Mahabaleshwar to Goa

The distance between Mahabaleshwar and Goa is approximately 390 kms by road via NH48. This popular route is well served by a fleet of buses operated by numerous private operators and state government. The prominent private bus operators on this route are Hans Travels, Neeta Tours and Travels, Paulo Travels. Chirag Travels and Gogte Travels, to name a few. 

Bus Timings and Details
The first bus for Goa leaves Mahabaleshwar early morning at 1:45 AM, while the last bus leaves at 11:00 PM. The entire bus journey takes anywhere between 10 - 11 hrs to complete. 

Boarding Points: Almost all the buses for Goa can be boarded at near St. Strand (vehicle pick up).

Dropping points: Different bus operators and buses have different dropping points like Mapusa taxi stand, Panjim behind KTC bus stand or near ST Bus stand, Madgaon KTC bus stand, Panaji and Goa.

Bus Types

The various bus types available on this route include Non AC seater and sleeper buses, Volvo AC multi-axle semi-sleeper and sleeper buses, Bharat Benz sleeper, AC sleeper and seater buses and Scania multi-axle sleeper buses.

Bus Fare

The bus fare for Mahabaleshwar to Goa is dependent upon the bus operator and the type of bus chosen. The average bus fare a Non AC seater buses starts from INR 400.  

Rest Stop

Nearly all the buses offer one rest stop for food and couple more bio breaks for the ease and comfort of the passengers. 

Tips

The early morning buses that leave at 1:45 AM and 2:00 AM do not offer dinner stops. Hence, it is advisable to have a heavy dinner and also carry some snacks and water.

The distance between Mahabaleshwar and Goa is only 390 km via NH 48. It takes roughly around 8 hrs, not including breaks to complete the entire journey. The short distance between the two popular destination offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy the thrill of a road trip, soak in the natural scenic beauty of the Western ghats and have fun with friends and family.   

Cab Options
One can also hire an outstation cab to get to Goa from Mahabaleshwar comfortably. There are plenty of car rental agencies present in Mahabaleshwar that can provide cabs with drivers. Some of the many car rental agencies in Mahabaleshwar are makemytrip.com, gozocabs.com, clearcarrental.com, United bus and car rental agency, Luxuryns Car Rental and Maitri Tours and Travels. 

Approximate Cost

The average cost of hiring a cab for Goa from Mahabaleshwar is depended upon the car rental agency, the type of car chosen and the kind of trip. The average cost of hiring an Indica/Swift car can cost INR 9,582 for a one-way journey, INR 10,541 for a sedan car like Dzire/Etios and INR 11,981 for an SUV car like Innova/Xylo/Ertiga.

Route Options

There are two route options that one can consider for driving up to Goa, namely;

Route 1: Via NH 48: This is the shortest route at 390.1 Km and passes through the following towns - Mahabaleshwar - Varoshi - Medha - Wagheshwar - Satara - Shendre - Kashil - Umbraj - Shiroli - Gandhinagar - Belgaum - Goa.

Route 2: Via NH 66 and Hathkhamba - Goa Road: This is a slightly longer route at 441 km and passes through the towns of Mahabaleshwar - Chiplun - Kosumb - Rajapur - Kankavali - Kudal - Banda - Bicholim - Tisca - Codli - Goa.  

Road Conditions

The road condition along the national highway is excellent with smooth four-laned roads. There are several toll plazas and checkpoints along the way. There also are plenty of fuel pumps located every few kilometres. 

Eating Options

There are quite a few roadside dhabas and local restaurants that offer great veg and non - veg fare at great prices. 

Possible Stopovers: Since this route is covered in an average 8 - 10 hrs stopover or night halts are not needed. 

Mahabaleshwar does not have a railway station of its own as such there is no direct rail connectivity with Goa. The nearest railway station from Mahabaleshwar is located 60 Kms away in Wathar. However, it too does not have any direct rail connectivity to Goa. As such, the best way to reach Goa by train is to head to Pune located approx. 117 kms away, from Pune, there are several direct trains available for Goa. 

Train Options

The varied direct trains available from Pune for Goa are as follows;

1. 22150: PUNE ERS SUP EXP
Operates every Wednesday and Sunday
Boarding Station: Pune Junction
Arrival Station: Madgaon
Departure Timing: 6:45 PM
Arrival Timing: 5:45 AM (day 2)
Duration: 11 hr
Fare:
SL - INR 435
3A - INR 1145
2A - INR 1630

2. 01301: PUNE MAJN SPL
Operates every Tuesday 
Boarding Station: Pune Junction
Arrival Station: Madgaon
Departure Timing: 6:45 PM 
Arrival Timing: 6:20 AM (day 2)
Duration: 11 hr 25 min
Fare:
SL - INR 405
3A - INR 1095
2A - INR 1580

3. 12780: GOA Express
Operates every day 
Boarding Station: Pune Junction
Arrival Station: Madgaon
Departure Timing: 4:35 AM 
Arrival Timing: 5:40 AM (day 2)
Duration: 13 hr 5 min
Fare:
SL - INR 355
3A - INR 930
2A - INR 1315

4. 11097: POORNA EXPRESS 
Operates every Saturday
Boarding Station: Pune Junction
Arrival Station: Madgaon
Departure Timing: 11:30 PM
Arrival Timing: 4:50 PM (day 2)
Duration: 17 hr 20 min
Fare:
SL - INR 325
3A - INR 880
2A - INR 1265

Preferable Local Transportation for Pune

Pune is approximately 117 kms away from Mahabaleshwar and takes approx. 3 hrs to reach Pune from Mahabaleshwar. Pune is well connected to Mahabaleshwar via state buses, private buses and cabs. Many of these state and private buses have dropping points at Pune railway station and as such are quite convenient and cheap too. The average bus fare starts from Rs 150 onwards. 

Preferable Local Transportation from Madgaon

Madgaon railway station is 26 kms away from Goa city centre which are accessible via local taxis which are abundant outside the railway station. Alternatively, you can also take an autorickshaw from right outside the railway station for Madgaon Bus Stand from where you can easily get a bus for Goa. 

Tip

Taxi fares are a bit expensive, so if you wish to travel cheap, opt for buses whenever possible.

Mahabaleshwar does not have an airport as such; there is no flight connectivity between the two regions. The nearest airport from Mahabaleshwar is in Pune, from where there are three non-stop flights available for Dabolim Airport/Goa operated by Spicejet. Indigo and Air India. The first non-stop flight leaves Pune at 1:00 AM and the last non-stop flight leaves at 12:20 PM.

Preferable Local Transport from Dabolim Airport/Goa

The nearest city from Dabolim airport is Vasco Da Gama located approx. 4 kms away. You can take a prepaid taxi to Vasco and board a bus from there to reach your desired location. Otherwise, you can take a taxi to your destination from the airport itself.