Samtheboater
We are staying at the Victor Exotica so dont know if that makes a difference to the journey?

We stay down south and last year the coach arrived at the hotel so long before us they had all checked in! The coach takes the highway but the taxi will go the costal route and could get stopped at every railway crossing on the way, like ours did.
When we got our room it was terrible so threw toys out of pram and ended up in a v good room, every cloud has a silver lining.
Despite the problems we enjoy the taxi ride and IF you get a good driver they can be very informative just don't beleive everything they say, they are running a business to make money after all.
Whichever route you decide to take enjoy Goa it is a wonderfull place with warm and friendly people.

lisaandrich

If you are saying at Victor Exotica you should be ok going on the bus. There will be plenty of rooms and they should all be good

Your coach had SEATS?????? Del.
just remembered the first time we got the coach oct 95 staying at the Aphaville it was one of those old coaches with bars on the windows and a metal roof rack for the luggage remember the reps used to put a garland of flowers around your neck, covered in little flies the coach looked like a prison van.We were the first plane to land that season and no one on the coach had been to Goa before the driver went over a bump and nearly all the cases came off ,ours never all the men got off and helped the driver get the luggage back on we all looked in total shock cows, pigs, dogs running around .I wiil never forget Marians and some of the other faces when we arrived at a tin shack with loads of little pigs running around and the rep shouted "HOTEL ALPHAVILLE" Marian said where the hell have you brought me! (or words to that effect) I was just looking at this little tin shack with my mouth wide open thinking surely not (or words to that effect) what no one realised was the coach couldnt get up the lane to the Hotel and this was Johns pig shed for the Coco Garden total relief .Well we had one of our best holidays ever and still keep in touch with some of the other guests,we even still use the same taxi driver. I wonder if anyone else on our forum was on that coach? Allan.

One question, I have tried to get some rupees to take with us in case we get a taxi from the airport, but cant order them from anywhere. Is there anywhere to change money before we get the taxi as dont really want to be queing for ages? Maybe best to get the "coach" after all!

You can get Rupees in the airport, there are 3 or 4 exchange booths. Don't change too much as the rate is usually bad. £20 would be plenty.

question that comes up every year!!
try different travel agents for rupees.
they are not available over here BUT they are if you ask around.
downside is that you will get a really poor rate of exchange.
As said before , you can get some at the bureaus inside the airport after baggage reclaim, not a good rate but better than buying in UK.
Just buy enough to pay for the taxi (about 700 rps) and depending on time of day you arrive, enough for a drink or a meal, cetainly no more than about £30 (based on 2 passengers)

Many thanks for that Del, will ask about a bit more as i only went to the post office and thomsons.

I have got them at Travelcare before now and also at Holiday hypermarket.
But as I said a very poor rate.

has nobody brought a load back that they can exchange?
sorry , I need mine

We fetch some back to pay for our taxi next time we go, saves us having to change our money when we get there, they do rip you off at the airport.

We've managed to get rupess at Gatwick before as well, but not a great rate so only chnaged what we needed for the taxi

Will be arriving next week with no rupees for the taxi, but will ask him to stop at the cash machine in Calangute or he'll not get paid.

I'm sure he will oblige.

Just hope the machine works.

if you are getting the taxi from the office outside the airport, you pay first!!

No we usually just agree a price with a driver and pay when we get there usually costs around 700-800R.

We usually get a taxi from the little office on the left hand side as you come out of the airport, they give you a slip with your destination on and the price (I think there's also a number on the slip), you then give it to the driver and pay him on arrival, we have never had to pay up front.

Debs

We have never paid up front using the taxi office outside the airport, always done the same as DebnPete....Keith

Some confusion here, I always pay at the kiosk at the front of the airport exit, get 2 tickets and give one to the taxi driver, keeping the other.
I think last year it was some odd price , 690 rps(maybe)

Are there two taxi offices at the airport?
Someone recommended to pre book a taxi at the airport, so we wouldnt get ripped off.
Is the one outside the airport better than the taxi office inside?

For Lisaandrich

As you leave the airport exit turn right, opposite the 'dodgy' airport cafe there's an ATM. Get your rupees there and you'll get a far better exchange rate than inside.

You can do this while while your other half is fighting off the porters

We took the coach last time, thinking we'd get some useful info - waste of time.

If it's your first time time - DON"T PANIC. After a couple of days you won't want to come home.