I'm flying into Mumbai on a backpacking trip, heading for Goa. Is there a ferry along the coast? Jack Ashton, London

These days, you are better off catching one of the double daily express trains ­ they run through the day or overnight and take about 12 hours. It's almost impossible to get seats on these trains at short notice, so make sure to book in advance, through India Rail's UK agent, SD Enterprises Ltd (0208 9033411, www.indiarail.co.uk). Alternatively, it's an hour's flight. Fares start at £35 one way with Kingfisher (www.flykingfisher.com). And yes, that really is brought to you by the same people that make the beer ­ the tail plane has pretty much the same livery as the label on the bottles.

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