[MrSDey]

My family and I are planning this trip on April 20. I have a few criteria for the trip:

1. Since traveling with 1 infant, 1 kid, 3 senior citizens, and wife, can only do 6-7 hours every day. Vehicle - Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.

2. Plan to start at 2pm each day and halt by 9-10pm same day, then start again next day. No AC required, thus saving some fuel.

3. Total time cannot be more than 20 days.

4. Looking for cheap hotel stays enroute. Already booked GMVN in the hills.

5. Looking for best stretch of road in terms of fuel economy, time taken, scenic beauty.


3 options I see:

A) Bangalore - Nagpur - Jhansi - Etawah - Moradabad - Ranikhet- Badrinath

This is the Google Maps route. This isn't the GQ. BLR-HYD i know, done it 5-6 times. If the rest of the road is equal to this, I am fine. If not, please let me know how bad it is.

Second, Ranikhet to Badrinath. I actually want to take in Nainital as well. What is the best route considering I once had a landslide near Gwaldam and was stranded for 2 days in 1995.

Third, what all are places to see enroute. I like historical and scenic places, not interested in cities etc.


B) Bangalore - Nagpur - Jhansi - Gwalior - Agra- Meerut- Rishikesh - Badrinath

Compared to A, is B better in terms of all my criteria?

C) Use the GQ. Bangalore- Mumbai - Chittor - Delhi - Rishkesh-Badrinath

Done the BLR-BOM stretch before, can be done in a day. But since done once, would prefer A/B. Also seen most of Rajasthan so not interested this time.


I would appreciate feedback with road suggestions, places to see, road conditions etc. I cannot do more than 6-7 hours a day. Hope to do 600 kms each day so I can complete the stretch in about 4 days.

[rkg]

Originally Posted by MrSDey

3 options I see:

A) Bangalore - Nagpur - Jhansi - Etawah - Moradabad - Ranikhet- Badrinath

This is the Google Maps route. This isn't the GQ. BLR-HYD i know, done it 5-6 times. If the rest of the road is equal to this, I am fine. If not, please let me know how bad it is.

Second, Ranikhet to Badrinath. I actually want to take in Nainital as well. What is the best route considering I once had a landslide near Gwaldam and was stranded for 2 days in 1995.

Third, what all are places to see enroute. I like historical and scenic places, not interested in cities etc.


B) Bangalore - Nagpur - Jhansi - Gwalior - Agra- Meerut- Rishikesh - Badrinath

Compared to A, is B better in terms of all my criteria?

C) Use the GQ. Bangalore- Mumbai - Chittor - Delhi - Rishkesh-Badrinath

Done the BLR-BOM stretch before, can be done in a day. But since done once, would prefer A/B. Also seen most of Rajasthan so not interested this time.


I would appreciate feedback with road suggestions, places to see, road conditions etc. I cannot do more than 6-7 hours a day. Hope to do 600 kms each day so I can complete the stretch in about 4 days.

Recently traveled from Delhi to banglore via Gwalior-Jhansi-Sagar-Nagpur-Hyderabad(October 2014)

Gwalior-Jhansi mostly one lane is functional.
Jhansi-Sagar almost 4 lane
Sagar- Nagpur- some sections around Seoni are single lane with reasonable road surface.
Between Seoni - Nagpur via Pench national park is single lane. One can easily do 60-70( that is what i did in night). Do it in day time.
Nagpur bypass is a daylight robbery. They have put toll gates on the main road, not at the entry exit of bypass. So even if one doesn't use bypass, he/she has to pay. it is Rs 180/- I do not know what is the total length of the bypass as i have not used it, but forced to pay.

Nagpur to Jamb is 4 lane. I missed the right turn there and continued on SH which took me to Warora. It happened because this road is also 4 lane. At Warora, I realized the mistake and connected back to NH 7 at Karanji via Wani. Warora-Wani-Karanji road is very good.

Pandharkwada- Telangana border is totally useless. No road at all at several places. From Telangana border it is fine.

Hyderabad ring road is very good. They charge as per usage. It is approximately Rs1/km. Toll is collected at the exit not entry point.

Regarding the historical places

Jhansi fort is not great. maximum 2 hours sufficient.
Orchha near Jhansi is worth seeing. may require minimum of 6 hours.
Gwalior fort is also good. May take a maximum of 4-5 hours.

[MrSDey]

@rkg, thank you very much for your data. This will help me plan it. Are you suggesting no night travel? Is it unsafe? Any Naxal problems?

How hot is it going to be in the daytime?

How is the UP part of my route, anyone? From Jhansi, not to Agra but towards Etawah etc.

[rkg]

Originally Posted by MrSDey

@rkg, thank you very much for your data. This will help me plan it. Are you suggesting no night travel? Is it unsafe? Any Naxal problems?

How hot is it going to be in the daytime?

How is the UP part of my route, anyone? From Jhansi, not to Agra but towards Etawah etc.

I was suggesting day time because you can enjoy the scenery/forest. I had to drive in the night, because night halt was planned at Nagpur. I had not faced any problems. crossed the Pench and reached outskirts of Nagpur around 8.30PM

I did not face any issues even in my earlier trips in UP and bihar. I had reached Kushinagar at 12 midnight , after starting from Lumbini in Nepal at 7 PM via Gorakhapur. No issues at all. The response of UP tourism guys was fantastic.

I could not get the UPDC at Kushinagar. So i called UP tourism HQ at Lucknow at 8 PM. The PA to MD, UPTDC answered. He got a room reserved for me at UPTDC, Kushinagar and informed me within 10 minutes.


Similarly from Varanasi to Maunath Banjan reached around 8 PM. It took me almost 40 minutes to reach the guest house at Mau in absolute darkness and none to ask for directions. Reached the GH at 8.30PM. You can see the map attached. By Gods grace I have not faced any problems.

[pgupta]

@MrSDey - I have done Bangalore to Hyderabad route. The road condition till Hyderabad is the best as you know. Rest of the road beyond hyderabad is not good at all leaving some sections like Jam to Nagpur. So the goal of completing 600 Kms in 6 to 7 hours looks pretty optimistic.

And please also note that you will be traveling thru areas like hyderabad, Nagpur where temperatures are high even now, so I am not sure if you can drive without AC on.

If I were you, I would have panned city to city depending upon stay arrangements planned instead of trying to complete the whole distance in 4 days. This way it will be easy on your family and if you are the sole driver then you can also enjoy the travel more.

Best of luck for the trip and waiting for the TL.

[MrSDey]

Originally Posted by pgupta

@MrSDey - I have done Bangalore to Hyderabad route. The road condition till Hyderabad is the best as you know. Rest of the road beyond hyderabad is not good at all leaving some sections like Jam to Nagpur. So the goal of completing 600 Kms in 6 to 7 hours looks pretty optimistic.

I amended my plans, sending wife and baby by plane ON aPR 6. Got cheap airasia flight to Jaipur, so they will reach there. I will take the Bangalore-Pune-Indore-Jaipur route on Apr 3, pick them up, then drive on towards Nainital.

You are right without AC would be hard, but since I am taking this GQ route, I will travel at night. I am also taking driver so will be easier. Hopefully I can get 12-13 km/l mileage instead of 8/l with AC.

I plan to start from Jaipur and reach Moradabad area by 6th itself, after picking up from airport. Any idea about best route and time taken and budget place to stay?

From Moradabad (or wherever I halt) I will go to Nainital for a day and then from there I will go towards Ukhimath via Karnaprayag. Almost 20 years back, I had done the bus trip from Badrinath to Gwaldam and Almora. Very landslide prone area, but hopefully only during rain.

Any tips will be helpful. I will of course post detailed travelogue.