It is much better to get your own taxi from the airport, as the coaches go to all the different hotels people are staying at and that may mean your on it for quite awhile, journey from the airport to calangute around 40mins and its fixed taxi fare at the airport, just go to the taxi rank outside about Rps 650 !! thats if you want to get to your hotel quicker.
We always get a taxi from the airport, but as it's your first trip I would try the coach as you see a lot more than when you are in a taxi. If you do decide to get a taxi there's a taxi office on your left hand side as you come out of the airport, they have a list of prices and it will probably be about 700 rupees to calangute, don't worry if you don't have rupees they will accept sterling, we gave the taxi driver a tenner last time. There is another taxi office just outside the exit door which I believe is a prepaid stand, but we have never used that one. The bus is quite an experience and a real eye opener.
Debs
Debs
I agree with Debs,get the transfer coach to your hotel and you will see a lot more than in a taxi. You can always get the taxi back to the airport at the end of your holiday(and when you go to Goa next time...which i am sure you will....get a taxi like the rest of us 'old hands'. Happy holiday..Paula
Im with Debs and MM go to the hotel in the bus and go back to the airport in a taxi ...you will love Goa big richard 
colleen
colleen
Get the coach its a laff . We have been going since 1996 , and we still get the coach going but taxi back
Karen 
Karen
Yes def the bus you have aircon (fans screwwed to the wind down window. The scenery is amazing, you can see the road through the holes in the floor. You must take the bus, you will get the real feel of things although you will probably only do it the once because its quicker to take the taxi and not that expensive. 
I would use the taxi - then when you get to the hotel you'll have time to check out your room.
If you're not happy - you'll have time to swap it for another.
Whatever you do, don't tip too much if someone carries your cases - 10RS per case is plenty and don't give them any £1 coins.
£1 = 82Rs that's a lot of money for carrying a case.
If you're not happy - you'll have time to swap it for another.
Whatever you do, don't tip too much if someone carries your cases - 10RS per case is plenty and don't give them any £1 coins.
£1 = 82Rs that's a lot of money for carrying a case.
Yes get the bus, I just love seeing the faces on the first timers, that look of "oh my god what have I done". 
Don't, do not ever tell a shop keeper taxi driver bar owner its your first time in Goa.
lez
Don't, do not ever tell a shop keeper taxi driver bar owner its your first time in Goa.
lez
I would get the taxi and beat the tourists to the hotel ha ha,but as max13 says if you dont like the room youre first in line for a swap.theres always another day for a bus ride, get settled in first
richard i am going out on the 11th what time is your flight?
George
George
We get the transfer bus. I would consider a taxi to the hotel, but always return on the bus incase there are delays the rep will keep you informed - plus this year they told us we had a delay so we got an extra hour in bed. Genrally the reps won't take you to the airport if there is a (big) delay.
We usually email the hotel where we stay and ask them to arrange for an air conditioned taxi to collect us. They put the charge onto our bill.
We prefer to get a taxi because twice when we used the transfer coach, we had to wait about an 1 1/2 hours for the rest of the passengers to come out of the terminal and on one occasion, I got sunburnt down the right hand side of my face and my right ear peeled after a few days. My face looked like I had a go-faster stripe on it.
We prefer to get a taxi because twice when we used the transfer coach, we had to wait about an 1 1/2 hours for the rest of the passengers to come out of the terminal and on one occasion, I got sunburnt down the right hand side of my face and my right ear peeled after a few days. My face looked like I had a go-faster stripe on it.
sorry its taken so long to get back to you,our flight is at 12.55 from manchester
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Edited by
big richard
2008-09-24 19:44:07
i think we will get taxi from the airport to try and get a nice room and beat the others (ha ha) there will be plenty of time to travel on the buses.
First time - get the bus for the experience! They're a lot better than the first time I went!!! Don't let them carry your case, it's only a few feet away, save your tips for the ones that deserve it and earn very little per month.
No contest for us.Taxi every time.Means we get to the beach and the shack that much quicker and therefore are sampling our first kingfisher much sooner. 
We also prefer to get to the hotel before everyone else, because if you all arrive together, the hotel staff become overwhelmed by the number of people they have to deal with.
Also, the time from arrival to getting to our room is only 10-15 minutes, if that.
Another perspective is of course, that by the time you arrive at the bus, you would have been up most of the previous day (getting up early, getting to the airport and the flight itself) so you would probably already be tired. We found that by waiting for the other passengers to come out of the terminal and onto our bus we become even more tired because you are just sitting there. Also of course, the longer you wait the hotter it becomes. By the time you arrive at the hotel, you are flipping tired, sticky, crumpled and grumpy - well I am any way.
Also, the time from arrival to getting to our room is only 10-15 minutes, if that.
Another perspective is of course, that by the time you arrive at the bus, you would have been up most of the previous day (getting up early, getting to the airport and the flight itself) so you would probably already be tired. We found that by waiting for the other passengers to come out of the terminal and onto our bus we become even more tired because you are just sitting there. Also of course, the longer you wait the hotter it becomes. By the time you arrive at the hotel, you are flipping tired, sticky, crumpled and grumpy - well I am any way.
Hi All, just a word of warning for those who decide to get the bus transfer to their hotels,there are some who dont bother to inform the Travel Reps that they are making their own way (by taxi or picked up by friends) This results in a lot of people waiting a long time for people who have already gone,not an ideal start to your hols when you think of the amount of hours you've been travelling and you just want to get to your hotel and get unpacked and settled in. We take a taxi but ALWAYS inform the Rep.We did use the bus on our first visit and enjoyed the experience....cheers Keith
Very good point Keith. We are usually met by our regular taxi driver but we always let the rep know that we won't be using the tour bus. We also tell the rep a few days before departure whether or not we want to use the tour bus for the return trip. We have been held up in the past for more than an hour because of people not letting the rep know and sitting in a tour bus is like sitting in a tin can - its "bleeping" hot, not a lot of fun after such a long flight.
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