ULTIMATE TRAVEL GUIDE TO GOA.

The beach capital of India has lot to offer to all tourists and travelers around the globe. This popular beach destination is loved for its scenic beauty, picturesque spots, lush greenery, fascinating backwaters, crazy food and shopping markets, night life and much more. Oh wait, it doesn’t stop here. This amazing destination is also known for adventures and water sports too. Even though it is remembered and addressed as the smallest state in the country, one cannot deny the fact that Goa is one of the nation’s biggest tourist destinations.

Goa will always be on top of the holiday list. Whether you’re planning a long weekend tour with friends, a relaxing week after your hectic work schedule, to chill, to spend some cherished moments with your special partner, Goa has everything. Asking permission from parents for Goa trip takes a lot of efforts, patience and compromises and I can totally relate to this. But, come on you can manage. Have this attitude – ANYTHING FOR GOA!!

This quick and handy article is your ultimate travel guide to Goa, and will help you with the insights on how to reach goa, where to stay in Goa, how to rent a bike in Goa, best time to visit Goa, and my piece of advice about travelling to Goa.

First things first:

How to reach Goa:

Be it your first time or 108th time to Goa, there’s always a better way to reach Goa ;)

By Train: Goa has extensive rail connectivity throughout the country. It majorly has two rail-heads, Madgaon and Thivim.

From Mumbai you have Mandovi Express, Tejas express, Mangalore express, Pune ERS superfast express.

There are a lot of other daily and weekly trains available from Mumbai to Goa and at a very reasonable cost.

From Bangalore you have Yesvantpur – vasco express , Chennai – Vasco Da Gama superfast express, Yesvantpur – Vasco Da Gama spl express and more.

From Delhi you have Kerla S Kranti, NZM Duronto, Trivandrum Rajdhani and more.

By Air: Dabolim is the nearest airport (29 kilometers) from the state capital Panjim. It is well connected by daily flights from Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and cochin.

By Bus: There are numerous public and private bus transportation services in Goa. Public bus operators include MSRTC, KSRTC etc. Dolphin travel house, Neeta tours, Roshan travels, Anand travels and many others come under the private sectors. Bus fares differ as per the season, comfort and requirement.

Road journey: Road trip to Goa is more of fun, excitement, enjoyment and why shouldn’t it be? It’s Goa dude!!

Once upon a time road trips to anywhere in India deserved a second thought. But, Pandemic has really turned the game around. People who own their vehicle (be it two wheeler or four wheeler) are prioritizing their safety and are planning to travel in their own vehicle to avoid human interaction and contact as much as possible and that’s one of the best ways to be safe.

If you didn’t know, there are two ways to reach Goa from Mumbai. One is the coastal route which takes 14 hours and is one of the most scenic and amazing route to enjoy the journey and interestingly has fewer tolls. On the other hand, you have highway which definitely has multiple tolls but if you are in hurry to reach Goa then choosing the highway route is the best option.

Must haves during road trips:

1. Make sure you have a driving license. (Of your own, if you are driving)

2. Carry packets of chips / biscuits Or anything you like to have during the road journey.

3. Try to carry home-cooked food. (As this is the best option to save some extra bucks)

4. Avoid having too much of food and avoid drinking more water. (At least you can escape from using public washrooms)

5. Take breaks to avoid a stressful drive.

Getting around:

Taxis / Auto Rickshaw – Goa is well connected with roads that are in good condition. Hence, getting a taxi or Auto from the station, airport or bus stop isn’t complicated and they charge a fair rate for the distance.

How to rent a bike in Goa:

Hiring motorcycles, Cars or jeep is the most popular, best and economic way to explore the beach capital of the country. More the days better the discount. And that’s exactly what we did. Submit your ID proof, book the vehicle you like and you are good to go.

Average cost to rent a vehicle:

Two-wheeler (Scooty / Bike) : On average, they charge you around Rs. 300/- to Rs. 1000/- per day, but if you need it for more days, they will help you with the best discounted rates for each day. (Make sure to bargain).

We searched and booked vehicle for 4 Days with:

St. Anthony Car and Bike Rentals (You can search it on google and contact him directly, else comment and let me know, I will help you with his contact information)

Four-wheeler: The charges differ as per the requirement; days required and season of course.

Where to stay in Goa:

Google it and you will be flooded with hotels, offers, facilities and more.

Make my trip

Goibibo

Airbnb

Yatra

Cleartrip

You will find plenty of websites to compare and choose the best.

TIP: Always check the reviews before booking.

Your lifestyle, requirements and comfort plays a key role here. Also, in which part of Goa you want to explore and stay also has a major part to play.

You will get hotels at as low as Rs. 300 /day and as high as Rs. 20,000 / Day.

We had a very pleasant and decent stay in Bliss Holiday Inn which was 2 kms away from Calangute beach. We booked it through Make my trip. You will be surprised to know the rates. We stayed in Goa for 4 days and 5 Nights and we paid just Rs. 2,104 (Perks of researching, enquiring well and booking early: P)

Check out our room tour and our 1st day in Goa fun here:

What to eat in Goa:

People always come with this notion that Alcohol is cheap in Goa and food is pretty expensive. Let me clear this out, It is false. Yes, alcohol is cheap in Goa, but food is equally cheap in Goa too. Cafes, bars, and restaurants you will come across a lot of food joints in every corner of Goa.

Sea foods is majorly liked by the tourists and travelers and one will get a variety of sea food dishes.

Vegan and vegetarian peeps! I am one among you, and don’t worry we can equally enjoy the food here trust me. There are lot of vegetarian dishes and Jain dishes too. So if anyone is confused about what to eat in Goa, here’s my explanation.

How many days are good for Goa:

Goa deserves a longer stay as it is the perfect vacation destination for all the age groups these days. But, if you are looking for a relaxing weekend sort off, then you can probably plan for 2 / 3 Days and can visit nearby beaches and cafes.

I advice people to visit Goa for a week at least. Goa has successfully emerged as a hotspot for travelers, tourists and digital nomads too. As said, Lockdown has changed the way we used to look at life. Work from home these days has turned to work from beaches, work from the mountains etc etc, making it a perfect place for workaholics too.

Carry extra money wherever you go:

This is my piece of advice, If you watch my videos on YouTube I commonly ask people to carry extra money with them. Often we rely on ATMs / Gpay / PhonePe. You never know what will work and what will not. Even though Goa is flooded with ATMs and is more flexible but it is always good to escape a weird situation.

Alcohol & drug in Goa:

Frequently asked question from the first time traveler to Goa is – Is alcohol cheap in Goa? Yes, it is very cheap all thanks to relaxed taxation policy. Local drink Feni is famous for all the right reasons and is must try when in Goa. Drunk driving is a punishable offense in India, and is strictly followed here too. Drug consumption is a punishable offense again.

(Alcohol consumption is injurious to health. The above mentioned information is just for your information)

Drop your queries on the comments below, if you have any 

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