Goa (File photo)
By Air
Goa International Airport at Dabolim near Vasco da Gama is the state’s only airport. It caters to domestic and international air services with at least two dozen arrivals from India and middle-eastern countries such as Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Muscat, Doha, Dubai and Kuwait. Jet Airways, GoAir, Indigo, Air India, Qatar Airways and Air Arabia are among the major airlines that have scheduled flights to Goa. Several tourists from the UK and Russia avail of charter air services to Goa. In January 2016, the ministry of civil aviation relaxed the rules for charter airlines. Earlier chartered aircraft had to return empty after dropping off their passengers. With the change in the policy, these aircraft need not fly out with the same set of passengers thus cutting operating costs for airlines and reducing the tour package costs for travelers.
By Train
The South Western Railway and the Konkan Railway lines service the state of Goa. The former is a colonial era line that connects the port town of Vasco with Belgaum, Hubli etc. The more recent (and a pleasant) addition is the Konkan Railway line that was constructed in the ‘90s and connects Margao to cities along India’s western coast. Before the Konkan Railway line became operational, roadways were the most preferred mode of transport for people traveling from cities along the west coast, such as Mumbai. Panaji, the state capital, does not have a railway station. Madgaon and Vasco Da Gama are two major railway junctions in Goa.
By Road
With the absence of a regular train service within the state, much of Goa depends upon privately-operated buses and government-run buses maintained by the Kadamba Transport Corporation to travel from one place to another. Even though the buses connect major towns and remote villages, several Goans depend on private transport to get around.
Four National Highways -- some of the narrowest in the country -- run through Goa:
NH66 connects Goa to Mumbai in the north and Mangalore to the south.
NH-4A connects Panaji to Belgaum in the east and other cities such as Bangalore, Kolhapur etc.
NH-366 connects NH-66 to Mormugao Port from Cortalim.
Constructed to ease pressure on NH 366 for traffic towards Dabolim Airport and Vasco da Gama is the brand new four-lane NH-566 that connects Mormugao Port to NH-66 at Verna via Dabolim Airport.
