Getting around · Goa · India
Getting around Goa
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Goa has no metro, and mainstream ride-hailing apps do not operate in most of the state. Visitors get around by taxi, the state-backed GoaMiles app, rented scooters, buses and motorcycle taxis known as pilots; river ferries cross to islands, and trains link the larger towns. Not essential.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Taxi
- Airports
- GOI, GOX
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
Ways to get around
Taxi
Tourist taxis wait at hotels and stands and charge set or negotiated fares; GoaMiles is the government-backed app-based taxi service. Motorcycle taxis called pilots, with yellow mudguards, take single passengers short distances.
Agree fares before setting off with tourist taxis, and ask your hotel for typical rates.
Scooter
Renting a scooter is the most popular way to explore between beaches; you need a valid driving licence and a helmet.
Ride slowly, avoid night riding on unlit roads and watch for cattle and potholes.
Bus
Kadamba state buses and private buses connect towns and beach villages cheaply from hubs at Panaji, Mapusa and Margao, but routes can be slow and crowded.
Ferry
Free or very cheap government ferries carry passengers and vehicles across rivers, including from Old Goa to Divar and Ribandar to Chorão.
Train
Konkan Railway stations at Thivim (north), Karmali (Old Goa), Madgaon (south) and Canacona (near Palolem) link Goa with Mumbai, Kerala and Karnataka.
From the airport
Goa has two airports. Dabolim (GOI), near Vasco da Gama in the centre-south, is about 30 km from Panaji (about 45 minutes) and convenient for South Goa. Manohar International Airport (GOX) at Mopa in the far north is about an hour from Panaji and closer to the northern beaches. Both have prepaid taxi counters and app-taxi desks.
Do you need a car?
Not essential. A rented scooter or a car with driver suits most visitors; self-driving a car is possible, but roads are narrow and busy and parking near beaches is limited.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Dudhsagar Falls | About 2 hours by road and jeep | Car or tour to Kulem, then a forest-department jeep |
| Gokarna | About 3 hours by road from Panaji | Car, bus or Konkan Railway to Gokarna Road |
| Hampi | About 7–8 hours by road; stay overnight | Overnight bus or train to Hosapete, or car |
| Sindhudurg Fort and Malvan | About 3 hours by road from Panaji | Car or tour |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Goa?
Not essential. A rented scooter or a car with driver suits most visitors; self-driving a car is possible, but roads are narrow and busy and parking near beaches is limited.
+How do you get from the airport to Goa?
Goa has two airports. Dabolim (GOI), near Vasco da Gama in the centre-south, is about 30 km from Panaji (about 45 minutes) and convenient for South Goa. Manohar International Airport (GOX) at Mopa in the far north is about an hour from Panaji and closer to the northern beaches. Both have prepaid taxi counters and app-taxi desks.
+What is the best way to get around Goa?
Taxi: Tourist taxis wait at hotels and stands and charge set or negotiated fares; GoaMiles is the government-backed app-based taxi service. Motorcycle taxis called pilots, with yellow mudguards, take single passengers short distances.