1

If you haven't bought your tickets yet, consider open-jaw flights: into Delhi, and out of say Mumbai. If you're looking to end it in Goa, why haul up all the way to Delhi if you can fly out from Mumbai which is closer? Also check out international flights from Goa itself.

2

As you have almost 1month you can add few more places with golden triangle.You can do Delhi>Varanasi>Khajuraho>Agra>Jaipur.udaipur in 10-12 days .The rest of the time can be spend in Goa.

3

modomar you tout! Go Away.please..disregard this joker as a tout just looking for your money....To get a good place in Goa for Xmas/nye,at the latest you should book soon....Delhi-Goa by train at xmas,Book Now!!.FLY..You have 1 month,you can not bounce all over the place up north if you wish to enjoy a Goa Xmas.You need to get down here and find your comfort zone.Booze,drugs,and discos?.You want north Goa..Less crowded and crazy,south Goa.Go visit the Taj Mahal and then head for Goa.

4

Travelling by trains in India is an excellent idea but if you are in Varanasi and want to go to Goa then yes you would be a bit stuck as I don't think there is a direct train from Varanasi to Goa.

However Delhi is well connected to Goa with a few direct trains and the most popular and fastest train from Delhi to Goa is train number 12432 "Trivandrum Rajdhani" starting at 11:00AM (Tue/Wed/Sun) from the Nizzamudin station in Delhi and arriving 27 hours later at 2:35PM in Goa at the Madgaon station in south Goa and if you can train/fly back to Delhi from Varanasi then this train from Delhi to Goa would suit you.


Just turning up, checking a few places and picking one that you like does work well most of the time and in most parts of India, but xmas-newyear in Goa is party town and it will seem that one third of India has decided to visit Goa for new year's celebration and accomodation will be a challange even at twice or thrice the normal rates and it would be better to book in advance for at least the first few days in Goa and when you are actually in Goa you can then look around and book for the rest of your stay in Goa.

A good budget, but Goa accomodation charges during x-mas newyear could make a big dent in your total budget depending on your required comfort level.

5

Mohdomar - just get off this forum. As jazzie says you are a tout who adds absolutely nothing cos your intention is to rent a car+driver to the OP, always centred on Agra and you are avoiding getting blackballed cos you send the offers by the pm system. Plenty of nationals gve excellent advice - you will never be one of them cos you cant view the traveller's problem thru a traveller's eyes.

Stephanie - you'll probably get offers from Indian males who all think European girls are easy - pls report to Thorntree such offers and dont respond to either them or touts such as this one.

One suspects that you are looking for a great time by the seaside just adding a taste of India first. The alternative to torontomm's well- researched advice is to avoid Varanasi, (which may be a bit heavy and better with a travelling buddy) is to keep it simple ie DEL-AGR-JAi-UDAI. You would then have to get to Mumbai for the daily trains down South.

I go along with ansh-jain but you would have to transit thru the gulf - I've done this a cpouplatimes and prefer it as it saves the return flight to Delhi which means an extra nite in that place.

The current spot rate is 86INR to GBP - so your £1200 approximates to 3500Rs/day which in normal times would be OK but Goa can be expensive at NY.

Now stating the obvious
Get an up to date guidebook - it'll pay for itself several times over.
Your bank debit card will be fine but you should advise your bank before you leave
Most healthy adults do not use anti-malarials but take a coupla cans of insect repellant spray - dengue aint funny and those mossies are diurnal. (I use Jungle Formula- tropical blend!)

Have a great trp and dont let the hassle get to you.

6

mohdomdor,.22 posts and you already have been identified as a low life,joker tout.see ya soon in a new name.............

7

As mentioned by the others, Goa can be very very expensive in December. Right from accommodation to food to everything! Even if you book 3 months in advance it might not be enough. So be sure to check soon and make your bookings!
You have about a month, so I'd suggest you go to either Bombay or even spend some time down south in Kerala, Karnataka or Tamil Nadu. You won't need more than a week to 8 days for Delhi, Agra, Jaipur & Varanasi.

8

#8 - are you seriously suggesting that a foreign tourist should spend valuable time in boring and not-very-cheap Bombay? A city that can be "done" in 24 hours.
Have you travelled India as a tourist? are you also seriously suggesting that 8 days is OK to travel by public transport and see DEL, VAR, AGR, & JAIP? -- ludicrous.
I am not sure as to your intentions, maybe to practice your English, but really think twice before suggesting ideas to a person who may have saved for some time to come here.
You give absolutely no details about yourself, except looking thru' your posts you live with your family presumably in Bombay - why else would anyone recommend th place?

Edited by: Grahamapoole

Edited by: Grahamapoole

9

#9 - Whoa! Take it easy. I was only trying to help and give my opinion. I know a lot of foreign tourists who love to visit Bombay, hence the suggestion.
And no, I did not consider travel by public transport when I said 8 days is enough. My bad.
Do not assume that people in India need to 'practice' their English. That is ludicrous. And do not make your own assumptions and conclusions about where I live or who I live with. I'm new to this as you can see from the number of posts I have. No need to be impolite. Just to be clear, I do not live in Bombay.

10

#19 In my experience there are very few tourists who have enjoyed more than 24 hours in Bombay - no matter what they say to you (Who is going to tell you that your home city is boring, overpriced and dirty?). How is it you know so many anyway - you wouldn't be an aspirant tourist guide/agent.

You can have little knowledge of an individuak such as this OP - not least because you come from a prosperous background (your family is away on an extended tour of Europe soon - hardly dalits).whilst a large proportion of OPs do not - the wealthier, more prosperous tourists take organised tours.

It's funny but I have met huge numbers of indians who wish to practice their English and I could see no other reason for your posting - yep a travel agent in the making!

There are many nationals who regularly contribute valuable advice on this site - it's valuable because they understand the problems that visitors face. They also dont sound like a soundbite from a tourist brochure- advising from experience instead.