Mumbai - Mahabaleshwar : Route Queries

vivaid · 11th June 2005, 10:00

Hey PPl,

am planning a trip to mahabaleshwar during one of these weekends... I understnd that there are 2 options on the route:
1) via NH17
2) via expressway..

Have just begin my RnD n both these roads... am sure you guys must have done the route quite a few times...

suggestions wanted on :

which route...
route pecularities if any
time taken on either of these routes

also.. since i am a little short on time.. would prefer a route wherein I can do some decent speeds ands save on the transit time...

cheers...

viper · 11th June 2005, 10:17

Hey Buddy,

Mahabaleshwar via the expressway is the fastest and most peaceful route. It i shassle free and you can touch Panchgani in approx 4 1/2 hours of driving at approx 100km/hr. Also the ghat is very small and not twisty which is a boon for people who get car sick.

Leave at 6.00 is the best time so you can avoid bombay traffic.

Viper

vivaid · 11th June 2005, 10:48

viper. can you elaborate on the route a lil..

srasania · 11th June 2005, 11:30

Yeah buddy..viper is right..go in for Mahableshwar via Expressway..specially since you wanna burn some rubber..
I went with my family recently to Mahableshwar..while going,the driver took the Normal National Highway route..and while coming back to Bbay,we took via expressway..and man..it's so much better,faster,non-tiring.
Infact,they recently have made a nice by pass from Pune to Panchgani.. which is 2 lane each side..very very nicely built and maintained.
And yeah,even I'll suggest start as early as possible..around 5-5:30am would be idea time to start your engine and be off for the trip.
You'l enjoy the drive throughout to Mahableshwar.
Hope you have a great time,and enjoy your trip to that beautiful hill station.
Suraj

GTO · 11th June 2005, 11:41

Just go via the expressway. Its 2 lanes in either direction with a divider in between for 90% of the route. Its an awesome drive.

A word of caution though : There is a small 20 - 30 km one way stretch an hour before the wai ghat. Its very tempting to speed and corner hard on this stretch, but the rural folk dont seem to understand the concept of a one way road. Watch out for oncoming traffic!

GTO

speedsatya · 11th June 2005, 13:59

go via the expressway .take a left for wai near satara.awesome roads.narrow roads but almost zero traffic.

while returning take the nh17.as the ghat from mahableshwar is downhill u can have fun .after that talke aleft for panvel when u meet the nh17.whichis also great with all those corners.

til satara its one way traffic except on katraj ghat.fo ractual fun ,tak ethe nh17.

RJK · 11th June 2005, 14:55

I'd gone to mahabaleshwar about 2months back via NH17. The road is good & some sections of ghats are really good & some are pathetic. Reached in 4.5hrs. While coming back took the expressway. If you want to reach fast, take the expressway & if you want to enjoy driving, take the NH17.

ITS_NOMAD · 11th June 2005, 15:06

hey the best way to go is from the Expressway as i have used tht road a lot of times and its less tiring.

moralfibre · 11th June 2005, 17:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedsatya

go via the expressway .take a left for wai near satara.awesome roads.narrow roads but almost zero traffic.

while returning take the nh17.as the ghat from mahableshwar is downhill u can have fun .after that talke aleft for panvel when u meet the nh17.whichis also great with all those corners.

til satara its one way traffic except on katraj ghat.fo ractual fun ,tak ethe nh17.

Hi Satya ... a small correction.. its a right turn to Wai while going from Satara...!

drifter · 12th June 2005, 01:19

I personally prefer the nh17 route...took me 3hours from mahabaleshwar to panvel at night.
But expressway is safer...less tiring.

Drifter

V-16 · 12th June 2005, 02:24

hey bud follow the majority, go via the expressway safe and sound and youll be there by 4/12 hours.the expressway(bmb to poona) can be done within one hour (fifty one minutes my time avrgng 110-120 kmph). The rest is the time taken to get in and out of the city limits. The expressway is not tiresome as the mahad way, non twisty and its the best for people who get car sick. go non stop and take care. have fun as m'bleswar is a great place and a hot favourite of mine. where are you gonna stay there....? just folloe the signs and ull be there .enjoy.

Scuderia · 13th June 2005, 12:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJK

If you want to reach fast, take the expressway & if you want to enjoy driving, take the NH17.

I second that...

During monsoons, the NH17 .. esp the ghat section is too good... but it can get really difficult due to visibility issues.

speedsatya · 13th June 2005, 13:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Hi Satya ... a small correction.. its a right turn to Wai while going from Satara...!

but its a right turn when u go towards satara from mumbai.is for vivaid it will be a right turn.

humyum · 16th May 2006, 12:21

nh17 is for the enthusiast driver..the ghat section is too good to rip on.Had once made a trip from mahabaleshwar to ghatkopar in 3.20 min in my maruti 800 by nh17 road and i was 16 years old that time

jesal · 16th May 2006, 21:52

just came from touch and back drive from there. take the expressway its damn nice 5 hours flat we were there. was planning to touch goa and come back but got too tired, so headed back from there

11th June 2005, 10:00	#1
vivaid BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 71 Thanked: 3 Times	Mumbai - Mahabaleshwar : Route Queries Hey PPl, am planning a trip to mahabaleshwar during one of these weekends... I understnd that there are 2 options on the route: 1) via NH17 2) via expressway.. Have just begin my RnD n both these roads... am sure you guys must have done the route quite a few times... suggestions wanted on : which route... route pecularities if any time taken on either of these routes also.. since i am a little short on time.. would prefer a route wherein I can do some decent speeds ands save on the transit time... cheers...
	() Thanks

11th June 2005, 10:17	#2
viper BANNED Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,773 Thanked: 19 Times	Hey Buddy, Mahabaleshwar via the expressway is the fastest and most peaceful route. It i shassle free and you can touch Panchgani in approx 4 1/2 hours of driving at approx 100km/hr. Also the ghat is very small and not twisty which is a boon for people who get car sick. Leave at 6.00 is the best time so you can avoid bombay traffic. Viper
	() Thanks

11th June 2005, 10:48	#3
vivaid BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 71 Thanked: 3 Times	viper. can you elaborate on the route a lil..
	() Thanks

11th June 2005, 11:30	#4
srasania BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Orlando, FL, USA Posts: 321 Thanked: 8 Times View My Garage	Yeah buddy..viper is right..go in for Mahableshwar via Expressway..specially since you wanna burn some rubber.. I went with my family recently to Mahableshwar..while going,the driver took the Normal National Highway route..and while coming back to Bbay,we took via expressway..and man..it's so much better,faster,non-tiring. Infact,they recently have made a nice by pass from Pune to Panchgani.. which is 2 lane each side..very very nicely built and maintained. And yeah,even I'll suggest start as early as possible..around 5-5:30am would be idea time to start your engine and be off for the trip. You'l enjoy the drive throughout to Mahableshwar. Hope you have a great time,and enjoy your trip to that beautiful hill station. Suraj
	() Thanks

11th June 2005, 11:41	#5
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,534 Thanked: 300,737 Times View My Garage	Just go via the expressway. Its 2 lanes in either direction with a divider in between for 90% of the route. Its an awesome drive. A word of caution though : There is a small 20 - 30 km one way stretch an hour before the wai ghat. Its very tempting to speed and corner hard on this stretch, but the rural folk dont seem to understand the concept of a one way road. Watch out for oncoming traffic! GTO
	() Thanks

11th June 2005, 13:59	#6
speedsatya Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: bangalore/manga Posts: 3,169 Thanked: 738 Times View My Garage	go via the expressway .take a left for wai near satara.awesome roads.narrow roads but almost zero traffic. while returning take the nh17.as the ghat from mahableshwar is downhill u can have fun .after that talke aleft for panvel when u meet the nh17.whichis also great with all those corners. til satara its one way traffic except on katraj ghat.fo ractual fun ,tak ethe nh17.
	() Thanks

11th June 2005, 14:55	#7
RJK Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,140 Thanked: 701 Times	I'd gone to mahabaleshwar about 2months back via NH17. The road is good & some sections of ghats are really good & some are pathetic. Reached in 4.5hrs. While coming back took the expressway. If you want to reach fast, take the expressway & if you want to enjoy driving, take the NH17.
	() Thanks

11th June 2005, 15:06	#8
ITS_NOMAD BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: MUMBAI Posts: 65 Thanked: 0 Times	hey the best way to go is from the Expressway as i have used tht road a lot of times and its less tiring.
	() Thanks

12th June 2005, 01:19	#10
drifter Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,488 Thanked: 75 Times View My Garage	I personally prefer the nh17 route...took me 3hours from mahabaleshwar to panvel at night. But expressway is safer...less tiring. Drifter
	() Thanks

12th June 2005, 02:24	#11
V-16 Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: mumbai Posts: 4,594 Thanked: 950 Times View My Garage	hey bud follow the majority, go via the expressway safe and sound and youll be there by 4/12 hours.the expressway(bmb to poona) can be done within one hour (fifty one minutes my time avrgng 110-120 kmph). The rest is the time taken to get in and out of the city limits. The expressway is not tiresome as the mahad way, non twisty and its the best for people who get car sick. go non stop and take care. have fun as m'bleswar is a great place and a hot favourite of mine. where are you gonna stay there....? just folloe the signs and ull be there .enjoy. Last edited by Revvmaster : 13th June 2005 at 11:19.
	() Thanks

16th May 2006, 12:21	#14
humyum Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 2,752 Thanked: 5,428 Times	nh17 is for the enthusiast driver..the ghat section is too good to rip on.Had once made a trip from mahabaleshwar to ghatkopar in 3.20 min in my maruti 800 by nh17 road and i was 16 years old that time
	() Thanks

16th May 2006, 21:52	#15
jesal BANNED Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 2,323 Thanked: 13 Times View My Garage	just came from touch and back drive from there. take the expressway its damn nice 5 hours flat we were there. was planning to touch goa and come back but got too tired, so headed back from there
	() Thanks