[Houston]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

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.

Will stick to Pune-Nagar-Shirdi. Thanks.
Would like to thank Paragsachania / Siddheshb/MM403/Fauji & Loksin for all the information.
My trip to Shridi is advanced by a week. Now would be leaving B'lore on 5th April and back on 7th April late night. Thanks again.

[siddheshb]

Have a great trip, Houston! Look forward to your updates from the trip... if you need anything while in Pune, ping me - will be happy to help!

[Houston]

Originally Posted by siddheshb

Have a great trip, Houston! Look forward to your updates from the trip... if you need anything while in Pune, ping me - will be happy to help!

Thanks Siddheshb. I am lousy in writing anything in detail. If I write my travelogue, then I bet all the readers would be rolling on the ground laughing. Thank you for offering to help me when I am in Pune if need be.

[2500cc]

Starting to Shirdi at 4PM today. Could someone please post the route updates from Bangalore ?

Also, the bypasssing the pune city.

Cheers,
Rajesh

[ampere]

Originally Posted by 2500cc

Starting to Shirdi at 4PM today. Could someone please post the route updates from Bangalore ?

Also, the bypasssing the pune city.

Cheers,
Rajesh

Route Link with Pune By-pass

You would be already aware, but still stating, better to go via Ahmadnagar instead of Umbraj.

[2500cc]

Originally Posted by ampere

Route Link with Pune By-pass

You would be already aware, but still stating, better to go via Ahmadnagar instead of Umbraj.

Thank You Ampere, i seriously donno anything after pune. If am starting at 4PM, I should reach outskirts of Pune 2'ish . After that how r the road conditions from Pune-Ahmadnagar-Shirdi ? Am travelling with 2 families and 3 kids. Any tips or precautions you would like to give ?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by 2500cc

Thank You Ampere, i seriously donno anything after pune. If am starting at 4PM, I should reach outskirts of Pune 2'ish . After that how r the road conditions from Pune-Ahmadnagar-Shirdi ? Am travelling with 2 families and 3 kids. Any tips or precautions you would like to give ?

Pune-Ahmandnagar is a 4-lane!

Check these posts.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2646625

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by 2500cc

Starting to Shirdi at 4PM today.
Rajesh

Hi Rajesh,
tomorrow on 30th, i may be in Shirdi for stay and further moving to Nasik on 1st. If possible, lets catch-up.

[2500cc]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

Hi Rajesh,
tomorrow on 30th, i may be in Shirdi for stay and further moving to Nasik on 1st. If possible, lets catch-up.

Hi Ashish,

sorry yaar i saw your message too late. Done the trip successfully, hope you too had a nice trip.

Regards,
Rajesh

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by 2500cc

sorry yaar i saw your message too late. Done the trip successfully, hope you too had a nice trip.

No problem, its ok.
I was at shirdi on 30th from 8pm to 10am on 1st may.
Got darshan within 1 hour on 30th.

[Fauji]

Travelled to Shirdi over the weekend. Left Bangalore around 5 PM on Friday and we were in Hubli by 10.30 PM. Diversions due to flyover and road widening between Tumkur - Chitradurga kills the speed. What used to be a pleasant drive is now frustrationg. Stayed at Ananth Executive in Hubli. A very good hotel with great value for money.

Hotel Ananth Executive (Hubli-Dharwad) - Hotel reviews, photos, rates - TripAdvisor

Left Hubli around 5.30 in the morning on Saturday and reached Satara around 9.15 AM after a break of thirty minutes in McDonalds for breakfast in Kolhapur. In the hindsight, it was a wrong choice as the better choice would have been excellent Sai International after Kolhapur. (We had breakfast on the way back and Sabudana Kichdi and Misal Pav was excellent. Idli was bad. Possibly a worng choice of choosing Idli in Maharashtra!!).

At Satara, we had a choice of going through Pune or via Baramati - Daund. Spoke to Ashish (Ashish Pallod) who gave a thumbs up for the route via Baramati. We took a chance and we were not at all disappointed. Except for the stretch between Satara and Wather where we encountered traffic, it was a pleasant drive in double lane road in good condition. It is very green and picturesque. In fact you go through semi ghat sections and they look lovely. Though brown now, it should be eyecandy after a spell of rain.

A picture of landscape taken on the way.



We left Satara at 9.15 AM and we were in Ahmednagar at 1 AM. Ashish met us at Baramati and guided us through the town. Except for few KMs of bouncy road between Daund and Ahmednagar, it was a nice drive.

Manouvering in Ahmednagar took half hour due to trrafic and we were in Shirdi at 2.30 PM. The road between Ahmednagar and Shirdi is excellent - what a change in the last six months when the road was bad when we drove on it in Oct last year - except at Rahata where the river bridge is still incomplete and one may face slow moving traffic near the bridge.

Fortunately there wasn't much rush and being a Fauji we have a special entrance as well. Time spent in temple - half hour. Even if one had come through normal queue it would not have taken more than 45 minutes. I think the trick is in the time of visit. Being afternoon and not near aarti time, it was easier. We left Shirdi immediately around 4 PM and came via Pune to Bangalore after staying in Pune overnight.

If you are comfortable driving in double lane roads then the route Satara - Lonand - Nera - Baramati - Daund - Ahmednagar - Shirdi is a good option especially if it is a day time drive.

Satara, Maharashtra to Ahmednagar, Maharashtra - Google Maps

A big thankyou to Ashish who was extremley helpful and ofcourse our HVK who recommeded that i should contact Ashsish and shared his number.

Afterword - Though there are no "Typical" restuarants on this route except in towns, there are many dhabhas. Ofcourse, you can feast on Sugar cane juice. Afterall you are driving in Sugar country of Maharashtra!!!

[rrahul_2778]

Not seen an info of chennai to shirdi route. I plan to drive from chennai in Aug , thinking between a boring 32 hour train journey or an exciting drive. Please suggest the best route, distances, driving time and where to break for the night.

Chennai - bangalore - Pune - Shirdi

(Or)

Chennai - Bangalore - Kolhapur - Satara - Baramati - Nagar - Shirdi

(Or)

Any other route?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by rrahul_2778

Chennai - bangalore - Pune - Shirdi
(Or)
Chennai - Bangalore - Kolhapur - Satara - Baramati - Nagar - Shirdi

The route via Pune is best. But note the route from Pune is via Ahmednagar.
(Its a nice 4 lane till Nagar).

Even the Baramati via (Satara/Phaltan/Baramati/Daund/Nagar), but if you go via Pune you 4-lane till Nagar.
Bypassing Pune for this road is also not difficult.

(Route Link)

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by rrahul_2778

Chennai - bangalore - Pune - Shirdi

Originally Posted by ampere

The route via Pune is best. But note the route from Pune is via Ahmednagar.
(Route Link)

Just to add to what Ampere has advised,take the route via Pune,just be sure to ask for Nagar Road when in Pune,or else you might end up getting directed to the NH50 which is the route via Sangamner to Shirdi which is a 2lane and very heavily trafficked.I would suggest that you target for Hubli as a stopover in both directions.Plenty of hotels at Hubli,else if you can stretch it for another 2 hours,then Kolhapur.

[mm403]

Originally Posted by rrahul_2778

Not seen an info of chennai to shirdi route. I plan to drive from chennai in Aug ,

Any other route?

When in Aug, if planning around 15 Aug or any holiday it would be crowded in Shirdi