[black_panther]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

NH11 between Agra and Jaipur is a decent highway, but please avoid it after dark. You should take 4 hours for this stretch. You need not enter Jaipur city, you can directly reach NH8 after Jaipur towards Kishangarh/Udaipur.

Agra-Jaipur is pretty fast as well and is picturesque too. It took 2.5 hours in September.

But you don't need to take this longer route, as Kanpur-Jhansi stretch is manageable (Though my dad says we have driven 200 kms on the fields ).

You can take breaks at Jhansi, Kota and after Chittor bypass.
I was travelling with my parents,wife and 3 month old kid.

Don't worry too much because of desolate roads. Though truck traffic was minimal, there were several local cars running on this stretch. All the toll booths are operational , you can contact the NHAI in case of an emergency.

[gvasant]

Thanks all of you. I shall make a stopover at Udaipur for the night. Could you guide about the conditions of the Bangalore-Nagpur-Sagar-Jhansi highway?? Though it is a part of the NS corridor, is it a good drive?? I HAVE to go via Nagpur as I have a day's work there.

[hvkumar]

Nagpur-Sagar-Jhansi continues to be bad and avoidable. From Nagpur, it is better to go to Allahabad on NH7 and go to Lucknow instead of breaking your undercarriage on the Sagar route.

[gvasant]

Oh, I thought that Nagpur to Jhansi must be good as it is a part of the NS corridor
So you advise the Jabalpur-Maihar-Allahabad route??. Approx. what time will it take to reach Allabahad from Nagpur. Allahabad is close to Lucknow (about 200km.), and the road is pretty good

[hvkumar]

Nagpur to Jhansi road is under construction for a very very long time, but it has only become more and more messier.

No idea about journey time to Allahabad, but road is generally good and you can keep normal speeds.

Allahabad to Lucknow should take you 3-4 hours.

[gvasant]

Is it possible to make it to Hyderabad from Mangalore in a day's drive. Which route would be the best??

[hvkumar]

NH7-NH63-NH17 is the direct option, except that it is bad between Gooty and Bellary most of the time/ You can avoid that by coming via Raichur to Bellary.

The route would be:
Hyderabad-Take NH7-Kurnool-Gooty-Turn off NH7 onto NH63-Guntakal-Bellary-Hospet-Gadag-Hubli-Yellapura-Ankola-Join NH17-Kumta-Honavar-Bhatkal-Kundapura-Udupi-Mangalore.

Distance Profile is:
Hyderabad-Gooty 300 kms-Hubli 300 kms-Kumta 40 kms-Mangalore 200 kms
Totals 840 kms

I think doing that distance in these kinds of roads is not possible even with an early morning start and no or limited breaks. You can try. If you want to take breaks, then Hubli and Kumta are appropriate stopovers.

Expect heavy iron ore truck traffic from Bellary to Ankola. Several bad road patches on NH17 in several places, but quite driveable, although avoid them after dark.

Other routes:
Hyderabad-Kurnool-Gooty-Penukonda-go off NH17-Challakere-Chitradurga-take NH13-Chennagiri-Shimoga-Tirthahalli-Karkala-Mangalore

Distance Profile is as follows:
Hyderabad-Penukonda 440 kms-Chitradurga 160 kms-Mangalore 300 kms
Totals 900 kms

Till Penukonda road is fast, but the small district road between Penukonda and Chitradurga is unpredictible. Expect hilly roads after Shimoga.
You can ideally stop over at Chitradurga or Shimoga.

Other Choices:
Hyderabad-Bangalore-Mangalore, 950 kms

[LongDrive lover]

HVK sir, how is the road from Hyderabad to Bangalore?. How much distance and how much of that is 4 laned? Intend to drive to Lucknow - Hyderabad - Bangalore in coming summer.

[hvkumar]

Distance from Hyderabad to Bangalore is 580 kms. Have no update on the current state of widening, but road conditions are good, and the drive should take you 8-9 hours.

[Akadian]

Right out of Hyderabad, the NH-7 is in excellent shape. I drove down from Hyderabad to Jadcherla in the night on this route recently and the road easily allowed for 100+ kmph consistently. As far as I remember, it was mostly 4-lane till there. After that, I can't comment but whatever I saw was not bad at all

[LongDrive lover]

Thanks, HVK sir and Akadian.
Sorry, Gunjan for using the thread

[gvasant]

Dear LongDrive Lover
No problems for using the thread. By the way, can I ask you where you are in Lucknow?? It's hard to find people of common tastes

One question for Guru HVK,
Sir, pl don't get offended, you know the best, but is the Nagpur-Jhansi route just not worth taking?? How much time would it take from, Nagpur to Jhansi??I had planned a visit to Etawah on my way back.

Also, I need to install new tyres in my Qualis. Which would be the best, i mean, Tubeless or Tyre-tube ones. I currently have Bridgestone non-tubeless tyres.

[hvkumar]

Nagpur-Jhansi is exactly 600 kms via Seoni, Laknadon on NH7, and from there on NH26 via Narasingpur, Sagar, Lalitpur to Jhansi. The bad road sections are in NH26 which has historically been bad, and has become worse due to the widening of the roads (because it is part of the North South Corridor of NHAI). You will take a full day to travel the distance and more if you are unlucky. I have taken 13 hours to drive this sector. Although I have not driven this route for several years, frequent reports from those who have reconfirm how bad the road conditions are.

Tubeless tyres anyday!

[LongDrive lover]

Hi Gunjan,

I am on Raebareli road side (towards SGPGI). What about you? When is your travel to Mumbai scheduled? I am eagerly looking for your experiences about the route taken, road conditions, timings, etc. Though a bit longer, but I still feel GQ route via Jaipur, Udaipur would prove better. Though still a distant dream, I plan to take that route to Bangalore via Mumbai, Pune. And then Hyderabad - Nagpur- Allahabad - Lucknow route during return journey. I mean going by one of them, and coming by the other one. Still the plan not worked out as it'll be in June 2010.

Cheers.....

[LongDrive lover]

Gunjan, no updates on your planned journey? is it on?