[JoseVijay]

Originally Posted by simplyself

Are you sure it was 2 toll gates between Narketpally and Addanki. Though I havent travelled after the toll gates were installed I do remember reading in newapapers that there are three toll gates on this NAM Expressway ( Narketpally Addanki Mederametla Express way).

I have travelled to Chennai and back last week. There are 3 toll gates on the NAM Expressway.

[kiyer_2000]

Hi JoseVijay,
Can you give a write up about your start and end time from Hyd to Chennai. If possible start location (area) of source and destination.

Average speed that you maintained and breaks / pit stops.
Are there enough fuel stations (petrol) along this route.
I am planning to take this trip in July second week, and your inputs will be highly valuable.

Regards,
Karthik Iyer

[JoseVijay]

Originally Posted by kiyer_2000

Hi JoseVijay,
Can you give a write up about your start and end time from Hyd to Chennai. If possible start location (area) of source and destination.

Average speed that you maintained and breaks / pit stops.
Are there enough fuel stations (petrol) along this route.
I am planning to take this trip in July second week, and your inputs will be highly valuable.

Regards,
Karthik Iyer

Karthik,

I started from Alwal at 11.45 a.m and by the time I crossed the city it was 1.00 p.m. As I have already stated in my previous post, I took the Addanki>Miriyalaguda>Nalgonda route. At 2.45 p.m we had lunch at a small road side hotel near Miryalaguda. After a break of 30 mins, resumed the journey. By 5.00 we were at Ongole. Roads upto Medarametla Cross roads (this is where you touch Chennai - Kolkata GQ) were good except for the short sections near the villages' approach and exit. Dining options on this route are very poor. There are enough fuel stations though.

From Ongole onwards the trip was leisurely done as we were in no hurry to reach the destination. We had plenty of pit stops along this route that we reached Tada only at 10.30 p.m. We had our dinner at Sullurpet at 9.30 p.m. The rest of the journey was uneventful. Took the same route on return.

As virgovencat mentioned, best time to start is 5 a.m.

By the way, I undertook this journey in my brother's Bolero which has already clocked 1,89,200 kms before the trip.

[venki.bala]

Originally Posted by kiyer_2000

Hi JoseVijay,
Can you give a write up about your start and end time from Hyd to Chennai. If possible start location (area) of source and destination.

Average speed that you maintained and breaks / pit stops.
Are there enough fuel stations (petrol) along this route.
I am planning to take this trip in July second week, and your inputs will be highly valuable.

Regards,
Karthik Iyer

Karthick,

Do not worry about the fuel stations. there are plenty of options. Food options are very limited unless you go inside the towns. Decent ones are 1: Vivera on NH9 @ Narketpally - Just before the exit to Nalgonda on the right side when you going from Hyd - Chennai.

2: As Vijay mentioned no good options on Narketpally - Medarametla - Ongole - Nellore stretch.

3: There is a A1 Food court - decent. on Nellore bypass.

4: There is a Amaravathi after Nellore towards gudur again on the right side when you are going towards Chennai.

Typically the drive takes about 10-11 hrs. Ideal time would be to start by 5 am so that you can reach Medarametla - Ongole by 10 am after a breakfast/chai break and you will be in Nellore for lunch around 12 - 12.30 pm and will reach Chennai outskirts by 3.30 - 4 pm which is ideal time to enter Chennai limits.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by kiyer_2000

Hi JoseVijay,
Can you give a write up about your start and end time from Hyd to Chennai. If possible start location (area) of source and destination.

Average speed that you maintained and breaks / pit stops.
Are there enough fuel stations (petrol) along this route.
I am planning to take this trip in July second week, and your inputs will be highly valuable.

Regards,
Karthik Iyer

Just to reiterate what the others have already advised:

-Plenty of fuel stations
-Very limited food options
-Budget for a 11hr drive from LB Nagar to Red Hills at normal speeds.

[racer_ash]

Originally Posted by racer_ash

.Had delicious dinner at a hotel named 7hills around 5kms before Piduguralla (comes to the right).

In December 2012, when I was returning from Chennai in the Addanki-Narketpally route, I had dinner at a place called 7 hills which comes before Piduguralla (as mentioned in that particular post). This was during the time the 4 laning was going on. Not sure, if due to road widening, this hotel had to shut shop. Guys travelling in the near future can look out for this place and report it.

That time I had travelled with family (Grandmom included) and this place has decent toilets. Ofcourse we were the only FAMILY in this place since this road saw very little car traffic then.

[JoseVijay]

On my recent trip I have seen a lot of hotels coming up on the Narketpalli - Addanki route. But I suppose it will take a few month's time for them to be up and running.

Hope to have good eating options in the near future.

[kiyer_2000]

Hi Everyone,
I did this trip last week and it was a good one.
Route --> Gachibowli --Narketpally -- Medarametla --Adanki -- Ongole -- Nellore --Chennai (Red Hills).

Quick notes:
(1) Narketpally to Ongole road is very good. Any one planning to take this route can definitely take it. Just few village crossings where the 4 lane becomes single lane, but manageable.
(2) It was close to 685 KM's from door to door. Took around 11.5 Hrs which included 1 hour break for breakfast and lunch.
(3) Food options are negligible. So pack your food and plenty of water.
(4) Fuel stations - There are plenty. But just after you cross Adanki there are 2-3 huge company owned pumps. You can plan to fill up here, as it is roughly in between Hyd and Chennai.
(5) Toll paid was Rs 540.

I started at 6:00 am and reached at 5:30 PM. But recommendation is to start early. As mentioned by few other members, 5:00 am is an ideal start time.


I took the route of Chennai -> Bangalore --> Hyd in return as I had some work in Bangalore for a day.
Overall a good experience on the Hyd -> Chennai route. Thanks every one in this thread who gave enough information to plan my trip.

Regards,
Karthik Iyer

[JoseVijay]

Originally Posted by kiyer_2000

Hi Everyone,
I did this trip last week and it was a good one.
Route --> Gachibowli --Narketpally -- Medarametla --Adanki -- Ongole -- Nellore --Chennai (Red Hills).

I started at 6:00 am and reached at 5:30 PM. But recommendation is to start early. As mentioned by few other members, 5:00 am is an ideal start time.

Regards,
Karthik Iyer

Karthik,

Where did you have your breakfast and lunch? Did you pack those from home or had it in a hotel?

It's been a month since I travelled that route, any decent food joints up and running?

BTW, in which car did you travel?

[kiyer_2000]

Hi Jose,
We packed our breakfast and lunch from home. I could not find any thing big like Hotel 7 or Viveria on this route. There were couple of road side shop, which I would not qualify even as a dhaba. So good to avoid them.

I drive a Fluidic Verna Petrol.

Regards,
Karthik Iyer

[JoseVijay]

Originally Posted by kiyer_2000

Hi Jose,
We packed our breakfast and lunch from home. I could not find any thing big like Hotel 7 or Viveria on this route. There were couple of road side shop, which I would not qualify even as a dhaba. So good to avoid them.

I drive a Fluidic Verna Petrol.

Regards,
Karthik Iyer

Hotel Vivera is located just after you cross Chityala and before Narketpalli. But Hotel 7 is situated at Suryapet. Those who use Narketpalli - Addanki route would not find Suryapet enroute as they need to take diversion from Narketpalli.

[joecherian]

Originally Posted by JoseVijay

On my recent trip I have seen a lot of hotels coming up on the Narketpalli - Addanki route. But I suppose it will take a few month's time for them to be up and running.

Hope to have good eating options in the near future.

How is this route for a night travel ? Reason being, since there are not much food options, I was planning to have a night travel so that the dinner and breakfast can be timed to be in Chennai and Hyderabad respectively.

[venki.bala]

Originally Posted by joecherian

How is this route for a night travel ? Reason being, since there are not much food options, I was planning to have a night travel so that the dinner and breakfast can be timed to be in Chennai and Hyderabad respectively.

Night travel should not be a problem. Fuel pumps are available a plenty. All the chennai - Hydrebad buses take this route and will give you company. just be careful in the narketpally - addanki section as this section the 4 lane is not complete, suddenly the 4 lane becomes to 2 lane when entering the villages or towns. please do update once you complete the journey.

[JoseVijay]

Originally Posted by joecherian

How is this route for a night travel ? Reason being, since there are not much food options, I was planning to have a night travel so that the dinner and breakfast can be timed to be in Chennai and Hyderabad respectively.

Originally Posted by venki.bala

Night travel should not be a problem. just be careful in the narketpally - addanki section as this section the 4 lane is not complete, suddenly the 4 lane becomes to 2 lane when entering the villages or towns. please do update once you complete the journey.

Night travel is not at all a problem. But be on guard on the approaches to villages as the 4 lane suddenly becomes 2 lane. Food options are very poor. Traffic at night might also be a problem on this route as most of the busses from either side race against time to reach their respective destinations. Have a safe journey.

I drove from Chennai to Delhi via Ongole BP>Addanki>Piduguralla>Narketpally>Hyderabad recently.

1. We left Chennai Royapettah home at 2:30 pm on 5 Sep 2014.

2. 6-lane road-widening works were in progress on many sections upto Ongole bypass; but, no worries, the diversions were equally good.

3. We had our dinner break at BP COCOO Ghar Dhaba, Ongole bypass, from 7:30 to 7:55 pm, comprising packed homely food. My XUV 500 did not have fuel there. It had tankful at IOCL COCOO at Kompally, NH 7 later at 2:10 am, the next day.

4. We had a tea break at Nararaopet bypass at 10:10 pm.

5. From Ongole BP to Hyderabad, very good 4-lane toll SH except intervening villages and towns, where the road merges into 2-lanes.

6. I drove through Hyderabad and Secunderabad during 1:30 - 2:00 am on 6 Sep 2014.

7. Since I crossed Hyderabad in small hours of the day, I took IRR via Secunderabad as there was no ORR connecting NH 2 and NH 7 in anti-clockwise direction.

Here are the details of toll paid and timings: