Travelogue: Bangalore to Kolkata

[akroy]

Originally Posted by Zappo

really amazing stuff. to be truthful I have read this travelogue at least 6 times. everytime i read it i get this renewed urge to drive down to kolkata.

Thanks a lot Zappo da...

Originally Posted by Zappo

but then the pain is hydbd-kolkata run will probably take me 3 days. so 3 days+3days = 6 days gone on road. the leaves are such a rationed thing that i simply can't afford to do this while going home.

With 2 drivers u can easily do this faster than Falaknuma Express...
I now feel that it can be done in 2 days with a night halt in Vizag...coz now even if u reach Balasore by 5PM, you can still reach Kolkata by 8-9PM and home by 10PM....

FYI, a small update of my return journey timings:
Day1: Kolkata (depart:6AM from DumDumCant) - Bhubaneshwar (reached by 3PM after suffering 2-3hours traffic jam at Jaleshwar, basta)
Day2: Bhubaneshar (Hotel Arya palace depart at 5:20AM) - Vizag beach road hotel (at 1:25PM including 1 hour stop at A1 Plaza for lunch)
Day3: Vizag (start at 6AM) - reach Nellore at 6 PM (including juice break at Rajahmundry, one hour lunch break at vijaywada, tea break at Ongole)
Day4: Reach home by noon

I could do the above timings as I was suffering from high fever in Kolkata, hence i took those breaks... If my health would have been fine then I would have stopped in Gopalpur on first day and would have done Vizag -Bangalore in a day...

Originally Posted by Zappo

but still, you are a braveheart Abhi. maybe i will do this someday soon Abhi.

Ya sure, just do it...it will be truely exciting... I feel like doing it again after seeing that the stretch is done...also the work on Icchchapuram - Sunakhala stretch is on since Dec2006 (it was stopped due to some court case, now it is over), if that is done then Vizag - Kolkata is just a 13 hour affair.

Abhi

[Ajaybiz]

Oh man after going through this thread again the same sprint is coming to do some long distance travelling, i use to travel in my CD100 during 1986-1995 and even did 550 Kms in a single day in that tiny bike, now the time has came to start doing it again but in a Car, where are you my long awaiting DDIS badge .
I am around 1600 kms away from my native(Bhilai) so lets see when ill plan and execute this, thinking of doing it in 2-3 days flat as from Bangalore to Hydrabad is one day thing then from there maximum 1 more day so max 3 days ill cover it.
Thanks for nice write up Abhi.

[sugato_basu]

Dear Ray da, excellent story. Since I have driven myself on this stretch, it was like a beautiful re-capitulation. However while driving through various states, did you face any problem with police/ RTA pulling yourself up for driving an outside State vehicle? Since I am planning a similar trip from Orissa to Kolkata via AP with my taxes paid in Orissa I am apprehensive on this issue. Regards

[deepaktpatil]

nice post, good pictures.

[btirthankar]

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-nh60-nh9.html (Kolkata to Hyderabad 21st to 22nd Sep 2007 by Opel Astra (NH6, NH5, NH60, NH9))

[chirantanaranya]

Akroy, this truly is an inspiration.

Totally amazing how you did all the driving and also retained all that in your head to come back and record for us.

[akroy]

Originally Posted by sugato_basu

Dear Ray da, excellent story. Since I have driven myself on this stretch, it was like a beautiful re-capitulation. However while driving through various states, did you face any problem with police/ RTA pulling yourself up for driving an outside State vehicle? Since I am planning a similar trip from Orissa to Kolkata via AP with my taxes paid in Orissa I am apprehensive on this issue. Regards

Saugata, No issues for me...No body will catch you, even if they do then just keep the originals and also fuel bills from various states to claim you are intransit and donot stay in the other state...

Abhi

[arunnn]

Hi Abhi,

I am new to this forum. Read your travelogue today.. wonderful..

cheers,
Arun

[PVS]

Bangalore to Kolkata in an Alto LXI !! Kudos to both of you; that was an interesting travellogue!!

[VJ_MAVRICK]

Hey Roy!!
Cool Travelogue and i suppose it will help me out when I plan to zoom in my Alto to Vizag in the last week of december. Great reference for people planning up such a driving trip. Kudos

[madaboutCARS]

Hi Abhi,
it was nicely executed plan. M planning a trip to ranchi. No there are routes i guess
1) follow your travelogue till bhubaneswar and then move towards ranchi.
2) NH7 which goes straight from bangalore to madhyapradesh and then change towards ranchi.
I would like to know from fellow bhpians, which route has most of the good roads and which one is more safe to drive.
Does anybody has anyidea how the roads are in ranchi?

Abhi:- is it possible to make it till nellore , if i am leaving mysore from 2.00 pm sharp on 20th december. and next day if i leave early by 4.00 am can i reach bhubaneswar by 11.00 pm provided i took break for breakfast,lunch and dinner. From you experience is it possible? i will be taking my aveo.

[kchatt]

Originally Posted by madaboutCARS

Hi Abhi,
it was nicely executed plan. M planning a trip to ranchi. No there are routes i guess
1) follow your travelogue till bhubaneswar and then move towards ranchi.
2) NH7 which goes straight from bangalore to madhyapradesh and then change towards ranchi.
I would like to know from fellow bhpians, which route has most of the good roads and which one is more safe to drive.
Does anybody has anyidea how the roads are in ranchi?

Abhi:- is it possible to make it till nellore , if i am leaving mysore from 2.00 pm sharp on 20th december. and next day if i leave early by 4.00 am can i reach bhubaneswar by 11.00 pm provided i took break for breakfast,lunch and dinner. From you experience is it possible? i will be taking my aveo.

Hi Madaboutcars

That will be one hell of a drive. I am also researching on it. I'd like to turn into Jharkhand from Orissa, go via jajpur-keonjhar road, touch bara Jamda, take a detour to Kiriburu, go down via Noamundi Jhinkpani, Chaibasa, Chakradharpur, take the ghats with 249 loops (forgetting the name) hit Ranchi. Spend a day in Ranchi then head for Asansol via Bokaro, Dhanbad. Maybe HVKumar saab can help with the route from Orissa to Jharkhand.

Lets pool our info together.

[madaboutCARS]

kchatt ,
i am going till ramgadh, its 40 kms from ranchi. Do you have any idea of road condition, my dad was saying there are litterally no roads in ranchi...

[akroy]

Originally Posted by madaboutCARS

Hi Abhi,
it was nicely executed plan. M planning a trip to ranchi. No there are routes i guess
1) follow your travelogue till bhubaneswar and then move towards ranchi.
2) NH7 which goes straight from bangalore to madhyapradesh and then change towards ranchi.
I would like to know from fellow bhpians, which route has most of the good roads and which one is more safe to drive.
Does anybody has anyidea how the roads are in ranchi?

Follow GQ route, it is very fast. NH7 is slow and also roads are not in the best condition in MP plus there are security issues in MP.
Your best Route: Mysore - Bangalore - Bhubaneshwar as per my travelogue

Abhi:- is it possible to make it till nellore , if i am leaving mysore from 2.00 pm sharp on 20th december. and next day if i leave early by 4.00 am can i reach bhubaneswar by 11.00 pm provided i took break for breakfast,lunch and dinner. From you experience is it possible? i will be taking my aveo.

Hitting Nellore from Mysore can get delayed as you will hit peak traffic from Mysore Road till Hoskote. It is better if you target Tirupati or start earlier.
Nellore to Bhubaneshwar in a day is very difficult specially when you are doing for the first time and roads in Ichchapuram - Sunakhala are in construction mode (which you will encounter in the night after a very long journey from Nellore), I would not suggest that.

Can you drive whole night? If yes, by morning you will be in Vizag, rest there for a day and start very early the next day (3AM) and hit Ranchi directly. You can use Bhubaneshwar - Balasore - then turn off to NH33 to Baripada - Jamshedpur - Ranchi. May Kumar ji can guide you better.

Because if I drive again to Kol then I will target Vizag nonstop from bangalore. Roads are excellent and it is not tiring if you love driving.

Abhi

[akroy]

Originally Posted by madaboutCARS

kchatt ,
i am going till ramgadh, its 40 kms from ranchi. Do you have any idea of road condition, my dad was saying there are litterally no roads in ranchi...

Ohh, then you can also think of taking the following route, may be a bit longer but nice roads:
Follow my travelogue till Kharagpur, turn off left for Bankura
Kgp - Bankura - Puruliya - Chas - Ramgarh (since it is Northwards from Ranchi)

Anyway, we need to see the distances and then plan. Hang on, let Kumarji reply, you will get a clear idea where to turn off from GQ.

Abhi