[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by amoghchaphalkar

Pune-Hyderabad NH9 update:
Left Pune @ 5.30 am. Reached Gachibowli @ 2.30 pm. This includes two breaks with a combined time of 1 hour.
Vehicle : Innova
Pune-Solapur routine. No fuss. 4 laned excellent road. Tembhurni and the railway crossing remain the only bottle neck. Halt as usual at Vitthal Kamat's @ Mohol. Excellent food and service.
Solapur to Karnataka border the road is strictly average. Naldurg section remains a pain. I was lucky to not catch any truck traffic.
Karnataka roads are good / excellent. They are relaying the tarmac in few sections. I could clearly notice the improved condition from my previous visit.
Andhra roads are good /average but you can maintain an average speed of 60+
Other points: still couldn't find any decent place to eat in Solapur-Hyd patch. Vitthal Kamat's remains your best bet. Get something packed from there or carry sandwiches from home.
For Pune-Hyd I would now recommend NH-9 irrespective of the vehicle you are driving.

Any progress that you saw on the 4 laning between Naldurg and Sangareddy.Machinery had moved in last time I drove through and the contractor had begun metal crushing on the road side.

[pragya]

I am planning for a travel from pune to Hyderabad and need advice.
I will be travelling for Hyderabad Marathon 2014.
So i have to drive and run marathon also
So far rough plan that i have made is as below
Start from Pune (Wagholi) about 5:00 pm on Friday after my office and try to reach Solapur by 9:00 pm.
Stay in solapur overnight and start next morning to hyderabad at may be 8:00 am.
Main concerns that i have are
Should i make overnight stay in solapur or somewhere else ?
What time should i start from Solapur to have minimum traffic ? and where to stay in solapur or somewhere else?
Best road and time to travel?
I have small 6 months daughter so i have to make this stay plan in solapur, this will be our first long journey with our kido so bit concerned.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by pragya

Start from Pune (Wagholi) about 5:00 pm on Friday after my office and try to reach Solapur by 9:00 pm.
Stay in solapur overnight and start next morning to hyderabad at may be 8:00 am.
Main concerns that i have are
Should i make overnight stay in solapur or somewhere else ?
What time should i start from Solapur to have minimum traffic ? and where to stay in solapur or somewhere else?
Best road and time to travel?
I have small 6 months daughter so i have to make this stay plan in solapur, this will be our first long journey with our kido so bit concerned.

Solapur is the only place you can stay enroute.No other options anywhere else

From personal experiences of having stayed in many hotels in Solapur,
Balaji Sarovar is obviously the best in town and miles and miles ahead of the rest http://www.sarovarhotels.com/solapur...rovar-premiere

All other places suffer from cleanliness,service issues,so set your expectations accordingly,Lotus Hotel (www.lotushotel.co.in) is the only other one that I would suggest-not reccomend.If you have the budget,stay at Sarovar.

There are also so many others like Surya,City Park,Tripurasundari but all of them are relics.

8am from Solapur would see you reaching Hyderabad by 1-2pm.Traffic is sparse between Solapur and Hyderabad,it is the road conditions that slow you down.

I would suggest that you try and exit Hadapsar before office traffic builds up else it is going to delay you and plus if you get caught at the railway gate at Shetfal,it would only compound your problems.My advise would be to drive in daylight as much as you can.

[ketan4renault]

Hello Bhpians,

I am planning to drive my I-20 from Mumbai to Bidar next week. Will be the lone driver and plan to complete the entire stretch in one go.

Request for the route info. Already gone through the forum and it seems Pune to Solapur would be good.

I needed info about how to avoid the Pune traffic and the road ahead from Solapur to Bidar.

I will be starting from Mumbai at around 4 in the morning.

Thank you. Drive Safe.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by ketan4renault

Hello Bhpians,

I am planning to drive my I-20 from Mumbai to Bidar next week. Will be the lone driver and plan to complete the entire stretch in one go.

Request for the route info. Already gone through the forum and it seems Pune to Solapur would be good.

I needed info about how to avoid the Pune traffic and the road ahead from Solapur to Bidar.

I will be starting from Mumbai at around 4 in the morning.

Thank you. Drive Safe.

4am you havent mentioned from where,but you should be at Pune end of MPEW by 6-630.One hour to get to NH9 at Hadapsar,from there 3hrs to Solapur,from there approximately 3hrs to Homnabad and another one hour to Bidar.Budget for around 10-11hrs.

Best way to get onto NH9 coming from Mumbai is this https://goo.gl/maps/Jp21t

MPEW-Katraj Bus Depot-Swargate Bus Depot-Right turn-AFMC-Hadapsar

No restaurants between Solapur and Bidar so plan accordingly.

[abhishekjoshi84]

Originally Posted by pragya

I am planning for a travel from pune to Hyderabad and need advice.
.
.
.
I have small 6 months daughter so i have to make this stay plan in solapur, this will be our first long journey with our kido so bit concerned.

I am in a similar situation. Will be driving from Pune to Hyderabad with wife and 18 months old son. He doesn't like to sit in the car for a very long time and starts getting cranky after couple of hours of driving. We are also planning to start in the afternoon/evening (probably around 4 PM from Baner) and try to reach Solapur by 8-9 PM. We will also be staying overnight in Solapur and will leave for Hyderabad around 6 AM with target of reaching by 11.30AM -12 PM.
Please let me know which hotel you finally decided to stay at and your experience of the drive.

[ketan4renault]

Thanks Ranjitp1 for the quick and prompt reply. I stay at Malad and so leaving a bit early so that can be on the expressway by atleast 0530.

Any place to have a quick bite between Pune and Solapur would be appreciated. I normally don't tend to take long break as driving itself gives me a kick and a high .

I will be staying in Bidar for a day and than proceeding to Hyderabad.

On the return leg from Hyderabad to Mumbai should i follow the same route as had gone i.e. Mumbai to Bidar.

Thanking you in advance.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by ketan4renault

I stay at Malad and so leaving a bit early so that can be on the expressway by atleast 0530.

Any place to have a quick bite between Pune and Solapur would be appreciated. I normally don't tend to take long break as driving itself gives me a kick and a high .

I will be staying in Bidar for a day and than proceeding to Hyderabad.

On the return leg from Hyderabad to Mumbai should i follow the same route as had gone i.e. Mumbai to Bidar.

Thanking you in advance.

Yes,I would reccomend that you be on the EW only after daylight sets in as in the darkness and rains visibility is a big issue on the MPEW especially on the ghats as fog sets in so very quickly.

Between Hadapsar and Pune,my reccomendation would be to stop at the new Vithal Kamat at Mohol https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vitha...73517209471625 , excellent food and clean washrooms.Dont expect anything at Solapur because there is nothing and the ones that are there,you dont want to be entering!

Hyderabad to Mumbai,you can assess the Solapur-Homnabad-Zaheerabad-Hyd stretch of NH9(it must have deteriorated in the rains over the last few weeks)and if you think you can drive the stretch then take the same route back (ofcourse no need to touch Bidar).

Else the regular hyd pune travellers now a days take Hyd-Gulbarga-Bijapur-Islampur-NH4-Satara-Pune-Mumbai to avoid the Hyd-Solapur stretch,it is an extra 140kms but smooth sailing and time taken is the same as NH9 stretch,

I usually take this route from home in Secunderabad to home at IC Colony,Borivali W and I do it in about 13-15hrs drive time.

https://goo.gl/maps/DflCP

If you feel NH9 is driveable,go back via the same route,else opt for this one.

[RoadTiger]

Hi guys - especially ranjitp1, ketan4renault, abhishekjoshi84 and pragya -

Any updates on your recent drives on this route ? Particularly curious to hear the condition of the stretches between Solapur and Hyderabad from folks who have driven recently (during monsoon).

I have done this route (NH9) 3-4 times over the last few years and everytime, the roads that cause the greatest concern are those around Zaheerabad, Humnabad, Naldurg.

Separately, has the flyover been built over the railway crossing at Indapur ?

Thanks !

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by RoadTiger

Hi guys - especially ranjitp1, ketan4renault, abhishekjoshi84 and pragya -

Any updates on your recent drives on this route ? Particularly curious to hear the condition of the stretches between Solapur and Hyderabad from folks who have driven recently (during monsoon).

I have done this route (NH9) 3-4 times over the last few years and everytime, the roads that cause the greatest concern are those around Zaheerabad, Humnabad, Naldurg.

Separately, has the flyover been built over the railway crossing at Indapur ?

Thanks !

Roads continue to be bad.

Overbridge hasnt come up.It is still 5-6hrs solapur-hyd.

[amoghchaphalkar]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Any progress that you saw on the 4 laning between Naldurg and Sangareddy.Machinery had moved in last time I drove through and the contractor had begun metal crushing on the road side.

Work has begun. Sad sight is trees being uprooted. But yeah! The work definitely has picked up pace

Going through the other posts, queries in this thread : My opinion is that NH-9 should be the preferred route for Pune-Hyderabad. I came back day before yesterday to Pune and again was able to do it in 9 hours (including two breaks. Driving time = 8 hours). 535 kms with an average speed of 60 km/hr is decent IMO. A friend did the same route in an i-20 in 10 hours. But it was a leisurely drive with more (3-4) breaks.

I look at it this way : of the ~550 kms you have to drive :

~240 kms is excellent four land road (Pune-Solapur)
~ 30-40 kms is average - bad road (Naldurg, Zaheerabad sections) : But you can still maintain a speed of 60 kmph
Rest ~250-270 kms are decent roads where you can easily maintain a speed of 70-80 kmph (and more in certain sections)

Yes there are the unexpected pot holes and bad patches in between. But any alert driver will navigate through them smoothly. It is not a deal breaker.

I personally don't think the Gulbarga-Bijapur-Islampur route is worth it anymore (have taken it in the past). Also the Satara-Pune patch on NH4 is not that great either (if you consider the delays at the toll plazas, construction work, diversions etc that have become common on this route)

For Mumbai-Hyderabad : yes : I would recommend the Gulbarga-Bijapur-Islampur route but not because NH9 is bad. But because crossing Pune city to hit the expressway is a pain! For Pune-Hyderabad : NH9 for me is the most straight forward and shortest route to take.

Edit : If you are taking NH9 : Hotel Gujarat (it is attached to a HP Bunk) near Basavakalyan is a good option for a refueling break. The restaurant is not that great though. Toilets are ok. Good part about the bunk is that they accept credit cards. While going towards Hyderabad it is on the left of the highway. It is large and very difficult to miss. You will also see sign boards a few kms before it.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by amoghchaphalkar

Edit : If you are taking NH9 : Hotel Gujarat (it is attached to a HP Bunk) near Basavakalyan is a good option for a refueling break. The restaurant is not that great though. Toilets are ok. Good part about the bunk is that they accept credit cards. While going towards Hyderabad it is on the left of the highway. It is large and very difficult to miss. You will also see sign boards a few kms before it.

Yet another restaurant thereI hope atleast this one lasts.The washrooms once upon a time were those Fleur ones and would have given the malls competition-but alas not anymore I guess.I hope this one lasts.

[RoadTiger]

Good to hear about some progress on the 4-laning. I believe L&T had been awarded the contract for 4-laning of the Solapur - Hyderabad (or was it Solapur - KA/AP border) stretch a few months back. Knowing L&T, I would hope that the route becomes a good 4-lane, like the one between Solapur - Pune, within 2-3 years time. That would make life so much easier

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by RoadTiger

Good to hear about some progress on the 4-laning. I believe L&T had been awarded the contract for 4-laning of the Solapur - Hyderabad (or was it Solapur - KA/AP border) stretch a few months back. Knowing L&T, I would hope that the route becomes a good 4-lane, like the one between Solapur - Pune, within 2-3 years time. That would make life so much easier

Yes thats between Sangareddy and Basavakalyan and slightly ahead till the MH border that L&T has been awarded the contract.Signed in 2012,implementation was supposed to be completed in 30mnths,its slow progress.L&T and Deccan Tollways.

https://goo.gl/maps/a025C

From MH Border to Solapur its been given to Coastal-SREI Consortium
& Artefact Projects Ltd,Again slow progress

[bikertillidie]

Thanks amogchaphalkar & ranjitp1.

I am planning to drive from Pune to Hyderabad on 14-Aug.

Your inputs should prove really handy.

Can anyone suggest some decent & budget hotels & good eateries in Hyderabad? I have heard a lot about Paradise and would love to visit the place.

I also intend to do a bit of site-seeing around the old city.