[mm403]

Houston, if you are planning to stay at Sadanand Regency, it will be on right side while proceeding from blore to mumbai on NH4. Best landmark to look out for once you reach Pune is Balewadi stadium. Just before Balewadi stadium is VITS hotel (Both on left side). Once you cross, Balewadi stadium, hardly 0.5 km on your right will be Sadanand Regency.
Unfortunately you need to go past sadanand residency for another 1.5 km and take a U turn after Hotel Sayaji (this will be on right hand side) and return back.If you plan to reach Shirdi for 1130 am aarti, you should plan to reach before 10 am as the booking counter closes around 1030 and reopens after 2 pm (AFAIK). To reach around 10 am, best time to start would be around 5 in the morning

[Houston]

Originally Posted by mm403

Houston, if you are planning to stay at Sadanand Regency, it will be on right side while proceeding from blore to mumbai on NH4. Best landmark to look out for once you reach Pune is Balewadi stadium. Just before Balewadi stadium is VITS hotel (Both on left side). Once you cross, Balewadi stadium, hardly 0.5 km on your right will be Sadanand Regency.
Unfortunately you need to go past sadanand residency for another 1.5 km and take a U turn after Hotel Sayaji (this will be on right hand side) and return back.If you plan to reach Shirdi for 1130 am aarti, you should plan to reach before 10 am as the booking counter closes around 1030 and reopens after 2 pm (AFAIK). To reach around 10 am, best time to start would be around 5 in the morning

Thanks MM403. The direction and the landmark given by you is so clear. Thanks again. Any more decent/VFM hotels around Sadanand Residency ? Paragsachania did inform that Ginger & Radha Residency is around that area. So I need to leave by 5.00 am to reach Shirdi for the 11.30 am aarti. What would be the drive time between Pune - Shirdi ?. I would be booking the 11.30 am aathi on line, so all I need to do is just go over to the required gate with the print out and ID proof. Any idea at what time we need to reach there at the required gate for 11.30 am aarti ?

[mm403]

Originally Posted by Houston

Thanks MM403. The direction and the landmark given by you is so clear. Thanks again. Any more decent/VFM hotels around Sadanand Residency ? Paragsachania did inform that Ginger & Radha Residency is around that area. So I need to leave by 5.00 am to reach Shirdi for the 11.30 am aarti. What would be the drive time between Pune - Shirdi ?. I would be booking the 11.30 am aathi on line, so all I need to do is just go over to the required gate with the print out and ID proof. Any idea at what time we need to reach there at the required gate for 11.30 am aarti ?

Ginger is also nearby to sadanand residency and can be a good option.
Pune Shirdi takes around 4.5 hrs in the early morning. (I have always taken Nagar Road from Pune city and not the road which you are planning, but early morning should not be a problem). If you are doing the booking you need to go to PRO gate. The PRO gate closes around 10/1030 not sure of the time and reopens at 2 pm so best is to reach before that.So if you start around 5, should reach by 930.
Inside the temple, you are not allowed to take the cell phones so better keep them in the car. If you are not planning to stay you can park at any of the private parking lots opp the temple, but do keep in mind in those parking lots, the shopkeepers harrass you a lot to buy the pooja material from them.

If you are planning to stay, Hotel Sai Leela is good. It is a bit away from the temple, but they offer complimentary pick up and drop from the temple. You can find the details on the net. If not let me know, I will search for the contact number

[siddheshb]

Houston, my two cents. Shirdi is to Pune's east. Sadanand is to the west. Crossing the city in the morning adds an unnecessary 30-45 mins, irrespective of the route you take.

My suggestion: Stay in the east suburbs - near MG Road, Airport, Nagar Road or thereabouts. You get an extra hour to sleep in the morning. Take Nagar Road to Shirdi.

[Houston]

Thanks MM403. I don't plan to take a room in Shirdi. Thank you for offering to find the contact details of the hotel in Shridi. I did not get you. You have mentioned that you take Pune-Nagar road and not the road I plan to take. If I am right I am taking the Pune-Nagar road. Am I missing something here ?
Hi Siddheshb. Do you have any idea of decent /VFM hotels in East Pune ? How long does it take to reach East Pune from NH4 ?

[siddheshb]

Once you are 10 km or so from Pune city, look out for the fork to the right (after the octroi naka) which takes you under the bridge and thereon to old Katraj tunnel (old NH4 into the city), versus the straight road which goes into new Katraj tunnel, bypassing Pune and continuing onto Mumbai. Enter Pune city through the old NH4, all the way to Swargate - it's a straight road once you hit the city, don't look left or right. From Swargate, take right to Shankarseth Road, and then either through MG Road/Koregaon Park, or through Solapur Road/Empress Garden to Pune North East (near the airport). This entire distance from hitting the city to getting to the airport should take you around 45 min during rush hour. Add another 15-20 min for "asking directions".

There are a lot of hotels in the airport area, it should be fairly easy to find something in your budget.

[LOKSIN]

Hotel Shree Panchratna is a very good hotel on Tadiwala Road, behind Shorab Hall near Pune Railway Station

List of Best Hotels in Pune, Hotel Accommodation, Hotels near Pune Airport

If you have time do visit Shani Shingnapur en route to Shirdi

[Houston]

Siddheshb. Thanks. If I plan to drive through Pune (without breaking my journey, just break from Dinner) which would be the fastest route to take from NH4 (Bangalore-Pune) to Pune-Nashik road (If I am right, this is the route to take to Shridi from Pune - right?)
Loksin. Thanks for the hotel list. The last time when I visited Shirdi (must be around three years back), did visit Shani Shingnapur. No plans of visiting this time.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Houston

Siddheshb. Thanks. If I plan to drive through Pune (without breaking my journey, just break from Dinner) which would be the fastest route to take from NH4 (Bangalore-Pune) to Pune-Nashik road (If I am right, this is the route to take to Shridi from Pune - right?)
Loksin. Thanks for the hotel list. The last time when I visited Shirdi (must be around three years back), did visit Shani Shingnapur. No plans of visiting this time.

Pune-Nashik is incorrect. The road is Pune-Ahmedabad State Highway which is 4 laned.
After paying the last toll for 65INR before Pune (Khedshivpur), after 3-5 kms, take right. You have signage that shows right for Pune City.

You are now on Satara road or Old Katraj Ghat. Continue on this road while you cross Katraj Depot signal and Swargate signal where you take right.

You reach a signal after the flyover where you take left.

Hardly a kilometer further the road bends to right and a signal exists just after this.

Take Right and continue on Solapur Road (Towards Hadapsar).

Take left onto Kharadi Bypass from Solapur Road.

Take right at the intersection of this road with Nagar road so that you hit the Nagar highway and drive towards Ahmednagar.

Remember to ask for Nagar Road (same as Ahmednagar Road) which is how Punekars usually refer this.

(I am on Mobile and hence unable to post a link for Gmaps)

[siddheshb]

Originally Posted by Houston

Siddheshb. Thanks. If I plan to drive through Pune (without breaking my journey, just break from Dinner) which would be the fastest route to take from NH4 (Bangalore-Pune) to Pune-Nashik road (If I am right, this is the route to take to Shridi from Pune - right?)
Loksin. Thanks for the hotel list. The last time when I visited Shirdi (must be around three years back), did visit Shani Shingnapur. No plans of visiting this time.

Nashik road works too, but that's not a recommended road. The road I mentioned is Pune-Nagar (same as Pune-Ahmednagar or Pune-Aurangabad). It's a good road, and is the fastest option. I see that @paragsachania has already given detailed directions!

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Houston

Siddheshb. Thanks. If I plan to drive through Pune (without breaking my journey, just break from Dinner) which would be the fastest route to take from NH4 (Bangalore-Pune) to Pune-Nashik road (If I am right, this is the route to take to Shridi from Pune - right?)
Loksin. Thanks for the hotel list. The last time when I visited Shirdi (must be around three years back), did visit Shani Shingnapur. No plans of visiting this time.

Here's the detailed straightforward route from NH4-Nagar Road.

Pune-Bangalore Highway to Samrat Ashok Rd/SH27 - Google Maps

[Houston]

Paragsachania. Thanks a lot. The detailed direction and the map would definitely help in reaching Pune-Nagar road from B'lore-Pune road. What would be the commute time from B'lore-Pune road to Pune-Nagar road late evening ?
On return journey, planned Shirdi-Kolhapur (Stay over night) and try to visit Meenakshi temple and places Fauji told me to visit and drive down all the way to Bangalore. Is this a good return route ?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Houston

Paragsachania. Thanks a lot. The detailed direction and the map would definitely help in reaching Pune-Nagar road from B'lore-Pune road. What would be the commute time from B'lore-Pune road to Pune-Nagar road late evening ?
On return journey, planned Shirdi-Kolhapur (Stay over night) and try to visit Meenakshi temple and places Fauji told me to visit and drive down all the way to Bangalore. Is this a good return route ?

With a proper early morning start (say about 4-30am) and with speeds between 100-120kmph wherever permissible, you should easily make it to Pune in 11-12 hours including all your breaks.

Try to maximize the benefit by averaging more while you are in Karnataka since once you enter Maharashtra, traffic density increases.

Also, in case you are reaching Pune around 6pm, it will be a painful drive to reach Nagar road in peak evening traffic.

Pune-Nagar is 110 Kms and the roads are good all the way. But since it passes through a lot of villages and small towns, there will be too much of miscellaneous traffic to handle. If you start anywhere from East Pune at 5-00am, you can easily reach Ahmednagar in under 2 hours.

No problem with the return route at all since it will be the same route as your onward Journey. I am sure it is Mahalakshmi Temple (and not Meenakshi Temple) in Kolhapur.

[Houston]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

With a proper early morning start (say about 4-30am) and with speeds between 100-120kmph wherever permissible, you should easily make it to Pune in 11-12 hours including all your breaks.

Try to maximize the benefit by averaging more while you are in Karnataka since once you enter Maharashtra, traffic density increases.

Also, in case you are reaching Pune around 6pm, it will be a painful drive to reach Nagar road in peak evening traffic.

Pune-Nagar is 110 Kms and the roads are good all the way. But since it passes through a lot of villages and small towns, there will be too much of miscellaneous traffic to handle. If you start anywhere from East Pune at 5-00am, you can easily reach Ahmednagar in under 2 hours.

No problem with the return route at all since it will be the same route as your onward Journey. I am sure it is Mahalakshmi Temple (and not Meenakshi Temple) in Kolhapur.

Planning to start as early as possible from B'lore. It looks like I would hit Pune at peak traffic time. Let me see for myself what Pune traffic would be, I am sure it would be as insane as B'lore. Let see which city has an upper hand in insanity.
Yes it's Mahalakshmi temple. Shirdi-Nagar-Pune-Kophapur is the best route or is there any other route ?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Houston

Yes it's Mahalakshmi temple. Shirdi-Nagar-Pune-Kophapur is the best route or is there any other route ?

It is the fastest and 4 lane all the way. The other route is a deviation from Daund and further till you touch NH4 back near Satara. This is 2 laned and since not many of us here have driven on this route, I personally will advise you to stick to the best route which is Shirdi-Nagar-Pune-Kolhapur.