How to get from Delhi to Goa on your own. My experience of traveling from goa to delhi by train

The cost of the flight always depends on the time of travel. The chart will allow you to compare prices for flights from Delhi to Goa, track the dynamics of changes in their cost and find the best offer.

Statistics will help determine the season of low prices. For example, in December, prices reach an average of 13,161 rubles, and in September, the cost of tickets drops to an average of 8,416 rubles. Plan your trip right now!

We analyze this information and create schedules to make it easier for you to plan your travels.

What is more profitable - to buy tickets in advance, avoiding the general hype, or take advantage of a "hot" offer closer to the departure date? The graph will help you determine best time to purchase air tickets.

See how the price of flights from Delhi to Goa has changed depending on the time of purchase. Since the beginning of sales, their value has changed by an average of 49%. The minimum price for a flight from Delhi to Goa is 27 days before departure, approximately 8,475 rubles. The maximum price for a flight from Delhi to Goa is on the day of departure, approximately 19,969 rubles. In most cases, early booking helps to save money, take advantage of it!

Airfare from Delhi to Goa is not a fixed and constant amount. It depends on many factors, including the day of departure. The dynamics of changes is visible on the graph.

According to statistics, the most affordable flight option from Delhi to Goa is on Tuesdays, their average cost is 10,552 rubles. The most expensive flights are on Sundays, their average cost is 11,602 rubles. It is worth considering that departures on holiday days are usually more expensive. We hope that this data will help you plan your travels in the most efficient way.

The cost of air tickets depends not only on the date, but also on the time of departure. In one day, the airline can operate several flights, and they will differ in price category.

The graph shows the cost of departure depending on the time of day. For example, the average cost of a ticket from Delhi to Goa in the morning is 11,534 rubles, and in the evening 12,383 rubles. Evaluate all the conditions and choose the best offer.

The graph shows the comparative prices for flights from Delhi to Goa of the most popular airlines. Based on this information, you can plan your trip and buy tickets from Delhi to Goa from the carrier that suits you.

Statistics will help you choose a flight, focusing on your financial capabilities, as well as your wishes in terms of comfort and flight conditions. The lowest prices for flights from Delhi to Goa are offered by Hahn Air, the highest prices are by Vistara.

Those who love exotic vacations, are interested in exotic corners of our planet and cannot live without the sun, sea and palm trees, they have probably heard about the "cult" tourist place there, like Goa. I got there with the aim of "shaking up" my life, to see and feel what I could not do in my homeland or in its environs. Goa is a great place not only for relaxation, but also for spiritual “zeroing” and searching for your life vector. We traveled on our own, so I decided to write instructions for travelers like us.

Goa - a paradise in distant and mysterious India

Goa is the smallest state in India, stretching along its southwestern coast. More than a hundred kilometers of coastline are occupied by countless beaches washed by the waters of the Arabian Sea of ​​the Indian Ocean. On the one hand, Goa borders on the state of Maharashtra, whose capital is the colorful city of Mumbai (this city was previously called Bombay), on the other hand, on the state of Karnataka (the world is unofficially considered the birthplace of such a nomadic tribe as the gypsies). The capital of Goa is the city of Panjim (Pananjim), the largest city is Vasco da Gama. It was here, in 1498, that the famous navigator, the discoverer of India, Vasco Da Gama, landed for the first time. In 1510, Athos d'Albuquerque "conquers" this area and to this day this family is the "ruling" elite of Goa.

Goa is not like the rest of India and in some respects even radically different from it. This is probably due to the fact that from 1543 to 1961 this territory was a Portuguese colony, which is reminiscent of many things: starting with religion (98% of the population of Goa profess Catholicism) and ending with architecture (houses with a high roof). Despite this, the Hindus were able to maintain their identity, culture and customs.

How to get to Goa (direct flights, sightseeing tours, from Delhi and Mumbai to Goa)

There are several ways to get to Goa: direct charter and regular flights from Moscow and other Russian cities of such Russian airlines as Transaero, Aeroflot. You can use the services of foreign air carriers such as Qatar, Sultan Air, Air Arabia, Emirates, which carry out passenger air transportation with one or two transfers, usually at their international airports in Doha, Sharjah, Dubai or Abu Dhabi. The direct flight lasts approximately 7.5-8 hours and the plane arrives at the recently opened (in 2013), Goa International Airport under the sonorous name "Dabolim". You should not be afraid of flights with transfers, I personally prefer to fly Emirates with transfers, but with awesome service, comfortable aircraft, than to huddle in the old Boeing of some of our airlines all day.

From Delhi and Mumbai to Goa domestic flights

Next to the international one is the old airport, which provides domestic transportation, and also serves the military air transport of India.

If you want to make a real trip around India, to see its most colorful cities, then you can fly to Mumbai or Delhi airport, and from there get to Dabolim by local airlines. The cost of a ticket from Delhi to Goa is around $70, from Mumbai to Goa about $40-50. From the international airport in both Delhi and Mumbai to the airport of domestic flights, you can take a “tuk-tuk” (Asian taxi, usually 4 or 2 seats). You can also use land transport: by train or “sleeper bass” (outwardly, it is an ordinary bus, but inside it is made like a reserved seat car of Russian trains, it comes with 1 or 2 beds).

Mumbai to Delhi by train

You can travel from Mumbai to Goa by train. You need to sit down at the Victoria Central Station or at the Dadar station, tickets can be bought at the box office on the spot to the Tivim station. From this station you can get to the hotel by local bus, taxi or tuk-tuk. The taxi driver or bus driver will need to say the name of the area in the North or South of Goa, as a rule, this is the name of the beach or the name of the hotel or guesthouse.

The price of sleeper bass tickets from Victoria or Dadara stations in an air-conditioned car is approximately 300-350 rupees (about $10). If you are limited in funds, then you can take a ticket without a seat for 50 rupees, and if you are lucky, you will not have to pay extra 100-200 rupees for the train ticket to the senior car. The trip time is 10-12 hours, the main thing is not to oversleep the Thivim station, because the train goes on without making stops in this state, and you can return from Bangalore or Cheney, at best, in a day. So either stay awake or set an alarm.

From Delhi, it takes about 40 hours by train to the same Thivim station. Train tickets can be bought at the Northern Railway Station building at the station called New Delhi, which is located across the road from Delhi's Paharganj district, which is known to all travelers and drivers of the capital. The ticket price is about 1,500 thousand rupees (about $ 50), for the same price you can buy a ticket for a “slipper bass” that will take you to the market in Mapsa (the unofficial capital of North Goa) or to the central bus station located in Panjime (official the capital of Goa).

Visa regime

Get a visa to Goa, i.e. to India, quite simply. If you are flying on a tour, then the tour operator will do everything on their own (this is included in the price of the tour), you are required to fill out a questionnaire at the office of the travel agency and provide 4 passport photos. I did just that and after 5-7 working days (depending on your tour operator) I received my passport with a stamped visa and flew to Goa on the same day. Making a visa on your own also does not provide any difficulty: for this you need to get to the consular section of the Embassy of India in the country where you live, where you will also need to fill out an application form, pay a visa fee (about 30 USD) and give a photo, through Visa will be ready in 5-7 working days. The difference is that in the first case you will be issued a tourist visa with a duration of no more than 60 days, and in the second - a full 6 months (or as long as you need).

Goa: north and south. What are the differences and what to choose?

The state of Goa is conditionally divided into three parts: North, South and the center (or old Goa). The conditional border of the beach north and south is the Zuari River. Central Goa consists of the Panjim metropolitan area with the state capital of the same name, and the historical area with waterfalls and Hampi.

Holidays in North and South Goa are different, although they are closely connected with the ocean and the beach. Let's figure out which option is best for you.

South Goa: a well-fed, measured beach vacation

If you are a fan of a calm, sedate, measured and expensive all-inclusive vacation, then you certainly need to go to South Goa. On the southern beaches (for example, Palolem) there are luxurious 5-star hotel luxury complexes, for example, Reddison White Sands and Hilton, beautiful hotels are cheaper, but also very comfortable. Prices in good hotels in the south start at about $150-200 per night, but you can find a cheaper option, try looking at reviews and pictures on booking.com. You can also rent no less comfortable bungalows for 4-6 people, located 100 meters from the surf line, costing from $ 100 per night.

In the south, you can be offered the highest class spa and Ayurvedic treatments, and tour operators will specially select for you individual excursions and tours in Goa. In my opinion, South Goa will not let you understand the atmosphere of India, the rest will differ little from similar hotels in any other country in the world.

The most famous beaches here are Aguada, Miramar, Bogmalo, Palolem, Dona Paula, Majorda. Distinctive feature from the "wacky" northern beaches are compactness (almost all beaches are divided into bays), and, of course, silence and full service. it perfect place for family holidays.

North Goa: drive, noise, fun and youth

North Goa is a noisy, cheerful and relatively inexpensive place, a cult place for "hippers". It is believed that it was here that the concept of "downshifting" was born, and there are more downshifters here than tourists. A downshifter is a person who leaves noisy cities, megacities, sacrifices some material values ​​​​and amenities in favor of freedom and spiritual harmony. Such people live either by renting out an apartment (where they used to live), by freelancing or by local part-time jobs. There are slightly fewer hotels in North Goa than in South Goa; small budget hotels 2-3 * are more popular here. But there is a lot of housing that you can rent on your own - guesthouses, rooms, apartments. In the North, life boils and rages - not a single day passes here without parties or, as they call it here, a party, not a single day you get bored and do not sit in your hotel room! Another plus (although, for whom it’s different): there are a lot of Russian-speaking citizens here, the same downshifters who will gladly help you solve any issue, problem, and help you with advice.

Hindus - religion, habits, characteristics of the nation, rules of conduct

Hindus (or Indians) are sympathetic, kind, smiling and inquisitive people. Be prepared for the fact that in the market, in a store, in a taxi, in a hotel, they will ask you what your name is, where you came from, how long you are in India, what you did last night and what is your profession. Everything would be fine, but sometimes it develops into importunity, in such cases answer evasively, with a smile - they will immediately leave you behind. Indians, unlike the Thais, do not dislike tourists - they are always happy to help, give advice or help with deeds.

As a rule, they have large families: up to 10 or even more relatives can live in one house - grandparents, young families with children. That is why in India, surrounded by so many people, you feel safe. Even if some kind of trouble happens to you, a crowd of defenders will immediately appear around you, who will defend you.

They have a clearly expressed patriarchal warehouse of society: the head of the family is a man, a woman does not have the right not to work, even if she stays at home with children, she is obliged to conduct some kind of activity. The absence of children in families, like divorce, is a very rare thing. A big plus is knowledge of the English language: 90% of the inhabitants, young and old, know quite well English language, you will be well understood, with a fairly good pronunciation they will be able to communicate.

Do not be surprised at the abundance of cows here, and everywhere - on the streets, beaches, sleeping under windows or on the porch, like cats, because a cow in India is a sacred animal, it cannot be harmed, shouted at or, God forbid, beat. According to Hindu mythology, after the creation of man, Brahma created a cow, which is why it is sacred. According to other versions, the bull, i.e. The "husband" of the cow is the fighting animal of the god Shiva, one of the most revered Hindu gods. By the way, there are also a lot of dogs here, but cats are a rarity.

The inhabitants of Goa, like the rest of India, are very religious - they start their day with a prayer, moreover, to a variety of gods (according to the most common version - 33 gods). The most important, supreme gods are Brahma (creator), Vishnu (guardian) and Shiva (destroyer), which form the trimurti. It is noteworthy that 98% of the population of Goa are Catholics. In every house you can see a crucifix, paintings with scenes from the Bible, portraits of Jesus, the Virgin Mary. But this does not prevent them from combining these two religions - before dinner, thank God for food, saying a prayer, and before making a decision, they praise Ganesh - the god of wisdom and prosperity.

All Hindus believe in karma and reincarnation - what is destined is what must happen. If a person was born poor, he must bear his karma and not grumble, work off his sins and be reborn in the next life as a rich man.

An interesting sign of merchants: they in every possible way appease, please the first buyer and are ready to make a huge discount, if only you bought the goods from them. In this way, they attract good luck, and trade, they believe, will go briskly. That is why get ready for the market early in the morning, right after its opening - for nothing you can buy a lot of interesting things! And, of course, bargain!

Trading in India is an art. Know the real price of the product and boldly stand on it, even if the original price is 10 times higher. Of course, bargain with a smile on your face, joke around, and be nice to the merchants. There is a certain feature - for food and for goods that have a price tag, i.e. fixed price, bargaining is not accepted. Indians are also a quiet nation, leading a measured way of life. Being the complete opposite of us, they are not in a hurry, they do not fuss, the principle of their life can be considered "be what will be and will be, what is." In their presence, you should not shout, wave your arms - for them this is not only a sign of bad manners, but also a likely threat in their direction. For girls, there is a separate piece of advice: if possible, do not go to the beaches yourself or to any other places unaccompanied (friend, girlfriend, parents, husband): for Indians, white-skinned girls are standards of beauty. Everything would be fine, but in addition to admiring glances and photographing on mobile phone stealthily, they may come up to you and ask you to touch you, if you allow one Hindu, be sure that a crowd of such guys will immediately fly up who will touch your arms, shoulders and take pictures with you without fail. It will be very, very difficult to get rid of them later. Either don't go alone, or let's immediately understand that you don't want any contact.

Of course, there are back side medals of Hindu hospitality: petty cheating, deceit and greed for money, especially for large sums. Therefore, do not carry large amounts of money with you, and even more so never show them in the presence of Hindus. “Heat”, to deceive even in small things, they will try to you everywhere, therefore, always be on the alert and do not succumb to this kind of monetary provocations. Before photographing a person, be sure to ask their permission. Do not touch the Indians with your left hand - they consider it "dirty". Hindus have a very peculiar perception of time and space: “in 10 minutes” they turn into 2 hours, and “two steps” into a kilometer.

Hotels, guesthouses, houses/apartments for rent

In North Goa, housing is often offered for rent - detached houses (a two-room house with all the conditions will cost you $ 250), apartments (a one-room apartment in a new house with all the conditions - $ 150-200), rooms in guesthouses (from 500 rupees per night).

South Goa is full of expensive hotels such as "Raddison" and "Sharaton", but if you search or know where to go, you can find many nameless guest houses, the price tag for a day of stay in which is from 3 to 15 USD. We lived in a bungalow on the beach, costing 300 rupees per day.The conditions are "spartan", but being right on the ocean alleviates all these shortcomings.

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Transport for rent

The main type of transport in Goa is motorbikes (scooters), bikes (more powerful motorcycles), motorcycle and regular taxis. The cost of renting a car will vary depending on its brand and duration. As a rule, the order of prices is as follows: from 500 to 1000 rupees per day and 200-300 dollars per month. Most of the cars are mechanical. Before you take the car, carefully check all its functions, take a picture of it, so that when you return the car, there will be no claims from the owner against you. The cost of renting a scooter or motorbike will cost you from 70 to 130 dollars a month, and bikes of a higher class (such as Royal Enfield) - 200-250 dollars. Rental points - any hotels, guesthouses, taxi drivers will also help you with this white. To rent a transport, you only need to give the required amount of money to the owner a month in advance, they will not require any documents from you (maybe they will ask for a copy of your passport). I would like to note the fact that there are a lot of cows in India and they are everywhere - in yards, near cafes, on the beaches and, of course, on the roads, which creates considerable inconvenience for drivers. Therefore, be careful when driving and in no case accidentally hook a cow: this can be interpreted by the locals as an insult to them and their religion.

Food, cafes, supermarkets, prices, jusnya, alcohol

North Goa has three large supermarkets with good choice goods (relatively good): Savitri (Savitri), Oxford (Oxford), Orchard (Orchard), and one convenience store called Family Supermarket (Family Supermarket). The last three are in the Anjuna Beach area, and the first is at the Chapora-Vagator junction. All of them except Savitri accept credit cards.

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A network of pizzerias "Domino pizza" is distributed throughout the state, which brings the order to the house. To do this, just call them, list what you need and wait for your order within 15 minutes. The pizza is very tasty and satisfying, the cost of one large pizza is 600 rupees (about $10). In addition to it, you may be offered drinks, sweets, etc. at a discount.

The order of prices in stores is approximately the following: a package of juice - 70 rupees, a loaf of bread - 50 rupees, a package of milk - 10 rupees, eggs (10 pieces) - 70 rupees, 1 kg of tomato - 60 rupees, a package of sausages - 120 rupees. By the way, there is no buckwheat in India - not only does it not grow here, but it is also not brought here. So if buckwheat is one of your favorite dishes, then we recommend that you take this cereal with you. You can not ignore the local alcohol, namely, the world-famous dark rum "Old monk" ("Old monk"). It is not only very tasty, but also cheap - 1 bottle of 0.7 liters costs 100 rupees. Be sure to take this drink home (you can transfer up to 5 bottles across the border).

There are a lot of cafes in Goa, each of which has its own “trick”. As a rule, these cafes belong to one family, which keeps a guesthouse next to it. For example, the cult place "Mango tree" - classic rock music always sounds here and excellent latte is prepared.

There are no large supermarkets in South Goa - everything here is focused on a "hotel" vacation. There are small shops with fruits, a coffee shop "Coffee day". Tourists eat mainly in hotels serving haute Indian and other cuisines.

You can not ignore the Juice Center or, as the Russians used to call it, jusnya. This is a small shop where they make and immediately sell freshly squeezed juices, necks, fruit salads, etc. Behind the scenes, it is considered the most "delicious" and the most "fruity" place in Goa. Here you can order a glass or two of juice, a fresh croissant with chocolate and a tasty and satisfying snack.

Despite the general opinion that India is a dirty country, where a snake can attack you from every corner and you can get infected with a million sores, this is not the case in Goa. There are no snakes, so as not to get sick, you must follow the basic rules of sanitary hygiene: drink only bottled water, wash your hands, and avoid places with questionable food. The abundance of garbage is due to overpopulation; in general, Indians are quite clean.

Markets

In Goa, there is such an attraction as a fair or market, which is held twice a week: once during the day (on Wednesdays) and once at night (from Saturday to Sunday). The daytime fair is called the Flea Market, or the Flea Market, which flocks to everyone from young to old, of all nationalities and social strata of the population: merchants, police tourists, bandits, musicians, DJs, artists, filmmakers, famous and not so actors. In a word, all those who crave simple and unpretentious communication, acquiring some trinket from local merchants, drinking cold beer, buying contraband items or jewelry from precious stones, antiques, up to 3000 years old. There is also a small Tibetan market where they sell unusual jewelry, including silver ones.

Girls will like numerous shops with clothes and shoes made of genuine leather, the prices for which will pleasantly surprise you, since you can easily buy yourself a new beautiful sundress for no more than 150 rubles.

The day market is held on Wednesdays from early morning before sunset right on the coast in Anjuna. This market is a kind of strength test - you will not find such a variety of goods and the pressure of sellers anywhere else! If you doubt your strength, do not take with you a large sum money - here you can spend everything.

The second market is a night one. This fair is held on Saturdays, starting after sunset and ending shortly before dawn.

The main venue is an area called Arpora, near the highway, but recently a clone of it has appeared on Baga Road near the Baga River. Here everything is the same as at the daytime fair, the only difference is that rows with fast food, a go-kart circuit, venues with live music or DJ installations, a fire show, and tattoo artists are added to the malls.

There are more European sellers in the night market and, accordingly, more high-quality and exclusive goods. In addition, official dealers for the sale of motor vehicles under the brand name “Royal Endfield” and “Harley Davidson” have recently begun to appear. These trade marks in addition to participating in night markets, they arrange their 5-7 day festivals with a frequency once a season, where fans of one or another brand of bikes gather, participate in motorcycle races, a parade and offer those who wish to join their official gang, which is supported by the local government. Also at these shows you can buy the attributes of the respective brands of bikes.

Famous people in Goa

Probably, in no other place on our planet there were so many creative people as in Goa. Of course, here you can meet Russian actors, singers, politicians and public figures everywhere. Who comes for a month or two to rest, relax, understand the essence of being, and who even lives here seasonally, waiting here for long Moscow winters. Personally, we met the famous performer Dolphin, Bogdan Titomir, the leader of the Russian bike movement "Night Wolves" Alexander Surgeon. A well-known Russian actress, Amalia, lives in an area called Badem, with whom I also had the opportunity to meet and have a pleasant conversation. In 2010, in Goa, Sergei Solovyov shot the famous film Odnoklassniki, where he showed all the delights of the Idian region in great detail and beautifully. The most interesting thing is that everyone could act as an extra, it was not required to do something specific, but just be yourself. On the set of this film, by the way, we met the famous talented Russian actor Mikhail Efremov.

On the beach of Arambol, in the jungle, behind the beach of Kalach Beach, there is Banyan - a tree under which, according to legend, the members of the great Beatles quartet meditated!

The Italian sculptor Jungle, who carved the face of Shiva on a piece of stone with his own hands. This creation can be seen on Vagator Beach. Few from famous people I have not been here - a calm, peaceful atmosphere allows you to completely relax, relieve accumulated fatigue and negativity, accept new creative ideas from the Universe and tune in to a working mood.

Summing up, I want to say that a vacation in Goa for me is a little more than just a trip to the sea. This is getting into a completely different world, the principles of which are very close to me. Freedom, I, Goa! Then I’ll tell you about the beaches and excursions to Goa.

Independent travel in India. Part five.

Delhi - Goa buy train tickets.

One of our first tasks in Delhi was buying train tickets to Goa, so we went to the Delhi Central Railway Station. Tourists from other countries can buy tickets there under a special quota for foreign citizens. We knew that we needed tickets for the Goa Express or Nizamuddin Express in the 2AC class car (something like our reserved seat, only the curtains from the common aisle are still drawn), and that they can be bought on the second floor of the New Delhi Central Station. But when we arrived at the station, we found ourselves in such a noisy, seething crowd that we could not figure out how to get to the second floor of the building and asked the station worker about this (he was in a special uniform). To which he answered us that the ticket office for foreign tourists was moved to another building (which, of course, was not true). We were immediately called a tuk-tuk, and caring guys explained to the driver where to take us. As a result, we were brought to one of the many travel agencies, whose worker assured us that it was the season and there were simply no tickets for the trains that we needed, and offered us to get to Goa almost through Nepal, by several trains with transfers, but we immediately understood what was the matter and just left.

So do not be fooled, as we are, by the stories of guys in uniform that there is now a special office for foreign tourists, but just stubbornly make your way to the second floor of the station to the ticket office. There, it’s true that you will have to fill out a small form, but for people who decide to travel around India on their own, I think this is not a problem.
In the end, we still bought train tickets through a travel agency, the owner of which was a girl from Spain. Seeing a European face, we somehow gained confidence in her, and she honestly told us that she would take her percentage for buying tickets. Tickets cost instead of 1500 rupees, somewhere around 1800 rupees for one, for us it was acceptable, and since we had to leave the guesthouse in a few days, she picked up a hotel for us in a relatively quiet and safe area of ​​Delhi.

Travel by train from Delhi to Goa.

I can't help mentioning our Indian train journey. Still, it was quite an unusual experience. Our train to Goa Nizamuddin Express departed from Nizamuddin Station (Delhi). We arrived there in advance, found the path from which he should go. On the platform, we saw the markings, where which car of the train should stop. We found the number of our car and saw that there were only men around us, and only Indian ones. Not a single European person (although the first travel agency where we were taken assured that the season was full and there were plenty of foreigners, everyone went to Goa and therefore there were no tickets). To be honest, we are stressed out.

Then we saw that some dude was walking along the platform, all hung with chains and locks, shouting something, and people were actively buying his equipment from him. Here we tensed even more, but just in case, we also bought ourselves a chain and a lock. Soon a train arrived, the numbering of the cars, of course, did not match the markings on the platform. This is India.) We entered the car, found our seats and saw that our neighbors were two lovely girls. One student was on her way home for the holidays, and another Indian Army officer was also on her way home on vacation. In general, the passengers in our car were mostly married couples with children who went to the sea for the Christmas holidays. Seeing this contingent, we calmed down.

We had a class 2AC car, as I wrote earlier, it is something like our reserved seat, only the sleeping places are still covered with curtains from the common passage.

There are other differences, of course. The window is smaller than in our reserved seat, there is no upper window, so the car is always twilight, there is a small mirror above the window, the table is also very small, there is a fan on top, but there is an outlet for each seat. Each carriage has four toilets. As soon as the train started, one of our neighbors took out a chain and fastened her suitcase to a table leg (that's what chains are for). We did the same.

With the start of movement, sellers of coffee, tea, water and sweets immediately began to walk around the car. In our favorite cafe, we ordered food for the road, after all, it was still more than thirty hours to go, and we did not see any packages with food from our neighbors and soon understood why. The guide came up to us and handed out lunch and dinner menus to everyone, the prices were ridiculous, the girls immediately made an order, we haven’t taken anything yet. After some time, they were served with lunches, all dishes in disposable foil dishes. The girls sat in the lotus position, put the dressing down on their feet and ate with appetite everything that was brought to them. Then the conductor took the separations, such a service, in general, you won’t stay hungry on an Indian train.

By the end of the second day of the trip, we still ordered dal, chapatis and something else. Here the story was repeated with most of the Delhi cafes, the dal was unrealistically spicy. But our neighbors laughed heartily, watching how our faces twisted after the first sample of the dish. Our train went to Vasco da Gama station. At first we wanted to get off there, but after looking at the map, we realized that from there we could only get to North Goa by taxi. But having left a little earlier at the large Margao station, it will be possible to transfer to the train and get to the Thivim station, the closest to the beaches where we were going to look for housing. According to the schedule, our train was supposed to arrive in Margao at about five in the morning, but in fact it arrived there only at seven, what can I say - India. A lot of people got off at this station with us, after all, it is more convenient to get from there in any direction.

Just in case, I went to the taxi stand and found out that it would cost us two thousand rupees to get to North Goa. The train to Thivim is only at nine in the morning, but tickets for it for two cost a little more than twenty rupees, so we decided to wait for nine hours. We transferred our numerous luggage to another platform, we are waiting.

The time is closer to nine. The Mumbai Express arrived on the route from which our Tivim Express should depart and does not leave in any way, but knowing that the train on which we arrived was more than two hours late, we are not very worried. Just in case, we ask the locals what kind of train it is on the first track, show the tickets, they say no, not yours. It’s five minutes to nine, two people in the uniform of railway workers are walking along the platform, we show them tickets, we ask where our train is, to which they answer us: “Yes, here it is,” and they point to the Mumbai Express, and they also advise Hurry up or he'll be leaving now.

We run to grab our suitcases and numerous bags, the train starts to move, we jump into it almost on the move, not fully understanding whether we got on that train or not, but we are already on our way. We go into the car, ask the conductor if this train goes to Tivim, he says that yes, of course, only this is a high-class car, and we have tickets for a common car that is hooked to the tail of the train, and it is he who is called the Tivim Express, I repeat once again - India, what can you do).

Holidays in Goa were an obligatory part of my Indian expedition, if not for the rainy season, then I probably would have spent the rest of my six-month visa here, but the Goan weather drove me from this cozy corner to the north of India.

If you are looking for information on how to get from Delhi to Goa, then reading this post will give you a lot of useful information. If after reading you still have questions, then ask them in the comments.

Buying a train ticket at the Goa Tourist Office

I would like to draw your attention in detail to the purchase of train tickets, in Goa and in the rest of India, it is advisable to purchase them in advance. For this purpose, there are tourist offices in India, in Goa I bought several tickets at once for my further route at the Vasco Da Gama railway station.

Read my article about the process of buying tickets, about the necessary skills and perseverance when buying and forward to the railway station, for one you can walk around the city of Vasco Da Gama, it also has its own charm (although this is already an amateur).

How to get from Arambol to Madgaon railway station

The bus route along the route Arambol - Margao was standard, read about it in detail in the post about buses in Goa and in the post about the road to the Dudhsagar waterfall by bus, part of the route is described in detail there.

There weren’t enough foreigners for a full compartment, so I had a guy from Kazakhstan as my fellow travelers, who meditated all the way, read mantras and was dumb on a smartphone, and a real Israeli, originally from the Haifa area. Time will tell that I will meet these travelers more than once on my Indian trip.

The rest of the compartment was occupied by Muslims, real Muslims - good-natured, peace-loving and God-fearing, and not those about whom they talk about in the news. Muslims went to Delhi to study the Koran and emphasized it in every possible way.

In general, it was fun to drive, something always happened in our compartment, sometimes Muslims pray in front of the window, sometimes a Kazakh reads mantras, sometimes a Jew teaches Muslims to reason, etc. In the intervals between all this farce, all kinds of peddlers, tea sellers, people of the third field, wandering musicians, frank beggars and other important Indian people walked around the car. It was especially interesting to watch this Indian life from the third shelf, no one bothers you, but you see it all and amuse yourself.

To travel from Goa to Delhi is almost 2,200 kilometers (as indicated on the ticket), which is more than two days in the time equivalent, it's time to get to know others and carefully study Indian life on wheels.

I immediately found a common language with an Israeli, he, like me, wears braces and just hates them. We discussed all the features of this case, I boasted of an irrigator, and he told about the prices for medical services in Israel. We talked about all the pros and cons of having Israeli citizenship, chatted about his hometown and about the trips to India that an Israeli makes every year.

Photos from the train window

The first day on the train is the easiest of this long trip, everything seems interesting and you can take beautiful Goan pictures from the window.

The train winds and slowly climbs into the mountains. The first station on the Goa Express train route is the small Kulem station. Those who traveled to the Dudhsagar waterfall by bus according to my guide know about the existence of this station.

This is what the Dudhsagar waterfall looks like up close, very soon the monsoon will come to Goa and the waterfall will be full-flowing and beautiful, but at the end of May there is practically no water in it.

Evening concert

The first day of travel on the Goa Express train came to an end, but the Indians flatly refused to rest, but continued to have fun and play tricks in every possible way.

Closer to the night, in the next compartment, the Indians began to play the hits of the Beatles and Deep Purple with a guitar. I must say, they played well, so I didn’t mind, below the Muslims prayed through the window, and the Kazakh recited mantras and meditated. In a word, the evening of an ordinary day, in an ordinary Indian train.

Second day on the train Goa - Delhi

The second day of the trip began with sweltering heat, it was from the heat that I woke up. It seemed that the train was going straight through hell, but everything turned out to be much more prosaic, we left the jungle and are now moving along the flat terrain. It seemed that the train was under +50, and it's only morning.

Whoever tried to save himself from this sauna, for example, a Kazakh ran to the toilet every 20 minutes and soaked his shirt, but after 15 minutes it completely dried out right on him.

The view from the window was terrible, nothing like yesterday's idyllic pictures. Around the ruins, dirt and scorched earth.

Sellers of all sorts of things, sellers of tea and fresh press, scurried around the car with might and main, in a word, “Good morning India.”

Train ride

There were no events in the first half of the day, so I walked around the train and took pictures, and now I'll show you how everything works here. It is worth saying that there are no conductors or drivers in the sleeper cars, and the car looks more like an entrance yard with all the pluses and minuses of an entrance yard.

Very often you can see how whole families travel in the vestibules of such cars without buying tickets, no one drives them, as there is an unspoken rule, they do not climb into the car and no one touches them. So don't pay attention to people sleeping on the floor special attention, carefully step over and do not particularly disturb them.

Kitchen car in Indian train

There is a kitchen in the next car, usually you can’t enter here, but they let me in. Everything looks quite normal, of course unsanitary, but the products are fresh and you can eat a hearty meal for only 80 rupees. Please note that sleeping places for workers are arranged in the aisle, a passage for people during the day, shelves are laid out at night, and cooks sleep.

Toilets on an Indian train

Each car has four toilets (four toilets per car), two cubicles with European toilets, two in oriental style (a hole in the floor). There is also a washbasin, a couple of washbasins are also in the vestibule, so you can brush your teeth without going to the toilet.

Jewish-Muslim conflict on the train

As you can see, there is absolutely nothing to do on the train, so after a morning walk and light breakfast, I climb onto my third shelf, hoping to take a nap. And I almost got it, but not for long. This time I was awakened by a loud noise from downstairs.

Downstairs there was a dispute not for life, but for death. At some point, it seemed that one of the passengers would soon be beaten, possibly kicked. I finally woke up, I go down and see the oil painting. An Israeli, surrounded by a Muslim crowd of bearded men, is trying to appeal to historical facts that no one understands, but no one hears him and they try to fill his face.

As I understand it, the conflict came out on religious grounds (so I think I was sleeping at that time). It all happened because of the arrival of an Islamic preacher in our compartment, who accompanied a group of Muslims from their village to Delhi, where they were supposed to study the Koran. Probably, the Israeli was talking about good Islam and bad Islam, and probably tried to prove to the Muslim preacher that one should teach people only good and not teach bad. Probably, then everything went into the national plane, into the plane of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and off we go.

To my surprise, the conflict was resolved peacefully and very quickly. The Israeli quickly realized that he did not need a conflict, took out his passport and showed it to his bearded opponents with the words: “Actually, I am an Englishman.”

The bearded men twisted their passports, shook their heads and calmed down. I also became interested in such a transformation of an Israeli, yesterday I spoke with him about the delights of Israel, and today he has become an Englishman. I took my passport and indeed, in front of me is a citizen of the United Kingdom. Still, what a resourceful and smart people.

Shapito circus

I lie down to rest, and again there is noise, din, songs in the car. I look down, and there young children run around the car and show a real circus performance. All dirty, grimy, but how can they work for the public. The show program lasted about ten minutes and consisted of simple acrobatic numbers, and what else can children do. There were enough antics and stupid tricks, adult Indians rejoiced like children, I was sad to look at it.

Immediately after the end of the performance, the fundraising for the show program began, and the fundraising was longer than the performance itself.

Typical Indian Cheating on the Train

In the afternoon, I got used to the inhuman heat in the car, show programs, Muslims praying through the window, a meditating Kazakh, a violent Israeli and other external stimuli, but it turns out that everything is not so simple.

The train was about half way from Goa to Delhi and endless stations of the same type began, the people in the car began to change, some of the passengers left, new ones came to their places, and so on ad infinitum. At one of these stops, an employee of the kitchen car (as he introduced himself) walked through the car in uniform, with a branded notebook and other attributes of a “man in uniform” and took orders from everyone for a late dinner.

A standard procedure for Indian trains, you order food, it is cooked, they bring it in an hour, you pay and eat. Really convenient initiative and not expensive.

My pale-faced companions and I ordered dinner from this man (the price of the dishes was immediately announced to us, we agreed with her). The Muslims refused the service, because they ate their home supplies, they also fed us. The man disappeared, and the train continued to stand at the half-station (or at a very small station). Twenty minutes later, the train traveled a little less than a kilometer and stopped at a large station (unfortunately, I did not remember its name).

The wagon people took advantage of a stop at a large station and went to the platform to buy bananas, juices and other rubbish. The Kazakh was the first to return with the words “Everything we ordered costs three times cheaper at the station.” I looked out the window and indeed, people were wandering around the platform and selling neatly packaged lunches at a price of 70 rupees per serving.

Five minutes later, a fake employee of the kitchen car came and brought our orders, which are exactly the same as on the platform, but three times more expensive. To be honest, I would pay for such resourcefulness and entrepreneurial vein of an Indian, but my fellow travelers arranged a real Pearl Harbor for the entrepreneur, the man understood everything and did not ask unnecessary questions.

The second day on the train Goa - Delhi was coming to an end and nothing more interesting happened that day.

Third day in the train Goa - Delhi

On the third day, there were even more passengers in our compartment (5 people were sitting on the lower shelves), the attraction of a large city was felt, with all its opportunities and temptations, working people from all over India went to Delhi trying to get closer to their Indian dream.

This time I did not plan to stay in Delhi for a long time, I wanted to leave the city without attention and immediately go to Rishikesh. Having told my fellow travelers about my route, I hoped for a further joint trip, but my Europeanized colleagues each traveled along their own route. But one of the newly arrived passengers was on his way to his home in Nepal and didn't mind keeping me company for a short distance. Read about it in the next post.

Delhi Seruns

The train was approaching the capital of India and the proximity of Delhi was literally in the air. The landscapes outside the window on the third day of the trip were very different from the Goan ones and looked more like the world after the apocalypse, such is the retribution for being close to the metropolis.

Pay attention to this photo, in the foreground there are heaps of manure, which will turn into eco-fuel for heating and cooking, but this is the main thing. In the background, you can see the local housing, which is built from cardboard and rags, but each such hut must have a satellite dish. What for? I do not ask where the parked cars came from, but even a satellite dish in this case is a completely incomprehensible thing for me.

Seruns were a feature of the morning Delhi landscapes, a lot has been written about this feature of the inhabitants of Delhi on the Vinsky forum, so anyone who is especially interested can read all the details on Vinsky.

What I want to add is that it’s not shameful to shit in the middle of the street in India, it’s hardly possible to surprise anyone with such behavior, there’s nothing wrong with that, and you quickly get used to people who relieve themselves. But when this action is large-scale and orderly, then such behavior is surprising.

Just imagine that the entire space around the railway tracks is littered with shitting people, people sit in thoughtful poses in splendid isolation, in small companies and discuss something, in large companies, etc. Most of the Seruns are men, but where do women relieve themselves?

Arrival of the Goa Express train in Delhi

The Goa Express train arrives in Delhi not at the main New Delhi station in the center of the Indian capital, but at one of the many, and, it seems to me, secondary stations, at the Hazrat Nizamuddin station (Nizamuddin), which is located on the outskirts of the city.

There are even more people at the Nizamuddin station than at the other stations in Delhi, the local infrastructure is in a deplorable state (there is no metro or an adequate bus station), and for the first time you can get lost here, keep this in mind. Pro further way from Delhi to Rishikesh, read in my next posts.

If you decide to get to Goa with transfers, then you will surely get an excellent opportunity to study the geography and ethnography, history and culture of India. It will be a unique tour of the country, especially if you choose ground transport.

A significant part of our compatriots comes from Russia to Delhi, the capital of India. From Delhi to Goa in a straight line, the distance is about one and a half thousand kilometers to the southwest. It remains only to pass or fly them.

The travel time from Delhi to Goa depends on the type of transport you choose. If you move by land transport, then the distance will be more than 1,800 km, you can drive it in 30 hours, but more often it takes much longer.

If you fly directly from Delhi airport to, then, depending on the flight, the flight time can be up to three hours, it includes boarding and disembarking air passengers of the liner.

Which transport is better to choose?

Everything depends on you. If you have free time, take ground transportation to get to know other Indian states. You will spend more time, but save a lot on tickets.

During the trip from Delhi to Goa, you can meet the locals, plunge into the authentic atmosphere of the Indian province, really get to know and understand India, and not its glossy tourist cover.

If you have arrived in India for a few days, choose a plane to acclimatize, get used to the time zone and enjoy the beaches of Goa in the Bounty style, do not forget: India is a huge country.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW! Often, tourists who want to get to Goa first go from Delhi to Mumbai. There you can find more convenient options for direct flights on one of the modes of transport or just to see the city.

1. By plane

Try to pre-book tickets from Delhi to Goa on the Internet. If you did it in the off-season or in the Low season, then upon arrival in India in the High season, tickets will be an order of magnitude cheaper, up to three times.

When choosing a ticket, remember that it is more profitable and economical to take a double ticket at once: there and back. If you plan to fly on weekdays, at an early or late time of the day, you will also receive cost advantages.

Foreign tourists arrive in the Indian capital through the Indira Gandhi Airport. It is located in the administrative part of Delhi called New Delhi. Before the execution of migration procedures, we do not recommend leaving from there in order to avoid bureaucratic problems.

We do not recommend immediately changing dollars or euros to the local currency of the rupee. Doing this at the airport is extremely unprofitable. Swap some change for a taxi fare if a taxi ride to your hotel is not included in your tour.

You can get by plane to Dabolim Airport in Goa using the following airlines:

1. AirAsia;
2. Air India;
3. jetairways;
4. Etihad.

The cost of the flight depends on the season, day of the week, time of day, air carrier and other factors, it can range from $140 to $380. If you have time between plane connections, be sure to check out the city.