[narayans80]

Originally Posted by ShreyG

That's the route that GMaps is suggesting as well. Would also appreciate any leads for stay in Vijayapura.

Don't! Unless you have a Fortuner/Endy and are brave to experiment

Please go via Aurangabad-Gangapur-Vaijapur-Yeola-Shirdi. Till Yeola has been confirmed good by Parag just 2 weeks back.

[ShreyG]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Don't! Unless you have a Fortuner/Endy and are brave to experiment

Please go via Aurangabad-Gangapur-Vaijapur-Yeola-Shirdi. Till Yeola has been confirmed good by Parag just 2 weeks back.

Ooh. Thanks for the note. Will take the suggested route and provide feedback on the same.

[ShreyG]

So the route to be followed would be Bangalore >> Hospete >> Vijaypura >> Solapur >> Beed >> Aurangabad >> Gangapur >> Vaijapur >> Yeola >> Shirdi.
Any suggestions for overnight stays? Is Aurangabad doable within 12 hours or would it be wise to stop at Solapur / Beed?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by ShreyG

So the route to be followed would be Bangalore >> Hospete >> Vijaypura >> Solapur >> Beed >> Aurangabad >> Gangapur >> Vaijapur >> Yeola >> Shirdi.
Any suggestions for overnight stays? Is Aurangabad doable within 12 hours or would it be wise to stop at Solapur / Beed?

Aurangabad from Bangalore can be done in 12-14 hours very easily. If you start as early as 4am, you can very well do in 12 hours. I have done that in Jan and then recently this month too.

Aurangabad has lot of options to stay in every budget range due to it being the base location for those visiting sites of Ajanta and Ellora.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by ShreyG

Bangalore >> Hospete >> Vijaypura >> Solapur >> Beed >> Aurangabad >> Gangapur >> Vaijapur >> Yeola >> Shirdi.

That's affirm!

You'll easily be past Bijapur and possibly Solapur. You can look at the following options:

Kyriad, Solapur
Pushpak Park, Osmanabad
Hotel Sunrise, Beed
7 Apple, Aurangabad.

Beed Sunrise might be the best since its bang on the highway. For all other you'll have to get into town.

[lazybrain]

Guys,

I am planning to do a solo trip from Bangalore - Shirdi through suggested route:

Bangalore - Chitradurga - Hospet - Solapur - Ahmednagar - Shirdi

Though I have done Bangalore - Shirdi multiple times, I have always done usual Bangalore - Hubli - Kolhapur - Pune - Shirdi with overnight halt at Kolhapur

Need your inputs on which place I need to take a break if I do Bangalore - Shirdi via Hospet, solapur and Ahmednagar and any recommendations on good hotel

I will be starting from Bangalore early morning and plan to book for online Darshan for next day late in the evening. Hence request all to suggest overnight halt accordingly so that I don’t have to spend too much time on highway to reach Shirdi next day evening

Thanks in advance for your help

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by lazybrain

Solapur - Ahmednagar

Am not sure what route you intend to take to reach Nagar. Tembhurni-Karmala was horrendous and zero info on Daund-Kurkumbh.

I would suggest Solapur-Aurangabad-Gangapur-Yeola-Shirdi. If you have the enthusiasm to drive 17 hours, you can reach Shirdi the same night. Otherwise halt at Beed or Aurangabad and you should be in Shirdi by lunch.

If you intend to do through Nagar, I am not sure of hotels beyond Solapur.

Hotel recommendations are on post above yours.

[lazybrain]

Originally Posted by narayans80

If you intend to do through Nagar, I am not sure of hotels beyond Solapur.

Hotel recommendations are on post above yours.

On second thoughts since I will be on my Tata safari storme is it still a nightmare if take the usual route, that is, bangalore - chitradurga - Hubli - belgavi - Kolhapur - Satara - Pune - nagar highway - shirdi?
Last I did bangalore - Hubli stretch was back in 2020 and after chitradurga it was nightmare with too many diversions.

Also with safari storme is it manageable between Satara and Pune.

If I take this usual route I am planning to do bangalore - Pune nonstop and then proceed towards Shirdi next day morning

Any inputs welcome.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by lazybrain

Pune - nagar highway - shirdi... I am planning to do bangalore - Pune nonstop and then proceed towards Shirdi next day morning

I don't have latest information on Nagar-Shirdi. Based on what I tried in December 2020, It was littered with craters between Shirdi and Rahuri. I did Pune-Sangamner-Shirdi then during the onward journey. Sangamner-Shirdi airport is a mixed bag, doable in a S-Cross and very much doable in a Storme. Nasik highway to Sangamner is also so-so, again very doable in a Storme.

If you do Pune on day 1, do an early start (like 5 am) from Pune and get past the Pune-Chakan mess before traffic picks up. I fully expect you should be in Shirdi by 930 am thereabouts.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by narayans80

I don't have latest information on Nagar-Shirdi.

Nagar - Daund remains very bad. Not worth it as there are sections of roads where there is no asphalt at all. If you are stuck behind a tractor, all you will do is follow that till eternity. The presence of Railway crossings here adds to the pain too.

As you said, it is worth considering the longer but much better route via Aurangabad Gangapur Vaijapur to reach Shirdi.

Originally Posted by lazybrain

On second thoughts since I will be on my Tata safari storme is it still a nightmare if take the usual route, that is, bangalore - chitradurga - Hubli - belgavi - Kolhapur - Satara - Pune - nagar highway - shirdi?

I wouldn't refer to this route as "nightmare" at all. Now that The entire stretch from Bangalore to Hubli is bliss with hardly 2-3 diversions, it is extremely fast and high on average speeds.

Also with safari storme is it manageable between Satara and Pune.

Potholes on this route are not the worry. The concern are patchy and bumpy roads and I know for sure that this won't be a smooth sailing affair in your Storme. I have driven the Storme from Bangalore to Pune with only a co-pax and I know how it feels when you take on the wavy and uneven sections. So certainly, it has got nothin to do with what you are driving on this section.

In my opinion, unless you are doing Satara Pune (And Pune Nagar) late at night or early morning, I would vote for the Sholapur Aurangabad route. It is much peaceful in every sense.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

In my opinion, unless you are doing Satara Pune (And Pune Nagar) late at night or early morning, I would vote for the Sholapur Aurangabad route. It is much peaceful in every sense.

There's another adavantage as well. Bijapur-Solapur-Aurangabad doesn't see as many sugarcane trucks and tractors unlike Kolhapur-Pune sector.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by narayans80

I would suggest Solapur-Aurangabad-Gangapur-Yeola-Shirdi. If you have the enthusiasm to drive 17 hours, you can reach Shirdi the same night. Otherwise halt at Beed or Aurangabad and you should be in Shirdi by lunch.
.

Why does one have to go to Yeola from Gangapur when there is direct and shorter highway from Vaijapur to Shirdi via the outskirts of Kopargaon (the road that meets the Yeola Shirdi highway just south of Kopargaon)?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Why does one have to go to Yeola from Gangapur when there is direct and shorter highway from Vaijapur to Shirdi via the outskirts of Kopargaon (the road that meets the Yeola Shirdi highway just south of Kopargaon)?

You can take Vaijapur Kopergaon only.

[man23ish]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Hi - What route did you do for Blr-Shirdi? Any update on the route please?

Sorry for the delayed response... Bangalore-Chitradurga-Hospet-Solapur-Ahmednagar-Shani-Shinganapur-Shirdi.

Try to avoid the Ahmednagar - Shirdi highway if possible. I took a detour via Shani-Shinganapur...

[Dushyanth]

Hi all,
I will be going to Hubli to attend my friends wedding for 2 days, have planned to start towards Shirdi on the third day. Please suggest the best available route for the same. Listing out my options that are available with me right now. I think Hubli-Shirdi can be done in one single day if I start early morning. What about the Shirdi-Bengaluru? Can this be done in 12-15 hours which I can handle per day? My drive is a Skoda Rapid.

Hubli-Shirdi
1. Hubli-Vijayapura-Solapur-Daund-Ahmednagar-Shirdi
2. Hubli-Vijayapura-Solapur-Beed-Ahmednagar-Shirdi
3. Hubli-Belagavi-Kolhapur-Satara-Pune-Chakan-Shirdi

Shirdi-Bengaluru
1. Shirdi-Pune-Satara-Kolhapur-Belagavi-Hubli-Davanagere-Bengaluru
2. Shirdi-Ahmednagar-Daund-Solapur-Vijayapura-Hospet-Bengaluru

Also would like to know about any restrictions entering Maharashtra and what are the Darshan options, do I need to book online in advance or can get tickets there at the counter itself? And I also need tickets for Kaakad Aarti, how do I get them? Online or offline?
Thanks in Advance.