[Zappo]

Ok guys, its like this. I am planning a drive from Hyderabad to Goa and back sometime soon. I searched for some previous experience document but could not find any.

I understand that it is roughly 800kms drive each way. I am planning a Hydbd->Solapur->Belgaum->Goa route. Now it is the Solapur to Belgaum part that seems to be the one which is most obscure. After some research I felt one can either take a route via Pandharpur-Ichalkaranji-Kolhapur-Belgaum or else Solapur-Bijapur-Belgaum route.

Could anyone provide me details of this road journey? Particularly the Solapur-Belgaum part. Any other details, maps, filling stations etc will also help.

[rkg]

Hi!
MapmyIndia - India's First Interactive Mapping Portal
India Map,Map of India,Travel To India Maps/Guides may be of help
even NHAI::Welcome to NHAI
it is approximately 650 Km via mahaboobnagar, raichur, sindhnur, hubli and goa as per mapmyindia.com
here is the link MapmyIndia - India's First Interactive Mapping Portal

[rajismine]

Hey. its only one month i went to Goa from Hyderabad. Take this route:

Hyderabad: Solapur:Bijapur:Athni:Chikoti:Belgaum:Amboli:Goa

will be 740 Kms and is a beautiful route.

[rajismine]

Actually there is one more route:
Hyderabad: Solapur:Kohlapur:Belgaum:Amboli:Goa = 825 Kms

I would not suggest this route at all.

[Zappo]

Hey thanx for the quickinfo guys...

@rajismine, since you went just 1 month back on this route maybe you can answer a few of my queries.

1> I am planning to leave office early on a friday and cover at least till Solapur and then take a night halt. This way I will reach goa early on saturday. Is that a good idea?
2> For a night halt which place is better? Solapur or Bijapur?
3> Is the road from Bijapur till NH4 in a bad shape? People seem to suggest so.
4> Are the roads from Bijapur to Belgaum clearly marked, considering the number of turns one has to take on a non-highway route?
5> You said you covered Belgaum-Amboli-Goa. Did you not go via NH4A that goes through Londa?
6> Considering that a tankfull will not last till Goa, where should I fill up enroute?

Do let me know.

[airfoil]

I haven't driven to Goa as yet, but have heard the Amboli ghat section is a nightmare, w.r.t road quality.

Here's an alternate route that we have been considering:
Hyderabad > Mahbubnagar > Raichur > Sindhunur > Gajendragarh > Lakshmeshwar > Sirsi > Ankola > Karwar > Madgaon > Panaji.

This adds up to 773km and allows a drive up the beautiful Karwar coast. You would do well to check on the road conditions between Raichur & Sirsi though. From what I have heard, the Hyderabad~Raichur stretch is dent and the Sirsi~Panaji stretch is awesome.

[hvkumar]

2> For a night halt which place is better? Solapur or Bijapur?
3> Is the road from Bijapur till NH4 in a bad shape? People seem to suggest so.
4> Are the roads from Bijapur to Belgaum clearly marked, considering the number of turns one has to take on a non-highway route?
5> You said you covered Belgaum-Amboli-Goa. Did you not go via NH4A that goes through Londa?

NH4A is an awful road,after Londa at least 20 kms of roads are washed out and will take you 1.5 hours and maybe you will be lucky not to break your undercarriage. That is why the Belgaum-Amboli route is preferred.

Bijapur-Belgaum road is not a clear route, there are several turnings that you have to be careful about. Moreover, this is sugarcane country, when I travelled on it the roads were not great, being narrow ones with potholes, etc.

[v_sukumar]

I have done this route[Sholapur-Bijapur].
If you leave by 1300hrs,you can reach Bijapur and stay the night there.There are nice hotels near the Gol Gumbaz,which you can visit next day early morning.
If you are delayed then stay at Sholapur.
I prefer Bijapur since it is less crowded.
One more thing you must know-all sign boards are in Kannada,so if you don't know Telugu-Kannada,You will be in troule.
I wrote the names of all small places in English and had some one write them in Kannada along side!
Have a nice and safe journey!
Sukumar.

[midlifecrisis]

Guys, I've done the Hyderabad - Belgaum - Goa route last December.
Hyderabad - Solhapur:
Good road once you get out of Hyderabad. One suggestion would be to hit the Highway going the Gachibowli route rather than the Ameerpet way. There's a good hotel near Zaheerabad run by APTDC. for breakfast. Some of the Dhabas around Zaheerabad are pretty good.
Solhapur:
The hotel I usually break at is in Solhapur town. Its called Pratham and quite famous there. It is however slightly run down. Costs are ~ 700 - 1000 bucks a room a night. There's another Hotel called Tripurasundari, which is a newer one. Don't know how much it costs.
If you're not breaking there, try a hotel called Hotel Junglee. Its on the by pass and serves superb Mutton.

Solhapur- Kolhapur:
Around 30 kms after Solhapur is a diversion to Pandhar pur. It is just beyond a town called Mohol.Its is on your left and has a toll gate for a Marker.
The Solhapur - Pandhar pur stretch has reasonable roads. Some bad patches, but over all reasonable. When we went there was a slight bad pather just before and just after Pandharpur. At Pandharpur ask for the bypass. You'll save time.
Pandharpur - Miraj is a neat stretch. You'll enjoy this drive. Try making up time here.
Miraj - Kolhapur has a lot of traffic. You'll lose a bit of time here.
Kolhapur Belgaum:
Ah.... my first time on an expressway. I've done Pune- Belgaum a few times on a LML when I was just out of college. Keeping that in mind, I could write perty about this stretch. You will have bullock carts and trucks coming the wrong way, but they stick to lanes and don't cross unexpectedly.
Belgaum-Goa:
There's four routes I know from Belgaum to Goa. I've done all at different times.
Belgaum - Anmod Ghat - Ponda- Panaji. This route sucks. Year round. There's some mining activity in that regain and the dumpsters are the only trucks which can manage the road. You'll lose all four tires. Unless you know for sure about the road conditions, don't try this.
Belgaum - Jamboti - Chorla Ghat - Sanquelim(Sankhali in Konkani... remember to look for both, the Konkani and English names in Goa. I was looking for Sankhali and had already passed through it).
This route is good on the Goa side and seasonally bad(post mosoon) on the K'taka side. Overall a very lonely road and not advisable. It is also the shortest road. Belgaum - Mapusa is just 110 kms.
Belgaum - Tillary Ghat - Bicholim
This is an just off the Amboli road, ~15 - 20 kms out of Belgaum. I took this one and regretted it in just the first 2 kms. The temptation was a signboard showing Panaji at 90 kms. After 2 kms the road got bad. we asked someone if the road was this bad all through and they assured us it gets better later. A couple of kms later the road dissapeared! For half a km I was driving on mud. Then comes the ghat. It is very beautiful. Very very short. And very very steep. Its just 8 kms of ghat section. The road is bad. The only advantage is you're going down hill. I don't know if the bad condition is seasonal. It would be easy with a 4x4. The road is good once you've reached the base.
Belgaum- Amboli - Mapusa - Panaji
This is the best road year round. ~ 175 km from Belgaum to Panaji. Awesome views. Fog problem at Amboli during rains and winter nights.
Hope this helps

I really would like to find out the road conditions in North Karnataka. There's a route from Hyd - Mahabubnagar - Raichur - Bagalkot - Belgaum. Shortest route. But bad roads and dacoity problems in the mid 90s. Any current info on this would be appreciated.

[vnabhi]

Hi guys,
Any updates on the best route from Hyd to Goa? I don't mind driving 100 kms extra, as long as the road is good.
I am planning for end of August.

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Hi guys,
Any updates on the best route from Hyd to Goa? I don't mind driving 100 kms extra, as long as the road is good.
I am planning for end of August.

This is Zappo's travelogue - Hyd - Goa .

I am sure this would help you decide.

[nprasanthb]

Hi,
We are planning a road trip from hyderabad to goa coming November end, can any please suggest the best route with good road conditions.

[9tMax]

Hi prasanth,

Originally Posted by nprasanthb

Hi,
We are planning a road trip from hyderabad to goa coming November end, can any please suggest the best route with good road conditions.

Did u make the goa trip? If u have done it, please update us about the route u took and also about the road conditions post-monsoon. bcoz i am planning for the same trip during the year end.

Thanx.

[obiwankenobi]

Guys, I just stumbled on this post doing a google search. Has anyone been to Goa by road recently (Hyd -> Goa), and if so, can you please share the route and the road condition? We are planning a trip during the end of Jan (republic day weekend) and we plan to go either by a Maruti Baleno or a Ford Figo. 4 of us driving. We aim to start from Hyd around 4am. Would we be able to make it to Goa in time for dinner on the same day?

Thanks,
Deekshit

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by obiwankenobi

Guys, I just stumbled on this post doing a google search. Has anyone been to Goa by road recently (Hyd -> Goa), and if so, can you please share the route and the road condition? We are planning a trip during the end of Jan (republic day weekend) and we plan to go either by a Maruti Baleno or a Ford Figo. 4 of us driving. We aim to start from Hyd around 4am. Would we be able to make it to Goa in time for dinner on the same day?

Thanks,
Deekshit

Yes, you can reach Panjim in 15 hours. Search the travelogues/ route query section for recent posts. Most of us preferred the Solapur-Kolhapur-Sankeshwar-Amboli ghat route, while some also went via Homnabad-Bijapur-Athni-Sankeshwar-Amboli route.

I also remember seeing a recent post by someone who went via Gulbarga-Bijapur-Bagalkot-Belgaum, and that I believe was the best.