[subbu567]

Hello All
Interim update.Drove to Greater Noida from Bangalore via Hyderabad ( break ,unscheduled),Nagpur, Sagar (Halt Deepali residency ) Jhansi, Gwalior ,Agra YEW Delhi.

[subbu567]

Hi all

Here is the interim update-As planned ,based on your wonderful inputs,reached Gr Noida at 7 pm on 9th.

Here is the route ,time taken and condition(More details later)

1.Bangalore Hyderabad-Excellent,a total of 579 kms-8 hours leaving Bangalore at 1 pm. Halted at Hyderabad ,though not originally planned due to some urgent work

2.Left Hyderabad on 8th Morning at 530 am-Via Nagpur to Sagar -Reached Sagar Deepali residency at 730 pm -after about 2 hours of break in between.The road condition is excellent till Adilabad and but for about 4 stretches of single lane traffic totaling roughly 50-60 kms the road is just fantastic.Even the dreaded Hinganghat stretch is well paved now ,though a bit bumpy there are no pot holes .The drive through pench was tiring with almost 90 odd kms of heavy truck traffic and single lane till you reach NH 26 ,which is pure bliss!The drive time is 12 hours for about 900 kms.

3.Sagar to Gr Noida-Left at 8 am after B/F and reached G Noida at 7 pm a covering a distance of 640 kms-The drive was fantastic till Jhansi and terrible till Gwalior Bye pass-It is single for about 120 odd kms and many diversions and pot holes .The Agra road is better but only marginally.Still going through many towns and taking a hell of lot of time cross those towns.And driving through Agra is ...less said the better.Just dont get scared of Buffaloes jetting their noses inside your car !..But yes if you survive till YEW and then 2 hours of pure bliss...With all amenities like food ,conveniences ,gas stations etc.But be wary of some guys driving at 150/180 kmph though the speed limit is surprisingly 100.So a 9.5 hr driving time for 640 kms.
But be warned public conveniences are almost NIL once you leave Hyderabad till you reach YEW -Some BPCL pump attendants may be considerate to offer a clean toilet for use,like the one 10 kms before MH border after Adilabad.But otherwise a huge let down.MP is the most beautiful state of the ones we crossed.

Enjoy and safe driving.
Subbu

[adi_gt]

Hello Subbu, your post has come at the right time. I have been contemplating a Blr- Agra drive for a long time. Being a local I can second your inputs regarding the agra traffic.

[subbu567]

14 days, 10 states, 4 major rivers and 5000 kms of pure bliss !!!!
Bangalore to Delhi and further to Jim Corbett and Back
Day 1:6th Nov
The original plan was to drive to Nagpur from Bangalore on 8th-But had to leave on 6th to Hyderabad and stay until 8th and continue onwards, that turned out to be a good thing in a way So this is predominantly a ‘from Hyderabad’ travelogue.

6th November left home at Hennur road @ 12 noon drove to Puttaparthy, picked up our in law’s and drove to Hyderabad-Reached @ 830 pm after a leisurely drive.

Pit stops: A1 plaza @ Gooti on the right side and further after crossing Kurnool a Ghar dhaba on the left.Pl note both have decent toilets and of course some hot tea and snacks The road is in general good and the Kurnool Jadcherla is possibly the best with all fluorescent signs guiding you through out,as we were driving this stretch after 530 pm. Please note through out this trip-It was generally dark by 545 pm. So please be prepared for that incase of driving in the winter
Day 2 : 8th Nov
Left Hyderabad @ 530 am.


The plan was to reach Sagar(Deepali Residency) by 7 pm or so.The road condition was a lil average at Hyderabad outskirts but gradually improved to become excellent in about 10-15 kms. And was a bliss all the way till Adilabad,After adilabad there is a 25 km long stretch that’s is a single carriage way. But the surface is still good. Now the Hinganghat section starts! But it is just a single road and not pot hold ridden,except for a kilometre or so around the railway crossing. Over all manageable without sweat with around 40 kms as single road in this stretch







Reached the Buti Borri junction –at 12 noon covering a distance of 480 kms and landed in Royal Regency for Lunch.This is a very convenient place to stop as it is just on the high way and further down in about 5 kms or so towards Nagpur you have to take the right towards Pench by-passing Nagpur From there we left after a sumptuous lunch at 115 and took the turn for Pench-Google maps helps you exactly and in about 35-40 kms you enter Pench reserve forest.The drive through Pench was not all that great,with single roads for almost for about 80 kms and heavy truck traffic slowing you down considerably. So entered the 4 laned road at around 530 by which time it was already dark and had to drive until 730 pm to reach Deepali Residency at Sagar. NH-26 that you reach after negotiating Pench is fantastic all the way till Jhansi.

Pitstops:
The BPCL pumps after Adilabad about 5 kms before MH border. Primarily for fuel and a request use of a locked wash room,that the folks were kind enough to open for our family. And Royal regency Butiborri
So covered around 430 kms in about 6 ½ hours. Deepali is again very convenient just a detour of 3 kms from NH 26. It has great lawns and play areas and a fantastic room for about Rs.2200 a night.
In summary : Total time on the road 14 hrs
: Total drive time ~12.5 hrs; Distance covered 910 kms
Day 3 :
Checked out from Deepali at 8 am.Yeah Delhi is only 650 kms should be a piece of cake.Well it was not to be. As soon as we hit the NH 26 in about 5 mins. The milestone said: Jhansi 220 kms. Clean drive till Jhansi. By about 1100 we passed Jhansi.

Beautiful NH 26 between Jhansi and Sagar

And now with Cows!This has been already posted in this thread. Drive carefully ‘Respect Cows ‘

Numerous small and beautiful hills in between

Integrated border check post coming up

Once you bypass Jhansi, well problems start



Between Jhansi and Gwalior, the road was like this for about 100 odd kms.Heavy truck traffic and a lil stressful, In between there was some temple in the ghats and associated traffic hold up for a brief while.


Though scenic beauty like this helped us stay calm and focussed. In general this stretch was manageable if you are mentally prepared for a slow drive.But you need to cross a town called Dabra driving through which was like crossing KR Puram/Tin factory in Bangalore Then we reached the Gwalior by pass around 1:30 covering only 105 kms in three hours.We hence skipped any lunch like plans and lived on fruits and biscuits. Gwalior by pass was brilliant though and is about 25 kms in distance.The road you exit Gwalior By pass is a bit patchy for about 5-6 kms and then we hit a old type Highway that takes you to Agra via Dholpur in Rajasthan. This stretch has no by pass’s and you need to cross all small town en-route. So a typical 90 kmph drive with a coverage of around 70 kms. Then we entered Agra around 245 .We were welcomed by scenes like these !!





This one was rubbing its nose on the left door windshield!

We followed g Maps for reaching the so called YEW link road and in a couple of places it directed us through cantonment roads where we were not allowed to drive through. So while following g Maps be mindful of the same in Agra. We did not however face this anywhere else and it was bang on. So we crossed Agra and entered YEW by 415 pm. Think its due to safety reason for the concrete paved road. YEW has around 4 amenity stations enroute. Each having rest rooms,restaurants,Nitrogen filling(Recommended for Concrete roads-as it supposedly keeps the Tyre cooler, despite increased friction).



Finally smell of food on YEW and a well-deserved rest for my trustworthy friend.

Some snaps from YEW


Be wary of some driving at high speeds. I felt safe to drive on the middle two lanes mostly the 3rd lane from left. So exited into Greater Noida by 630 and reached Shivnadar University to pick up my daughter at 7.


The girls are happy!

This was on 9th November.We were booked in Radisson Blu Ghaziabad and the drive is typically 1 hour from the university via Noida expressway.Today was no exception except until Akshardham Setu,from where the hotel is about 5 kms.This 5 kms took 1:15 mins !Apparently all Delhiites visit their friends and relatives this day and presents gifts/sweets on Diwali eve.This was reported in all newspapers the next day too with traffic snarls across the city.

In summary :
Time on the road: 13.5 hrs
Drive time : 12 hrs
Distance covered 700 kms with last two kms taking up about 1 hour!
Pit stops: BPCL petrol pumps enroute.No lunch stop. So as you notice this is the slowest stretch despite 190 kms on the Yamuna Express Way. Hence if you plan a two day drive to Delhi from Bangalore, the second day assuming you start from Nagpur, will be a major stretch. May take around 16 hours of drive. Alternatively Cross Nagpur and Stay at the Hotel Karan @Chhindwara ,in which case you need to skip drive through Pench and drive through Nagpur and take NH 26B to Sagar.

Further details in the next reply

[subbu567]

14 days, 10 states, 4 major rivers and 5000 kms of pure bliss !!!!
Bangalore to Delhi and further to Jim Corbett and Back-Part 2

In Delhi
10th to 12th

Delhi was beautiful –We visited Akshardham Temple, Connaught Place and Nearby markets, Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon and a few other places in Ghaziabad.

The roof is artificial lighting-KOD


Artistes @ the entrance to the Auditorium –Zangoora Musical @ KOD.The Bollywood musical was brilliant
13th and 14th Nov
Jim Corbett National park @ Mapple resort
This was planned in September with two safari bookings @ Bijrani Zone.As many of you know This park has five zones-Dhikala,Bijrani,Durgadevi,Jirna and Sitabani buffer zone
Dhikala is considered the best for Game sighting but opens only on 15th Nov and we chose the next best Bijrani.One safari in AN and one early morning one
These days the authorities allow only 30 approved Jeeps with a guide per zone per time.Hence advance booking is necessary.
We left RB Ghaziabad on 13th morning at 6 am and hit the NH24 in no time.
This route is largely on well paved NH 24 for about 160 kms and then on a state high way for 80 kms.The road condition was excellent throughout.
There is a CCD/McD complex enroute @ 100th KM from Ghaziabad that we reached by 830 after a leisurely drive
And reached the resort by 1045 AM


NH24 from Ghaziabad at 7 am


Ganges River bridge enroute Jim Corbett


Pokemon !

Monsoon Rivers inside the park

Spot me !(inside the park)


We were not lucky with the big cat. Though we waited for about an hour in a spot where could hear repeated roars in the vicinity. But the park itself is so beautiful and both safari trips were fantastic, well worth the money.
Returned to base on the 14th AN around 2 pm leaving at 830 am (a mistake)
14th AN and 15th whole in general relaxed and did nothing except buying fruits and washing the car

The Return
16th Nov
Left Ghaziabad at 430 am and crossed Agra before 7 am via YEW.


People cheering Hot air balloons along the banks of River Yamuna @ Agra



Don’t miss this gas station somewhere near Sagar on NH26 a great pitstop

This time wanted to split the distance into equal halves and hence drove to a small town called Narsingpur via NH 26 and stayed in a basic hotel by name Atithi.This was just about OK for a night’s stay but I would recommend another 100kms drive to Chhindwara and stay at Hotel The Karan that had good reviews on Trip advisor and had signage’s all over the town.
This time did not encounter much traffic in the dreaded Gwalior to Jhansi section.
We were stopped by traffic cops just before Jhansi and checked all documents. And at the end complemented us for having all documents updated !!
Reached there by 530 after about 800 kms .Enroute we had packed lunch by a road side dhaba
Summary: Distance 810 kms ;On road time 13 hours-Driving time 12 hours
Pitstops: YEW Agra end ;@ Deepali Sagar for convenience and coffee.

17th November
From Narsingpur you can drive westwards towards Pench via laknadaon or take right and drive towards Chhindwara via NH 26 B.We decided to try the NH26 B as the earlier drive via Pench through NH 7 was not that great
Left Narsinghpur at 615 am (a mistake) and drove via NH 26 B via Chhindwara ,Savner to reach Nagpur by 10 am –a distance of 250 kms.
NH26 B is the best single carriageway I have driven so far.Amazingly well marked and with zero traffic through a series of small hills all of which were very pretty.
All towns small and big had by passes and well-marked with signage’s that were intuitive for a change
I strongly recommend this route over Pench route any day.The only disadvantage was to drive through Nagpur which surprising had very smooth traffic at 930 in the morning time. g Maps all the way and it did not let us down.
Drove further to Butiborri and stopped at Royal regency Buti borri for a brunch.These people here are amazing.They recognised us from the earlier trip and took special care .Had south Indian food and packed paratha’s for lunch all for 600 Rs.
Left from that place around 11 30 or so and hoped to reach Hyderabad by 5 just intime to beat rush hour
However we were stuck for 45 min in Hinganghat level crossing.That was opened after 30 mins with no train passing 
This resulted in we entering Hyderabad by 545 or so.From Medchal and then further from Kompally the legendary Hyderabad traffic hit us and we reached home by 715 pm.
Summary : Distance 750 kms ;Time on the road 13.5 hrs; Driving time 12 hours
Pitstops : Butiborri Royal regency ; Adilabad BPCL Petrol pump on the right side
In conclusion ,this was a fantastic family holiday a different one at that. My 2c is always start early 4 to 5 am is a great time to start as that helps beat the destination rush hour and makes the whole journey enjoyable. However if you are driving in December/January during peak winter your driving time may drastically reduce due to foggy conditions. So drive safe !
Ypu end up paying a toll of 1860 Rs including 360 rs for YEW alone

The home run :

19th November :Hyderabad to Bangalore

This stretch by now is like a neighbouring town drive and hence does not need major information.
However some photo’s enroute ,where we encountered the rain for the first time and in retrospect this time from 7th Nov to 20th Nov was a great time to have been out of Bangalore as I learnt 




So left Hyderabad at 430 am and reached home at 230 after a detour to Puttaparthy to drop my in law’s. A distance of 600 odd km’s




So here we are safe and sound!

This trip could just not have been possible without many Team Bhpians' inputs. So a big shout out to Team BHP and the community.

Subbu

[pramodpk]

Originally Posted by subbu567

14 days, 10 states, 4 major rivers and 5000 kms of pure bliss !!!!
Bangalore to Delhi and further to Jim Corbett and Back

Thanks for the detailed write up. Why don't you open a new thread?

[subbu567]

Originally Posted by pramodpk

Thanks for the detailed write up. Why don't you open a new thread?

Well I was not sure if that would be the right thing to do.Thanks for stopping by

[pramodpk]

Originally Posted by subbu567

Well I was not sure if that would be the right thing to do.Thanks for stopping by

The kind of details that you have put in surely deserve a new thread.

You can utilize the assembly line feature to create your thread.

[shreyasmrao]

After three and a half years of an eventful stay at Delhi, it is time to head back to Bangalore. Planning to start on 19th March and have about 6 days in hand.

The Rexton is going to be loaded again with the Thule. Dad flew in from Bangalore to join the trip and a friend who is a Col is also joining us, so will have access to Cantonments as well . Total occupants will be 4 adults and 2 kids.



Have shortlisted the Agra-Jhansi (first halt)-Khajuraho Temples-Pench Tiger Reserve(second halt) and no idea after that and will pass thru Nagpur route.

All input welcome including change of the entire route. I have no issues with extending by a day or doing a few hundred kilometres more.

[shreyasmrao]

Now the route via Udaipur-Ahmedabad-Mumbai becomes firmer. I don't mind small detours as I have 6 days and the intention is to see the places not just drive past. Intend to drive about 6 hours a day and halt and look around. Please help with your inputs

[ampere]

Originally Posted by shreyasmrao

Now the route via Udaipur-Ahmedabad-Mumbai becomes firmer. I don't mind small detours as I have 6 days and the intention is to see the places not just drive past. Intend to drive about 6 hours a day and halt and look around. Please help with your inputs

- Udaipur/Chittorh
- Ahmedabad
- Mahabaleshwar (Pune)
- Hampi (Hubli) (This will be hot in the current season)

[COUGAR]

Will be driving my Gypsy from Delhi to Bangalore starting Wednesday. Hope to reach by Saturday evening max.

Was supposed to drive down fortnight back but a combination of reported flooding enroute and busted shoulder forced me to leave Gypsy behind and take a flight out. Plus the wiper motor is busted and finding a replacement was proving hard!

Will be flying down on Monday morning, getting things fixed up and starting drive on Wed early morning.

2 routes in mind: the obvious one is NH8/NH4. Done this 3-4 times before. The other route is NH3/NH7 with halts in Sagar & Kurnool. Never done the section between Jhansi & Kurnool before.

Is this route 4 laned throughout?

What are the weather conditions to be expected on either route?

PS: driving solo.

[autorahul]

Originally Posted by COUGAR

Will be driving my Gypsy from Delhi to Bangalore starting Wednesday. Hope to reach by Saturday evening max.

Had read on Hyderabad-Delhi route thread that the road is in excellent condition barring the Gwalior Jhansi section. From Hyderabad to Bangalore its the usual fare of excellent roads. The weather would be a factor. All parts of India have receiving heavy downpour so might slow your progress.

Try to cross Agra early in the morning, else getting to the Gwalior highway is a pain.

Recommended route:
Delhi-Agra-Gwalio-Jhansi-Nagpur-Hyderabad-Bangalore

[ampere]

The other option many are using these days is the Central India option.

Chittorh-Ratlam-Lebad (Indore)-Mhow-Pune-Bangalore

[COUGAR]

Originally Posted by ampere

The other option many are using these days is the Central India option.



Chittorh-Ratlam-Lebad (Indore)-Mhow-Pune-Bangalore

Hmm! Is this 4-laned Chittor-Pune?