Perhaps all travelers thirsting for adventure sooner or later find themselves in the most colorful state of India - Goa. To help tourists, I collected the most useful information about how to get to Goa from Russia and other Indian cities, as well as from Goa Dabolim airport to the coolest beaches and resort towns of North and South Goa.
How to get to Goa from Russia?
- During the season (November to May) there are direct flights to Goa charter flights Nordwind airlines Airlines, Transaero, UTair and others from Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk. The cost of an air ticket for a direct flight Moscow – Goa is from $290 two ways.
- During the off-season, there are no direct flights to Goa from Russia. You can fly from Moscow to Delhi on a regular Aeroflot or Transaero flight, and then transfer to a train or plane to Goa. The cost of a direct flight from Moscow to Delhi starts from $146. In addition, there is an option to buy a flight from Moscow to Mumbai at a price of $212 roundtrip, from where it is much closer to getting to Goa than from Delhi.
How to get to Goa from other Indian cities?
If you fly to Delhi or Mumbai, then you can get to Goa in the following ways. The distance from Delhi to Goa is 1880 km, from Mumbai to Goa is 604 km.
Train to Goa from Mumbai and Delhi
- From Delhi, trains to Goa depart from New Delhi and H.Nizamuddin railway stations. Travel time is 27.5 hours. Ticket price is $28.
- From Mumbai, trains to Goa depart from Mumbai Cst railway station. Travel time – 8 hours. Ticket price is $10.
Trains to Goa from Mumbai and Delhi railway stations arrive at Vasco da Gama, Thivim in North Goa and Madgaon in South Goa. From these stations you can take a bus to the city you need or get to the state capital of Panjim and change to another bus.
Train tickets can be purchased for different classes of carriages. Most sold - sleeping car sleepper, where it’s full of Indians, and where I wouldn’t advise tourists to go. If you decide to travel by train, you can book your tickets on Cleartrip.com. The names of train passengers must be checked on a special notice board before boarding the train, and then again at the door of the carriage. I would not recommend girls traveling alone in India by train, since in India there are frequent cases of rape of tourists, and the cars on the trains here are shared, and you never know with whom you will sit, let alone on the next one - on a common shelf (due to the lack of seats people are often sold the same berth on trains).
Important! When traveling long distances in India, make sure that the ticket office does not sell you a ticket marked WL (Waiting list). This means that the train is sold out and you are being put on a waiting list in case someone cancels their ticket. With such a ticket you have a chance to leave, but you may end up with nothing.
Bus to Goa from Mumbai and Delhi
- From Mumbai to Goa buses sent very often. Travel time to Goa is 15-16 hours. Ticket price – $4.5 – 23. There are many places for passengers to board the bus to Goa in Mumbai (about 222 departure points), all of them are listed on the website.
- There is no direct bus to Goa from Delhi. You will need to first fly to Pune and then take a direct bus to Goa. The cost of an air ticket from Delhi to Pune is $137 roundtrip. The bus from Pune to Goa departs from the Pune Railway station or from the Swargate stop. Travel time to Goa is 10-15 hours. Ticket price – $5.3 – 18.
Buses in Goa arrive in the city of Mapsa (Mapusa) - the largest bus hub of the resort. You can check the bus schedule and prices on the Makemytrip website and book your bus ticket there. On the same site it is very convenient to plan travel routes around India by bus, train, plane in the Route Planner tab. If you do not buy your ticket online, you can purchase it from a Travel agency near the bus station.
Plane to Goa from Mumbai and Delhi
It is most convenient if you arrive in Big City India, get to Goa by plane. An air ticket from Delhi to Goa will cost you from $148 two ways; Mumbai – Goa – from $68 two ways.
We have figured out how to get to Goa, and now we will get acquainted with Goa airport and how to get from Goa airport to the resort towns of the state.
Brief information about Goa Airport
There is only one airport in Goa, it is located in the city of Dabolim, which is why it got its name - Dabolim Airport. The nearest city from the airport is Vasco da Gama, located 5 km away. The state capital, Panaji, is located 30 km from the airport. The airport's passenger turnover is more than 4.5 million passengers per year. The airport is actually located on the border of North and South Goa. For your convenience, I have attached a map below. Goa State with main attractions and hotels.
Previously, Goa airport was a pitiful sight, and the reconstruction of its international terminal was constantly pushed back. However, since March 2014, the airport opened a new modern terminal with three levels instead of the old two terminals. The new terminal serves both domestic and international flights. Despite the fact that the airport is sometimes chaotic, it used to be even worse, so we are happy with what we have.
This is what the old Dabolim airport terminal looked like.
And this is what the new modern terminal looks like.
Bus + train from Dabolim airport to railway station in North and South Goa
There are 3 railway stations in the airport area: Vasco da Gama, Sankval and Dabolim. To get to these train stations, you need to take a local bus from the airport. Buses do not have numbers, and their route is indicated on a sign on the windshield. The ticket is purchased directly from the driver. The fare is $0.15-0.23.
The largest of the listed stations is railroad station Vasco da Gama, located 5 km from the airport. From the railway stations you can reach Thivim railway station in North Goa and Madgaon railway station in South Goa. Already there you will need to change to a bus to your city/beach. This is an extremely uncomfortable way to travel, as you already understand.
The distance from Dabolim Airport to Margao is 26 km, from Dabolim Airport to Thivim is 46 km.
I want to warn you right away that trains and buses in India are almost always jam-packed. You've probably seen pictures on the Internet where people are literally sitting on top of each other on a train. So, in India this is exactly how it is. You can only get on the train if you buy a ticket in advance. You are unlikely to be able to buy a train ticket at the ticket office before departure. Trains in India are almost always late and are hardly a reliable mode of transport. Therefore, I would not recommend using them if time is running out and you need to reach your destination by a certain time.
Shuttle bus from Goa airport to resorts
This option is available to you if you stay in Goa at one of the hotels that provide free airport transfers. The following hotels provide this service: The Leela Goa (from $113 per night) in South Goa, Cidade de Goa (from $79 per night) in North Goa or Sandray Luxury Apartments and Villa (from $45 per night) in South Goa.
Taxi from Goa airport to resorts
I strongly recommend that you use a taxi service to quickly and comfortably get from Goa airport to your destination in both North and South Goa: Karwar, Anjuna, Ponda, Mapusa, Betalbatim, Calangute, Candolim, Vagator, Panaji. A Russian taxi, which is available, will take you at a fixed price to almost anywhere in the state of Goa and to other cities in India if necessary.
Taxi is inexpensive and, in my opinion, is a great alternative to the unstable Indian public transport. You don't have to shake in the heat among a crowd of Hindus in unsanitary conditions, or risk taking a bus in the evening or at night: the crime rate in India is very high. If you go with a group, a taxi ride will cost you even less.
If you get into a taxi with locals, you will be ready to bargain, because... their first reaction to a foreigner is to inflate the price of the trip significantly.
Plan your trip in advance and save up to 40%!
Dabolim is a small airport big resort. It is located four kilometers from the town of Vasco da Gama near the village of Dabolim. To the administrative center of the state of Goa - Panaji city- from here 29 km.
Story
Construction of the airport began thanks to the decision of the Portuguese colonial authorities in the 1950s. For this purpose, 101 hectares of land were allocated Dabolim village, whose name the airport still bears. Airplanes of TAIP (Transportes Aéreos da Índia Portuguesa) were supposed to fly from here, serving destinations to Karachi, Daman, Mozambique, Timor, Diu. TAP Portugal airlines also made regular flights here from the metropolis.
When India, having gained independence from Great Britain, began to annex by force territories that were part of the colonial possessions of other states. Portugal did not escape this either. As a result of the fighting in 1961, Dabolim Airport was bombed by the Indian Air Force. Some of the buildings on its territory were destroyed, and civil aircraft, who were at the airport at that moment, managed to fly away only under the cover of darkness. Dabolim finally passed into the hands of the Indian authorities in the spring of 1962, when a unit of the Indian Air Force settled here.
How long does it take to fly to Goa from different cities in Russia?
Flight time ascending:
- from Ufa 6 hours 10 minutes - 6 hours 30 minutes
- from Yekaterinburg 6 hours 30 minutes
- from Krasnodar 6 hours 45 minutes
- from Samara 6 hours 45 minutes
- from Perm 6 hours 50 minutes
- from Moscow 7 hours - 7 hours 20 minutes
- from Saint-Petersburg 7 hours 50 minutes - 8 hours
Flight time depends on the direction of air currents, so it can change in both directions. In any case, before takeoff, the aircraft captain announces the estimated time of arrival at the final destination.
There are three regular direct flights to Goa Russian airlines: Aeroflot- Russian airlines, VIM-Avia (VIM Airlines) And Transaero(Transaero Airlines). On their own, they almost completely fill the weekly calendar. Increasing demand for transportation is complemented by a number of smaller airlines operating charter flights to Goa. Among them the company is noted "Ruslines". Of the foreign companies flying to Goa via Russia, we can note Air flights Arabia and Qatar Airways.
Many people think that . But you and I know that this is not so.
Do you know what it is? This is the wheel of law with 24 spokes, which is drawn at the very center of the Indian flag.
February is the coldest month in Russia. , what is the weather like this month in Goa.
Important points in conclusion
By airport
- terminal No. 1 operates for domestic flights, terminal No. 2 - for international flights;
- Wi-Fi is paid and only through TataIindicom;
- There is a medical aid station.
Upon arrival
- travel from the plane to the airport building is carried out exclusively by bus;
- When passing through customs control, you must provide a completed Arrival card;
- luggage is issued in one place from two belts;
- There are trolleys for luggage, but no storage lockers;
- unfavorable currency exchange rate at the airport;
- At the exit from the airport there is a taxi stand, from where cars go to most resorts at fixed prices.
By departure
- You are allowed into the airport building only if you have a ticket, but no earlier than 4 hours before departure. As a rule, 2 hours is enough to complete all formalities;
- registration is carried out not according to the current flight number, but according to the carrier;
- The completed card must be presented to customs Departure card;
- You can pack your luggage using the packing machine located in the international hall;
- Food options are very limited: in the international hall there is only a cafe and a snack machine.
Dabolim is classified as an airport with poorly developed infrastructure, and although the Indian government has taken a number of measures to expand its capabilities, it is still far from reaching the modern level. Outdated equipment and local laws prevent this from being achieved.
Video review of Dabolim Airport
Dabolim International Airport - this is the answer to the question of tourists who are interested in which airport planes fly to in Goa. Today it is the only air harbor, a kind of tourist gateway that lets vacationers into this amazing place.
The airport was built in the 50s of the 20th century by the Portuguese authorities. At that time, this region was not yet part of India, it was a colony of Portugal. Gradually the struggle for independence reached these places. In 1962, the airport was captured by the Indian Navy. Today it is still the property of the military forces of the Republic, located on the territory of the Hansa military air unit.
In recent years, local authorities have chosen the tourism industry as the basis for the development of the region. Naturally, tourists must somehow get to the beaches of the Arabian Sea, on the shores of which the state is located. The only airport in Goa belongs to the military, but the authorities have found a way to cooperate with them. The military now uses the air harbor along with civil aviation.
Unique collaboration
Any movement within the airport is controlled by the military. They are at the entrance, checking documents and tickets. It is impossible for those seeing off and greeting people to enter the premises. People are allowed into the terminals using lists that include all passengers on departing civil flights for the current date.
All civil and charter flights cannot use the airport on weekdays from eight to thirteen hours. This time is reserved for military exercises. Due to such restrictions, passengers often experience inconvenience in the form of huge queues and large crowds of people. The airport management cannot avoid this in any way, since due to time restrictions it is necessary to simultaneously serve passengers on several flights, the departure and arrival of which are carried out with minimal intervals.
This situation does not suit both tourists and local authorities. To improve service at least a little, a new one was opened in 2014 international terminal, and by 2017 it is planned to complete the construction of a civil air hub in Maupay.
Airport code
Goa Airport at Dabolim is the state's only air transport hub, so it is not surprising that its code is international aviation looks like IATA: GOI – ICAO: VOGO.
The full (official) name is Dabolim Airport. One runway, numbered 08/26, has an asphalt surface of 3,458 meters in length. Situated above the Arabian Sea, which makes the arrival of tourists in Goa especially impressive.
Online scoreboard
You can find out the schedule of all flights that will be serviced simultaneously with yours through the board available on our website. This information will help you determine how long it will take to register, and you can also mentally prepare for long lines in advance.
Luggage packing
Baggage at Goa airport undergoes the following procedure:
- There is a scanner at the entrance through which all luggage is passed;
- scanned items are tied with a plastic security tape, after which it can no longer be opened;
- if you are overweight, then next to the scanner there are scales for self-service: before pulling the security tape, you can pick up things from the scanner, adjust the weight and submit them for inspection again;
- Before scanning, be sure to make sure that there are no lighters or liquids among your things;
- lighters are prohibited from being carried on the plane, both in luggage and hand luggage, liquids in acceptable volumes are packaged in a transparent plastic bag;
- hand luggage is almost never weighed; overweight luggage up to two kilograms does not cause any particular difficulties;
- film rewinding is desirable to reduce the likelihood of things being opened and stolen;
- rewinding services available - 200 rupees;
- If desired, you can buy the film in advance and wrap your luggage yourself;
- after checking in for the flight, you are given air tickets and your suitcases are collected;
- then there is a personal search and check of hand luggage through a scanner;
- after passing through the metal detector, they issue special tags for hand luggage, which must be stuck on all bags taken into the cabin, and then stamped on them;
- When boarding, items without stamped tags cannot be carried onto the plane, so be sure to stick them on.
Luggage storage
Many passengers flying to Goa in winter are faced with the difficulty of where to put their warm clothes. Some people hope to leave them at the airport in Goa for the duration of their holiday. To avoid disappointment, know in advance that there are no luggage storage facilities here. The military even lets people into the terminal premises based on lists, and even more so, no one will allow anyone to leave their things here. Such features of military cooperation.
If your vacation involves stationary accommodation, then you can purchase vacuum bags in advance, take them with you as hand luggage, put warm clothes in them after boarding the plane, and then, most importantly, do not forget to pick them up from the hotel upon departure, when you completely forget that it might be winter somewhere now.
If you are planning to travel around Goa, then it is better to leave warm clothes at home. You can do this in two ways:
Give things to those accompanying you, on the condition that they will bring them to you when you return from vacation.
Place your belongings in a storage room at the departure airport or use a wardrobe specially designed for winter clothes for passengers traveling to warm countries.
Whichever option you choose, keep in mind that a bus will take you from the airport to the plane. If there is a lot of minus outside, then you will be completely uncomfortable in flip-flops and shorts. You will still need to take something warm with you on the plane.
Ways to get to the hotel
The airport is located away from residential areas. Therefore, you need to find out in advance how to get from it to the city you need. There are three options for resolving this issue.
Transfer
If you book a hotel or other accommodation in advance for a period of more than a week through travel intermediaries, then most likely you will be offered a transfer to the hotel for free. In any case, you can order this service separately. Depending on the distance and the chosen car, it will cost from 40 to 150 dollars.
When ordering a transfer from the airport, you will need to contact your chosen intermediary before departure, tell him how many passengers and things there will be, what level of comfort you prefer, the city where your hotel is located and its exact address.
If you are traveling on a budget, then you will like the third option. The entire trip will cost a maximum of one hundred rupees, but be prepared to spend almost four hours on it and make four transfers in different cities. Moreover, after seven o'clock in the evening the buses do not run.
If you have a lot of things, don't even consider this option, since the journey begins with catching a full bus passing by the airport, which you will not board with large luggage. You need to take this bus to Vasco, then change to the one that goes to the capital if you need to north goa. From Panaji you get to Mapusa, and from there there are buses to all resorts. South Goa can be reached via Margao, which is served by buses from Vasco.
There is only one airport in Goa called Dabolim. Its abbreviated name is GOI ( Goa International Airport). And even then, this is not exactly a tourist airport: most of it belongs to the Indian Ministry of Defense. Today the airport has two terminals: Terminal 1 serves domestic flights, and Terminal 2 is international.
Goa's "air gate" was built in the 1950s by the Portuguese (at that time the state was a Portuguese colony and was not part of India). But the struggle for Indian independence did its job - and in 1962, all of Goa (including the airport) was captured by the Indian military. From that time until now Dabolim remains the property of the military forces Indian Republic, a military air unit called “Khansa” is located on its territory.
Travel time Moscow — Dabolim- approximately 7.5 hours.
Due to the fact that the airfield belongs to the Indian Air Force, military flight exercises are held on the territory every day from 8 am to 1 pm, and take-offs and landings of civil aircraft are prohibited, so all aircraft arrive in Goa either late in the evening, or at night, or early in the morning (before start of military fighter exercises).
We once found ourselves in a situation where our arrival was late, which is why the flight was delayed by 4 hours. At that time runways The air hub was already occupied by military fighters, and about 300 people sat in the waiting room and watched in silence. We were supposed to take off at about 7 am, but it was possible to take off only around 12 noon. We were lucky, and by some miracle our plane was allowed to take off between the takeoffs of Indian fighters (apparently there was a lunch break). And we already expected to wait until the end of the working day.
Also, due to the military nature of the airport, at the entrance there is always a military man with a machine gun and checks the tickets of everyone who wants to enter. Therefore, everyone must have a printout of their electronic ticket, which shows the flight number and date. Entry to the airport terminal with a ticket is permitted no earlier than 4 hours before the departure of your plane.
Dabolim Airport on the map:
Arrival to Dabolim
Upon arrival in India, all tourists are required to fill out an Arrival card; it is sometimes handed out on planes, but most often you have to take it at the Goa airport and fill it out at the counters, so we advise you to have your own pen with you (there are few pens at the counters, and you have to wait your turn to fill the card takes a long time). The Arrival card contains standard information: arrival flight, departure date, which hotel you will stay in, which cities you plan to visit.
This is what the Arrival Card looks like, which all foreign tourists need to fill out
After filling out the Arrival Card, you need to go with it to border control (if you have an Indian visa pasted in your passport) or to the Visa on Arrival counter (if you applied for an electronic visa, which is pasted into your passport upon arrival).
After passing through border control, we head to the baggage claim area. Dabolim is small, so there are only two ribbons. Local “helpers” are on duty at these belts around the clock, who are in a hurry to snatch your suitcase from your hands in order to take it to a taxi, or to the operator’s desk if you did not arrive on your own. They are dressed in some kind of uniform that makes them look like airport employees, in fact, this uniform is “left-handed”.
They know our main operators flying to Goa, so when a confused tourist hears: “Pegasus, let’s go there,” he is sure that this is an employee of the tour operator, whose duties include escorting tourists to the counter. In fact, this is an ordinary Indian who makes money this way. After you and he find the counter of your tour operator (or taxi), he will begin to demand payment from you for his services. They ask for a lot (according to eyewitnesses, from 5 dollars to 500 rupees), although they have to carry a suitcase no more than 50 meters.
There is a currency exchange at the airport, but the rate is extremely unfavorable. Therefore, if you really need it urgently (for example, to pay for a taxi), exchange a small amount (no more than $50). But it’s best to order a car at a prepaid taxi booth (state prepaid taxi) and tell the driver that you will pay the driver in person. At the window you will be given a piece of paper with a fixed price, and already in your village, you will exchange dollars at a favorable rate and pay the driver. The prices for taxis to different villages in Goa are posted at the exit from the airport terminal, so if the taxi driver starts to inflate the price, you should not encourage this. We will provide taxi prices from the airport and distances to popular tourist villages in this article, just below.
State Prepaid Taxi counter at Dabolim Airport
In addition to currency exchange, you can use the ATMs located at the exit of the terminal: simply withdraw money from your card. The ATM dispenses rupees, the conversion takes place inside the bank. The issuance fee for Indian ATMs is standard: 200 rupees. The commission for withdrawing money from your bank may be different: with us, for example, money can be withdrawn without commission anywhere in the world (provided that the withdrawal amount is at least 3,000 rubles). Usually, we withdraw 10,000 rupees, and pay 200 rupees for withdrawal - this turns out to be 2% of the amount. The smaller the amount you withdraw, the less profitable it turns out.
It is worth considering that Indian ATMs work differently than Russian ones. They do not “swallow” the card - you need to insert it all the way and immediately pull it out: the ATM has already counted all the necessary information. After the card is read and removed, you enter the PIN code, select the desired account and enter the required withdrawal amount.
There is also a sale of Indian SIM cards at the exit to the city. Buying them here is extremely unprofitable: they cost several times more than in the villages of Goa, and if the card malfunctions, there will be no one to file a claim with (you won’t go to the airport in a taxi for 1000 rupees to exchange a SIM card for 500).
There are no luggage storage facilities in Dabolim, so leaving your luggage there while you look for accommodation is not possible.
Online scoreboard Dabolim Airport(select the “Departure” or “Arrival” tab) :
Distance from Goa airport to tourist villages and taxi prices
Table with prices from 2017
| Route where to go from Dabolim airport | Distance in km | Cost of official state prepaid taxi in rupees (car without air conditioning) | Car with air conditioning |
| North Goa | |||
| Candolim | 47 | 1200 | 1271 |
| Mapusa | 45 | 1149 | 1218 |
| Calangute | 45 | 1149 | 1218 |
| Baga | 47 | 1200 | 1271 |
| Anjuna | 52 | 1328 | 1407 |
| Vagator | 54 | 1379 | 1461 |
| Mandrem | 65 | 1659 | 1758 |
| We're blinking | 63 | 1608 | 1704 |
| Arambol | 67 | 1710 | 1812 |
| Ashvem | 64 | 1634 | 1731 |
| Pernem | 71 | 1812 | 1920 |
| Terekol | 75 | 1941 | 2028 |
| Miramar | 37 | 945 | 1002 |
| South Goa | |||
| Margao | 34 | 869 | 918 |
| Ponda | 41 | 1047 | 1110 |
| Cancolim | 43 | 1098 | 1164 |
| Betul | 52 | 1328 | 1407 |
| Sanwordem | 55 | 1404 | 1488 |
| Sanguem | 60 | 1550 | 1623 |
| Mobor | 44 | 1124 | 1191 |
| Palolem | 70 | 1787 | 1893 |
| Loliem | 87 | 2220 | 2352 |
| Agonda | 74 | 1889 | 2001 |
| Canacona | 68 | 1736 | 1839 |
| Benaulim | 29 | 741 | 786 |
| Kepem | 45 | 1149 | 1218 |
| Panjim | 34 | 269 | 921 |
It is worth considering that at night (from 23:00 to 05:00) another 35% is added to these tariffs. Also, the prepaid taxi charges another 10 rupees from each passenger for luggage.
Departure from Dabolim
About the fact that you can enter the terminal only by presenting your printed card to the military at the entrance e-ticket, we already said. What happens after you go inside?
When departing from Goa, your luggage is carefully checked, and then a yellow sticker is placed on the suitcase lock, which cannot be removed without damaging it. This is how they try to secure the flight (so that they don’t put prohibited items in the suitcase after checking). By the way, it is forbidden to carry any batteries in luggage; we once had a children’s suitcase rejected because it contained a remote control for a car with batteries inside.
Lighters are also prohibited from being carried in both carry-on and checked baggage. Therefore, even souvenir lighters from India are also removed from suitcases.
This is the queue at check-in for the Goa-Samara flight at 4 am
Passenger check-in at international departure counters at Dabolim Airport
A service for rewinding luggage with plastic film is available at Dabolim Airport - it costs only 200 rupees. Compared to a similar service in Sheremetyevo, which costs 500 rubles- Indians ask for 2 times less.
We noticed another feature of the Goan airport: special tags are attached to all hand luggage. But this is not the most interesting thing - such tags are issued for hand luggage everywhere. But only at Dabolim airport you won’t be able to bring hand luggage on board without tags: these tags are placed on special seals after checking your hand luggage on a scanner, and without these stamps you will not be allowed past customs control. At other airports, we often don’t even attach “Cabin baggage” tags at all - and we’ve never had a problem.
All in all, Harbour Air Goa is small, there are a lot of people, there are queues everywhere. Dropping your luggage and going through passport control takes a painfully long time; it is better to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours in advance (unless, of course, you are traveling with an organized transfer from a tour operator).
Until about 2017, no one asked this question: fruits in special baskets were accepted into hand luggage without problems, even if the basket was not the only element of hand luggage, but was an addition to it. To be fair, it is worth saying that according to the rules, transporting fruit in hand luggage has always been prohibited, but no one paid such serious attention to it.
These are the baskets used to carry fruits from Goa in hand luggage
At the end of 2017, for some reason, this rule began to be followed with special care: everyone was forced to check all fruit baskets as luggage. But they didn’t take money for them, as for additional luggage.
Nevertheless, we witnessed how our enterprising Russian tourists still carried baskets of fruit in their hand luggage: they simply did not show them when checking in their luggage, and were successfully able to carry them on board. The same tourists who asked the workers if it was possible to carry THIS and pointed to the baskets were forced to check them in as luggage.
It is worth saying that during our visit in December 2017, all the baskets arrived safe and sound, they were not unloaded onto a belt, but all the baskets were carefully brought on a separate trolley and placed near the luggage belt.
Most of all, those tourists who were forced to check fruit baskets in their luggage were worried that at the Russian border (according to rumors) half of the fruit would be confiscated by workers, and only a small part of what they were carrying would reach the owners. In view of this, they carefully wrapped the baskets with tape. Whether the tape helped, or whether the customs officers came across honest ones, all the fruits checked in as luggage reached their owners in the same quantity as they were checked in.
Duty free and food courts at the airport
The duty-free zone in Dabolim is very, very modest (about the same as in a Russian province). In fact, there is only one small shop with some alcohol and souvenirs, several fast food nooks with very expensive prices, and that's it.
On the right is the same nook with fast food. There are no tables where you can eat and drink what you bought. Passengers eat on their seats.
Departure hall: in the distance you can see the only duty-free mini-shop, nothing about it
When our flight was delayed for 4 hours, we had to buy expensive and tasteless (and spicy) burgers at one of two food outlets in the departure area. There is no normal food here. Therefore, I can’t even imagine how to feed children here during a long plane delay. I highly recommend, just in case, stocking up on some healthier food for your children in advance.
Goa airport from the landing strip.
- identification document specified in the order,
- birth certificate when flying with children,
- printed itinerary receipt(optional).
What can you take on a plane?
Carry-on luggage is the items you will take with you into the cabin. The weight limit for hand luggage can vary from 5 to 10 kg, and its size most often should not exceed the sum of three dimensions (length, width and height) from 115 to 203 cm (depending on the airline). A handbag is not considered hand luggage and is carried freely.
The bag you take with you on the plane should not contain knives, scissors, medicines, aerosols, or cosmetics. Alcohol from stores duty free can only be transported in sealed packages.
How to pay for luggage at the airport
If the weight of luggage exceeds the standards established by the airline (most often 20-23 kg), you need to pay for each kilogram of excess. In addition, many Russian and foreign airlines, as well as low-cost airlines, have tariffs that do not include free baggage allowance and must be paid separately as an additional service.
In this case, luggage must be checked in at the airport at a separate Drop-off check-in counter. If you are unable to print boarding pass, you can get it at the regular airline check-in counter, and check in and drop off your luggage there.
Where to find out the arrival time if you are a greeter
You can find out the plane's arrival time on the airport's online board. The Tutu.ru website has an online display of the main Russian and foreign airports.
You can find out the exit number (gate) on the arrivals board at the airport. This number is located next to the incoming flight information.
What to do if your flight is canceled
If a flight is canceled more than 24 hours before departure, passengers will be transferred to similar airline flights. The carrier bears the costs; the service is free for the passenger. If you are not satisfied with any of the options offered by the airline, most airlines can issue an “involuntary return.” Once confirmed by the airline, the money will be returned to your account. Sometimes this can take several weeks.
How to check in at the airport
Online check-in is available on most airline websites. Most often it opens 23 hours before the start of the flight. You can go through it no later than 1 hour before the plane departs.
To check in at the airport you will need:
