[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by 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.

For eating out this thread covers it extensively http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifti...rabad-277.html

As for budget places http://www.staymango.com/hotel/ho100...ad-mgroad.html,

There is Bikanervala Boutique http://bikanervalahotels.com/

Paradise is a pilgrim centre

[hyd_traveller]

Originally Posted by bikertillidie

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.

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

For eating out this thread covers it extensively http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifti...rabad-277.html

Paradise is a pilgrim centre

Yup, the thread and a look at Zomato should see you for all the best places to eat at. For more suggestions, it is important that you define what you are interested to eat. Deccani? Telugu? Continental? Arabic? Chinese?

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

As for budget places http://www.staymango.com/hotel/ho100...ad-mgroad.html,

There is Bikanervala Boutique http://bikanervalahotels.com/

While checking these hotels, do not forget to check out Hotel Katriya located on Raj Bhavan Road. It is very centrally located, is a true 4-star, has recently refurbished rooms (some, not all). I have seen people booking it with WiFi and breakfast included for 2,500-3,000 range directly and also through MakeMyTrip.

[bikertillidie]

Originally Posted by hyd_traveller

Yup, the thread and a look at Zomato should see you for all the best places to eat at. For more suggestions, it is important that you define what you are interested to eat. Deccani? Telugu? Continental? Arabic? Chinese?

Thanks.
Hyderabad biriyani, haleems & shorbas are the first items which spring to mind.

Originally Posted by hyd_traveller

While checking these hotels, do not forget to check out Hotel Katriya located on Raj Bhavan Road. It is very centrally located, is a true 4-star, has recently refurbished rooms (some, not all). I have seen people booking it with WiFi and breakfast included for 2,500-3,000 range directly and also through MakeMyTrip.

Many thanks !

[SwiftAxle]

Hi Guys,

I am planning to take a trip from Hyderabad to Nasik on 14th August. Could you please help me finding a better route and suggest suitable timings also ?

[21Archer84]

Anyone travelling to Hyderabad this weekend(14'Aug)? Friend is planning to travel to Warangal and needs a ride with high bus and flight fares. Would be great if someone travelling can give him a ride.

[RoadTiger]

For folks doing this route today (Aug 14), would appreciate any inputs on road condition between Solapur and Hyd.

FYI, I am set to travel Aug 15 early morning from Hyd to Pune following NH9. If I end up seeing too many potholes till I reach Zaheerabad, I might take a detour and do Zaheerabad - Bidar - Humnabad before joining back NH9.

I will post my journey details for the benefit of other t-bhp-ians.

[RoadTiger]

Completed HYD (Gachibowli) - Pune (Wakad) today via NH9 without any issues in 8 hours of running time (8.5 hours overall including 30 mins of break time). Bear in mind the timings were aided by an early start from Hyderabad (very little traffic till Zaheerabad) and average speedometer at 80-90 over Hyd - Solapur and 90-110 over Solapur to Hadapsar.

NH9 is now certainly the route to take now for fast and hassle-free travel !!!. HYD-Solapur is now completely patched up in almost all potholes + resurfaced in patches of 30-50 metres. The road surface is very average in most parts and good to decent in some parts. Dont expect butter smooth roads anywhere except in some small patches. Most importantly, there are hardly 6-8 large potholes where your suspension may experience a 'thud' - none of those are in any way threatening.

Timings :
Overall 560 kms with 8 hours of driving time. Started at 5.15 am and reached Wakad (Pune) at 1.45 pm

Gachibowli to Solapur bypass (300 kms) : Completed in 4 hours 15 mins with 5 min break
Solapur to Hadapsar (230 kms) : Completed in 3 hours 30 mins with 25 min break
Hadapsar to Wakad (30 kms) : Approx 45 mins

Road Condition :
Patancheru to Zaheerabad : Driving speeds of 70-80 kmph mostly. Road surface condition is average - No craters but road surface is poor with 2-3 mm deep (very shallow) changes in road depth
Zaheerabad to to Homnabad : This was the most pleasant surprise of all ... I was expecting craters from my previous drives. All the potholes have been filled and tarred. Large stretches have been re-surfaced - bear in mind not relaid - so, there are no potholes but dont expect express-way standard smooth roads.
Homnabad to Solapur outskirts : Average 90-100 kmph - Relatively speaking, the best stretch of the lot for the most part (esp the part in Karnataka) - Again, almost no potholes.

Overall, NH9 is the way to go, so long as you dont have any express-way expectations !!!

My ride : The Fiesta 1.4 TDCI - Done 60K kms over 3 years - Solid build, Stable ride, Awesome steering, Frugal engine - A joy to own !!!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by RoadTiger

Overall 560 kms with 8 hours of driving time. Started at 5.15 am and reached Wakad (Pune) at 1.45 pm

This is very good. Hope they convert the entire stretch to 4-lane very soon. But inspite of that, this is good time. Surely the early start helped.

[bikertillidie]

I second Roadtiger. Pune Solapur stretch is the best - it's mostly 4 Lane with occasional diversions and a stretch of 2 lane roads between Mohol and Solapur. Zaheerabad - Hyderabad stretch is good. Solapur - Zaheerabad has quite a few largish potholes which you need to beware of.

[jeetaman]

Originally Posted by RoadTiger

Completed HYD (Gachibowli) - Pune (Wakad) today via NH9 without any issues in 8 hours of running time (8.5 hours overall including 30 mins of break time). Bear in mind the timings were aided by an early start from Hyderabad (very little traffic till Zaheerabad) and average speedometer at 80-90 over Hyd - Solapur and 90-110 over Solapur to Hadapsar.

NH9 is now certainly the route to take now for fast and hassle-free travel !!!. HYD-Solapur is now completely patched up in almost all potholes + resurfaced in patches of 30-50 metres. The road surface is very average in most parts and good to decent in some parts. Dont expect butter smooth roads anywhere except in some small patches. Most importantly, there are hardly 6-8 large potholes where your suspension may experience a 'thud' - none of those are in any way threatening.

Timings :
Overall 560 kms with 8 hours of driving time. Started at 5.15 am and reached Wakad (Pune) at 1.45 pm

Gachibowli to Solapur bypass (300 kms) : Completed in 4 hours 15 mins with 5 min break
Solapur to Hadapsar (230 kms) : Completed in 3 hours 30 mins with 25 min break
Hadapsar to Wakad (30 kms) : Approx 45 mins

Road Condition :
Patancheru to Zaheerabad : Driving speeds of 70-80 kmph mostly. Road surface condition is average - No craters but road surface is poor with 2-3 mm deep (very shallow) changes in road depth
Zaheerabad to to Homnabad : This was the most pleasant surprise of all ... I was expecting craters from my previous drives. All the potholes have been filled and tarred. Large stretches have been re-surfaced - bear in mind not relaid - so, there are no potholes but dont expect express-way standard smooth roads.
Homnabad to Solapur outskirts : Average 90-100 kmph - Relatively speaking, the best stretch of the lot for the most part (esp the part in Karnataka) - Again, almost no potholes.

Overall, NH9 is the way to go, so long as you dont have any express-way expectations !!!

My ride : The Fiesta 1.4 TDCI - Done 60K kms over 3 years - Solid build, Stable ride, Awesome steering, Frugal engine - A joy to own !!!

Thanks RoadTiger for the latest update. I am all set to my trip in the week of September 6th to Pune from Hyderabad. Last trip between between Hyderabad Solapur - on the way to Shirdi in De 2012 - was a pain. Cheers

[amoghchaphalkar]

Originally Posted by RoadTiger

Overall, NH9 is the way to go, so long as you dont have any express-way expectations !!!

Thank you for reinforcing what I have been suggesting to many on and off the forum for the past few months !!

And yes! Early start always helps.

I hope people stop taking the 140+ km detours now.

[ExtremeTorque]

Totally agree with RoadTiger and amoghchaphalkar about the road condition

Did Pune-Hyd-Pune this weekend and was pleasently surprised by the roads.

Vehicle: Ertiga, ZDi

14th August, Start 10PM (Magarpatta), End 6AM (Sainikpuri)

Total time: 8 Hours

Driving time: <7 Hours

Summary - Barring 3-4 major potholes between Umerga and Basvakalyan, the overall strech is pretty ok between Solapur & Hyd and could reach 120 in short bursts with an average of 90-100. Since it was late in the night, there was hardly any traffic in the towns.

Tip: Follow a Garuda (state run Volvo) at a safe distance, he will light the way for you and ensure you maintain a good average.

17th August, Start 12 Noon (Sainikpuri), End 10.30PM (Kharadi)

Total time: 10.5 Hours

Driving time: 8.5 Hours

Summary - Bad start time, took 1.5 hours to reach patancheru from Sinikpuri. Faced heavy traffic again in Umerga

NH9 is the way to go!

[anandpadhye]

I am driving to Hyderabad from Pune this Friday. Thanks to the inputs in this thread, I will take the NH-9. It's going to be a relaxed journey. Any good places worth visiting en route?

[SwiftAxle]

Hi Guys,

Just did a marathon journey from Hyderabad to Nashik and back to Hyderabad in 4 days. Odometer read a total of 1470 KMs.

Below is the summary and experience from this trip:

Car: Swift LDI
Occupants were me, wifey & our 2 year old daughter.
Started 14th Aug morning at 6:30 AM from Chandanagar in Hyderabad.
Reached Nashik at 1:00 AM on 15th Aug. A total of 19 Hrs!!

Total distance was 760 KMs.
The plan was to take Hyderabad-Nizamabad-Nanded-Bhainsa-Parbhani-Aurangabad-Vaijapur-Kopargaon-Sinnar-Nashik.

But soon all my plans were to go haywire. I'll come to that in a moment.
From Chandanagar, we took the bachupally route and via medchal and touched the NH7 highway all the way till Nizamabad.

The NH7 is super smooth and we covered the distance a 170 KMs till Nizamabad in 2.5 Hrs. Had breakfast in Nizamabad and started
our onward journey towards Nanded. This is where our ordeal started.

I always rely on Google maps for direction. Gmaps have always been correct in showing the direction as it has been proved many a times in my past long drives. But this wasn't going to happen this time. After traveling from Nizamabad for some 15 KMs, we had to take the Navipet-Basar-Bhainsa route. We had to cross a railway crossing as per the gmaps. But upon reaching there, we saw that the whole section of railroad have been uprooted for some repair work. Took a U turn and asked locals for any other route to reach Bhainsa. Traveled for some time on the suggested route and by this time, gmaps did a rerouting and came up with a alternate route. Here I did a mistake of not looking for the whole route and just followed gmaps blindly. As a result,I entered the Bodhan-Nizamabad SH25. Still it was OK as gmaps wanted me to take a detour from Narsi and connect Nanded via Naigaon & Kakandi.

After traveling for close to 2 Hrs via Biloli-Lohogaon, I reached Narsi. The road condition was not at all good. Just after Narsi, something terrible happened. Because of lack of charge, my smartphone got switched off. After reconnecting the charger, when I was looking for the route, gmaps was unable to do so because of lack of internet connection. Upon inquiring with locals, got a route which I was not so confident. But anyways followed it without any option.The route which I took was SH225-SH204 via Mukhed-kaknai. The road conditions were deteriorating with each passing moment. Finally after driving for 2.5 Hrs, got connected to SH168. This route is the one which one gets by default when we search for Hyderabad-Nashik in gmaps. From here, the journey was little smooth. Reached Ambajogai at 2 PM and Beed at 4PM.

From there, it was painful journey again on SH2 via shirapur-Sangavi. Covered a distance of 140 KMs in 5 Hrs!! There was no road at all on this route. Don't let those yellow lines in gmaps fool you. Just to give you a indication of the localities, I was driving in Maharashtra country yards where the whole villages took notice when ever our car was passing as if they seen a car in ages!!. Finally reached Ahmednagar at 9 PM in the evening, completely tired and hungry. The very sight of a NH after a long time was sufficient for me to recharge and refresh. Had dinner on the outskirts of Ahmednagar. There are quite a few joints available on this route. From there, the route was good. Reached Sinnar at 12.30 AM and Nashik by 1 AM.

Spent 2 eventful days in Nashik & Deolali and it was time for return journey. My mind was full of permutations & combinations about which route should I opt for. For sure, I wasn't going to take the Aurangabad-Nanded-Hyderabad route. After much deliberations, I finally settled for much safer route of Nashik-Sholapur-Hyderabad.
Compared to earlier journey, this was a smooth affair.

Started 17th Aug Morning at 6:45 AM from Nashik and reached chandanager at 9:00PM.
Total distance was 710 KMs.

The exact route that I took was Nashik-Sinnar-Sangamner-Alephata-Shirur-Kedagaon-Solapur-Hyderabad.

The Nashik to Sangamner road is very good. One can easily maintain a average of 60/70 KMPH on this stretch. Covered this distance of 120 KMs in 2 Hrs. However, from Alephata to Kedagaon the road is very bad. Took 3 Hrs to cover this stretch of 80 KMs. Kedagaon is almost 55 KMs from Pune and falls on the Pune-Sholapur highway. I took this detour to save time and distance and to avoid traffic in the Pune route. I am not sure till now, if it was a wise decision. After a brief break at Kedagaon junction, started on Sholapur highway at 1 PM. This part of the travel is something that I cherished the most in the whole journey. The road is very good and well maintained. Moreover, there are no sharp bends or curves. So one can easily drive at 100/120 KMPH speed as the visibility of the road increases .There are some constructions happening on the Tembhurni stretch which will make you slow down. But this is not for long. Reached Mohol at 3.30 PM. That translates to 230 KMs in 2.5 Hrs!! Had lunch at the famous Kamat resturant in Mohol and started our onward journey. From Solapur bypass to Umarga, the road is a single lane undivided road. Though the road is little patchy at some locations, still one can maintain a average of 70 KMPH on this stretch. The road condition improved considerably once we are in Karnataka. So from Basavakalyan to Humnabad, the road condition is better. The infamous Humnabad-Zaheerabad stretch is not a nightmare anymore. Most of the road is patched. One can easily maintain an average of 50/55 KMPH on this stretch. Most important thing is that, after driving for close to 8/9 Hrs, the body/mind simply rejects any such distractions, no matter how small they are. So even a 50 KMPH average is also good enough compared to old days when one couldn't move to 5th gear at all. Anyways, reached Zaheerabad at 7 PM. Had a small break for coffee. Finally reached home at 9 PM!!

Lessens learnt:

• I was lucky to have made it to Nashik without any trouble on that dreaded route.

• Don't rely on the routes shown by gmaps blindly. Always cross check it before following it.

• Activate roaming facility on your phone if you are traveling across states.

• If you are lost, take locals help to reach the near major town. Now a days, almost all major towns have cellular internet connectivity.

• Recalibrate your route once again pointing to next major town. In this way, we can force gmaps to show us the route that we prefer and not the shortest route.

• Be prepared for all eventualities while traveling on routes which are new. We had sufficient stock of food, water and diesel.

• Moreover, I had jump cable, hand pump, puncture kit, torch, first aid kit, tow cable.

• With infants/kids, take extra precautions like taking boiled water/fresh fruit mash ups/soft fruit cakes etc...

• I prefer to have a bed kind of set up in the back seat for kids rather than a car seat. This gives them ample room to roam around.

• Take a break for yourself and your car every 2/3 Hrs. This will help in keeping the concentration.

[nitindangoria]

Many thanks to everybody who's contributed to this thread. I intend to go to lonavla in mid-sept and your inputs will be most valuable while doing this trip.