Route info and Human companion needed from Bangalore to Gurgaon (with 3 dogs) :D

AlokSriva · 1st May 2009, 13:42

Friends,

I am planning to drive down from Bangalore to Gurgaon sometime late June or early July in my Fiesta.

To provide a background, I would be travelling because I need to transport my car and 3 pets to Gurgaon. I had initially planned to get the car shifted by a transporter and dogs along with me on flight. However, it seems with my Labrador, which is in excess of 50 kgs

, this would turn out to be an expensive affair since Jet is charging Rs. 299 per kg (why is everyone Bata inspired these days?) for transporting pets as check-in baggage. The other 2 - cocker spaniels weigh 18-20 kg each.. Now if I sum up the weights and also add to it the weight of cages in which they need to be transported, it comes close to a cool ton.

This would leave me poorer by 30 big ones - and I am yet to add the rental + incidental charges on hiring the cage (airline does not provide it) and my ticket. Considering all the airline charges, airfare, cage rental, formalities, etc. the total bill comes to approx 40k. Now add to it another 10k that I need to pay to transporter for my car, final bill is a whopping half-peti..

Keeping this in mind, I thought of killing 2 birds with one stone - why not drive all the way up to Gurgaon - and therefore, here I am seeking your advise on the following -

a) what would be the best route for this drive? I searched the forum and came across 2 prominent routes - via Mumbai or via Hyderabad/Nagpur. Folks have usually taken Mumbai route (close to 2500 kms drive) because they were planning to do some sightseeing as well. However, that is not the case with me. My intent is clear - point to point drive. Can't afford to be on road for extended duration with 3 devils of mine.. Besides, with them in tow, I got to be lucky if I would be able to get a place to stay for my overnight halts

However, there seems to be another category of folks who went via Hyderabad/Nagpur but took a diversion somewhere in order to avoid the bad stretches on MP roads where construction work was on. It seems the total drive on this route would be about 2100 kms.

and

b) Check if someone on the forum would be interested in accompanying me on this drive.

I would really appreciate if I could get some insight on both of these please

blacmagic · 1st May 2009, 14:19

Alok, if you are passing through Hyderabad, Id love to join you from here.

CrackedHead · 1st May 2009, 14:23

The other option is to use the services of Indian Railways - its possible to travel with your pets in the first class coupes.

Take a look at http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/dep...gage-Rules.pdf

Rail travel with pets has been discussed extensively on team-bhp but I couldn't find that thread. Its a lot easier on the pets - do explore it before you decide to drive down.

phamilyman · 1st May 2009, 14:31

Mumbai route anyday. PM no1lives4ever. he just drove down.

Nagpur - never.

AlokSriva · 1st May 2009, 15:57

@Venkat - sure mate, if I plan to drive via HYD, will surely get in touch with you.

@CH - Thanks for the info mate. Seems to be a good option specially on Rajdhanis where the total travel time is under 35 hours. Will explore this further.
However, it would be of great help to talk to someone on the forum who has tried this option to nail down the finer aspects and typical do's and dont's; where to take pets to freshen up since the train's toilet is ruled out. (Maybe keep lots of mops handy)

@Phamilyman - thanks for the heads up buddy. Any specific reason to avoid Nagpur? If I plan to drive via HYD, what other option do I have so as to avoid Nagpur?

Drivealot · 4th May 2009, 09:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlokSriva

Friends,

I am planning to drive down from Bangalore to Gurgaon sometime late June or early July in my Fiesta.

...
...
...

I would really appreciate if I could get some insight on both of these please

Hi Alok, Avoid going thro Nagpur-Madya Pradesh (lakhnadon) to Delhi. The MP roads after Nagpur is terrible. Take the Mumbai -Gujrat- rajasthan route. Very Good roads throughout.
Rgds
narayan

hvkumar · 4th May 2009, 10:02

In case you are keen on going via Hyderabad, alternative would be to go off NH7 at Nagpur and go to Bhopal via Betul and connect to NH3 at Biaora after Bhopal. That route is a good route.

However, I also prefer the Bombay route. You could easily drive to Pune/Bombay on day 1, then Udaipur/Bhilwara on Day 2, and Day 3 you will be in Gurgaon.

AlokSriva · 4th May 2009, 11:59

@Drivealot and hvkumar -
Thanks for the tips and I am kind of getting tempted to take Mumbai route. The only fact dissuading me though is the extra drive of close to 450 kms over HYD/Nagpur route.

In case road is good if I go via Nagpur-Baitul-Bhopal, I would prefer saving extra drive that in turn would save me an extra night's stopover which probably could be a pain with 3 companions that would be there in car.

Spitfire · 4th May 2009, 12:10

It would be tough on the pets. Try railways.

ritayan · 4th May 2009, 12:35

My two bit on traveling with pets, I traveled with my fox terrier with my parents in 2007. You need to book first class the full coupe, either a 2 berth or 4 berth. The staff is very accommodating generally and we had the train waited at the station while my dog relived himself. Also they provided food as per our need for the dog. A permission is also needed from the railways in advance.

shankar.balan · 4th May 2009, 13:08

Friend: A sincere piece of advice. I also have several pets and have travelled up and down with them on various occasions.
Taking the dogs by car is alright for shorter journeys - 300-400 km max (with frequent stops for nature's call etc). Beyond that it is not such a great idea unless you have competent help with you and can break journey at a place which allows pets. Dogs need to stop every now and then and walk about and relieve themselves etc. Plus their grub - you could of course carry a supply of bread and milk packets you can get anywhere. It should I guess take you about 3 days to traverse the distance you are talking about. One thing is that since dogs dont generally take to being strapped in etc, you really wont be able to clip at high speeds. Not worth it. Would be nice to have a larger vehicle too, because with the rear seats down, and three dogs sitting there, there wont be much space for luggage and/ or a passenger.

My suggestion is to take them by Train. All you need to do is to book the First Class AC Coupe and firmly settle into it with the pets. They will be comfortable and so will you. Plus a train journey is always more enjoyable from their point of view - lots of interesting scents!

Dogs of any age are allowed to travel by train - all you need is to buy them their Tickets. Travelling to Gurgaon in Summer I suggest First AC - no point going by normal First Class because it will be miserably hot. Second AC doesnt have close-able doors.
I used to spread newspaper on the floor to avoid accidents and some sheets on the berth for them to lie down and sleep etc. Food, water etc are absolutely no problem on the train because you simply carry whatever you want with you and they will be happy eating from their familiar bowls and most important, will be reassured by your presence with them.
You will have to watch out for the occasional blundering idiot passenger who may not share your love for animals though!

Plane is a bad idea because apart from the expense, it is horrible, the way the poor dogs are kept caged for the duration - they are bewildered and confused because all the familiar people are not nearby and they have to be checked in a few hours before the flight and then endure quite a lot of hardship - no water, no food for the duration and so on. The only saving grace is that this is for only a few hours.

AlokSriva · 4th May 2009, 13:58

Thanks folks, makes sense. Let me explore this option of travelling by train with pets.

Shankar, would it be possible for you to share your experience/process of making travel arrangements for pets? Does one need to visit station in person to get the bookings done? If not, how do I communicate to the railway reservation authority to specifically reserve an AC-1 coupe (of 2 berths) as I would be travelling with pets?

Any pointers would be highly appreciated.

Rehaan · 4th May 2009, 20:36

Two related threads :

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifti...ches-home.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...og-lovers.html

cya
R

hvkumar · 4th May 2009, 20:39

Andy Dog Lover drove 4 days from Pune to Kalimpong and 3 days back to Pune to take his beloved dog up and down earlier this year. maybe, you should take some cues from him on how he did it in his Wagon R.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-2700-kms.html

andy_dog_lover · 5th May 2009, 23:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Andy Dog Lover drove 4 days from Pune to Kalimpong and 3 days back to Pune to take his beloved dog up and down earlier this year. maybe, you should take some cues from him on how he did it in his Wagon R.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-2700-kms.html

Thanks HVK!

Alok - I too have a Labrador that weighs 50 Kg and it was a great experience driving with him for 4 days. But in my case I had my wife alongwith me and as someone indicated earlier, it helps a lot when you have someone accompanying you. But with 3 dogs, I think that's ruled out. So I would also suggest that you try on train first as you have a direct Rajdhani going from B'lore to Delhi. If it doesn't work out, then driving also is not a bad option.

If at all you finally decide on driving, I would be glad to give you some tips and dos/dont's. Do feel free to PM me.

All the best!

1st May 2009, 13:42	#1
AlokSriva BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Fremont Posts: 486 Thanked: 72 Times	Route info and Human companion needed from Bangalore to Gurgaon (with 3 dogs) :D Friends, I am planning to drive down from Bangalore to Gurgaon sometime late June or early July in my Fiesta. To provide a background, I would be travelling because I need to transport my car and 3 pets to Gurgaon. I had initially planned to get the car shifted by a transporter and dogs along with me on flight. However, it seems with my Labrador, which is in excess of 50 kgs, this would turn out to be an expensive affair since Jet is charging Rs. 299 per kg (why is everyone Bata inspired these days?) for transporting pets as check-in baggage. The other 2 - cocker spaniels weigh 18-20 kg each.. Now if I sum up the weights and also add to it the weight of cages in which they need to be transported, it comes close to a cool ton. This would leave me poorer by 30 big ones - and I am yet to add the rental + incidental charges on hiring the cage (airline does not provide it) and my ticket. Considering all the airline charges, airfare, cage rental, formalities, etc. the total bill comes to approx 40k. Now add to it another 10k that I need to pay to transporter for my car, final bill is a whopping half-peti.. Keeping this in mind, I thought of killing 2 birds with one stone - why not drive all the way up to Gurgaon - and therefore, here I am seeking your advise on the following - a) what would be the best route for this drive? I searched the forum and came across 2 prominent routes - via Mumbai or via Hyderabad/Nagpur. Folks have usually taken Mumbai route (close to 2500 kms drive) because they were planning to do some sightseeing as well. However, that is not the case with me. My intent is clear - point to point drive. Can't afford to be on road for extended duration with 3 devils of mine.. Besides, with them in tow, I got to be lucky if I would be able to get a place to stay for my overnight halts However, there seems to be another category of folks who went via Hyderabad/Nagpur but took a diversion somewhere in order to avoid the bad stretches on MP roads where construction work was on. It seems the total drive on this route would be about 2100 kms. and b) Check if someone on the forum would be interested in accompanying me on this drive. I would really appreciate if I could get some insight on both of these please
	() Thanks

1st May 2009, 14:19	#2
blacmagic BANNED Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 221 Thanked: 12 Times	Alok, if you are passing through Hyderabad, Id love to join you from here.
	() Thanks

1st May 2009, 14:23	#3
CrackedHead BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Seattle Posts: 585 Thanked: 81 Times	The other option is to use the services of Indian Railways - its possible to travel with your pets in the first class coupes. Take a look at http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/dep...gage-Rules.pdf Rail travel with pets has been discussed extensively on team-bhp but I couldn't find that thread. Its a lot easier on the pets - do explore it before you decide to drive down.
	() Thanks

1st May 2009, 14:31	#4
phamilyman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 5,968 Thanked: 4,641 Times	Mumbai route anyday. PM no1lives4ever. he just drove down. Nagpur - never.
	() Thanks

1st May 2009, 15:57	#5
AlokSriva BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Fremont Posts: 486 Thanked: 72 Times	@Venkat - sure mate, if I plan to drive via HYD, will surely get in touch with you. @CH - Thanks for the info mate. Seems to be a good option specially on Rajdhanis where the total travel time is under 35 hours. Will explore this further. However, it would be of great help to talk to someone on the forum who has tried this option to nail down the finer aspects and typical do's and dont's; where to take pets to freshen up since the train's toilet is ruled out. (Maybe keep lots of mops handy) @Phamilyman - thanks for the heads up buddy. Any specific reason to avoid Nagpur? If I plan to drive via HYD, what other option do I have so as to avoid Nagpur?
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 10:02	#7
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,454 Times	In case you are keen on going via Hyderabad, alternative would be to go off NH7 at Nagpur and go to Bhopal via Betul and connect to NH3 at Biaora after Bhopal. That route is a good route. However, I also prefer the Bombay route. You could easily drive to Pune/Bombay on day 1, then Udaipur/Bhilwara on Day 2, and Day 3 you will be in Gurgaon.
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 11:59	#8
AlokSriva BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Fremont Posts: 486 Thanked: 72 Times	@Drivealot and hvkumar - Thanks for the tips and I am kind of getting tempted to take Mumbai route. The only fact dissuading me though is the extra drive of close to 450 kms over HYD/Nagpur route. In case road is good if I go via Nagpur-Baitul-Bhopal, I would prefer saving extra drive that in turn would save me an extra night's stopover which probably could be a pain with 3 companions that would be there in car.
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 12:10	#9
Spitfire BANNED Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Panaji - Goa/Bangalore - Karnataka Posts: 3,312 Thanked: 774 Times	It would be tough on the pets. Try railways.
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 12:35	#10
ritayan BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Back in Delhi Posts: 228 Thanked: 46 Times View My Garage	traveling with pets. My two bit on traveling with pets, I traveled with my fox terrier with my parents in 2007. You need to book first class the full coupe, either a 2 berth or 4 berth. The staff is very accommodating generally and we had the train waited at the station while my dog relived himself. Also they provided food as per our need for the dog. A permission is also needed from the railways in advance.
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 13:08	#11
shankar.balan BANNED Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,368 Thanked: 23,140 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/2 (8)	Friend: A sincere piece of advice. I also have several pets and have travelled up and down with them on various occasions. Taking the dogs by car is alright for shorter journeys - 300-400 km max (with frequent stops for nature's call etc). Beyond that it is not such a great idea unless you have competent help with you and can break journey at a place which allows pets. Dogs need to stop every now and then and walk about and relieve themselves etc. Plus their grub - you could of course carry a supply of bread and milk packets you can get anywhere. It should I guess take you about 3 days to traverse the distance you are talking about. One thing is that since dogs dont generally take to being strapped in etc, you really wont be able to clip at high speeds. Not worth it. Would be nice to have a larger vehicle too, because with the rear seats down, and three dogs sitting there, there wont be much space for luggage and/ or a passenger. My suggestion is to take them by Train. All you need to do is to book the First Class AC Coupe and firmly settle into it with the pets. They will be comfortable and so will you. Plus a train journey is always more enjoyable from their point of view - lots of interesting scents! Dogs of any age are allowed to travel by train - all you need is to buy them their Tickets. Travelling to Gurgaon in Summer I suggest First AC - no point going by normal First Class because it will be miserably hot. Second AC doesnt have close-able doors. I used to spread newspaper on the floor to avoid accidents and some sheets on the berth for them to lie down and sleep etc. Food, water etc are absolutely no problem on the train because you simply carry whatever you want with you and they will be happy eating from their familiar bowls and most important, will be reassured by your presence with them. You will have to watch out for the occasional blundering idiot passenger who may not share your love for animals though! Plane is a bad idea because apart from the expense, it is horrible, the way the poor dogs are kept caged for the duration - they are bewildered and confused because all the familiar people are not nearby and they have to be checked in a few hours before the flight and then endure quite a lot of hardship - no water, no food for the duration and so on. The only saving grace is that this is for only a few hours.
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 13:58	#12
AlokSriva BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Fremont Posts: 486 Thanked: 72 Times	Thanks folks, makes sense. Let me explore this option of travelling by train with pets. Shankar, would it be possible for you to share your experience/process of making travel arrangements for pets? Does one need to visit station in person to get the bookings done? If not, how do I communicate to the railway reservation authority to specifically reserve an AC-1 coupe (of 2 berths) as I would be travelling with pets? Any pointers would be highly appreciated.
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 20:36	#13
Rehaan Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 24,037 Thanked: 34,067 Times	Two related threads : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifti...ches-home.html http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...og-lovers.html cya R
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 20:39	#14
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,454 Times	Andy Dog Lover drove 4 days from Pune to Kalimpong and 3 days back to Pune to take his beloved dog up and down earlier this year. maybe, you should take some cues from him on how he did it in his Wagon R. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-2700-kms.html
	() Thanks