Goa is well connected by airline services to most major cities in India. Goa is well connected by airline services to most major cities in India. All flights, national and international, to and from Goa, operate from the Goa Airport at Dabolim near the port town of Vasco-da-Gama. The airport is about 30 kms from the capital city of Panaji and is owned by the Indian Navy. Major airline operators such as Air India, Jet Airways, Spice Jet, Kingfisher Airlines, Go Air, Jet Lite & Indigo have flights carrying passengers and cargo in and out of Goa. Besides these, a number of chartered flights land in Goa from UK, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Russia and other European countries. The national airline Air India also lands a few international flights, especially from the Gulf countries. Besides Air India, Air Arabia and Qatar Airways also operate international flights to Goa. Direct Charter flights operate from Most of the local airlines have a contact phone number in the city as well as at the airport where the latest information about flight status is always available. It is advisable to book your tickets well in advance, especially during the high peak tourist season of October to January when most flights run full. It is also essential to re-confirm your flight timings at least 24 hours before departure. Most major international airlines usually have agreements with one or more of their domestic counterparts in India, so if you are arriving from abroad it is possible to book your onward domestic flight at the same time as you pay for your international ticket. Major hotels have coach services to and from the Airport for picking up and dropping off their guests. The airport has a pre-paid taxi counter. All the major airline services have daily flights to Goa from Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and Pune and twice a week from Chennai and Kochi. International service airlines also connect Goa with Kuwait and Sharjah twice a week.
The Kadamba Transport Corporation runs their services throughout the state from their main stands at Panjim, Mapusa and Margao and from locations in the adjoining states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Private buses operate everywhere else, including the coastal resorts are affordable, frequent and provide a relaxed mode of commuting.
The Konkan Railway makes Goa easily accessible by rail from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Mangalore, Ernakulam, Thiruvanthapuram. Goa is also linked to Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune via Londa.
Taxis: For tourists, taxis serve as the main means of traveling between resorts. One will find them lined up outside most charter hotels, where a signboard lists the destinations in and around the region. The fixed rate fares only apply to peak season and at other times one should be able to negotiate a hefty reduction from the demanded fare. Motorcycle Taxis: Goa's unique pillion-passenger motorcycle taxis known locally as "pilots" are ideal for nipping between beaches or into towns from the resorts. Bona fide operators ride black bikes with yellow mudguards and yellow number plates. Fares which should be settled in advance are almost half the auto-rickshaw rates. Rented Motorcycles: Renting motorcycles in Goa offer a lot of freedom to tourists. Officially one needs an international driver's license to rent or ride anything more powerful than a 25 cc moped. Rates vary according to the season, the vehicle and how long one wants to rent it. Most owners also insist on a deposit and passport as security. The range is pretty standard and the reasonable choice is a 100cc motorbike. These are fine for buzzing to the beach and back, but to travel further the stalwart Enfield Bullet 350 cc is popular for its pose value and its British origins. The smaller Kinetic Honda 100cc which has automatic transmission is a good choice for the novice as well as the all-rounder. Ferries: If autorickshaws are the quaint, essentially Indian mode of transport, flat-bottomed ferries are their Goan equivalent. Crammed with cars, buses, commuters and scooters, fisherwomen and clumps of bewildered tourists, these blue painted hulks provide an essential service, crossing the coastal backwaters where bridges have not been built. They are also incredibly reasonable and run from dawn till late in the evening. The most frequented river crossings in Goa are Panjim to Betim, across River Mandovi, Old Goa to Divar Island, Siolim to Chopdem across the Tiracol river and Cavelossim in the far south of Salcetetaluka to Assolna.
