[ampere]

Originally Posted by Trojan

2. Segment B ->Ranthambore - Agra 300KMs
22nd Oct Morning - leave for Agra post breakfast and stay the night. Though our prime objective is only and only the Taj Mahal, I am wondering if there is anything else that we should visit while there.
Considering the distance is only 300km, how are the road conditions

3. Segment C -> Agra - Panna Tiger Reserve 480KMs
23rd Oct - Drive to Panna
Stay at Panna - 23rd and 24th Oct
Which is the best route that one should take - planning to take the Agra-Gwalior-Jhansi-Chhatarpur route.

Based on the above you want to drive 300km to Agra and leave the next day. I dont think there is much to see in such a short span of time.

What all is on the table?
- Agra fort is vast.
- Taj Mahal needs at least 2 hours to laze around (unless you just want to visit and leave).
- There is Sikandra (Akbar's Tomb)
- The marble temple at Dayalbagh
- And less than 50km is Fatehpur Sikri

Agra has much more to offer than Taj Mahal as we all know. Please do re-look at the plan for Agra.

On: Ranthambore-Agra

The shorter option: Ranthambor-Gangapurcity-Hindaun City-Fatehpur Sikri is a full 2-lane.

Another option: You drive on 2-lane till you reach Dausa which gets you to the Agra-Jaipur 4-lane road. ( Dausa-Bharatpur-Fatehpur Sikri-Agra)
One more idea: You can visit Fatehpur Sikri on the way. (I would suggest this option. 15-20km of extra detour as I see in Google)


Another point to note: Agra city has grown big time and traffic is usually very bad. GT road running through Sikandra-Bhagwan theater-Waterworks-Rambagh is all but line of trucks.

1. Segment A ->Pune - Ranthambore 1089KMs
Planning to leave at 5am from Pune, and plan to reach Ranthambore by late evening (10/11pm).
I am aware of road conditions until Indore, is it as good post that as well?

- I think Pune-Indore is well known. I hope you are aware that to get to the Ratlam 4-lane you only have to go till Pithampur and not all the way to Indore. And there on you can head to Lebad. (Route Link)
- Come down till Chittorh on the 4-lane and then take the Bundi Road (E-W Corridor). Go all the way till Kota.
- At Kota, the E-W corridor continues over Chambal (a newly constructed bridge over the bypass which was just dedicated to nation). You dont take that. But continue to Ranthambore.

Hope that helps.

[nanu28]

Hi
We would like to do a Rajasthan road trip this winter.
The following is the itinerary that we have thought of:

• Day 1 Bhopal Udaipur 530Kms 10Hrs
• Day 3 Udaipur Jodhpur 321Kms 5Hrs
• Day 5 Jodhpur Jaisalmer 290Kms 5hrs
• Day 8 Jaisalmer Bikaner 330Kms 5.5Hrs
• Day 10 Bikaner Jaipur 330Kms 5.5Hrs
• Day 11 Jaipur Ranthambore 160Kms 3.5Hrs
• Day 13/14 Ranthambore Bhopal 500kms 10Hrs

We have driven to Jaipur from Bhopal on several occasions and also back from Ranthambore. But have never driven to Udaipur and onwards. The route we have thought is attached.

We would like to be on nicer, safer roads than the shortest, anyone who has traversed these roads recently can you please update us on whether the route chosen is okay or if there are better routes possible?

Also we have kept 2 nights for ever place, only an overnight stay in Jaipur as we have been to Jaipur plenty of times and would like to avoid it this time. 3 nights in Jaisalmer as we need to get permits etc.

Thanks a lot for all the help.

[mayankk]

Does anyone have any idea about the condition of the road from Gurgaon to Mandawa?

[Trojan]

Originally Posted by ObsessedByFIAT

4. If you are planning to stay over and are a food buff, then visiting the old city can be considered. One can enjoy the hot milk in 'Kullad' (small earthen pot), Allu tikki chat, variety of parathas etc.

a word of caution - There are a lot of tongas and electric vehicles available near Taj Mahal - Bargain!
Remember the gate where you park your car.
few handicraft shops near Taj Mahal.
nice artifacts on sale - overpriced by a huge margin - same artifacts in old city - half the price.

Thanks OBF! Those are some wonderful tips, we have booked a hotel which is bang opposite the East Gate (Shilpagram), I believe it is around a 1km walk from there. Will keep in mind about the bargaining.
'Kullad wali milk' sounds super interesting, will definitely try.

Originally Posted by ampere

Agra has much more to offer than Taj Mahal as we all know. Please do re-look at the plan for Agra.

On: Ranthambore-Agra

shorter option: Ranthambor-Gangapurcity-Hindaun City-Fatehpur Sikri is a full 2-lane.
One more idea: You can visit Fatehpur Sikri on the way.

- Pune-Indore - Come down till Chittorh- take the Bundi Road (E-W Corridor) - Kota
- At Kota, the E-W corridor continues over Chambal (a newly constructed bridge over the bypass which was just dedicated to nation). You dont take that. But continue to Ranthambore.

Thanks a ton Ampere!
We pondered about the stay a bit, we did feel that it was too short a time-frame so we have added another day in Agra, we will check out from Ranthambore on Sunday morning, most likely reach by early evening and checkout from Agra on Tuesday morning.

So depending upon what time we reach in the evening, we will chalk out the plans but will surely explore Agra much more than originally planned.
Don't intend to drive around much in the city but use local transport - do they ply cycle-rickshaws- will be a great experience for the kids.

Ranthambore - Agra is now clear, will take either the shorter option or visit Fatehpur Sikri on the way.

On the Pune - Ranthambore route

I see there is another possible route, instead of turning off at Manpur or Bhicholi, how about turning off at Dehariya/Gujri which goes through Dhar and then eventually connects to the Mhow-Neemuch Rd. Any idea about this route, else will stick to your suggestion, considering the arrival in Ranthambore, don't want to take unnecessary chances.

Thanks again!!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Trojan

On the Pune - Ranthambore route
I see there is another possible route, instead of turning off at Manpur or Bhicholi, how about turning off at Dehariya/Gujri which goes through Dhar and then eventually connects to the Mhow-Neemuch Rd. Any idea about this route, else will stick to your suggestion, considering the arrival in Ranthambore, don't want to take unnecessary chances.

I really dont know on that part. Mostly people go till Pithampur as it was a 4-lane. Might be worth a try. Do check with others too.

[S_U_N]

Originally Posted by Trojan

Hello Everyone!

We are planning the below itinerary during the Diwali break. Though our itinerary pans between MP and Rajasthan, didn't know where to post, but since this is our first trip to Rajasthan, thought of posting our query and trip details here.

1. Segment A ->Pune - Ranthambore 1089KMs
Planning to leave at 5am from Pune, and plan to reach Ranthambore by late evening (10/11pm).
I am aware of road conditions until Indore, is it as good post that as well?

Arrive at Ranthambore on 19th Oct (late evening)
Stay at Ranthambore from 20th to 22nd Oct, any other points of interest in the vicinity.
..

We are planning a visit to Ranthambore as well from Pune, post Diwali.
However I am not as ambitious as you to drive 1000+ KM in one day.
Plus I see no point in reaching so late in the night. I am targetting to reach around noon (or maybe afternoon, in worst case, so that I can have two safaris the next day, if not one on the previous day itself).

Google maps suggests to through this route:
Pune -- Dhule -- Ghatabillod -- Ratlam -- Mandsaur -- Kota -- Sawai Madhopur.

I am quite familar with the Ahmedabad route and have driven till Abu, but this route is completely different.

While it is shorter (and perhaps that is why Google suggests it?), I am not sure about the road conditions and also about stay options.

I would not want to drive more than 12-14 hours a day. So, perhaps 600-700 KMs max is what I can cover. Which places should I consider for staying?

[Trojan]

Originally Posted by S_U_N

However I am not as ambitious as you to drive 1000+ KM in one day.
Plus I see no point in reaching so late in the night. I am targeting to reach around noon (or maybe afternoon, in worst case, so that I can have two safaris the next day, if not one on the previous day itself).
I am not sure about the road conditions and also about stay options.

I would not want to drive more than 12-14 hours a day. So, perhaps 600-700 KMs max is what I can cover. Which places should I consider for staying?

Hello S U N!

I understand your views totally! These used to be my views before we first traveled Pune - Panna (Via Indore - Bhopal - Damoh)
The biggest pain is if you leave Pune during the day time (8am onwards), you will get traffic nearly until Narayangaon/Ale-Phata which slows you down a lot for the otherwise short distance. Once you have reached Nashik or if you plan to take the short-cut which Google suggests (after Sangamner - exiting to Chandwad. You will notice that the highway opens up totally and you make good time.
We have done Bhopal - Nashik - Pune leaving Bhopal city at 12pm with a long lunch halt at Indore and then 3-4 stops depending upon the kids and still reached Pune at 2am, though it was raining throughout and that too with night driving.
We will exit Pune at 5am or earlier, so that we don't lose time, once we hit the Indore highway, its a breeze. Beyond Indore, the road conditions as per reports seem to be really good.
We plan to reach late evening 19-Oct, we are staying Fri- Sat with 3 safaris already booked and then check-out on Sunday 22nd to leave for Agra. The reason being that after traveling for 5-6hrs, we won't really enjoy a safari for 3.5hrs plus traveling to the gate and other related stuff.

But then again, in case required we can always take a halt.

You can look at halting at any of the below cities, the highways all of them have by-passes, for a stay you need to approach any of these cities/towns and you actually lose time.
As you can see Ratlam is nearly as far as the furthest point (Chittorgarh) on the route to Sawai Madhopur in terms of distance. There might hotels on the highway as well, but I would prefer staying close to a city.
In case you plan to stay at Indore/Ujjain then you are already traveling in the wrong direction for quite some distance (165kms - the turn-off for Ghatabillod is at 535kms).

- Indore (700kms)
- Ujjain (868kms)
- Ratlam (810kms)
- Neemuch (900kms)
- Chittorgarh (865kms)

Cheers!
Trojan

[Makin Rulesz]

I drove from Pune to Chittorgarh on Friday and took mumbai-nashik-dhule-indore-ratlam route. Started at 5AM in the morning and reached Chittorgarh by 7PM with breaks for breakfast and lunch.
Road conditions are mostly good throughout, but frequent speed breakers are a big annoyance.

[Trojan]

Originally Posted by Makin Rulesz

I drove from Pune to Chittorgarh on Friday and took mumbai-nashik-dhule-indore-ratlam route. Started at 5AM in the morning and reached Chittorgarh by 7PM with breaks for breakfast and lunch.
Road conditions are mostly good throughout, but frequent speed breakers are a big annoyance.

That is awesome! This is what I am saying, you circumvented the Pune - Ale Phata traffic. I have something similar in mind and aim to reach Sawai Madhopur by 10-11, take good rest the next morning as our safari is in the afternoon.
Thanks a ton mate, this really boosts my plan.

Cheers!
Trojan

[ankan.m.blr]

Hi Guys, I am planning a 1 week holiday at Rajasthan on the last week of November. My plan is to fly to Jaipur from Bangalore and hire a zoom car for a week to roam around. My wife and my son (1.5 yrs) will be traveling with me. Here is my tentative plan :

Nov 25 (Saturday) : 1. Take the morning flight from Bangalore to reach Jaipur.
2. Visit Jaipur palace, Hawa Mahal etc and local shopping (is one afternoon enough?)

Nov 26 (Sunday) : 1. Start early morning from Jaipur and reach Bikaner at lunchtime.
2. Visit tourist spots at Bikaner in the afternoon

Nov 27 (Monday) : 1. Start early morning from Bikaner and reach Jaisalmer during lunchtime. Stay near the fort.
2. Visit sam dunes during sunset

Nov 28 (Tuesday) : 1. Start early morning from Jaisalmer and reach Jodhpur during lunchtime.
2. Visit Jodhpur tourist spots

Nov 29 (Wednesday) : 1. Start early from Jodhpur and reach Ajmer by lunchtime.
2. Visit Ajmer museum

Nov 30 (Thursday) : 1. Start early from Ajmer and reach Jaipur by lunch time.
2. Visit Bhangarh fort.

Dec 01 (Friday) : No plans yet (need suggestion)

Dec 02 (Saturday) : Fly back to Bangalore

Please advise whether above plans look suitable (esp. with a child accompanying). For accommodation, I'm planning booking hotels online through MMT (should be OK?). I have no idea about the road conditions in Rajasthan so please help in planning the routes too.

[nishantbhatia84]

Originally Posted by ankan.m.blr

Please advise whether above plans look suitable (esp. with a child accompanying). For accommodation, I'm planning booking hotels online through MMT (should be OK?). I have no idea about the road conditions in Rajasthan so please help in planning the routes too.

Hi,
Honestly, your plan is way too hectic if you ask me. You'll end up spending more time on the road than enjoying the locations / hotel. It'll get really tiring with all that driving.
My suggestion:
Day 1: Jaipur
Day 2&3: Jodhpur (Jaipur-Jodhpur is a 6hr drive so I guess you won't be able to do much on Day 2 hence better to spend Day 3 checking out Jodhpur)
Day 4&5: Jaisalmer (Again, Jodhpur-Jaisalmer is a 5.3hr drive - but an excellent road so driving would be a breeze. Spend the evening chilling at Jaisalmer or visit the fort. Day 6 you can visit Longewala / Tanot or Sam Sand dunes - or spend an extra day and do both.
Day 6: Jaisalmer to Jaipur - it's a 10hr drive so you'll be spending almost the entire day.

Bookings through MMT should be fine, it's better to contact the hotel directly and negotiate with them - you may end up getting a better deal.
Almost all roads connecting big cities in Rajasthan are excellent with plenty of petrol bunks and food options.

[R-Six]

Originally Posted by ankan.m.blr

Please advise whether above plans look suitable

Frankly, it looks like a too ambitious plan, especially with a 1.5 yr old kid. You are planning to be on the road for almost 5 - 6 hours every day and then utilize the rest of the day for site seeing. Even if you calculate an early start (6?) with the kid, you'd be hardly left with any time to explore and enjoy the place you are visiting.


Also, traffic in most of the highways in Rajastan is a pain. It would add to your stress levels when on the road.

On another note, if you are visiting Jodhpur, try to do the zip line tour across the Mehrangarh Fort. It is worth the time.

Drive Safe,
R-Six

[S_U_N]

Originally Posted by Trojan

Hello S U N!

You can look at halting at any of the below cities, the highways all of them have by-passes, for a stay you need to approach any of these cities/towns and you actually lose time.
As you can see Ratlam is nearly as far as the furthest point (Chittorgarh) on the route to Sawai Madhopur in terms of distance. There might hotels on the highway as well, but I would prefer staying close to a city.
In case you plan to stay at Indore/Ujjain then you are already traveling in the wrong direction for quite some distance (165kms - the turn-off for Ghatabillod is at 535kms).

- Indore (700kms)
- Ujjain (868kms)
- Ratlam (810kms)
- Neemuch (900kms)
- Chittorgarh (865kms)

Cheers!
Trojan

We actually have finalized this via the other route. Starting on this Friday:


- Pune - Gandhinagar
- Gandhinagar - Jaisalmer
- Jaisalmer local
- Jaisalmer - Ajmer
- Ajmer - Pushkar - Jaipur
- Jaipur local
- Jaipur -Ranthambore
- Ranthambore Udaipur
- Udaipur - Manor/ Palghar
- Palghar/Manor - Pune (back on 29th)

Hotels booked for all places except for Gandhinagar and Udaipur.
Safari booked online for the afternoon when we reach Ranthambore. Morning safari not booked. Approx. tariff is Rs. 1000 per person (via official website)

Suggestions welcome on what to see at Jaisalmer, Ajmer and Jaipur. We may not get any time at Udaipur but perhaps just need to find a place near the highway to stay for the night.

[rajarshi.sarker]

Originally Posted by ankan.m.blr

Nov 25 (Saturday) : 1. Take the morning flight from Bangalore to reach Jaipur.
2. Visit Jaipur palace, Hawa Mahal etc and local shopping (is one afternoon enough?)

:

ankan.m.blr, As per your itinerary, I can see that you are planning to visit 5 places in 7 days. On top of that, you are planning to drive around 1300 KMs with 1.5 year old child. If possible spend more time in Jaisalmer. Do let me know! I will certainly help you with the route planning and hotels. I just covered the 2500 KMs around Rajasthan couple of months back.

[Crowley]

Hello TBhpians,
I am planning a road trip to Rajasthan in december. I am thinking of hiring Zoomcar/Revv from Jaipur. Please go through my Itinerary which I have prepared by reading all past suggestions. Suggestions are welcomed.

Day 1 (22/12/2017 FRIDAY) Arrive at Jaipur.

Day 2 (23/12/2017 SATURDAY)
Start at 6.00am .Drive down to Jaisalmer . (Around 540 km). Enroute visit Desert Culture Centre & Museum for puppet show in the evening. CARE: This centre closes at 6 pm. So make sure v reach before that to catch the puppet show. After that check in at Hotel. Relax at hotel. Enjoy views of the lit Jasalmer fort from the terrace.

Day 3 (24/12/2017 SUNDAY)
*Start early coz all the Forts and Palaces opens at 8.am which is 1 hour before the usual opening time on weekdays

Jaisalmer City Tour. Visit Bada Baug. Patwon Ki Haveli, Maharajas Palace. Have Lunch at Jaisalmer fort. Shopping near Jaisalmer fortat Bada Bazaar and Manav Chowk. Visit the Jaisalmer fort. Watch Sun set from the fort.
For Dinner : ---------

Day 4 (25/12/2017 MONDAY) Morning early breakfast and check out. Visit War Memorial. Drive down to Tanot Longewala. Evening check in to Desert Camp.
1-2 hrs camel Ride+ sleeping at sand dunes under the sky/tent.
Camel safari should be at less crowded place.
If possible go for overnight dessert safari(optional if time permits)


Day 5 (26/12/2017 TUESDAY) Visit Munbao (Train) Last village of India. Proceed to Jodhpur.Reach Jodhpur by evening. Visit Clock Tower. Explore tha market for shopping for handikrafts,block printing bedsheets.
Dinner at On the Rocks Restaurant.
Check in at hotel.

Day 6 (27/12/2017 WEDNESDAY) Local Jodhpur sightseeing. Visit Jodhpur Fort. Enjoy sunset from the fort and areal view of the blue city”Jodhpur”.
Visit Gypsy restaurant for authentic rajasthani thali.

Day 7(28/12/2017 THURSDAY) Morning check out after early breakfast.Visit Pushkar ,brahma Temple. Visit Ajmer. Reach Jaipur by evening. Drive thru pink city lane . See Hawa Mahal.
Dinner at LMB Restaurant – at Jaipur .

Day 8 (29/12/2017 FRIDAY) OR VISIT AMER FORT, JAL MAHAL.

OR

Day 8 (29/12/2017 FRIDAY) Proceed to Ranthambore Forest. (Take the evening Safari)(2PM-5.30PM)

Day 9 (30/12/2017 SATURDAY) Take the morning Safari (7am -10.30am)
By noon check out and proceed to Jaipur.

Day 10 (31/12/2017 Sunday) Take a flight to Mumbai