[manim]

I will be driving to North-Goa in the middle of May.
I did a detailed study of this thread, and many Thanks to all the members.

My route: Tuticorin->Madurai->Bangalore->Hubli->Ankola->Panaji.

Since I cannot do this 1,250 kms drive in one stretch, my original plan was to stay overnight in Bangalore which is exactly midway from Tuticorin.

Now I am planning to attempt the following:
(I am the only driver and will be with my wife and two children and safety is a must)

Start from Tuticorin at around 8 p.m in the night (I am a night-owl!).
May reach Bangalore by 4 a.m and take the NICE byepass to Tumkur.
Continue till Hubli which I may reach by 10 a.m?
Stay there for the night.

My worry is that I want to be safe for this long drive.
If I feel tired when I am near Bangalore I can divert there for a stay.

I have a confirmed hotel booking at North-Goa.
Will getting a Hotel at Hubli without prior booking be a problem?
I have short listed the following (again Team-bhp recommended hotels from this and various other threads)
Metropolis, Hans, Ayodhya Hotel, Ananth Residency (Clarks Inn and Hotel Naveen are costly).

If in case I am not tired I can drive all the way to Goa before evening!
The maximum time I have driven continously without a major break recently has been around 14 hours.
Since I am aged 44+ I am concerned that my concentration may lapse and do not want to take a risk with my family along with me.

hvkumar sir, I think you are a regular long distance driver, so your suggestion will be very valuable.

I think it will be perfect 4-lane roads from Tuticorin till Hubli which makes me want to attempt this.
Also from this and other threads I have already studied and marked the (Kamat) hotel breaks on google-maps.

Since the Car is a Civic AT this will make this drive that much more easier.

Any suggestions are welcome.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by manim

I will be driving to North-Goa in the middle of May.
I did a detailed study of this thread, and many Thanks to all the members.

Yes, your timing estimations are perfect. You should reach Goa before evening.

If you feel tired before you reach Bangalore, you can try out some of the hotels in Hosur (like Hotel Victoria). That will help you avoid getting into Bangalore city.

You should be able to walk into any of the hotels in Hubli. IN any case, there are hotels at Tumkur, Chitradurga (both in bypasses), Davangere (inside city) in case you want other hotel options before Hubli.

I would keep going till I reach Goa, maybe you can take a few naps in between - there are some BPCL Ghar petrol pumps at Ranebennur, Dharwad and so on.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by manim

Now I am planning to attempt the following:
(I am the only driver and will be with my wife and two children and safety is a must)

Start from Tuticorin at around 8 p.m in the night (I am a night-owl!).
May reach Bangalore by 4 a.m and take the NICE byepass to Tumkur.
Continue till Hubli which I may reach by 10 a.m?
Stay there for the night.

The only issue:

- You would be fatigued by 4AM when you reach Bangalore
- Bangalore-Hubli in the initial stages has a lot of truck traffic.
- Hence if you chose to push till Hubli, need to be careful

As HVK timings are correct.

[manim]

Thanks hvkumar and ampere.

Originally Posted by hvkumar

there are hotels at Tumkur, Chitradurga (both in bypasses), Davangere (inside city) in case you want other hotel options before Hubli.

Yes, I want to keep my options open during the drive.
I want to take it easy and be relaxed, and stay overnight if I am too tired.
I have googled and marked some hotels in those cities in google maps.

If I continue till Goa, I can stay at South-Goa since I would have reached one day earlier against my confirmed booking (Santana Beach Resort, Candolim). Since it is semi-season I think I can find some place to stay on-the-fly.

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I would keep going till I reach Goa

Yes, this is what I want to do, but if safety requires a break, I will do so.
I had done a continous drive to Goa before, twelve years back with friends in my Honda-City, but I was younger and more energetic then!.
I remember it taking around 22 hours since we had many breaks and there was no 4-lanes then.

Originally Posted by ampere

You would be fatigued by 4AM when you reach Bangalore

I would start getting sleepy by around 4 am. If I keep going till 6 am when the sun rises, my biological-clock will kick-in and I hope I can put off sleep until next night. (this is with the experience I have during college days when friends together study the whole night for the exams!).

I will also keep many Redbulls handy.

Originally Posted by ampere

- Bangalore-Hubli in the initial stages has a lot of truck traffic.
- Hence if you chose to push till Hubli, need to be careful

Yes I will.
Similarly I expect the roads from Krishnagiri to Bangalore to be also truck/bus heavy.
In fact there were many accidents on this stretch recently.
I can put on some soothing music, relax and drive safe (The AutoTransmission helps).

[Me-hul]

Planning a trip to Goa next week.

As mentioned by many, will be taking the NH4. Planning to take the Bankapur -Yellapur stretch to Karwar, mainly because of the thick vegetation. Anyone taken this stretch of late?Updates on the road condition?

Return would be through Honnavar-Shimoga route, again for the scenic drive.
How is this stretch? No one seems to be taking this route often.

Any suggestions are welcome.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Me-hul

Planning a trip to Goa next week.

As mentioned by many, will be taking the NH4. Planning to take the Bankapur -Yellapur stretch to Karwar, mainly because of the thick vegetation. Anyone taken this stretch of late?Updates on the road condition?

Return would be through Honnavar-Shimoga route, again for the scenic drive.
How is this stretch? No one seems to be taking this route often.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Bankapur-Yellapura is not a great idea, roads are never good. I would suggest you stick to Hubli-Yellapura, a very pretty route with excellent roads.

[nozzlering]

I am planning to drive to Goa from Bangalore on around 3-4th of next month. I will be driving my Manza, along with my wife and kid. This thread will be of great help to me. Thanks a lot.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Me-hul

Planning a trip to Goa next week.

As mentioned by many, will be taking the NH4. Planning to take the Bankapur -Yellapur stretch to Karwar, mainly because of the thick vegetation. Anyone taken this stretch of late?Updates on the road condition?

Return would be through Honnavar-Shimoga route, again for the scenic drive.
How is this stretch? No one seems to be taking this route often.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Bankapur-Yellapura is not a great idea, roads are never good. I would suggest you stick to Hubli-Yellapura, a very pretty route with excellent roads.

+1 to what HVK has mentioned.
I had traveled to Karwar from Bangalore via NH4 - Hubli then NH63/67 via Yellapaur, Ankola and then NH17 to Karwar. This route is very good.
On my return I took NH17 from Karwar to Honnavar then NH206 via Sagar, Shimoga, Tumkur and NH4 to Bangalore. This route is good too and scenic.
Please refer my earlier post in this thread for details.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2732850

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by manim

I would start getting sleepy by around 4 am. If I keep going till 6 am when the sun rises, my biological-clock will kick-in and I hope I can put off sleep until next night. (this is with the experience I have during college days when friends together study the whole night for the exams!).

I will also keep many Redbulls handy.

Yes I will.
Similarly I expect the roads from Krishnagiri to Bangalore to be also truck/bus heavy.
In fact there were many accidents on this stretch recently.
I can put on some soothing music, relax and drive safe (The AutoTransmission helps).

Manim : Since you are driving solo with family dont try to exert much during your night drive. I feel your idea of streching beyond Bangalore itself is dependent on many conditions being ideal (you not feeling tired, traffic conditions etc). Try not to strech too much. I agree the period of 3AM/ 4AM is usually the one which is most sleepy. Once you are over that you may not feel sleepy, also tea/ coffee / red bull and all will keep you awake for sure. However I personally have experience that even if your eyes will be wide open, mind tends to get bit slow and your reaction times goes up.
So, please dont set any target mentally so that you end up pushing yourself to reach that in this case.

Yes, Krishnagiri- Bangalore strech is a mess with six laning and heavy truck traffic. However I around the time you will reach here there wont be much private vehicles hence you can cover the distance till NICE road ramp in some 60 mins. Remember to stay in right lane to avoid Electronics city elevated road (toll both for the same on left) since it will take you past NICE road ramp.

[manim]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

However I personally have experience that even if your eyes will be wide open, mind tends to get bit slow and your reaction times goes up.
So, please dont set any target mentally so that you end up pushing yourself to reach that in this case.

Yes, this is what I am afraid of.
That is why I have kept all my options open.
Wherever I feel tired I will divert for a stay (I have saved hotels in google-maps en-route).

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

you can cover the distance till NICE road ramp in some 60 mins. Remember to stay in right lane to avoid Electronics city elevated road (toll both for the same on left) since it will take you past NICE road ramp.

Thanks.
Last December when I drove to Bangalore I missed the elevated toll road .
Are you sure that I have to keep to the right to take the NICE road, or do I have to take some service lane on the extreme left to get on the NICE road from hosur road?
NH 7 Hosur - Krishnagiri Road to NICE Ring Rd - Google Maps

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by manim

Yes, this is what I am afraid of.
That is why I have kept all my options open.
Wherever I feel tired I will divert for a stay (I have saved hotels in google-maps en-route).



Thanks.
Last December when I drove to Bangalore I missed the elevated toll road .
Are you sure that I have to keep to the right to take the NICE road, or do I have to take some service lane on the extreme left to get on the NICE road from hosur road?
NH 7 Hosur - Krishnagiri Road to NICE Ring Rd - Google Maps

Since you are driving with kids, do you want to take risk by driving through the night or hit the bed around midnight and then again take the road around 6 AM?

Avoiding Elevated road is simple. After entering Karnataka, look for the firat and only toll gate where you may find some vehicles queing up. Don't enter those roads to toll gate and keep right. At next signal, enter service road and you find sigange for NICE road after 300 meters.

[mpksuhas]

^^ Small correction, after entering KA elevated road toll booth is the second toll booth. First one being the usual NH toll booth. Its easier to make out elevated road booth since for all other toll boots you need to pass through since there are no alternative roads present. For elevated road toll booth you can find toll booth on your left, right / straight road takes you below the elevated road. Continue on this road for few kms (~2) and you will see marking with 'Mysore', 'Tumkur' etc on your left. Take the left from service road, and you will come across the NICE road toll booth.
From here they will issue receipt only till Bannerghatta road section, you need to get another receipt from there till Tumkur road.
Also please note that at Bannerghatta road cross of NICE road due to construction you need to get out of NICE road and again climb back in some 200 mts. Its clearly marked so no need to worry about that.

[Me-hul]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Bankapur-Yellapura is not a great idea, roads are never good. I would suggest you stick to Hubli-Yellapura, a very pretty route with excellent roads.

Originally Posted by NPV

+1 to what HVK has mentioned.
I had traveled to Karwar from Bangalore via NH4 - Hubli then NH63/67 via Yellapaur, Ankola and then NH17 to Karwar. This route is very good.
On my return I took NH17 from Karwar to Honnavar then NH206 via Sagar, Shimoga, Tumkur and NH4 to Bangalore. This route is good too and scenic.
Please refer my earlier post in this thread for details.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2732850

Thanks for the suggestion. Will stick to Hubli then.

Btw any suggestion on trusted petrol pumps enroute?Assuming my 1st fill would be somewhere around Hubli.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Me-hul

Btw any suggestion on trusted petrol pumps enroute?Assuming my 1st fill would be somewhere around Hubli.

Where ever you find a Kamat Hotel, the bunk along with it would be a COCO
bunk. They should be good.

[manim]

Here are some possible food/toilet breaks from Bangalore to Goa I have saved on google-maps:
Goa Drive Food - Google Maps

Thanks to:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-ankola-4.html.

When I do the drive I will save all the interesting coordinates and post it here.