Mumbai to Goa road trip
One of the best things about living in Mumbai is its proximity to various hill stations and beach destinations. Of which, Goa tops the list of most desired destinations to travel from Mumbai. Goa is located at a distance of 600 km from Mumbai, and travelling by road to Goa means it can be covered in 12 hours depending on the number of breaks one takes. A road trip from Mumbai to Goa is amongst the bucket list of every traveller and one has to go on this road trip before turning 30.
Mumbai to Goa road trip is one of the most popular drives that have been seen in Bollywood movies for its beautiful roads and scenic locations. And movies have been one of the major influencers for Indians. Be it Dil Chahta Hai or Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, these movies have been one of the major reasons for travel inspiration. And thus for all the right reasons, the movie Dil Chahta hai has been one of the biggest promoters for a road trip from Mumbai to Goa. Even today, there are young people making plans for a road trip to Goa. Well, A road trip from Mumbai to Goa is one of the beautiful drives through scenic locations a perfect way to self-discovery.
Mumbai to Goa Routes
There are two routes to get to Goa from Mumbai:
Route 1 is through NH4 via Pune – Kolhapur – Belgaum: which is the most preferred route by most of the travellers.
Route 2 is through NH 66 via Ratnagiri – Konkan region: which is simply one of the best scenic routes in India.
Both these routes have various advantages and disadvantages, it depends completely on the traveller and his/her preference. In this blog, we will discuss both these routes and you can decide on which route to take to get to Goa.
Route 1: NH 4 via Pune – Kolhapur – Belgaum
Driving from Mumbai to Goa through this route is the most preferred route by many travellers. The reason for it being the most preferred is the fact that it has the best roads. The advantages in this route are that the roads are wide and straight, it is perfect for a family vacation drive. The highway on this route has 3 to 4 lane road until one reaches Goa highway. With proper dividers and lane markings, it makes it a perfect drive for first-time drivers for a road trip.
The route here goes like this Mumbai >> Pune>> Satara>>Kolhapur>> Belgaum>> Goa (590 km – 11 hrs non-stop)
One of the disadvantages here is the fact that every 100 km you are stopped to paying Toll. One will shell out approximately 600 rupees for paying the toll in this route.
While on this route you will come across a number of places to stop by and take a break. Some of the important places are Pune, Satara, Kolhapur and Belgaum. When in Pune, stop for breakfast and relish missal pav and sabudana vada. Satara and Kolhapur are two beautiful places one can stop for lunch, as there are many eateries serving delicious food. One can also stop by at Rankala Lake, Panhala Fort and the Jyotiba Temple on their way.
Belgaum will be the next stop where one can halt at night. Belgaum is a beautiful town known for a fort and a wildlife sanctuary. From Belgaum, Goa is a three-hour ride from here. The road from here is beautiful and in no time Goa will arrive.
Route 2: NH 66 via Ratnagiri – Konkan region
A road trip to a place like Goa has to be an exotic one for sure and thus is this route that takes you through one of the scenic routes you will come across in India. The route via NH 66 from Mumbai to Goa is approximately 580 km and takes about 12 hours non-stop. While this may be the most beautiful routes, it is also in this route that you will encounter heavy winds and high-altitude slopes and Ghats. All this comes with perks for being the scenic route. It is one of the risky drives where the roads are not well maintained, with heavy motor traffic and no side barricades on the Ghat section, making it difficult for first-timers. There are no Toll booths on this route, probably one of the reasons for bad roads. It is important that one has prior driving experience to drive on this route.
The route here goes like Mumbai >>Panvel >> Pen>> Kolad>> Khed>> Chiplun>> Pali>> Sawantwadi >> Goa
Driving from Mumbai to Panvel requires one to start early before the traffic. Once in Panvel, one may stop at Karnala Bird sanctuary and Karnala Fort, take a break and stop for breakfast in here before proceeding for Pen and Kolad. Driving through Raigad district comes with perks of scenic locations of mighty ranges of Sahyadris covered in lush greenery. And if you are driving in the monsoon, there is nothing as beautiful as this regions, as you will come across tiny narrow streams cutting through the hills or gushing stream taking a leap from the cliff. Kolad is one of the beautiful destinations surrounded by green hills and gushing river of Kundalika. One may want to consider camping in Kolad. Kolad and Chiplun is also a perfect place for stopping by for lunch and check out tourist viewpoints. From Chiplun, it takes about 6 hours non-stop to reach Goa. Driving through paddy field and coconut plantations are one of the best of this route. One the way one can stop at Sindhudurg and Sawantwadi. Drive along the Ghat to reach the beautiful state of Goa.
Best time for a road trip to Goa
Mumbai to Goa is one such beautiful route that requires the right time. One cannot expect a beautiful drive during the summer, as the weather is too hot for you to take breaks and drive. Thus the best time is restricted from November to February. It is also one of the busiest times to visit Goa. It is almost full with people from all over. It is thus advisable for you to pre-book hotels in Goa. If you are looking for a less-crowded vacation in Goa and also looking for cheaper accommodation, Monsoon is the best time. Monsoon is also a great time to drive to Goa.
Suggestions:
- Rest well before a road journey
- Take adequate breaks and do not drive non-stop.
- Carry protein bars for the journey.
- Keep your fuel tank full and keep a lookout for the fuel tank.
- Carry an extra Tyre and a tool kit handy.
- First aid kit is a very important thing to carry while on a road trip
Concluding our article, route 1 NH4 is absolutely the safest option for driving to Goa from Mumbai. It is perfect for a family trip and first-time road travellers. Route 2 NH 66 is the most scenic routes that require experienced driving skills on the Ghat roads and extreme patience to take adequate breaks in between, as the route is comparatively longer with worst road conditions. But all that will be forgotten as you will come across some of the best locations that are worth taking a picture.
Do let us know which route have you taken on your road trip from Mumbai to Goa.
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