[SumitB]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Preferred route now is Jaipur - Kota - Ratlam - Vadodara - Thane - Hubli - Bangalore.

You can check with most of the folks on HVK forum where they have taken this route. This helps you avoid the busy sections between Vadodara - Ahmedabad - Himmatnagar - Udaipur sections.

So via Ratlam is the way to go.

Parag Bhai, thank you for this. I am the one who will be doing this route at the end of April, early May. We will have 2 vehicles with us, the Cruze and the Ecosport. I want to reach Bangalore at the earliest after departing Jaipur. How long should it take to reach Bangalore using the Jaipur - Kota - Ratlam - Vadodara - Thane - Hubli - Bangalore route?

I assume this would mean 2 days of driving with 1 night halt. Where should we halt? I will be travelling with my wife, 2 kids (5 and 3) and in-laws. Father in Law is 66 and have 3 sis-in-laws. So we need a decent place to stop. Preferably 3 or 4 star accommodation.

You valuable inputs will be highly appreciated.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by couswheels

Parag, isn't this a longer route instead of coming via Dhule - Nashik to Thane?

If thats the case, as you mentioned earlier, one might as well take the Dhule-Pune option and bypass Bombay. That would much easier an option than going to Bombay. Looks like thats one of the reason, many use the central India route as, it tends to avoid many cities.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by ampere

Isn't Ratlam-Baroda via Godhra/Dahod ? Remember reading it was quite un-safe at nights. And quite many sections were bad? Looks like that has changed?

Ratlam - Baroda via Dahod. The route via Godhra is still work in progress and not fully done although this has improved a lot. Last I took the Godhra route was when we returned to Bangalore from Indore and it was very bad.

Originally Posted by couswheels

Parag, isn't this a longer route instead of coming via Dhule - Nashik to Thane?

Agreed. I kept thinking Vadodara/Mumbai to be the ultimate destination when it is Bangalore .

So the route would be : Jaipur Kishangarh Chittorgadh Neemuch Mandsaur Ratlam Dahod Dhule Malegaon Shirdi Pune Bangalore

Originally Posted by SumitB

I want to reach Bangalore at the earliest after departing Jaipur. How long should it take to reach Bangalore using the Jaipur - Kota - Ratlam - Vadodara - Thane - Hubli - Bangalore route?

Option 1:
With the Ratlam - Dhule option your break-up should be:

• Jaipur - Dhule - Full day drive
• Dhule - Hubli - Full day drive
• Hubli - Bangalore - 6 Hours max

Option 2:
With the usual route i.e : Jaipur Kishangarh Chittorgarh - Udaipur - Himmatnagar - Ahmedabad - Thane - Pune - Hubli - Bangalore your break-up will be:

• Jaipur - Vadodara - Full day drive
• Vadodara - Belgaum - Full day drive
• Belgaum - Bangalore - 7-8 hours max

Both these routes more or less will take the same time. The choice should not be the distance or the route but what you want as must have (facilities) and what you want to avoid (crossing too many urban areas)

Option 2 will be the one to opt for if you want facilities all the way. That road will not disappoint you in terms of places to break and you will be greeted by the them frequently.

Option 2 would also mean you do the busy Udaipur (bypassing itself is a time consuming task) - Ahmedabad - Baroda - Surat - Vapi - Thane sections. The good thing is that there will be a lot of company for you on this route at good pace. The bad thing is the time of the day you pass each of these locations. That can at times be irritating. Else Ahmedabad - Thane is an easy 7 hours drive without even exceeding 100 KMPH.

I assume this would mean 2 days of driving with 1 night halt. Where should we halt? I will be travelling with my wife, 2 kids (5 and 3) and in-laws. Father in Law is 66 and have 3 sis-in-laws. So we need a decent place to stop. Preferably 3 or 4 star accommodation.

I have responded with both the options. You must halt twice. No choice there and considering the crowd you are traveling with, I will suggest that. Remember that summer is a wrong time to drive at nights due to truckers who prefer nights because of the heat.

For halts here are my suggestions based on what I am aware of. Based on your progress there are chances that you are either too early or too late that you may want to halt few 100 kms before or after:

1. Dhule - Got no clue & hence won't suggest any (check online)
2. Satara - Mahendra Executive
3. Kolhapur - Hotel Opal (A popular one here although others might be good too, Located inside city but)
4. Belgaum - Sankam Residency
5. Hubli - Clarks Inn
6. Davanagere - Sankama Hotel
7. Davanagere - Apoorva Resorts

Between the 2, If I were you & with family and elders with me along with another car in tow and the fact that I am not a regular on this circuit I will stick to the Western India route & may be return via the Central India route.

Originally Posted by ampere

If thats the case, as you mentioned earlier, one might as well take the Dhule-Pune option and bypass Bombay. That would much easier an option than going to Bombay. Looks like thats one of the reason, many use the central India route as, it tends to avoid many cities.

Actually passing Bombay has never been a pain at all. The real pain is when you do this at Peak Hours or exactly when you enter Mumbai after entry for trucks is allowed. Else its mere 60-75 minute affair.

Ghodbunder Junction after Vasai Creek Bridge where you make an entry to Mumbai till Thane is a brilliant 16 kms road that now has all functional flyover including an interchance loop at Kapurwadi that helps you join onto Eastern Expressway without stopping.

The Central India route like you said helps one avoids passing cities.

With Malegaon - Shirdi - Pune route you have to drive in thick traffic all the way till you cross Pune too.

[SumitB]

Parag Bhai, I am indebted. Thank you!

By the "Western India Route", you mean the Jaipur - Kishangarh - Chittorgarh - Udaipur - Himmatnagar - Ahmedabad - Thane - Pune - Hubli - Bangalore route?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by SumitB

Parag Bhai, I am indebted. Thank you!

By the "Western India Route", you mean the Jaipur - Kishangarh - Chittorgarh - Udaipur - Himmatnagar - Ahmedabad - Thane - Pune - Hubli - Bangalore route?

That is exactly what I meant. Central India will be Ratlam-Dhule- Malegaon-Pune.

From Pune its common for both the options.

[SumitB]

Any hotel recommendations for Vadodara?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by SumitB

Any hotel recommendations for Vadodara?

Should fit into 3/4 Star and is located bang on the highway.

Banyan Paradise Resort.

The how can we forget Plazzo that is one of the most famous hotels on Baroda Bypass and exactly opposite to the Banyan Paradise.

[nityaya]

Any ideas regarding road condition from Khamgaon to Amravati via Akola?

[nileshch]

Originally Posted by nityaya

Any ideas regarding road condition from Khamgaon to Amravati via Akola?

That should be NH6. It is a two-lane highway. I haven't travelled beyond Shegaon on that route but I am thinking it should be ok to good surface.

[gsurya]

I am doing a Chennai - Hyderabad - Nagpur drive starting tomorrow. Any recommendations or follow just Google maps through NH7?

I want to do night halt somewhere after Hyderabad near Nirmal, anyone know where I should? I would like to get into Nagpur by noon on 20th.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by nityaya

Any ideas regarding road condition from Khamgaon to Amravati via Akola?

Originally Posted by nileshch

That should be NH6. It is a two-lane highway. I haven't travelled beyond Shegaon on that route but I am thinking it should be ok to good surface.

Here is the last I remember reading about it.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ml#post3553371

May help, to check with @sommos.

[Landkruzer]

Originally Posted by gsurya

I want to do night halt somewhere after Hyderabad near Nirmal, anyone know where I should? I would like to get into Nagpur by noon on 20th.

You will find many stay options at Nizamabad. But you have to deviate from the NH 7 for about 15 kms.

Very limited options at Nirmal. Hotel Mayuri Inn is a good option, few bhpians have given positive feedback.

[nityaya]

The route taken by @sommos is the regular Mumbai - Pune - Nagpur route. I need to know about the road condition from Khamgaon to Shegaon and then from Shegaon via Akola to Amravati. Also any suggestions for night stay at or near Shegaon. This is my first visit there, I have enquired regarding Anand Vihar A/C room which are available but not sure about the cleanliness of the room and the toilets.

[NPV]

Bangalore - The Elevated Corridor Project proposed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has been approved by the state government as per this report (and as per their "highly placed" source ).

The state government has given the green signal for the proposed alignment of the Elevated Corridor Project of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). The nod came after a high-level meeting between top BDA and government officials on Wenesday night, said a highly placed source.

Source:With Govt Nod, Elevated Corridor to be a Reality

[inder]

Hi,I am planning a holiday in Coorg. Wanted to know if I can drive from Kutta (south Coorg) to Hunsur via Nagarhole forest in my own car. Have not been getting concrete info. Some websites mention have to cross the forest before 6pm.