[Sandyboy101]

Just drove back from North Goa, approx 1500 kms in all.
Going took me 11 hrs-leaving andheri at 4:30 am and routed via NH4-Chorla, Chorla was beautiful with smooth roads,
though, one must drive carefully as oncoming traffic may surprise you as the road is not that wide.
The way back I took NH17/66 after driving from the interiors of North Goa to the sawantwadi bypass,
I left at 5:40 and reached Andheri in exactly 12 hrs. Both ways had 2 short stops.
The old Goa highway is still beautiful with the greenery and the morning mist, the road is good till before Chiplun there after it got worse.
Traffic was ok since it was early, overtaking the trucks can be slow at times, its a good route if you are not in a hurry.
Since I was worried about traffic jams nearing B'bay, I cut across before Nagothane and took the Pali-Khopoli state highway
to get to the Mumbai-Pune expressway and made some time on it.
The state highway was in bad shape especially near the imagica theme park thing. I don't know if this was a good idea
as I don't know the traffic situation near the Karnala bird sanctuary, It was horrible 2 years ago.
I was hoping to reach B'bay before the evening traffic and was surprised I actually made it. On the whole a decent uneventful drive,
Shall enjoy a chilled Kings once more

[TaurusAl]

Just read today in TOI, there has been a gang which is robbing travellers on the expressway.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/45253139.cms


Please be careful and do not stop on expressway at night.



I will be leaving this Friday night around 12 am from Andheri. Will be using Chorla route. If anyone has similar plans we can drive together.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by TaurusAl

Just read today in TOI, there has been a gang which is robbing travellers on the expressway....
Please be careful and do not stop on expressway at night.

I'd heard the same from a friend who travels Bangalore-Mumbai frequently, so I'd posted this recently - Here

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by NPV

I'd heard the same from a friend who travels Bangalore-Mumbai frequently, so I'd posted this recently - Here

This has been too common now, especially near the eateries situated before the Talegaon Toll Plaza.

There have been many instances/reports of this even in the media on quite a regular basis.

I have been driving on this road for more than 9 years now and at all possible times I may have crossed this section. It is tomfoolery to park your car on the shoulder, cross the highway and get eatables while rest of the folks are waiting inside the car .

In fact, I follow certain practices whenever I am driving at night which are not necessarily weapons to drive at night but has lots of common sense in it-

• Turn off the cabin lights whenever I am at the Plaza. I keep my change ready before I approach. Why would you want to give the hint to the booth attendants on how well-to-do you look or what type of sophisticated passengers/Genders are accompanying you
  
• Always stop at a busy Toll booth that is well lit to answer nature's call. Usually a place where your screams can be easily heard (Remember you can never be heard even if there is one Truck in each lane at Idle speed in neutral).
  
• As much as possible, finish my refueling break before 10PM. Why give hints to fuel station attendants on where you are heading (of course, with all the luggage inside)
  
• If I stop by for Tea, I generally keep my cellphone inside the pocket and carry only the necessary denomination rather than opening my wallet wide and pulling a 50 Rupee notes from between the huge bundle inside (Yes, we usually carry cash on the highway because we aren't sure if Card swiping machines work at some stations)
  
• Try to behave as much local as possible - You act too sophisticated trying to wipe your face with Wet tissues, take a bottle of your favorite body spray to smell good, Open a packet of Good Day that's lying in your boot to dip that in tea and eat it - Well, All this are natural hints to habitual roadside offenders that you will be his next prey
  
• Never ever stop at night to offer any help to anyone when you are the only car in that direction. Better to wait till traffic/People gather. Sorry, but reading all that happens on the Highway at night, its better to remain in doubt than be a messiah
  
• Before I forget, as soon as you sit on the driver's seat, manually press the lock button inside to lock all doors. Even 5 seconds of remaining unlocked can make it easy for a robber to pull open one of the doors. As a matter of fact, It may sound silly but I do this during the day time as soon as I sit back inside my car after drawing cash from the ATM.

In the end, driving at night is not safe on any roads in our country. Unless you are aware of the roads, terrain, demography, Public behavior, regular occurrences of such robberies, it is safer to drive under natural light!

[CANPUSH]

Originally Posted by TaurusAl

Any particular reason ? Also, I am planning to use GPS. Any idea if the Google Maps takes you via Khanapur that you have cautioned ? I am not able to locate it in Maps.

Thanks for the great info, Ill skip NH17

NH4a that is Khanapur road is in perpetual bad condition due to dumpers traffic. Only twice in last 30 years (2001-2002) I have seen that road in good condition.

About 4-5 kms after you cross Belgaum industrial estate there is 'Y' junction where you go to right for Jamboti/ Chorla. (Left goes to Khanapur) Best is to stop and ask. That is more reliable than GPS.

Road till you descend Chorla ghat is fantastic. Even a slow driver like me can drive @ 90kmph. As you enter Goa surface is worn out and not so good for next 10 kms. Once you reach Sanquelim, you meet main road (Go under the main road and take 'U' turn to climb and join) take left to reach Mapusa/ Panaji or right to reach Ponda/Margao. This point onwards both roads are very good.

Taking NH4 from Mumbai to Belgaum saves time and fuel too as you do not need to change gears as often as you have to on NH17(66) Mumbai-Goa road. NH4 is much more safe and tension free than NH17.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by Sandyboy101

I don't know the traffic situation near the Karnala bird sanctuary, It was horrible 2 years ago.

It is still horrible as I recently did a Murud-Panvel stretch and the road in some stretches is horribly bad. Add to that undisciplined heavy vehicles who hog the fast lane which slows down the travel time considerably. I was continually intrigued by the fact that the road is called a state highway. Dont want to add anything regarding the road condition after Vadhkal junction towards Alibag. One word would suffice - pitiable.

[scrooze]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

It is still horrible as I recently did a Murud-Panvel stretch and the road in some stretches is horribly bad. Add to that undisciplined heavy vehicles who hog the fast lane which slows down the travel time considerably. I was continually intrigued by the fact that the road is called a state highway. Dont want to add anything regarding the road condition after Vadhkal junction towards Alibag. One word would suffice - pitiable.

I am planning to do Panvel- Revdanda- Kashid- Murud this weekend if you can help with the below:

What was the travel time from Panvel to Murud? How bad are the roads?

Is there any patch we can fly?

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by scrooze

What was the travel time from Panvel to Murud? How bad are the roads?

Is there any patch we can fly?

I will state the reverse. It took us 4 hrs to travel from Murud to Panvel with 1/2 hr for lunch break. Started from Murud at 11.30 hrs and reached Panvel at 3.30 pm. The roads are horribly bad in the stretches between Revdanda and Nagaon esp the roads which go through small villages where there is non existent roads. Its 2 lane road and any stalled vehicle adds to the traffic times esp in the village sections. Rest of the roads are motorable, we encountered lesser than normal traffic since we started at an odd time. Usual pain points are Vadhkal Naka, Pen.

There is a small bypass road to avoid going into Alibag city but we had missed it. This will reduce the distance by say around 10 kms or so but road condition is not known.

There are roads where you can cover up to an extent between Pen and Panvel and between Murud and Kashid but you need to dodge a few small craters. Traffic sense of locals in these stretches is next to nothing. Add to that weekender traffic may slow down a bit.

Hope this helps.

[AnniHilat0R]

Have been asked to go for an urgent work visit tomorrow to Guhagar. Company could not arrange a vehicle, so having to take Vento. Just recently (3 weeks ago) got it back from servicing and do not wish to torture it straight away :S I had visited Mahad about two months ago and the road near Pen was absolutely terrible. Would appreciate it if someone could tell me the condition of the road till Chiplun.
If NH17 near Pen and Vadhkal still is in terrible condition, would have to avoid it as I have bad back and Vento's stiff suspension don't make life any easier :P

Would instead drive down via Mumbai-Pune Expressway and switch over to NH17 at Mahad or something.

Would really appreciate any help about the route.

[SajiNSalin]

Pen to Chiplun is not bad, but cannot compare with the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The road about 5 km from Chiplun is in not so good condition. The road twists and turns and is a two lane road, but I found it good and could make good time when I traveled from Goa to Ahmedabad using NH17 in early October this year.

[hemanth.anand]

One of my colleague wants to drive form Goa to Mumbai Via NH17&NH66.

Couple of questions:
How long might it take?(Apart from the Mumbai Traffic)?
What are the thing to be prepared for en-route?

[arnabchak]

Just planning a Goa trip
Expected route options(either of the two):

1) NH 4(via Pune)- E Way till Pune.
2) NH 66 (old NH 17).

-What is the toll for each of the routes.
-How is the road condition now
-Any safe eating options en route on NH 17.
-Expected time for each route
-Any CNG station en route on NH 17?

Will be traveling with wifey and our 2.5 year son.

Planning sometime in March-April time.
Car will be our Wagon R CNG.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by arnabchak

Just planning a Goa trip
Expected route options(either of the two):

1) NH 4(via Pune)- E Way till Pune.
2) NH 66 (old NH 17).

-What is the toll for each of the routes.
-How is the road condition now
-Any safe eating options en route on NH 17.
-Expected time for each route
-Any CNG station en route on NH 17?

Will be traveling with wifey and our 2.5 year son.

Planning sometime in March-April time.
Car will be our Wagon R CNG.

As far as I am aware (from my last drive on NH17 from Munbai to Bangalore via Goa), there was only one toll soon after you enter NH17 at Panvel.

Apart from that you will have to pay 250 bucks for entering Goa (Entry Tax).

We had driven this whole stretch between 5pm-5am and had stopped for dinner at a roadside Hotel midway but unable to recall.

However,NH17 being a busy route should surely have lot of options for eateries.

On CNG filling stations, I leave it to the regulars on this route to answer than suggest based on Googlemaps!

Via NH4, expect a 12 hours drive.

Via NH17, add another 3 to 4 hours easily. Plus the stress of driving on single lane road (barring Sawantwadi bypass).

With a 2.5 year Kid, if you ask me, I will advise NH4 only.

[pratmitt]

Hi,

Just came back last night from Goa to Mumbai. Route taken was NH4 route: Mumbai-Pune-Satara-Kolhapur-Belgaum-Chorla-Goa (North)

Toll rates:
Same was what is mentioned in earlier posts [35 (vashi)+ 195 + 55+ 35 + 70 + 15 + 250 tax]

Road conditions (w.r.t. Honda City clearance):
- Mumbai-Pune expressway: Usual good road
- NH4 inside Pune: broken, small size potholes but not major ones
- Pune to Satara: Reasonably good road (can safely drive around 80-100kmph at night)
- Satara-Kolhapur-Belgaum entry: Excellent road, since it has negligible bends, I find it better than Mumbai-Pune expressway too for driving at high-speeds (got some empty stretches where can revv upto 140-160kmph at 9-10AM)
- Belgaum city drive to road to Chorla: condition good but expect a lot of traffic
- Belgaum to Goa entry via Chorla: Smooth road, speedbreakers around villages a dampner else very good roads.
- Goa entry point till Mapusa: small potholes, lot of breakers
- Mapusa & Beyond: good road, ofcourse, traffic at this time of the year

Personally, I found drive on Chorla route from Belgaum side tougher than return from Goa side as have to negotiate sharp bends on downward gradient.

Time to drive: 11.5 hours including ample breaks (outside Goa exit, Belgaum, Kolhapur, Satara, Lonavala food court) Start time: 2:30 PM

Food options on the road: I tend to be cautious about street food so usually would go for McD/KFC. Minimal food options around Satara so plan your stop after Pune toll directly at Kolhapur.

Additionally, since I have never been to Mahabaleshwar earlier, while going from Mumbai I took a day's halt there to see what the fuss is about (my review: a totally avoidable place at all times unless you plan start a berry related business). Road from Expressway side to Mahabaleshwar is most broken in the entire trip. Mahabaleshwar to Satara road was very good and does not feel that you are descending a ghat.

[arnabchak]

Thanks a lot Parag.
Any indication of the toll amount on NH4?

I am aware of the Mumbai-Pune E Way toll of Rs. 195/-.

What toll amount do I counter beyond Pune.
Reason for asking: I do not want to be cash loaded on the Highway and plan to keep the cash limited for toll expenses + some cash for food(add a bit for other exigencies).