[souravdebiswas]

Hi All,

In a few more minutes, I will be embarking on my first solo drive from Delhi to Kolkata. Bags packed, food rations stocked, car checked, all ready. Its going to be the Ford Fiesta 1.6S.

Intend to stay over at Varanasi tonight and then again head for Kolkata tommorrow morning. Will be back in Delhi via same route over next weekend.

Wish me luck.

Will keep everyone posted with updates.

Regards,

Sourav
(9717498892)

[LongDrive lover]

Off course, Saurav, tonnes of good luck for you. Have a safe journey. Its a brave solo run. Will wait for a good report about route.

[KALINGA]

Best of luck "SOURAV"

Wish you a happy and safe journey.

waiting for your travel logs with photo.

Drive Safe.

[suman]

Good luck & safe travels. Will await your route updates once you're back. I hope you'll avoid driving through Bihar after sundown?

[sanjayc]

Best of luck..did a solo drive last month CHN-KOL-CHN (3800 kms roundtrip) in a brand new month old Fiesta 1.6 SXi. No Probs.

Drive Safe.

[LongDrive lover]

Originally Posted by sanjayc

Best of luck..did a solo drive last month CHN-KOL-CHN (3800 kms roundtrip) in a brand new month old Fiesta 1.6 SXi. No Probs. Drive Safe.

Could you plz share the route you took, road conditions, halts, journey time etc for your trip?

[sanjayc]

Sourav, sorry for hijacking this thread..while you are on the way to Cal, will try keeping people glued to this

Originally Posted by LongDrive lover

Could you plz share the route you took, road conditions, halts, journey time etc for your trip?

I did Chennai-Nellore-Vizag-Bhubaneswar-Kharagpur-Kolkata.
Chennai till start of Icchapuram (AP/Orrisa border) is mostly NH5 and dream to drive. Around 100Kms inside Orissa is pain to drive with pathetic road conditions/lots of diversions etc. Otherwise no issues.

On the way to Kol, did 2 night halts (Vizag & Chandikhole in Orrissa) and on way back, only Vizag. If you start early by 4 am both sides, only 1 night halt is required. Ensure to plan so that you enter and exit Orissa in broad daylight.

Refer to Madurai-Kolkata thread for exact route - I followed the same alongwith my iPhone-MapMyIndia software which guided me nicely all along the route.

You can refer to further small tidbits about the trip here:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post1700474

Am planning to post a detailed travelogue about this for quite sometime, but not getting the required spare time..will be doing so soon.

[LongDrive lover]

Originally Posted by sanjayc

I did Chennai-Nellore-Vizag-Bhubaneswar-Kharagpur-Kolkata.
Chennai till start of Icchapuram (AP/Orrisa border) is mostly NH5 and dream to drive. Around 100Kms inside Orissa is pain to drive with pathetic road conditions/lots of diversions etc. Otherwise no issues...Ensure to plan so that you enter and exit Orissa in broad daylight.

Thanks sanjay for prompt reply.

[KALINGA]

Originally Posted by sanjayc

Sourav, sorry for hijacking this thread..while you are on the way to Cal, will try keeping people glued to this


I did Chennai-Nellore-Vizag-Bhubaneswar-Kharagpur-Kolkata.
Chennai till start of Icchapuram (AP/Orrisa border) is mostly NH5 and dream to drive. Around 100Kms inside Orissa is pain to drive with pathetic road conditions/lots of diversions etc. Otherwise no issues.

On the way to Kol, did 2 night halts (Vizag & Chandikhole in Orrissa) and on way back, only Vizag. If you start early by 4 am both sides, only 1 night halt is required. Ensure to plan so that you enter and exit Orissa in broad daylight.

Refer to Madurai-Kolkata thread for exact route - I followed the same alongwith my iPhone-MapMyIndia software which guided me nicely all along the route.

You can refer to further small tidbits about the trip here:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post1700474

Am planning to post a detailed travelogue about this for quite sometime, but not getting the required spare time..will be doing so soon.

I think he is doing Delhi---> KOLKATA. So he even do not touch the orissa border.

And for your information even night drive in orissa dont have any issue.
I drive count less night drive in orissa,till now no issue.

[sanjayc]

Originally Posted by KALINGA

I think he is doing Delhi---> KOLKATA. So he even do not touch the orissa border.

And for your information even night drive in orissa dont have any issue.
I drive count less night drive in orissa,till now no issue.

Bro, It was in response to a question put by @longdriver lover and not @souravbiswas Before commenting, it will be helpful if you care to read the context.

Regarding night driving in Orissa, I have no idea regarding law & order situation, if that is what you are trying to point out!! I am referring to bad road conditions..have you ever been to Icchapuram, near the checkpost or Bhadrak/Balasore? Do you know that most of NH5 within Orissa is still incomplete? Do not try to confuse your countless, maybe in-city driving with highway inter-state driving.

[souravdebiswas]

Short summary till Varanasi.

Well..the few minutes because 45 mins actually. Left Delhi at 5:30am. Reached varanasi at about 3:45pm. Took me almost another hour to enter the city and get a room. Driven about 830kms (approx) I think. Forgot to check the odo after parking. Thanks to SS Traveller's help, got directions for the hotel. Staying at Plaza Inn.Yatri niwas had no rooms left.

The roads were fantastic all the way. Weather was good too. However, it was drizzling all throughout, so the roads were wet, and couldnt drive at more than 120km/hr. The best part was the Kanpur bypass and the Allahabad bypass. They were amazing. Dint stop much, other than for nature's call and taking a few odd snaps. Carried lots of snacks in the car to avoid loss of time (lesson from HV).

Anyway, will be going for the ganga aarti right now.

Plan to leave at 5am tommorrow morning.

Will post a detailed travellouge when i reach Kolkata.

Regards,

Sourav

[SS-Traveller]

souravdebiswas has checked in at the Plaza Inn hotel at Benaras, around 4:30 pm.


He reports that it's drizzling in Benaras, and he should be on his way to watching the Ganga aarti as I write.

His plan is to reach CCU tomorrow morning.

Sourav, wishing you a safe and trouble-free journey.

[sanjayc]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

His plan is to reach CCU tomorrow morning.

That means full night drive, is it? Drive safe.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by sanjayc

That means full night drive, is it? Drive safe.

OOPS! I meant tomorrow evening - he'd be leaving for CCU in the morning. Apologies.

[KALINGA]

Originally Posted by sanjayc

Bro, It was in response to a question put by @longdriver lover and not @souravbiswas Before commenting, it will be helpful if you care to read the context.

Regarding night driving in Orissa, I have no idea regarding law & order situation, if that is what you are trying to point out!! I am referring to bad road conditions..have you ever been to Icchapuram, near the checkpost or Bhadrak/Balasore? Do you know that most of NH5 within Orissa is still incomplete? Do not try to confuse your countless, maybe in-city driving with highway inter-state driving.

My Mistake bro.. i missed the context.

I am not trying to confuse any one.But regarding road condition between Balasore-bhadrak is not that bad. Though the GQ is incomplet. But you can maintain 70-80 KPH speed on that road. I am saying that because my home town is In between Balasore and Bhadrak.

No idea about Ichapuram road condition.