Car with a Driver in Goa by the Hour: 8, 10 or 12 Hours

A car with a driver by the hour gives you one car and one driver for a block of time: 8 hours and 80 km, 10 hours and 100 km, or 12 hours and 120 km. The fare is for the whole car, shown before you pay and paid online, and any extra hours or kilometres are charged at the rates shown with it.

It's the simplest way to do a day in Goa your own way: a few beaches, a long lunch, a temple, some shopping, with the car waiting when you're ready.

How does a car with a driver work in Goa?

You choose a package, a car and a pickup time. The driver collects you from your hotel or villa, and the car stays with you for the hours you booked. You decide the stops and the order, and you can change your mind during the day.

What's in the fare:

• The car and a driver for your party only

• Fuel

• The driver allowance

• GST

What's not in the fare:

• Tolls and parking, charged after the trip at actual cost, only when they apply

• Entry tickets, meals and anything you buy along the way

What does 8 hours and 80 km mean?

Each package includes both a time and a distance:

• 8 hours and 80 km: a full day in one part of Goa

• 10 hours and 100 km: a longer day, or a day with a bigger drive in it

• 12 hours and 120 km: an early start and a late finish, or two parts of Goa in one day

If the day runs past the hours or the kilometres, the extra is charged at the rates shown before you pay. Nothing is negotiated in the car.

How far does 80 km go in Goa?

Further than most people think, as long as the stops are in one area. Some distances to give you a feel:

• Old Goa is about 10 km east of Panaji.

• The Mangeshi temple near Ponda is about 21 km from Panaji.

• Anjuna is about 18 km from Panaji and 8 km west of Mapusa.

• Colva is about 8 km from Margao and about 40 km from Panaji.

• Dabolim airport is about 30 km from Panaji and 23 km from Margao.

So a day from a Panaji hotel to Old Goa, the temples around Ponda and back sits comfortably inside 80 km. So does a North Goa coast day from Candolim: Fort Aguada (open daily from 9.30 am to 6 pm), Calangute, Anjuna and Vagator are all close together.

Where 80 km runs out is a day that crosses Goa from end to end. A North Goa hotel with a lunch stop in the far south will eat both hours and kilometres.

How much does a full-day car with a driver cost in Goa?

It depends on the package and the car. The car-for-the-day page shows the live fare for every combination, from the sedan to the 26-seat Tempo Traveller, and each fare is for the whole car, so the cost per person falls as the group grows. We don't type prices into our guides, because they'd go out of date; the booking page always shows today's fare before you pay.

Should I book 8, 10 or 12 hours?

• 8 hours suits most sightseeing days in one area, a shopping and lunch day, or a business day of meetings around Panaji, Porvorim or Margao.

• 10 hours suits a day with a longer drive in it, say from North Goa to the Old Goa churches and the Ponda temples, or a late sunset stop.

• 12 hours suits a day that starts early and ends after dinner, or one that takes in both North and South Goa.

If you're torn, go up a size. A day that isn't rushed is the whole point of having your own car.

Car with a driver, or a day tour?

Both come with a private car and a local driver. The difference is who plans the day.

Our day tours come with a planned route and hotel pickup and drop. The North Goa Sightseeing Tour takes about 8 hours and covers Fort Aguada, the Candolim, Calangute and Baga beaches and the Anjuna and Vagator cliffs. The Latin Quarter and Old Goa Trail links Fontainhas and the Old Goa churches in about 6 hours.

Pick a tour if you'd like the route worked out. Pick a car for the day if you'd like to set the stops yourself, or the day includes errands, meetings or a family lunch. Our North or South Goa guide helps you choose a side.

Which car should I choose for a full day?

Passenger numbers don't include the driver:

• Sedan: 4 passengers, for example a Swift Dzire, Honda Amaze or Hyundai Aura

• SUV: 4 passengers, a Hyundai Creta

• MPV: 6 passengers, a Maruti Ertiga or Toyota Innova

• Premium MPV: 7 passengers, a Toyota Innova Crysta

• Winger: up to 12 passengers, a Tata Winger

• Tempo Traveller: up to 17, 20 or 26 passengers, a Force Traveller

For a long day, comfort matters more than on a 40-minute airport run. A couple is fine in a sedan. Three or four adults on a 10-hour day will be happier in the Premium MPV, and a bigger group will want a Winger. Our family vehicle guide compares them.

How do I make the most of the day?

• Group nearby stops together and travel in one direction.

• Do the outdoor stops early, before the midday heat.

• Tell the driver your must-sees at pickup, so the order makes sense.

• Keep one stop as a maybe, in case lunch runs long or it rains.

• Share your hotel or villa map pin when you book, especially down a small lane.

• In the monsoon, keep an indoor or covered stop in reserve, such as a church, a temple or a long lunch.

• If you'd like a break at your hotel in the middle of the day, say so: the car and driver stay with you for the hours you booked.

Can I keep the same car for several days?

For a car over several days, or a trip that leaves Goa, WhatsApp our team on 82089 82398 with your dates and plans. Trips like these are planned and quoted by the team, and the quote says how and when to pay. We answer daily from 7 AM to 11 PM IST.

For a single day, pick your hours and car on the booking page and pay online to confirm.