[lazybrain]

Noticed this thread was inactive for a long time. May be now its the time

I am planning to drive down to Shirdi with my wifey tentatively next weekend or so. Me accompanying my wifey is not yet finalized. but if i do so, i will surely drive down or if she is going without me she will be taking a bus tour package from Bangalore to shirdi. couple of things i request info. from you guys:

1. If we drive down, which is the best route as per current road conditions? Is it Bangalore - Hubali - Pune - Shirdi OR is it Bangalore - Hubali - Kolhapur - Baramati - Shirdi? Please advice

2. If i am not accompanying my wifey which is the best tour package available in Bangalore from your experience? Requesting you to provide me with detailed info. if possible.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by lazybrain

1. If we drive down, which is the best route as per current road conditions? Is it Bangalore - Hubali - Pune - Shirdi OR is it Bangalore - Hubali - Kolhapur - Baramati - Shirdi? Please advice

It is always Bangalore-Pune-Nagar-Shirdi which is the best option. You should stick to it.

[motorpsycho]

Originally Posted by lazybrain

1. If we drive down, which is the best route as per current road conditions? Is it Bangalore - Hubali - Pune - Shirdi OR is it Bangalore - Hubali - Kolhapur - Baramati - Shirdi? Please advice

2. If i am not accompanying my wifey which is the best tour package available in Bangalore from your experience? Requesting you to provide me with detailed info. if possible.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Also make sure that you enter and exit Pune before peak hours, or most of your time will be spent in getting through the city.

This is the shortest road to the Nagar road.
Swargate > Solapur Road> Hadapsar> Kharadi Bypass >Nagar road.

[sumannandy]

Nagar is confusing, at least it was to me when I drove there last year, because there is no place called Nagar. The actual place is Ahmednagar, which you can find in google map.

Its 4 lane all the way till Amednagar. After Amednagar, road was bad, in some place craters, not sure about the current condition. It would take you at least 3 hours to reach Shirdi if you pay respect to all craters.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by sumannandy

Nagar is confusing, at least it was to me when I drove there last year, because there is no place called Nagar. The actual place is Ahmednagar, which you can find in google map.

Yes Nagar is Ahmednagar for short. Its the same place made famous my "Chandbibi" who ruled this place in 16th century.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chand_Bibi

The town also has a cavalry tank museum.

[sumannandy]

We stayed in Ahmednagar for 3 days or so and made it our base. Not only Chand biwi mahal, which is awesome by itself, you also get books written by Babur, and get to see the place where Aurangzeb stayed for last 3 years of his life. There is also the tank museum and the best of all, we have te VRDE test track where cars are tested under different conditions.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by sumannandy

Nagar is confusing, at least it was to me when I drove there last year, because there is no place called Nagar. The actual place is Ahmednagar, which you can find in google map.

Its 4 lane all the way till Amednagar. After Amednagar, road was bad, in some place craters, not sure about the current condition. It would take you at least 3 hours to reach Shirdi if you pay respect to all craters.

When In Pune, if you ask directions for Nagar road, you will most likely get the answer for Ahmednagar. That's how synonymous "Nagar" is with Ahmednagar though Google maps mentions it as Ahmednagar

In fact, most of the buses also have "Nagar" mentioned on their destination plates.

Originally Posted by sumannandy

There is also the tank museum

I guess you are referring to the Cavalry Tank Museum which is well depicted in this part of the wonderful travelogue by DD.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ml#post2097482

[KALSANKRPAI]

[quote=lazybrain;3178227]Noticed this thread was inactive for a long time. May be now its the time

Did you visit Shirdi as per your plan if yes please post your travelogue with all the details including mode of travel and all the photos. I am also planning
to visit SHIRDI one of these days with my wife and wish to travel by car - HYUNDAI i10

[lazybrain]

Originally Posted by KALSANKRPAI

Did you visit Shirdi as per your plan if yes please post your travelogue with all the details including mode of travel and all the photos. I am also planning
to visit SHIRDI one of these days with my wife and wish to travel by car - HYUNDAI i10

Sorry due to unforeseen circumstances we had to cancel the trip to Shirdi. Thanks guys for sharing the info. regarding best route. Really appreciate that and it will be really useful when we plan our trip to shirdi in the near future.

[ranjitp1]

[quote=KALSANKRPAI;3196335]

Originally Posted by lazybrain

Noticed this thread was inactive for a long time. May be now its the time

Did you visit Shirdi as per your plan if yes please post your travelogue with all the details including mode of travel and all the photos. I am also planning
to visit SHIRDI one of these days with my wife and wish to travel by car - HYUNDAI i10

Bangalore-Kolhapur-Pune-Ahmednagar-Rahuri-Rahata-Shirdi.

Bangalore-Pune 10-12hrs
Pune-Shirdi:4-5hrs

[paragsachania]

Adding to what Ranjitp1 says, in case you are targeting this in a single attempt please ensure you hit Tumkur road at max by 4:30am so that you enter Pune by 3:30/4:00pm and are on Nagar road (Ahmednagar) by 5:00/5:30pm.

This will ensure that you don't have to struggle yourself from crossing Pune city traffic at peak hours in the evening after that 850kms of taxing drive from Bangalore.

Even if you are splitting your journey, this logic holds good. Basically, you are better off doing Pune-Nagar between 5am-9am or 9pm-12midnight.

On the latest road conditions/Tolls between Bangalore-Pune - You can refer this link:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3194322

[KALSANKRPAI]

Thanks for your info. I had on couple of occasions had been to Mumbai
via Pune and unfortunately my timing was such that I had to be in Pune
during the peak hours . Though I have seen peak hour traffic in different
Metros like Mumbai, Chennai etc I didn't like the traffic in Pune, So much
confusion, chaos and narrow roads too

[karanp23]

We are planning Bangalore - Shirdi - Mahabaleshwar during the long weekend of August 9, 2013. I noticed that Bangalore - Pune - Nagar - Shirdi as the most suggested route in the posts. The google maps suggests to take the Pune - Nashik route (NH 50) and take a deviation at Sangamner instead of the Nagar route.

Also, August 9, 2013 being Ramzan, is Pune traffic bad?

I have a cedia sports, my son and i would alternate while driving. We plan to leave Bannerghata road by 4:30 am...

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by karanp23

Bangalore - Pune - Nagar - Shirdi as the most suggested route in the posts. The google maps suggests to take the Pune - Nashik route (NH 50) and take a deviation at Sangamner instead of the Nagar route.

Also, August 9, 2013 being Ramzan, is Pune traffic bad?

I have a cedia sports, my son and i would alternate while driving. We plan to leave Bannerghata road by 4:30 am...

The NH50 route is very congested and passes through ghat sections and hence not reccomended and would take you ages to reach Shirdi.The Pune-Nagar-Shirdi route is 4 laned throughout and hence a fast and easy drive(comparitively).Pune traffic is not that very bad to negotiate.

Please follow Parag's reccomended route (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2726281) to get to Nagar road from NH4 coming from Satara and it should be easy for you.

Budget for a 16+hr drive blr-shirdi.All via 4laned roads.10-12hr to Pune,4hr to Shirdi

To come back to Mahabaleshwar,retrace your route via Nagar-Pune-Wai phata and take a right on nH4 at Wai phata and go straight to Panchgani-mahabaleshwar.

http://goo.gl/maps/6okma

[karanp23]

Thanks Ranjit! I was in a dilemma and your post clarified. We will follow your suggestion. In case you have some suggestions on way side eateries that serve yummy food, please do let us know.

regards