Goa - Hampi travel this Xmas/new year.

steven_ber · Dec 3rd, 2004, 13:51

This thread should be useful to those going on 'package holidays' to Goa and who wish to go to Hampi.

There have been lots of threads lately about getting from Goa to Hampi over the Christmas/new year period.

There are 3 options.

1 - BUS

This would be most people's last option.

There is some good advice and warnings about bus travel in India in the following thread.

Indian buses.

2 - CAR WITH DRIVER

This is a good and flexible option, though it may be difficult to get a good deal in Goa in the high season, make sure the driver speaks good English and that he understands that your the boss and you may want to stop at places along the way, its a long journey to Hampi.

Although the following thread is about Rajasthan, there is some very good information and advice about the costs of hiring a car & driver.

Hiring a vehicle - Costs in Rajasthan.

The main advantage of hiring a car with driver is that you can stop wherever you want, whenever you want, you can also take a different route back from Hampi, stopping for a day somewhere else in Karnataka.

Always remember that the driver is human, it can be frustrating sometimes when he doesn't understand you, it will only ruin the experience for both of you if you simply raise your voice, trying to explain things in a different way can bring remarkable results.

Hiring a car and driving it yourself is an option, especially if you've got nerves of steel and are feeling suicidal, otherwise forget it, you would need a lot of experience of India before considering this option, see the following 2 threads for more info.

Driving around India.

Survival tips for Indian Roads.

3 - TRAIN

This is the preferred option of most people, it's a long journey, but Indian trains are a fundamental part of the India experience.

The train journey is scenic in places, and the whole journey should be relaxing.

The train only runs 3 days a week, though this will soon be 4.

Check out post 5 on the following thread for details of trains between Madgaon (Goa) and Hospet (13 Kms from Hampi).

Train Information.

Availability will become a big problem as the festive season drawn nearer, below I have added the availability on the morning of the 3rd December, this will change very quickly, so you need to book trains as soon as possible.

http://www.indiamike.com/india/attac...hmentid=16 53

http://www.indiamike.com/india/attac...hmentid=16 54

2A = 2 Tier air-conditioned (AC2)
3A = 3 Tier air-conditioned (AC3)
SL = Sleeper Class, NOT air-conditioned

Detailed information including photos of the above classes of accommodation

Knowing the Indian Train. An excellent thread by beach explaining all you need to know about Indian trains and the different classes of accommodation.

Seat layout for trains. (See 2A, 3A & SL.)

When all the train berths are booked, new applicants are given RAC tickets (reserved against cancellation), when all the RAC tickets are booked new applicants are given a waitlisted ticket (WL).

WL 15/WL 6 means that a person was number 15 on the waitlist when they booked their reservations, but due to cancellations they are at the moment number 6 on the waitlist.

You can't enter a train with a waitlisted ticket, you can with an RAC ticket, though if there are no last minute cancellations or people not turning up for their train, you will only get a seat instead of a berth.

Lots of people cancel their booked tickets on Indian railways for various reasons, so a low numbered waitlisted ticket most often turns into a confirmed reservation, (though do not count on this happening in the very high season).

You can book Indian Railways train tickets on the Internet and have them sent to your hotel in Goa.

Booking Indian Rail tickets from abroad: A Beginner’s Guide. (by Beach)

.

kiwi_razz · Dec 3rd, 2004, 16:39

Personally, I reckon luxury sleeper bus is peoples first option, for example Paulo Travels. To Hampi they go from Palolem, Panjim, and one of the M-towns (Mapusa or Madgaon, don't know which), and Gokarna.

cyberhippie · Dec 3rd, 2004, 18:06

I've done both and I would have to say the train was by far the better of the two!! Paulo Travels do have some luxury buses but they're not all that nice.
Sleeping wasn't a possibilty as you were thrown around on the bumpy roads.
The train is a nice relaxed way to get there and as steven says, a lot of this journey is very scenic especially the bit where the train climbs through the Western Ghats to Castle Rock
The bus journey may also be scenic but since it's a night bus who knows!! the bus isn't really any quicker though from Palolem the bus is handier as it picks you up in Chaudi just down the road. From Gokarne the bus method is of course the best and you have a few choices here as well!
The one draw back of the train is if your in the far south or far north of Goa you'll have to stay in a hotel overnight in Margao as the train leaves a 07.35 and you won't make this easily without the use of a taxi!!
That's my 2 cents worth

beach · Dec 3rd, 2004, 19:22

Folks a small caution if you are passing through Bangalore to Hampi or Goa.

The accomodation situation is a bit tight now at Bangalore. Very difficult to get rooms. I think it will countinue like this here till the newyear. To add to this, there are a number of programes going on in Bangalore which makes the situation worse. Yesterday there was a news item in the paper about all these. All the star hotels are selling the rooms at X2 regular rate. Even the tourist cars are fully booked. Cars are brought from neighbouring cities due to the high season demand...Naturally the pressure is felt even at the lower end hotels too.

Even at Hampi the situation may be tight. I've been told by the lady running the Padma Guest House at Hampi that during the peak season people are even accomodated at the balconey,porch etc of the houses.

Here it's projected that the peak season will be really crowded.

Train or bus, if you are getting a reservation, just grab it. Everey option is better than non during the season.

cyberhippie · Dec 3rd, 2004, 19:34

Nice one beach
Thanks for the info, I've got a feeling this years tourist season is going to be the busiest ever, wherever you are!
Me I'm heading for the hills far from the maddening crowds

dandyworhol · Dec 4th, 2004, 01:03

Great bit of info steven - thanks

GoanCanuck · Feb 11th, 2005, 19:47

Just got back from Hampi today and the trip was awful. Very hard to get a room to rent in Hampi, Kamlapur and even Hospet. With great difficulty managed to get a room in Hospet which was awful even though it was Rupees300/night.

Had lunch in Hampi at a restaurant which had a big sign declaring " Recommended by Lonely Planet". My friend ordered a Thali and after waiting for 30 minutes for the Thali to appear we decided not to wait any longer and we left but we had the decency to pay for the Thali.

lonelyaztec · Feb 11th, 2005, 20:01

U can hire a 2 - wheeler in goa, to go to Hampi....

and return to goa again on the 2 - wheeler

timmy · Feb 11th, 2005, 20:09

Quote:

WL 15/WL 6 means that a person was number 15 on the waitlist when they booked their reservations, but due to cancellations they are at the moment number 6 on the waitlist.

Ahhhh! It's a *scythe*! That was one detail that I never, ever managed to work out. The first figure is actually irrelevant, so why bother including it?

(Blackadder fans will understand the scythe reference)

steven_ber · Feb 12th, 2005, 23:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by timmy

The first figure is actually irrelevant, so why bother including it?

How does the saying go..."Ours not to reason why....."

There is probably a good reason for including it, though I don't know why.

There is a pre-determined limit to the number of wait-listed tickets that can be issued, this is worked out by the average number of cancelled tickets for a particular train and in the particular carriage class, this can be different for each class and each train, the number should prevent tickets being sold to a person who has absolutely no chance of getting a reservation.

Note: this thread was started in December; so the waiting lists in the earlier posts are irrelevant; if you would like to know the current waitlists, just reply to this thread.

GoanCanuck · Feb 15th, 2005, 13:09

After hiring a private air-conditioned taxi for my Hampi trip I feel that anyone planning a trip to Hampi in the near future should stick to going by train. The road between Hubli and Hospet is horrendous. There are massive craters in the road which can easily swallow a small Maruti car and there are big lorries carrying iron ore from the mines lying upside down or involved in collisions with other lorries all over the place.

The iron ore mines in Hospet-Bellary are working round the clock to fullfil the insatiable appetite of China. This ore is ferried by truck to Sanvordem in Goa from where it is transported by barge to the ships anchored in Vasco-da-gama. If you get involved in an accident with one of these big trucks then your chances of survival are practically nil.

cwcwdavid · Feb 17th, 2005, 03:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by timmy

The first figure is actually irrelevant, so why bother including it?

I would guess the reason is so that it's clear if anyone had jumped the queue. More interesting is probably the ways that are invented to get around such a simple check.

lyndy · Feb 17th, 2005, 08:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoanCanuck

After hiring a private air-conditioned taxi for my Hampi trip I feel that anyone planning a trip to Hampi in the near future should stick to going by train. The road between Hubli and Hospet is horrendous. There are massive craters in the road which can easily swallow a small Maruti car and there are big lorries carrying iron ore from the mines lying upside down or involved in collisions with other lorries all over the place.

The iron ore mines in Hospet-Bellary are working round the clock to fullfil the insatiable appetite of China. This ore is ferried by truck to Sanvordem in Goa from where it is transported by barge to the ships anchored in Vasco-da-gama. If you get involved in an accident with one of these big trucks then your chances of survival are practically nil.

Thanks GoanCanuck for this info! Now I'm re-thinking our plan for hiring a car from Hampi to Goa to connect with our Air Deccan flight from Goa to Mumbai.

Is there a train from Hampi (or nearby) direct to Mumbai? I will do a search on the indian rail website but I have had problems accessing it this week. Any info much appreciated.

steven_ber · Feb 17th, 2005, 14:18

You would have to change at Hubli or Guntakal for a train to Mumbai, sorry, I have no time at the moment to give a more detailed reply.

lyndy · Feb 18th, 2005, 10:44

Thanks Steven-I checked my Footprint and it concurs!

Dec 3rd, 2004, 13:51	#1
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: London, England. Posts: 9,784	Goa - Hampi travel this Xmas/new year. This thread should be useful to those going on 'package holidays' to Goa and who wish to go to Hampi. There have been lots of threads lately about getting from Goa to Hampi over the Christmas/new year period. There are 3 options. 1 - BUS This would be most people's last option. There is some good advice and warnings about bus travel in India in the following thread. Indian buses. 2 - CAR WITH DRIVER This is a good and flexible option, though it may be difficult to get a good deal in Goa in the high season, make sure the driver speaks good English and that he understands that your the boss and you may want to stop at places along the way, its a long journey to Hampi. Although the following thread is about Rajasthan, there is some very good information and advice about the costs of hiring a car & driver. Hiring a vehicle - Costs in Rajasthan. The main advantage of hiring a car with driver is that you can stop wherever you want, whenever you want, you can also take a different route back from Hampi, stopping for a day somewhere else in Karnataka. Always remember that the driver is human, it can be frustrating sometimes when he doesn't understand you, it will only ruin the experience for both of you if you simply raise your voice, trying to explain things in a different way can bring remarkable results. Hiring a car and driving it yourself is an option, especially if you've got nerves of steel and are feeling suicidal, otherwise forget it, you would need a lot of experience of India before considering this option, see the following 2 threads for more info. Driving around India. Survival tips for Indian Roads. 3 - TRAIN This is the preferred option of most people, it's a long journey, but Indian trains are a fundamental part of the India experience. The train journey is scenic in places, and the whole journey should be relaxing. The train only runs 3 days a week, though this will soon be 4. Check out post 5 on the following thread for details of trains between Madgaon (Goa) and Hospet (13 Kms from Hampi). Train Information. Availability will become a big problem as the festive season drawn nearer, below I have added the availability on the morning of the 3rd December, this will change very quickly, so you need to book trains as soon as possible. http://www.indiamike.com/india/attac...hmentid=16 53 http://www.indiamike.com/india/attac...hmentid=16 54 2A = 2 Tier air-conditioned (AC2) 3A = 3 Tier air-conditioned (AC3) SL = Sleeper Class, NOT air-conditioned Detailed information including photos of the above classes of accommodation Knowing the Indian Train. An excellent thread by beach explaining all you need to know about Indian trains and the different classes of accommodation. Seat layout for trains. (See 2A, 3A & SL.) When all the train berths are booked, new applicants are given RAC tickets (reserved against cancellation), when all the RAC tickets are booked new applicants are given a waitlisted ticket (WL). WL 15/WL 6 means that a person was number 15 on the waitlist when they booked their reservations, but due to cancellations they are at the moment number 6 on the waitlist. You can't enter a train with a waitlisted ticket, you can with an RAC ticket, though if there are no last minute cancellations or people not turning up for their train, you will only get a seat instead of a berth. Lots of people cancel their booked tickets on Indian railways for various reasons, so a low numbered waitlisted ticket most often turns into a confirmed reservation, (though do not count on this happening in the very high season). You can book Indian Railways train tickets on the Internet and have them sent to your hotel in Goa. Booking Indian Rail tickets from abroad: A Beginner’s Guide. (by Beach) . Attached Thumbnails __________________ . How to get helpful replies to your transport/Itinerary questions. Train information. RAC & Waitlists explained. Last edited by steven_ber : Dec 4th, 2004 at 01:15.

Feb 11th, 2005, 20:01	#8
lonelyaztec Maha Guru Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,408	U can hire a 2 - wheeler in goa, to go to Hampi.... and return to goa again on the 2 - wheeler __________________ Aztec My photoblog

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Dec 3rd, 2004, 16:39	#2
kiwi_razz Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: London Posts: 410	Personally, I reckon luxury sleeper bus is peoples first option, for example Paulo Travels. To Hampi they go from Palolem, Panjim, and one of the M-towns (Mapusa or Madgaon, don't know which), and Gokarna.

Dec 3rd, 2004, 18:06	#3
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,009	I've done both and I would have to say the train was by far the better of the two!! Paulo Travels do have some luxury buses but they're not all that nice. Sleeping wasn't a possibilty as you were thrown around on the bumpy roads. The train is a nice relaxed way to get there and as steven says, a lot of this journey is very scenic especially the bit where the train climbs through the Western Ghats to Castle Rock The bus journey may also be scenic but since it's a night bus who knows!! the bus isn't really any quicker though from Palolem the bus is handier as it picks you up in Chaudi just down the road. From Gokarne the bus method is of course the best and you have a few choices here as well! The one draw back of the train is if your in the far south or far north of Goa you'll have to stay in a hotel overnight in Margao as the train leaves a 07.35 and you won't make this easily without the use of a taxi!! That's my 2 cents worth

Dec 3rd, 2004, 19:22	#4
beach Lost in translation Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: India ! Posts: 2,234	Folks a small caution if you are passing through Bangalore to Hampi or Goa. The accomodation situation is a bit tight now at Bangalore. Very difficult to get rooms. I think it will countinue like this here till the newyear. To add to this, there are a number of programes going on in Bangalore which makes the situation worse. Yesterday there was a news item in the paper about all these. All the star hotels are selling the rooms at X2 regular rate. Even the tourist cars are fully booked. Cars are brought from neighbouring cities due to the high season demand...Naturally the pressure is felt even at the lower end hotels too. Even at Hampi the situation may be tight. I've been told by the lady running the Padma Guest House at Hampi that during the peak season people are even accomodated at the balconey,porch etc of the houses. Here it's projected that the peak season will be really crowded. Train or bus, if you are getting a reservation, just grab it. Everey option is better than non during the season.

Dec 3rd, 2004, 19:34	#5
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,009	Nice one beach Thanks for the info, I've got a feeling this years tourist season is going to be the busiest ever, wherever you are! Me I'm heading for the hills far from the maddening crowds

Dec 4th, 2004, 01:03	#6
dandyworhol Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Posts: 12	Great bit of info steven - thanks

Feb 11th, 2005, 19:47	#7
GoanCanuck Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vancouver Posts: 3,204	Just got back from Hampi today and the trip was awful. Very hard to get a room to rent in Hampi, Kamlapur and even Hospet. With great difficulty managed to get a room in Hospet which was awful even though it was Rupees300/night. Had lunch in Hampi at a restaurant which had a big sign declaring " Recommended by Lonely Planet". My friend ordered a Thali and after waiting for 30 minutes for the Thali to appear we decided not to wait any longer and we left but we had the decency to pay for the Thali.

Feb 15th, 2005, 13:09	#11
GoanCanuck Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vancouver Posts: 3,204	After hiring a private air-conditioned taxi for my Hampi trip I feel that anyone planning a trip to Hampi in the near future should stick to going by train. The road between Hubli and Hospet is horrendous. There are massive craters in the road which can easily swallow a small Maruti car and there are big lorries carrying iron ore from the mines lying upside down or involved in collisions with other lorries all over the place. The iron ore mines in Hospet-Bellary are working round the clock to fullfil the insatiable appetite of China. This ore is ferried by truck to Sanvordem in Goa from where it is transported by barge to the ships anchored in Vasco-da-gama. If you get involved in an accident with one of these big trucks then your chances of survival are practically nil.

Feb 17th, 2005, 14:18	#14
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: London, England. Posts: 9,784	You would have to change at Hubli or Guntakal for a train to Mumbai, sorry, I have no time at the moment to give a more detailed reply.

Feb 18th, 2005, 10:44	#15
lyndy Gypsy at heart Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Australia Posts: 294	Thanks Steven-I checked my Footprint and it concurs!

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