[superbad]

I (+ wife) am planning to travel from Pune to Prayagraj by car in the month of Oct. It might seem far off but it's better to plan early.

Maps show two broad route options :-
1) Pune - Nashik - Indore - Jhansi - Prayagraj
2) Pune - Aurangabad - Amravati - Nagpur - Jabalpur - Prayagraj.

I'm leaning towards the first option (despite it being longer) because I suspect the roads might be better & bigger towns along the way mean better stay & food options. However I have no experience with either of the two routes.

My requirements :-
1) Good driving roads (4 lanes as far as possible).
2) Good sightseeing options enroute.
3) Quality rest stops & best food options along the way (both me & my wife are complete foodies).

Request for your help & opinions.

[siddhant]

Okay, so here is how I go about it when I research routes I don't know anything about. There is a lot that you can learn from Google Maps alone.

Roads and driving experience

• Route 1 is 1506 kms long and can be done in 26 hrs. Average speed = 57.9 km/hr
• Route 2 is 1349 kms long and can be done in 26 hrs. Average speed = 51.9 km/hr

So, according to Google Maps (Pune - Pragayraj), you are likely to enjoy driving on Route 1 more than Route 2 (overall).

Trip breakdown

• Route 1 can be done in 2 days if you are willing to drive a lot on one day. 750 kms per day would have been ideal but there are no big cities for night halt 700-800 kms from Pune. Indore is 610 kms and Guna is 896 kms away from Pune. No big cities in between Indore-Guna, only small towns. However, if you do this in 3 days, it'll be a piece of cake, with pit stops at Indore (day 1) and Jhansi (day 2). But keep in mind that an extra night halt adds an extra cost in terms of money as well as time.
• Route 2 can be done in 2 days - Pune-Nagpur (716 kms) on day 1 and Nagpur-Prayagraj (636 kms) on day 2. Travel times will also be under or about 12 hrs if you plan your stops well. No need to drive in the dark and Nagpur being a big city will be perfect for a night halt.

Therefore, route 2 seems to be the logical choice with respect to time, energy and money. I haven't considered the sightseeing part here. Maybe other members familiar with the route can help you there. Plus, if you are okay with taking it slow (doing the trip in 3 days as opposed to 2 days), it certainly opens up more possibilities.

If you use Google Maps for research, one tip would be to break down large distances (e.g. 600 kms) into smaller portions (of 200-250 kms) and research each portion independently. You'll find alternate routes for those portions and can judge them on the basis of average speed (generally, higher average speed = better roads), type of roads (NH or SH), availability of food/fuel etc.

[narayans80]

You can keep Jhansi-Prayagraj as constant. As of today, the first route is the only option. You can look at doing Pune-Nagpur-Jhansi depending on how much of Samrudhi Mahamarg opens (most likely is Shelu Bazaar-Nagpur only). We should have some clarity by August 15th.

Even through Indore, I think Shivpuri bypass isn't done yet

[autoweirdo]

Originally Posted by superbad

I (+ wife) am planning to travel from Pune to Prayagraj by car in the month of Oct. It might seem far off but it's better to plan early.

Maps show two broad route options :-
1) Pune - Nashik - Indore - Jhansi - Prayagraj
2) Pune - Aurangabad - Amravati - Nagpur - Jabalpur - Prayagraj.

I had done Varanasi Pune in Jan 2022, Route 2 easily doable with one night halt. From Pune start early and halt at Nagpur (with expressway opening up should take 10hrs). Nagpur to Prayagraj is cemented 4 lane road with very less traffic compared to MH side, should take 10-11hrs with sufficient breaks.

I will be also travelling this route most probably during Dusherra, if i do so will update.

Things en-route will be Ramtek near Nagpur, Pench National Park, Bhedaghat in Jabalpur. But you will need to increase your halts accordingly. Food options are less post MH but near big cities it should not be a issue.

[ApriliaNut]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Even through Indore, I think Shivpuri bypass isn't done yet

I think you meant Guna bypass that's still under construction. Shivpuri bypass had just become operational a year ago when I travelled on this highway.

[PAS]

Originally Posted by superbad

Maps show two broad route options :-
1) Pune - Nashik - Indore - Jhansi - Prayagraj
2) Pune - Aurangabad - Amravati - Nagpur - Jabalpur - Prayagraj.

I am planning for a similar drive (end Destination would be Varanasi) towards end of Oct. Contemplating on option 2 with a possible day break at Nagpur or see if I can push it till Jabalpur.
Suspect, If I might be able to push it till Jabalpur on day 1 Since, it would be post Monsoon season as such some patches to be in not so good conditions