus or car. Current prices, useful tips, all the nuances and details of the route to Goa from “Subtleties of Tourism”.

  • Tours for May Worldwide
  • Last minute tours Worldwide

India is not the place where people go to relax as a “vegetable” - lying on the beaches and drinking cocktails. There is a lot to marvel at and why stay. If your vacation is no more than two weeks, the best way to save time is to take a direct flight to Goa. But there are plenty of other options. Tourists often choose a slightly more time-consuming, but much more scenic route via Delhi and Mumbai: there by plane, and then by train or taxi.

And a very extreme, but quite feasible option is to spend several weeks (or even months) on the road and get to Goa by land, visiting Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran, and Pakistan at the same time.

By air

By taxi

This travel option is convenient if you are traveling in a large group and want to get to your destination among “your people” and in comfort. A taxi ride from Mumbai to Goa will take 8-12 hours and will cost from 10,000 INR. Iron rules when communicating with a taxi driver in India:

  • negotiate the price in advance and do not give money up front;
  • indicate your destination, arrival time and the fact that you will not pay extra money if the driver gets lost;
  • Find out if you will have to pay for luggage separately.

Theoretically, you can also get to Goa from Delhi by taxi, but this method of transportation, to put it mildly, is not very popular among tourists. A trip of almost 2 thousand km will not only tire you, but will also cost a serious amount of money. Moreover, the driver may demand payment for his stay at the hotel.

By rented car

This option, judging by the reviews of tourists, is almost never practiced. The fact is that if you rent a car in Mumbai, you will have to return it there. It is inconvenient to constantly travel by car in Goa due to the chaos on the roads, there is almost no parking there, and besides, the car may simply break down, which will create difficulties when returning it to the agency.

 

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