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-   -   Chennai to Jabalpur in July (after monsoon) - advice required (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/82057-chennai-jabalpur-july-after-monsoon-advice-required.html)

Hi, I am planning to drive from Chennai to Jabalpur in July As I would be there for a year. Worry is that the monsoon would just be over and roads could be bad. Looking at taking Chennai - Hyderabad - Nagpur - Jabalpur. I currently own a Indica Vista Quadrajet LE (done about 2000 kms). I have only driven the Chennai - Bangalore - Chennai route before this a couple of times. Anyadvice that would help me to:
1. decide if I should do this trip at all or simply take a train / flight and get the car transported separately.
2. decide the best time to start, estimated duration, where to stopover etc.

Koushik

Its doable by road.

1st night at Hyderabad.Chennai-Hyd would take you around 10-12hours.
2nd day go with an open mind,in case you get late or fatigue sets in stay the night at Nagpur or else you could drive on till Jabalpur.
As for monsoon,I guess a clearer picture would set in once the rains actually start,but these roads generally do not take that bad a beating in the rains.
Best times to start would be very early,around 3am if not possible then definitely by 4am.

Agree entirely with Ranjith.

NH7 normally maintains its shape during teh monsoons. I would be worried only about the nasty widening stretches in the AP-MH border, and maybe some bad patches between Kampty and Seoni (forest region).

You should take 6-8 hours from H'Bad to Nagpur and 6 hours from there to Jabalpur.

Road safety not an issue.

Thanks guys. I am hoping to do it in 2 days.. let me see. at least the info that the roads hold on to the monsoon is heartening. thanks for the inputs.

Koushik

Hi Koushik,

I agree with Ranjit & HVK.

Plan 1)
You should plan to start from Chennai @ 4 AM, so that you are in Hyd by 2 PM.
This means you can take good rest and start early next morning.
If you start by 4 AM from Hyd, you will reach Nagpur by 11.
Crossing Nagpur on your route to Jblpur is not at all an issue. Its a straight road with good flyovers built to cross the city. (It should not take more than 45 min) to cross the city for you.
You can plan to have your lunch at Nagpur, since you will get some good places to eat on way. (Lot of Dhabas / Restaurents)
If you continue after lunch, it will take 5-6 hours to reach Jblpur. Road conditions from Nagpur to Jablpur are generally good. That means you are at your destination by 6 or 7 PM.

Plan 2) :
Leave Chennai @ 4 AM, cross Hyd by 3.30 PM (including time to cross the city). Have lunch on the way. Proceed towards Nagpur. Stay somewhere around Mancherial. (Though am not sure about the good accomodation around these places).

And then, next day - as per plan 1. This plan would work if you want to reach Jablpur by afternoon.

Otherwise, stick to plan 1.

I did Blr-Jabalpur in Dec last year (in my ohc vtec, which is already lowered than stock! lol!). For me the route was simple Blr-hyd-nagpur-jbp.

Apart from the ultra crappy roads near the AP-MH border ( to be precise, cr@p starts after around 100-150km from hyd), the roads are good and the drive is very much dooable.

I did it in 2 days, first day blr-hyd and the second day non stop from hyd - jbp.