For those who are planning a short trip to Goa can enjoy yourselves spending less if you plan properly. The Netravati Express that runs between Thiruvananthapuram and Lokmanya Tilak station, is the best bet to reach Goa. This train begins its journey at 9.50 am from the capital city, passes through the Konkan railways and reaches Cancona the next day at 5am. Though the rush get less after Mangalore, it os better to book a sleeper class in the daily train. Other than a half an hour halt at Mangalore junction, it is a smooth ride to the destination. Netravati is the only express train that stops at the Canacona station where you won’t even get to buy a cup of tea. Since it’s just a 1 minute halt, be prepared at the Carver station that comes just before the Cancona station so that you can get down easily. Once you get down here, a 10 minutes’ walk will take you to the most important beach in Goa, the Palolem beach. The beach has beautiful huts built with bamboo. These huts are usually taken off from the beach during rainy season. If you can plan the visit before the season time which usually is in December –January, you may get to stay at one of these huts at a price of Rs.500 -1000. There are also many hotels and restaurants here. This is one place of the few places in India where you get to buy popular dishes from all over the world at a reasonable price. There are two more beaches within a radius of 5km, the Patnem beach and the Agonda beach. These beaches are comparatively less busy than Palolem.
