[prasanna_gem]

Team,
I am planning to travel from Hyderabad to Jamshedpur in the last week of April and need assistance on the best route I need to take.
I googled and found that the distance is ~1400 KM.
Kindly assist me with all possible routes - my preference is for better roads than time.

Car : Scorpio 2003 make

P.S: The only assistance I have got whomever I have asked till now is shocked looks!
Regards,
Prasanna G

[akroy]

Originally Posted by prasanna_gem

Team,
I am planning to travel from Hyderabad to Jamshedpur in the last week of April and need assistance on the best route I need to take.
I googled and found that the distance is ~1400 KM.
Kindly assist me with all possible routes - my preference is for better roads than time.

Route: Hyd - Vijayawada - Vizag - Bhubaneshwar - Balasore (leave GQ and continue on NH5) - Baripada - Ghatsila - Jamshedpur
You can bypass vijayawada and take the Suryapet route to Rajahmundry and meet the GQ there.

Day1: Break at Vizag
Day2: Reach home (about 15 hours driving including strategic breaks like fuel, and food, better to start at 4AM from Vizag)

Read my Kolkata thread for more info on present conditions:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...e-kolkata.html

Originally Posted by prasanna_gem

P.S: The only assistance I have got whomever I have asked till now is shocked looks!

When you are ill you go to doctor and not to anybody else isnt it. Why do you ask to anybody who donot realize the fun of long drives.
When I planned my calcutta trip from bangalore. I never asked anybody precisely for this reason. I only emailed Mr. Kumar for my infos.
Hope you too do the same next time on.

[hvkumar]

As Abhi explained, leave GQ and continue on NH5 from Baleshwar, and go via Baripada till Baharagora (100 kms from Baleshwar to Baharagora). Turn off NH5 at Baharagora and from here, it is 100 kms to Jamshedpur.

The entire route is great, except for heavy traffic between Hyderabad and Vijaywada, and some bad roads in Orissa. I am told that the road from Baharogara to Jamshedpur is a good road.

Assuming that you are afast driver, I would suggest that you try to reach at least Srikakulam on Day 1. Better still, target Gopalpur-on-Sea which is a lovely beach resor (no to be confused with Gopalpur town or Gopalpur town, turn off at Behrampur, and drive to Gopalpur-on-Sea.

If you are able to reach at least Srikakulam on Day 1, reaching Jamshedpur on Day 2 should nott be a big problem.

On the other hand, if you are a relaxed driver (and wish to enjoy places en route), on Day 1, stop over at Annavaram (Satanarayana Temple near Tuni), Simhachalam (near Vizag), and Vizag's Rushikonda Beach. Stay overnight at Vizag.

On Day 2, proceed to Gopalpur-on-Sea, Rambha (Chilka Lake) and or Puri/Konarak (which is a long detour away from NH5), in which case you can stay at Puri.

On Day 3, proceed direct to Jamshedpur.

Facilities are reasonably OK, but try not to take the road after Baharagora after dark.

[vcash]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I am told that the road from Baharogara to Jamshedpur is a good road.

Hello Prasanna G
Ex-Resident Jamshedpurian to the rescue here! 2 years ago, I drove from Baharogara to Jsr and the roads were beyond pathetic - be prepared to go real slow on this stretch - Its a single lane highway too so careful of the insane truckers.

P.S. Let me know if you need any help in Jsr? Are you relocating or just a vacation?

[prasanna_gem]

Kumar/Roy Sirs,
I went thru your replies in details and also the travelouge. Here is the plan, let me know if I am in line with what you have said:

Hyderabad - Vijayawada - Eluru – Tadepalligudem – Tanuku – Rajahmundry – Annavaram – Tuni – Yelamanchili – Anakapalle - Visakhapatnam - Vizag - Visakhapatnam – Bhimuli – Vizianagaram – Srikakulam – Tekkali – Palasa – Ichchapuram – Berhampur – Chhatrapur – Ganjam - Rambha – Balugaon – Tangi – Khurda – Bhubaneshwar - Cuttack – Chandikhole – Jajpur Rd – Bhadrak – Balasore (leave GQ and continue on NH5) - Baripada - Baharagora - Ghatsila - Jamshedpur

I personally do not want to take the Hyderabad - Vijayada route since I recently went on the same and found extremely heavy traffic and insane trucks and tractors (right on your face). Please suggest and alternate for the same.

@VCash,
I will be at Jamshedpur for a Campus visit at XLRI. I will be put up there for a week. 2 years is a pretty long time, I am hopeful that the roads have become better now. Kindly update me in case you have more details.

Regards,
Prasanna G

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by prasanna_gem

Hyderabad - Vijayawada - Eluru – Tadepalligudem – Tanuku – Rajahmundry – Annavaram – Tuni – Yelamanchili – Anakapalle - Visakhapatnam - Vizag - Visakhapatnam – Bhimuli – Vizianagaram – Srikakulam – Tekkali – Palasa – Ichchapuram – Berhampur – Chhatrapur – Ganjam - Rambha – Balugaon – Tangi – Khurda – Bhubaneshwar - Cuttack – Chandikhole – Jajpur Rd – Bhadrak – Balasore (leave GQ and continue on NH5) - Baripada - Baharagora - Ghatsila - Jamshedpur

I personally do not want to take the Hyderabad - Vijayada route since I recently went on the same and found extremely heavy traffic and insane trucks and tractors (right on your face). Please suggest and alternate for the same.
Regards,
Prasanna G

As Abhi suggested, if you want to avoid the Vijaywada route, branch off left at Suryapet towards Khammam, and reach the GQ at Rajahmundry via Sattupalle, Ashwaraopet and Zangareddypalem( or Zangareddyguda)

Your route is fine, but Vizag and Visakhapatnam are one and the same. Further, you will not be touching Vizianagram at all. You will also be bypassing most other places like Srikakulam, Palasa and Berhampur.

It is good to know you are going via the Bhimili route, though it is 10 kms longer, it is exotic as it takes you parallel to the coasline for around 25 kms. You can drive through Bhimili and meet NH5 at Tagarapuvalasa.

[akroy]

Originally Posted by prasanna_gem

I personally do not want to take the Hyderabad - Vijayada route since I recently went on the same and found extremely heavy traffic and insane trucks and tractors (right on your face). Please suggest and alternate for the same.

I sincerely suggest the Khammam route. Then you can target Gopalpur on sea for the night halt (assume you are on NH9 by 5AM at Hyd) as suggested by Kumar sir.

Vizag to Gopalpur can be a 3 hour affair (nonstop). I did the same in Alto, you can be much faster since you have a Scorpio.

Abhi

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by akroy

I sincerely suggest the Khammam route. Then you can target Gopalpur on sea for the night halt (assume you are on NH9 by 5AM at Hyd) as suggested by Kumar sir.

Vizag to Gopalpur can be a 3 hour affair (nonstop). I did the same in Alto, you can be much faster since you have a Scorpio.

Abhi

3 hours, Good Lord! It is 265 kms---I know it pretty well because I used to work in Vizag for 2 decades and Berhampur is my hometown.
It used to take me 5 to 5.5 hours before the GQ came up. I have not travelled after the GQ was made. Perhaps 4 hours is a realistic estimate, given the bad stretch of road from Ichchapuram to Berhampur, moreso due to the rains for the past 2 days.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

It used to take me 5 to 5.5 hours before the GQ came up. I have not travelled after the GQ was made. Perhaps 4 hours is a realistic estimate, given the bad stretch of road from Ichchapuram to Berhampur, moreso due to the rains for the past 2 days.

On the GQ, it took me 4 hours from Gopalpur-on-Sea to Rushikonda Beach in Vizag via Bhimunipatnam.

Kumar

[akroy]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

3 hours, Good Lord! It is 265 kms---I know it pretty well because I used to work in Vizag for 2 decades and Berhampur is my hometown.

This is not an estimate Sir, I have myself done it. I dont remember the distance exactly. But yes, I did average more than 90km in an hour. Speed was consistently hovering between 110-120kmph with occassionaly 130s on downslopes. I could have been even faster had the Srikakulam - Champawati stretch was 4 laned (only 2 lanes were operational then)

To be precise Reliance Petrol pump at Berhampur to A1 Plaza before Vizag took me around 3 hours nonstop. As I told you earlier I did Bhubaneshwar BP(NH5) to A1 Plaza Vizag in 6 hours. It took me another 25-30km from A1 plaza to reach my hotel in beach road.

May be I was lucky to have got empty stretches that particular day otherwise probably 4 hours is a nice estimate.

Abhi

[hvkumar]

To recap my own drive on this route:

Gopalpur-on-Sea, Zero Point, 130 pm
Behrampur, 7 kms, 135 pm
Icchapuram, 30 kms, 213 pm
Srikakulam, 132 kms, 337 pm
Poosapati Rega, 54 kms, 425 pm
Diesel Refilling halt for 5 minutes
Tagarapuvalasa, 27 kms, 450 pm
Bhimunipatnam, 5 kms, 457 pm
Vizag Rushikonda Beach, 18 kms, 530 pm

Total Distance: 275 kms, 240 minutes (4 hours)

[prasanna_gem]

Sirs,
I have taken into account all the information provided.
I am currently in the process of collating and looking for the best possible route. Since it is a weekeday, taking sometime. However, will need your assistance very soon.

Appreciate every contribution I got from each one of you - and am glad, I found this website!

Regards,
Prasanna G

[prasanna_gem]

Sirs,
Thank you all very much for the information provided.
I was successfully able to come to Jamshedpur.

While the roads in AP were the best, Jharkhand stands second and Orissa will get the best prize for the worst roads amongst all the 3 states.

Please write into me if you need details.

Regards,
Prasanna G
(Currently in Jamshedpur)

[ramkya1]

When you are ill you go to doctor and not to anybody else isnt it. Why do you ask to anybody who donot realize the fun of long drives.

When I planned my calcutta trip from bangalore. I never asked anybody precisely for this reason. I only emailed Mr. Kumar for my infos.
Hope you too do the same next time on.

Agree with AK fully.

When I say, drive for more than 500 KM's ppl look at me as if I've lost it

So if I inform the family / friends any drive beyong 500 Kms... they'd have a STROKE !!!!!!

It's best to mail TBHP / HVK for authentic information from people who understand the planning, commitment, responsibility and emotions involved with long drives.

--Ramky

=========

[akroy]

Originally Posted by prasanna_gem

Sirs,
Thank you all very much for the information provided.
I was successfully able to come to Jamshedpur.

While the roads in AP were the best, Jharkhand stands second and Orissa will get the best prize for the worst roads amongst all the 3 states.

Please write into me if you need details.

Regards,
Prasanna G
(Currently in Jamshedpur)

Hey thats exciting stuff. Eagerly waiting for you travelogue / updates on the route.

Abhi