[AvonA7]

For Shirdi to Bangalore - you can avoid Shani Shignapur (avoid in the sense if it's not in your plan to visit this religious place) and instead you can come straight to Ahmednagar (from Shirdi, 04 lane), this will save you some distance and time.

In addition to what has been already suggested, another option is, you can take the straight route : Shirdi - Ahmednagar - Pune (3hrs 45mins, 04 lane) - NH4 (left at Nagar road crossing towards Kharadi (~113kms from Ahmednagar) - Ask for Noble Hospital and/or Hadapsar (take flyover and turn right on the flyover) --> Race Course / Swargate (turn left at Swargate crossing) / NH4 (01hr max. SUN) - Kolhapur - Belgaum (~5 hrs from Pune) - Hubli - Chitradurga - Bangalore (throughout 04 lane, fast drive).

[siddheshb]

I agree with Avon, Shirdi to Ahmednagar, and there on to Pune is a far better option than the Nashik Road, which is usually a nightmare. The Shirdi Nagar, and Nagar Pune roads are well maintained and mostly smooth flowing.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by AvonA7

For Shirdi to Bangalore - you can avoid Shani Shignapur (avoid in the sense if it's not in your plan to visit this religious place) and instead you can come straight to Ahmednagar (from Shirdi, 04 lane), this will save you some distance and time.

Thats a good point. I mentioned the temple, only in case, if one wants to visit the temple.
Else the direct route to Ahmednagar is always better.

Originally Posted by siddheshb

I agree with Avon, Shirdi to Ahmednagar, and there on to Pune is a far better option than the Nashik Road, which is usually a nightmare. The Shirdi Nagar, and Nagar Pune roads are well maintained and mostly smooth flowing.

Also is it a better idea to come to Pune ? From a distance point, its just 30 km more.
So if the roads are good, it definitely makes sense.

How is the Ahmednagar-Shirur-Pune road?

[AvonA7]

Originally Posted by ampere

Also is it a better idea to come to Pune ? From a distance point, its just 30 km more.
So if the roads are good, it definitely makes sense.

How is the Ahmednagar-Shirur-Pune road?

A super fine 04 lane road (even though a state h/w, except 01km 2 lane road near Supa) compared to any better maintained NH of our country. This entire distance can be covered within 1 hr 15mins and even less time with speed within legal driving limits, of course depending on the time of the day (example - similar to blr-mysore h/w)

[ampere]

Originally Posted by AvonA7

A super fine 04 lane road (except 01km 2 lane road near Supa) compared to any better maintained NH of our country. This entire distance can be covered within 1 hr 15mins and even less time with speed within legal driving limits, of course depending on the time of the day (example - similar to blr-mysore)

Wow! Thanks. Never knew that. Thats why I was suggesting the Phaltan/Satara option.
Since when this 4L was completed?

[AvonA7]

Originally Posted by ampere

Wow! Thanks. Never knew that. Thats why I was suggesting the Phaltan/Satara option.
Since when this 4L was completed?

Not sure since when this is 04 lane, but the first time I traveled in this route ~18 month back its a 04 lane road. Other members can confirm though as to when this road was made 04 lane.

Sad part is : compared to ~18 months ago, no. of toll booth (from Pune till Ad`ngr) have increased (total 03 toll booth) and also toll increased, we the poor citizens are always at the receiving end :(



You know what, this entire toll booth system in our country is another scam, we pay tax, the taxed money is also taxed in the name of VAT, Infrastructure/Education Cess, Road Tax etc ... but we still end up paying taxes when travelling to airport, highways, any tourist place and so on ! Different state, different toll rates irrespective of the road conditions

[siddheshb]

Nagar-Shirur-Pune is a super 4 lane highway, marred only by a couple of towns on the way which slow you down. I wish every town had a quick bypass around it. I first traveled on it around 18 months back, and I believe it had just been converted to 4 lane.

@ampere, I would suggest you come through Pune, and then take the super awesome Pune-Bangalore expressway.

By the way, it's also an awesome time to be in Pune... lovely weather... might want to take a stop here!

[siddheshb]

Originally Posted by AvonA7

Sad part is : ~18 months ago, there was only 01 toll booth (from Pune till Ad`ngr) and now that particular toll is increased and also 02 more toll booths are added (total 03 toll booth), we the poor citizens are always at the receiving end :(

I remember when we were kids, Dad used to drive us from Goa to Belgaum, and the 150 km journey took 4 hours, and a lot of hard work on 1 lane roads! Now, I don't think twice before getting onto the highways, regularly doing Pune-Mumbai in 90 mins, and Pune-Goa in 5 hours. I guess the tolls are a small price to pay for the improvements

[AvonA7]

Originally Posted by siddheshb

I remember when we were kids, Dad used to drive us from Goa to Belgaum, and the 150 km journey took 4 hours, and a lot of hard work on 1 lane roads! Now, I don't think twice before getting onto the highways, regularly doing Pune-Mumbai in 90 mins, and Pune-Goa in 5 hours. I guess the tolls are a small price to pay for the improvements

+1, at present, driving on some of our h/ws is fantastic to say the least. I do not object to tolls, but then again if you look at the larger picture here (the way we are taxed and how / what %age/category (salaried/bus.man/dr etc) of citizen are paying proper taxes) and the way the no. of toll booths are increasing and the tolls, there is absolutely no logic in the way tolls are charged in some of the state/national h/ws irrespective of the road condition. Anyways, its an OT in this thread, better not to discuss here

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by siddheshb

Now, I don't think twice before getting onto the highways, regularly doing Pune-Mumbai in 90 mins, and Pune-Goa in 5 hours.

Pune-goa in five hours!!
its possible like pune city-airport-flight to goa-dabolim airport-your destination in goa~~~5hours.

If its drive, then please please post the route, speed and timings.

[siddheshb]

Ashish, I generally leave very early in the morning, around 5 am, so Aundh-Pashan-NH4 at Chandni Chowk-Kolhapur is usually 2 hours, 15 mins. Continue on to Nipani, another 30 mins. Just beyond Nipani, take right to Azra-Amboli and down the ghat into Konkan. That is the slowest part of the journey, another 1 hour 15 min. (This is where the Endy really scores over the sedans - so you might want to add another 30 mins to your journey time if you taking a sedan). At the end of 4 hours, you are in Konkan. Immediately after the ghat, there's a nice hidden road that takes you from Daneli (the first small village after Amboli ghat - take sharp left after the village market) to Banda (Goa border) in 15 min. It shows up on MapMyIndia too, but it's badly aligned and you quickly lose the sync. Again, now that I think about it, you might want to go slow on this route in a sedan. In the rains, you might want to avoid it, because it entails driving through a river flowing over a low bridge. From Banda, it's 45-60 min to Panaji.

Add 15-30 mins to total journey time if you have kids and want to take breaks.

By the way, we consistently did 5 hours 15 mins in our Fiesta 2-3 years back, by taking Pune-Kolhapur-Gaganpavda-Kankavli-Goa, but I did that route a year back, and the road was really bad, and the multiple villages and the traffic pattern on the road made it really difficult to pick up speed.

As far as speed is concerned, TBHP discourages speeding, so I better desist from mentioning it... but then, I guess it's about being consistent and taking advantage of the good roads, and then maintaining a decent pace when the road gets narrow in the ghats.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by siddheshb

Immediately after the ghat, there's a nice hidden road that takes you from Daneli (the first small village after Amboli ghat - take sharp left after the village market) to Banda (Goa border) in 15 min. It shows up on MapMyIndia too, but it's badly aligned and you quickly lose the sync.

I took this danoli-banda route last nov while going to goa.
posted details somewhere in route query section.
If its early morning drive, then yes, you can cover upto nippani very fast but after that till goa checkpost, its passenger train journey in the car.

[Fauji]

Folks,

Planning Bangalore - Shirdi sometime this month. I want to avoid Pune traffic and Pune - Nagar stretch which is generally crowded except very early in the morning.

I saw alternate route which looks feasible. Here it is

Bangalore - Kolhapur - Satara - Baramati - Nagar - Shirdi

The route runs parallel to regular route after Satara. Since the road beyond Satara connects district HQs like Baramati and Nagar (and lies in Pawar country ) may be in good condition. This will help avoid Pune though one does not save much in distance but will definitely save in time.

Any thoughts?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Fauji

Any thoughts?

I think they are decent 2L roads. Satara-Phaltan-Baramati-Daund-Ahmednagar roads are decent. (Your Scorp will easily handle).


You can also visit the cavalry tank musuem at Ahmednagar.
(Now that is something for which I would be court martial-ed? Asking an army man to visit a cavalry museum!)

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Fauji

Folks,

Planning Bangalore - Shirdi sometime this month. I want to avoid Pune traffic and Pune - Nagar stretch which is generally crowded except very early in the morning.

I saw alternate route which looks feasible. Here it is

Bangalore - Kolhapur - Satara - Baramati - Nagar - Shirdi

The route runs parallel to regular route after Satara. Since the road beyond Satara connects district HQs like Baramati and Nagar (and lies in Pawar country ) may be in good condition. This will help avoid Pune though one does not save much in distance but will definitely save in time.

Any thoughts?

I prefer t go through Pune city or take the NH4 bypass till Dehu Road onto NH4 (not expressway) till Talegaon, then the toll road to Chakan. If taking NH50 via Sangamaner to Shirdi, I would go on NH50, else continue on the toll road till Shikrapur and then take SH60 to Ahmednagar.

Khed to Chakan, Maharashtra, India - Google Maps