[hserus]

Originally Posted by manduvindupondu

Sir, what is the rule to enter Karnataka ? Is Double vaccination enough ? Or RTPCR negative certificate mandatory ?

Nobody cares by road or rail so far unless entering from eg Maharashtra or Kerala as in the past. Flight they're asking for a vaccine certificate, so far. And they're talking of home quarantine if you fly in so check that just before you fly, the rules keep changing at the discretion of the local health department.

[hondafanboy]

Is Hyderabad to Mysore doable in a daytime this weekend with kids onboard ? Any tips to achieve this ? We don't have any plans for Bangalore hence thinking whether to stay in Bangalore or straightaway go to Mysore. Thanks!

[samkat1]

Originally Posted by hondafanboy

Is Hyderabad to Mysore doable in a daytime this weekend with kids onboard ? Any tips to achieve this ? We don't have any plans for Bangalore hence thinking whether to stay in Bangalore or straightaway go to Mysore. Thanks!

Certainly doable. Have done it before. Just as a precaution I try to cross B'lore before the office hour ends (typically on or before 5 PM).

[hydtraveller]

hondafanboy, Hyderabad - Mysore can be comfortably done in a day. You do not have to enter Bangalore. Before you hit the Bangalore International Airport, at Nandi Cross ( where the road branches off towards Nandi Hills coming from Bangalore city side) take a right after you cross Shell Petrol Pump towards Doddaballapura. Take this route : Nandi Cross - Doddaballapura - Dobbaspet - Gudemaranahalli (where you hit the Bangalore - Hassan - Mangalore Highway) - Kunigal - Bellur Cross. At Bellur Cross take a left towards Srirangapatnam and then on to Mysore.
The distance from Nandi Cross to Mysore is 200 km and can be done in 3 hours. Those staying in North Bangalore prefer this route to Mysore as it saves time and the regular Bangalore - Mysore Highway is in a mess due to road widening. Also you will take a minimum of 1 hour to cross Bangalore city.
I have been taking this route regularly to go from Hyderabad to Ooty and am in Mysore by 3 pm with a 5 am start from Hyderabad.

[ankitsharma]

Just completed Delhi -> Bangalore via NH44. Hyderabad to Bangalore road condition is very bad. Hyderabad to Kurnool took 5 hours. Too much traffic and diversions due to roads under construction.

After Kurnool though the road was good but traffic marred the journey.
No RT-PCR checks however. Beware of high rise speed humps near the crossings. They can result in severe accident.

[vinukm]

Travelling to Hyderabad from Bangalore tomorrow. Will start by 5 AM morning. Any good restaurant for breakfast near or after Anantapur?

[kalyan05]

Assuming KA relaxes weekend curfew, planning to travel on this route tomorrow (22nd Jan). Bangalore - Jadcherla and then a right turn for another 150KM to Nalgonda. Are there any issues with entering AP and Telangana. We have vaccination certificates.

[germin]

I just traveled from Bangalore to Hyderabad on 17th January. There are no checks on this highway for either RT-PCR reports or vaccination reports other than the annoying speed checks once you enter Telangana.

[goandude]

Originally Posted by germin

I just traveled from Bangalore to Hyderabad on 17th January. There are no checks on this highway for either RT-PCR reports or vaccination reports other than the annoying speed checks once you enter Telangana.

What are these speed checks? Police radar guns? speed breakers? Or what?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by goandude

What are these speed checks? Police radar guns? speed breakers? Or what?

Typical "Interceptors" parked on empty stretches where even if you roll a marble, it will easily hit 80 kmph and get penalized for over speeding. Hyderabad highway has quite a few of them since many years now.



That's an image from Arun's post here.

This is the saddest thing on our highways. The cops not only park these interceptor vehicles dangerously blocking a lane but also stand in the middle of the road like they are welcoming you for garlanding.

[germin]

Originally Posted by goandude

What are these speed checks? Police radar guns? speed breakers? Or what?

On the Bangalore Hyderabad highway once you enter Telangana it's a bit different. I have never noticed the interceptor jeeps parked on the highway side, but I have noticed police standing with the speed guns on the median hidden behind the bushes. Also all the three tickets I have received I got to know via the e challan website.

The bigger irritant is that I have been fined randomly for driving at 90 on streches where the speed limit is marked as 100. I now stick to speeds between 80-85 once I cross Kurnool.

[goandude]

Planning a mid February drive to Hyderabad. As I understand from above posts:-

Road conditions are good for most of the route except speed breakers towards Hyderabad.

Approx 100 kms in KA and 150 in AP no problem with speed traps. Last 300 kms in TS, interceptors, cops hiding behind bushes and generally unscientific speed limits curtail your speed to 40/60/80 kmph.

Not many clean eateries on this route so carry your refreshments with you.

Total travel time approx 9 hours.

Hope I got all this right

[professor.march]

Originally Posted by goandude

Planning a mid February drive to Hyderabad. As I understand from above posts:-

Road conditions are good for most of the route except speed breakers towards Hyderabad.

Approx 100 kms in KA and 150 in AP no problem with speed traps. Last 300 kms in TS, interceptors, cops hiding behind bushes and generally unscientific speed limits curtail your speed to 40/60/80 kmph.

Not many clean eateries on this route so carry your refreshments with you.

Total travel time approx 9 hours.

Hope I got all this right

I have done the route, albeit discontinuously.

Starting from Bangalore, I was told to watch out for speed guns near the airport and nandi cross. Nandi Upahar is an excellent option for food.

Further on, road till Karnataka - AP border is quite decent. Do watch out for places where the traffic is bunching up, that is where the Karnataka police interceptor will be.

Once you cross the bagepalli toll, you enter AP. Not bad, but just a little bit worse road condition. Speed breakers at most major junctions.

Many many options for food on the bypass of Anantapur. Many locals come there, so the food is quite decent. There are a few options before you reach kurnool as well. Kurnool takes a while to get through because of the diversions for the under construction flyovers. There are a couple of flyovers under construction near gooty also.

I have not experienced speed guns in AP so far, bless my luck.

Once you cross over into TS, after the Krishna river bridge, roads noticeably get better. Rumble strips instead of speed breakers. Food Pyramid near kothakota is quite good with neat washrooms.

Further ahead, jadcherla has a couple of options too. Traffic starts increasing from shadnagar. And then you reach outer ring road, which you can take to reach your destination.

A suggested time would be to start from Bangalore around lunch time so that you'll cross AP in day time and you'll see the speed breakers, and then you enter ts at dusk when there are no speed guns.

I'd be happy to help out with any more clarifications.

[goandude]

Originally Posted by professor.march

I have done the route, albeit discontinuously.

I'd be happy to help out with any more clarifications.

Thanks for the very detailed instructions. Planning to leave by 6 am from Bangalore as I prefer to drive in daylight.
How much time do you think I should keep for the journey? Only wife and self so stops are few and far between.

[ph03n!x]

Originally Posted by goandude

Planning a mid February drive to Hyderabad. As I understand from above posts:-

Road conditions are good for most of the route except speed breakers towards Hyderabad.

Approx 100 kms in KA and 150 in AP no problem with speed traps. Last 300 kms in TS, interceptors, cops hiding behind bushes and generally unscientific speed limits curtail your speed to 40/60/80 kmph.

Not many clean eateries on this route so carry your refreshments with you.

Total travel time approx 9 hours.

Hope I got all this right

I have been doing this route almost every alternate month since Feb '21. Like most have said, watch out for speed breakers at most median breaks/ intersections - and there are roadsigns warning about them. There are a few places where the roadsign warns you of speed breakers, but you won't find one

I also saw an interceptor after Lepakshi (there is a pretty good straight), in the direction towards Bangalore, when I did this in November '21 - this is the only time I saw speed checks in the AP stretch.

After your cross the Kurnool Toll Plaza (comes after you cross the town), you'll cross Pullur cross roads and a RTA border check post - 8 out of 10 times will be my probability call that there will be a cop with speed gun hiding in the median within 10 KM of the RTA check post, in either direction.

There is one unmarked, kinda bad speedbreaker that most vehicles miss and end up landing hard before Kurnool - watch out for that, it's very easy to miss and will come up on you after a slight turn before a small bridge.

You can average 75 KMPH till Kurnool, thanks to toll plazas that are about 100 KM apart. But road construction and traffic picks up from when you near Kurnool, keeps getting heavier.

You'll also see a lot of impatient drivers as you near Hyderabad - be wary of one or two bullies carving out space from thin air with no thought to concepts like right of way, safe distance, etc. Defensive driving, especially here will help - more so because you'd have been driving in vast, straight, relatively traffic-free roads until then, and can be caught by surprise how soon you have to adjust your driving style. You'll also have to look out for road barricades from around Mahabubnagar/ Shadnagar. Better reach Hyderabad while it's still daylight...

ORR has automated speed guns and challaning system - all the digital signboards in ORR have this. And most of the times, you'll see cops at the entry and exit points of the ORR toll plaza checking if you have any pending challans, as well as do a breathalyzer on you.

You'll find a few eateries along the route, but nothing like what you'll see in, say, KA highways - I usually plan a breakfast in KA and a late lunch/ early dinner in Hyderabad - I carry a couple of bananas to soften hunger pangs. There is a place called Garlica in Anantapur that I have stopped a couple of times - had the biriyani, was fine. There is an Amazon Kitchen (nothing to do with Shri. Bezos!) before Kurnool that I stopped at once, same feedback. I have seen a Kritunga in Kurnool - haven't had to stop there yet

Fuel is pretty cheap in KA, you should tank up before you cross to AP in one of the Shells - the last one towards Hyderabad is in Devanahalli, and if you miss that, in Aroor, though in the direction towards Bangalore. I prefer Reliance pumps along highways, and if you didn't top up in KA, you'll have to wait till Anantapur for one.

Oh hey, you'll cross the Kia factory about 50km before Anantapur - can't miss it

This is one of the good roads - scenic at times with rivers, windmills, fields. And traffic is pretty sparse too - you'll enjoy it! You won't take more than 9 hours including 2 stopovers even if you drive nice and sedate.