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TO MUMBAI
Air: If one is heading north to
Mumbai
, the quickest and easiest way is to fly. Between three and four planes
leave Goa's Dabolim airport daily. In addition, Airbus services are also
operated to Mumbai
on Mondays and Thursdays.
Rail: Since the inauguration of the Konkan Railway in 1997,
journey times to Mumbai
from Goa have been slashed from
24 to 12 hours. Three services run daily, the most convenient of them
being the Madgaon-Mumbai Express #0112, which departs from
Margao at 6.25pm, arriving
at CST at 6.35am the following day. The other two trains, the
Mangalore-Kurla Express #2620 and the overnight Netravati Express #6636,
both arrive at Kurla station.
By Ship: If one's budget won't stretch to a flight and the trains
are all booked up, frank Damania Shipping's Catamaran is the next best
option. Leaving from the ferry quay opposite the hotel Mandovi in Panjim
at 10.00 am (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday only) the
Scandinavian built vessel takes seven and a half hours to reach Mumbai.
The reasonable and fastest way to get to
Mumbai
is by night bus. Fares vary according to levels of comfort, and luxury
buses arrive two or three hours sooner.
TO HAMPI AND NORTHERN KARNATAKA
The only way to travel across the Ghats into Karnataka is by bus. Two
direct services each day leaves Panjim
for Hospet. The buses of
Karnataka
State Route Transport Corporation (KSRTC) also ply regularly from Hoapet.
TO MANGALORE AND SOUTHERN KARNATAKA
Road: The journey south down the Konkan coast towards
Mangalore
in Karnataka
is a lot less exhausting, with better road surfaces and plenty of
worthwhile places to pull over for a day or two.
Rail: One direct bus per day leaves Panjim
for Gokarna; alternatively catch one of the more frequent Kadamba services
on the Konkan railway. The fastest train is the twice-weekly Trivandrum
Rajdhani Express #2432, which takes just over four hours to reach
Mangalore
en route to Kerala
. For Gokarna and Udupi, catch the KR0001 "Down" from Margao at
2.10 pm. As most of the southbound trains along this stretch run during
the day, tickets are plentiful, although one should still book at least a
day in advance.
TO DELHI
Rail: The Konkan railway has also improved train services to
Delhi
, which can bow be reached on the Superfast Rajdhani Express #2431 in a
little under 26 hours. A slower daily service, the Mangala Lakshadweep
Express #2616, takes nearly 38 hours to cover the same distance.
Alternatively, one can fly to the capital in two and a half hours.
RESERVATIONS, TICKETS AND INFORMATION
For Air Catamaran Ticket Bookings: Wherever possible, try and book
plane tickets directly through the airline. Catamaran tickets can be
booked direct at - Damania's Office, Panjim On Avda Dom Joao Castro,
Opposite The State Bank of India. Or,
MGM international, Mumbai Camotim Building
Or,
Trade Wings Ltd, Mascarenhas Buildings, Dr Akmaram Borkar Road
Both specialize in catamaran and air ticket booking services. In
Mapusa, there's a Damania
Shipping Office at the GTDC's tourist hotel.
Railway Bookings: Seats on all Konkan railway services can be
booked at- KR (Konkan Railway) Reservation Office, on the First Floor of
Kadamba Bus Stand, Panjim Timing: Monday-Friday, 9.00am-11.30am &
1.30pm-5.00am and Sunday 9.00am-2.00pm. Or,
KR's (Konkan Railways) Main Reservation Hall, Margao Station.
Timing: Monday-Saturday, 8.30am-4.30pm, Sunday 8.00am-2.00pm.
Bookings should be made as far in advance as possible, and try to get to
the offices soon after opening time, to avoid long queues. Seats on the
Konkan Railway from Goa to
Mumbai
are in short supply as a large quota goes to the longer-distance
travellers from Kerala, with the result that peak periods tend be reserved
up to two months in advance.
Bus Bookings: Book Kadamba Bus tickets at their offices in
Panjim and
Mapusa bus stands, daily
between 9.00am-11.00am & 2.00pm-5.00pm.
Private companies sell theirs through the many travel agents immediately
outside the bus stand in Panjim, and at the bottom of the square in
Mapusa. Information on all
departures and fares is available from Goa Tourism's Counter inside
Panjim's Bus Stand.
Some Destinations Within Easy Reach Include: