[krazydriver84]

Hey Guys,

I will be doing a trip to lucknow from Delhi on 8th May. There are 2 routes to it. one is through NH24 and the other through NH2 via kanpur.

Which do you think would be the best to take specially when am travelling in the night?

Something tells me that I should take the NH2 Via Kanpur. Would the veterans please advise me on this. Also if you guys could tell me how is the road condition, and speeds I can touch.

[hvkumar]

NH2 is a great way to go to Lucknow. Double road all the way. phamilyman has driven through in night and has reported no problems. At Kanpur, go off NH2 where the long bypass flyover starts. The Kanpur bypass is straightforward - does not go into city - and from there to Lucknow is another wonderful 4-lane road.

[hvkumar]

Distance chart:
Delhi-Badrapur, 0 kms
Faridabad, 5
Ballabhgarh, 12
Plawal, 22
Hodal, 34
Kosi Kalan, 14
Mathura Refinery, 60
Sikhandra, 32
Agra, 3
Firozabad, 47
Etawah, 74
Sikandra, 90
Akbarpur, 38
Kanpur, 30
Lucknow, 100

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by krazydriver84

There are 2 routes to it. one is through NH24 and the other through NH2 via kanpur.

Which do you think would be the best to take specially when am travelling in the night?

Don't try NH-24 at night. The road is being double-laned, there are frequent bad patches, and incomplete elevated sections through villages results in major traffic jams. NH-2 it is for you. Except for one patch after Agra where double-laning is incomplete (a stretch of about 2 km), the rest of the road is perfect. At the entry point to the Kanpur bypass corridor, the turn-off to the left for Lucknow is well marked. Kanpur-Lucknow is also a smooth dual-carriageway run. I've just covered the Delhi-Kanpur stretch at night last week. (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...26-nh-2-a.html)

EDIT: And there you are, with hvkumar's point-to-point distance chart, so you can't go wrong.

[sgiitk]

One point though. Via Kanpur (NH2) will be about 60km more.

[krazydriver84]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Distance chart:
Delhi-Badrapur, 0 kms
Faridabad, 5
Ballabhgarh, 12
Plawal, 22
Hodal, 34
Kosi Kalan, 14
Mathura Refinery, 60
Sikhandra, 32
Agra, 3
Firozabad, 47
Etawah, 74
Sikandra, 90
Akbarpur, 38
Kanpur, 30
Lucknow, 100

Thanks HvKumar, Needed it. This is gonna prove really helpful. In fact noting it down on my log sheet.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Don't try NH-24 at night. The road is being double-laned, there are frequent bad patches, and incomplete elevated sections through villages results in major traffic jams. NH-2 it is for you. Except for one patch after Agra where double-laning is incomplete (a stretch of about 2 km), the rest of the road is perfect. At the entry point to the Kanpur bypass corridor, the turn-off to the left for Lucknow is well marked. Kanpur-Lucknow is also a smooth dual-carriageway run. I've just covered the Delhi-Kanpur stretch at night last week. (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...26-nh-2-a.html)

EDIT: And there you are, with hvkumar's point-to-point distance chart, so you can't go wrong.

Had initially though of NH24, but then decided against it. Thanks for the warning. I am waiting to get onto the Kanpur Bypass, have read about it on phamilyman's and your travelogue. seems to be a bliss. am assuming I'd be hitting Kanpur Bypass around dawn. Any decent rest points you came across while you were on this stretch where we could pull for a pit & food stop in the middle of the night.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

One point though. Via Kanpur (NH2) will be about 60km more.

I know, 60 kms more, but it guarantees the safety.

[sparkguy]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

One point though. Via Kanpur (NH2) will be about 60km more.

And don't forget 2 new toll tax booth have come up which I noticed on my last trip of lucknow to noida. One is between lucknow and kanpur. There was opposition going on for that one. I don't have latest on that.
Mac-donald near mathura refinery is excellent eating joint. It opens from 7AM to 11 PM. You can ask of you have anyother doubts since I completed this trip last month only.

[krazydriver84]

Thanks Sparkguy, I know about the McD near the refinery but I don't think it will be open when I will be crossing it. As per my calculations, I think I will be crossing it sometime post 12, since My ETD from Delhi is 11

Am guessing I will have to cross 5 toll booths in all.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by sparkguy

And don't forget 2 new toll tax booth have come up which I noticed on my last trip of lucknow to noida. One is between lucknow and kanpur. There was opposition going on for that one. I don't have latest on that.
Mac-donald near mathura refinery is excellent eating joint. It opens from 7AM to 11 PM. You can ask of you have anyother doubts since I completed this trip last month only.

On NH2 Haryana Tourism also has an excellent restaurant at Dabchik.

Locknow - Kanpur toll is still there. Rs.35 one way, 50 return. It is still manual, so when there is a rush they just let the lot through. I am going to Lucknow tomorrow, and will report if I see a change. A year or so earlier NH24 was said to be very good. I do not know the latest, but when 4-laning is going on the highway becomes a nightmare.

[sparkguy]

Originally Posted by krazydriver84

Thanks Sparkguy, I know about the McD near the refinery ...

dear krazydriver84 at what speed you will be driving. For me it takes atleast 2 hours from mathura to noida on my humble spark
One more thing route after etawah is not considered to be safe for night driving. Although the road is excellent can't say the same thing about other factors.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by krazydriver84

Any decent rest points you came across while you were on this stretch where we could pull for a pit & food stop in the middle of the night.

Decent dhabas are available just before you enter Sikandra. Lots of trucks frequent these, so the food should be good. Also a couple of dhabas just after you cross Firozabad town, which seem to be good. I'd stopped at one sometime ago for tea, and all seemed well.

Mind the speed bumps at at least 5 intersections when going through Firozabad - some of them are nasty.

EDIT: Etawah-Kanpur stretch was a little notorious in terms of safety some 10 - 15 years ago. With the new expressway opened up, no issues have come to my notice in the recent past. I've travelled that route after midnight multiple times without facing/hearing about any problems.

[krazydriver84]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Decent dhabas are available just before you enter Sikandra. Lots of trucks frequent these, so the food should be good. Also a couple of dhabas just after you cross Firozabad town, which seem to be good. I'd stopped at one sometime ago for tea, and all seemed well.

Mind the speed bumps at at least 5 intersections when going through Firozabad - some of them are nasty.

Thanks for the warning...

Wonder how much I will be able to see them in the night. But yeah now that you have told me I will keep a lookout for them.

Anyways Cya. am off to do the final checks on the car and then get some shut eye before the drive.

[SS-Traveller]

Good luck and happy driving!

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

On NH2 Haryana Tourism also has an excellent restaurant at Dabchik.

Locknow - Kanpur toll is still there. Rs.35 one way, 50 return. It is still manual, so when there is a rush they just let the lot through. I am going to Lucknow tomorrow, and will report if I see a change. A year or so earlier NH24 was said to be very good. I do not know the latest, but when 4-laning is going on the highway becomes a nightmare.

Cost me Rs 35 toll between Lucknow and Kanpur (at Nawabganj) when I drove through last week. Lovely road, excepet for heavy traffic and some bad sections in Unnao.

[Shankyz]

I will be driving from Delhi to Lucknow tomorrow early morning/tonight, with the new taj expressway now open, should be the preferred way and faster too? Request assistance with route planning urgently.