[rahul_sinha]

Did Pune-NH9-Solapur-Hyd on 24th and returned on 27th by Hyd-Solapur-Indapur-Baramati-Patas-NH9-Pune. Both ways I started at 6AM and reached the destination by 6pm including breaks with sedate driving.
In my opinion, NH9 should be declassified. It is probably the worst national highway I have ever driven on - bad quality roads, zillions of diversions, horrible traffic and appalling traffic sense. Had to chug off "D" mode of my vehicle and did a manual driving else would have had reached the destination(s) next day.
Indapur-Baramati-Patas is great to good. The tarmac quality is far better than that of NH9. And the scenic beauty around Baramati is mesmerizing. I am thinking of doing a Baramati trip soon-ish - maybe for some agri-tourism.
Eating options are very very limited in both routes so plan well, even getting your lunch packed if you find a good restaurant is recommended.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by rahul_sinha

Indapur-Baramati-Patas is great to good. The tarmac quality is far better than that of NH9. And the scenic beauty around Baramati is mesmerizing. I am thinking of doing a Baramati trip soon-ish - maybe for some agri-tourism.
Eating options are very very limited in both routes so plan well, even getting your lunch packed if you find a good restaurant is recommended.

Generally the route should be indapur-12mati-morgaon-saswad-pune.
I am surprised that you took baramati-patas-pune route , even we also do not take this route.

12mati is scenic, particulary 12mati-nira road,
and yeah, it is famous for agri tourism.

[PGNarain]

Originally Posted by rahul_sinha

Did Pune-NH9-Solapur-Hyd on 24th and returned on 27th by Hyd-Solapur-Indapur-Baramati-Patas-NH9-Pune. Both ways I started at 6AM and reached the destination by 6pm including breaks with sedate driving.

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

Generally the route should be indapur-12mati-morgaon-saswad-pune.

Me along with my wife are doing a west coast to east coast and back in the 1st/2nd week of January and our car is the Fiat Linea TJet.

We will be leaving on the 7th Jan /Saturday from Mumbai and plan spend the night at Solapur on Saturday and thereon proceed to Vijayawada the next day bypassing Hyderabad on the ORR.

Much like everyone else, I too am concerned and looking for advice on what would be the best option to travel between Pune to Solapur.

There is NOT going to be any early morning start, as we have a half day in office, so will attend office in the morning, leave Mumbai (Fort, South Mumbai) by 1230, Pune 1600 and hopefully Solapur just after dark around 2000.

Ashish Bahu you are the authority on this route, so will most probably be taking your advice, and Rahul, please do chip in as per your recent experience travelling on NH9, it will be amazingly usefull.

[rahul_sinha]

Originally Posted by PGNarain

Me along with my wife are doing a west coast to east coast and back in the 1st/2nd week of January and our car is the Fiat Linea TJet.

We will be leaving on the 7th Jan /Saturday from Mumbai and plan spend the night at Solapur on Saturday and thereon proceed to Vijayawada the next day bypassing Hyderabad on the ORR.

Much like everyone else, I too am concerned and looking for advice on what would be the best option to travel between Pune to Solapur.

There is NOT going to be any early morning start, as we have a half day in office, so will attend office in the morning, leave Mumbai (Fort, South Mumbai) by 1230, Pune 1600 and hopefully Solapur just after dark around 2000.

Ashish Bahu you are the authority on this route, so will most probably be taking your advice, and Rahul, please do chip in as per your recent experience travelling on NH9, it will be amazingly usefull.

PGNarain, your timing is a bit tricky, as you will hit Pune Sat evening traffic at Hadapsar, if you intend to go via NH9. It will get dark around 6:30pm, so night driving via Pune-Saswad-Baramati-Indapur-Solapur is not advisable. I would suggest, if possible, plan an early morning start from Mumbai, say around 9am or so, reach Pune by 1230 and continue on NH4 till Khed-Shivapur and then turn left towards Saswad-Baramati-Indapur-Solapur. Else it is better to stick to NH9 but drive very cautiously. This is not the right highway to do a sedate night driving.

I started at 6am from Pune, was on NH9 throughout and reached Solapur by 1230 Road condition, traffic were horrible peppered with too many diversions. Whole NH9 is single carriage full of truck traffic with lane changing without any signal being the order of the day, so drive cautiously. Solapur-Hyd is still a single carriage but tarmac quality is good, though very few fueling options for either you or for your car, so tank up in Solapur itself.

I had gone to Warangal from Hyd and had planned to go to Vizag via Khammam-RJM from Warangal, but had to cancel this trip at the last moment. But I had heard that Hyd-Vijayawada route was being worked upon so again road condition and diversions might play spoilsport. Not sure about its current status though.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by PGNarain

We will be leaving on the 7th Jan /Saturday from Mumbai and plan spend the night at Solapur on Saturday

Originally Posted by rahul_sinha

PGNarain, your timing is a bit tricky, as you will hit Pune Sat evening traffic at Hadapsar, if you intend to go via NH9. It will get dark around 6:30pm, so night driving via Pune-Saswad-Baramati-Indapur-Solapur is not advisable. I would suggest, if possible, plan an early morning start from Mumbai, say around 9am or so, reach Pune by 1230 and continue on NH4 till Khed-Shivapur and then turn left towards Saswad-Baramati-Indapur-Solapur. Else it is better to stick to NH9 but drive very cautiously. This is not the right highway to do a sedate night driving.

+1 to rahul.

I suggest, start by 12 noon from mumbai, reach pune outskirt by 3pm,
take nh4 till kapurhol, left turn toward saswad, then right turn toward jejuri, then left turn toward 12mati, you will be at 12mati at @6pm max, continue toward indapur and then to solapur by nh9.
i hope, by 9:30pm , you will be at solapur.

My observation, on any saturday, there is less traffic on NH9 from pune to solapur to hyd.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by PGNarain

Me along with my wife are doing a west coast to east coast and back in the 1st/2nd week of January and our car is the Fiat Linea TJet.

We will be leaving on the 7th Jan /Saturday from Mumbai and plan spend the night at Solapur on Saturday and thereon proceed to Vijayawada the next day bypassing Hyderabad on the ORR.

Much like everyone else, I too am concerned and looking for advice on what would be the best option to travel between Pune to Solapur.

There is NOT going to be any early morning start, as we have a half day in office, so will attend office in the morning, leave Mumbai (Fort, South Mumbai) by 1230, Pune 1600 and hopefully Solapur just after dark around 2000.

Ashish Bahu you are the authority on this route, so will most probably be taking your advice, and Rahul, please do chip in as per your recent experience travelling on NH9, it will be amazingly usefull.

Pune-Solapur in 4 hours that too post 4pm is just not going to be possible.Budget for atleast 6-7hours IMO.

Take the Mumbai-Pune Bypass-NH4-Katraj Tunnel-Kapurhole-Left turn towards Narayanpur from NH4-Saswad-Jejuri-Morgaon-Baramati-Indapur-NH9-Mohol-Solapur.

At Solapur the stay options are limited and even the reccomended ones are definitely not reccomended.Lotus Hotel,Solapur is a new addition and is slightly better off as opposed to the others.There is a Fern hotel opening up in Solapur,until that is ready,people would have to do with these available and sad options.Welcome to Lotus Hotel, Solapur

Solapur-Hyd ORR budget for a 5hour drive.Road is broken at parts but nothing alarming.

The ORR is a breeze and the problem on NH9 begins from Choutuppal where the 4 laning ends at the Hyd side.From thereon its a constant battle all the way till Nandigama from where the 4 laning again starts all the way to VJA.There is an excellent world class food court at Suryapet and a must stop.Choutuppal to VJA is another 6hour drive for the 250kms.

www.foodseven.com

[suniladhiya]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

Generally the route should be indapur-12mati-morgaon-saswad-pune.
I am surprised that you took baramati-patas-pune route , even we also do not take this route.

12mati is scenic, particulary 12mati-nira road,
and yeah, it is famous for agri tourism.

@ Ashish: Can you please advise how to get on the Baramati-Nira Road from Pune side, and also as regards the agri tourism activities on this stretch. Is it possible to do a morning-evening drive from Pune to this area and enjoy any of the agri resorts ?

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by suniladhiya

@ Ashish: Can you please advise how to get on the Baramati-Nira Road from Pune side, and also as regards the agri tourism activities on this stretch. Is it possible to do a morning-evening drive from Pune to this area and enjoy any of the agri resorts ?

Please ref my travelstory '' http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...o-tourism.html.

For this agri tourism, you need to come to 12mati by pune-saswad-jejuri-morgaon-12mati.
Then from 12mati, take nira road, travel just 4km toward nira, then travel 2km off nira road and you are there.

[PGNarain]

Originally Posted by rahul_sinha

PGNarain, your timing is a bit tricky, as you will hit Pune Sat evening traffic at Hadapsar, if you intend to go via NH9. It will get dark around 6:30pm, so night driving via Pune-Saswad-Baramati-Indapur-Solapur is not advisable. I would suggest, if possible, plan an early morning start from Mumbai, say around 9am or so, reach Pune by 1230 and continue on NH4 till Khed-Shivapur and then turn left towards Saswad-Baramati-Indapur-Solapur. Else it is better to stick to NH9 but drive very cautiously. This is not the right highway to do a sedate night driving.

I started at 6am from Pune, was on NH9 throughout and reached Solapur by 1230

Thanks Rahul, I think the consensus here is to drive all the way to Kapurhol on the NH4 then divert to Saswad - Baramati and then onto Solapur via Indapur. So will be sticking to that as of now!!

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

start by 12 noon from mumbai, reach pune outskirt by 3pm,
you will be at 12mati at @6pm max, continue toward indapur and then to solapur by nh9.
i hope, by 9:30pm , you will be at solapur.

My observation, on any saturday, there is less traffic on NH9 from pune to solapur to hyd.

Thanks Ashish Bahu, as I said earlier, I will probably end up taking your advice eventually on this route. Just one additional question as raised by Rahul in the previous post. Is there any REAL problem, security or otherwise, in taking the Baramati route after nightfall?? It is amply clear that I will be arriving in Soalpur well after dark. If so, do you think it is better that I stick to NH9 throughout and just rough it out till Solapur??

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Pune-Solapur in 4 hours that too post 4pm is just not going to be possible.Budget for atleast 6-7hours IMO.

Thanks Ranjit, I think it is finally coming to taking the Baramati Route and am prepared to tackle 6-7hrs driving Pune onwards.

Have already made reservations with inputs from Trip Advisor and staying at the City Park Hotel, near Siddehshwar Lake/Temple at Solapur.

The route post Solapur is more or less sorted out. Have been keenly following all the threads on theses routes and yes, we have already decided to stop over at 7 Refresh for Lunch on the way to Vijayawada. Vijayawada to Vizag is going to be NH5 all the way.

[rahul_sinha]

Originally Posted by PGNarain

Is there any REAL problem, security or otherwise, in taking the Baramati route after nightfall?? It is amply clear that I will be arriving in Soalpur well after dark. If so, do you think it is better that I stick to NH9 throughout and just rough it out till Solapur??

Security is not an issue here, but the curves are , I mean the road bends, and the interior roads are not lit, and people might be driving Boleros in ultra-high-beam, posing problems for you. Nothing else. Though AP Bhau will be the final authority on this one.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by PGNarain

Thanks Ranjit, I think it is finally coming to taking the Baramati Route and am prepared to tackle 6-7hrs driving Pune onwards.

Have already made reservations with inputs from Trip Advisor and staying at the City Park Hotel, near Siddehshwar Lake/Temple at Solapur.

The route post Solapur is more or less sorted out. Have been keenly following all the threads on theses routes and yes, we have already decided to stop over at 7 Refresh for Lunch on the way to Vijayawada. Vijayawada to Vizag is going to be NH5 all the way.

Since you have your reservations nothing much to do.City Park was excellent when it was new,but as usual,lack of proper management has rendered it useles.This was my review of the place some 2 years back An Excellent Hotel in Solapur:An Equivalent of a 3* in a city - City Park Hotel, Solapur Traveller Reviews - TripAdvisor

Have a safe drive.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by PGNarain

Is there any REAL problem, security or otherwise, in taking the Baramati route after nightfall??

Originally Posted by rahul_sinha

Security is not an issue here, but the curves are , I mean the road bends, and the interior roads are not lit, and people might be driving Boleros in ultra-high-beam, posing problems for you. Nothing else.

Hahaha,
12mati is rich area, sabh log khate-pite ghar ke hai, no issue of security.
Now a days, 12mati-indapur road is full of sugarcane cart traffic.
Those carts and trailers have not reflectors, may surprise you suddenly during night drive,
and thats the cause of those high beams as quoted by rahul.
I suggest you to drive with high beam once you cross 12mati for indapur.

Note that 12mati has some good restaurants.

[PGNarain]

Originally Posted by rahul_sinha

Security is not an issue here, but the curves are , I mean the road bends, and the interior roads are not lit, and people might be driving Boleros in ultra-high-beam, posing problems for you. Nothing else. Though AP Bhau will be the final authority on this one.

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

sabh log khate-pite ghar ke hai, no issue of security.
Now a days, 12mati-indapur road is full of sugarcane cart traffic.
Those carts and trailers have not reflectors, may surprise you suddenly during night drive,
and thats the cause of those high beams as quoted by rahul.
I suggest you to drive with high beam once you cross 12mati for indapur.

Thanks for clearing the air on this one guys, it is a big relief since I am travelling with my wife. I don't mind driving at night, though I would always prefer driving during daytime keeping in mind highway manners in our country!!

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Since you have your reservations nothing much to do.City Park was excellent when it was new,but as usual,lack of proper management has rendered it useles.This was my review of the place some 2 years back ..
Have a safe drive.

I have reservations at a couple of places at Solapur, one at City Park and another at Surya International, both are booked but haven't paid any money. The only reason I choose to stay with City Park is because of the location near the Siddheshwar Temple.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by PGNarain

The only reason I choose to stay with City Park is because of the location near the Siddheshwar Temple.

If you get time, do visit the siddheshwar temple.
Must visit to PULGAM factory showroom for solapuri chaddar, towels and hosiery stuff.
As solapur is base for manufacturing those famous chaddars and towels, you will get the things much cheaper here compared to mumbai-pune-hyd.

[suniladhiya]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

Please ref my travelstory '' http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...o-tourism.html.

For this agri tourism, you need to come to 12mati by pune-saswad-jejuri-morgaon-12mati.
Then from 12mati, take nira road, travel just 4km toward nira, then travel 2km off nira road and you are there.

@ Ashish: Amazing pics in your travelogue. As I have never been to Baramati before, can you please inform the exact distance following the route you have mentioed above and whether it can be done as a day trip, to enjoy the agri tourism. Also, where is the exact turn-off on NH4 to go towards Saswad ?