[Mnjdnght]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Here is an attempt, a comprehensive one, as much as I could to include details regarding Food & Fuel options between Mumbai - Pune- Bangalore that would help most of the queries get addressed in this single post rather than look elsewhere. I have given map location for each of the POIs in chronological order to enable travelers to reach here without much trouble.

==============================Direction: BANGALORE- PUNE -MUMBAI==============================

Is there any good option for breakfast between Kamat, Dabaspet and Apoorva Resorts, Davanagere? For a 4:30 AM start from Bangalore, Kamat looks to be too early and Apoorva resorts a bit too late for a breakfast stop. Thanks.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Mnjdnght

Is there any good option for breakfast between Kamat, Dabaspet and Apoorva Resorts, Davanagere? For a 4:30 AM start from Bangalore, Kamat looks to be too early and Apoorva resorts a bit too late for a breakfast stop. Thanks.

Naveen Regency and Ravi Mayur International on Chitradurga bypass are your options. Again, food on the average side only.

In fact if you can stop at Chitradurga, you are as well better off driving another 40 minutes for Apoorva itself.

With a 0430am start, you need around 4 hours for Kamat, Ranebennur which will be around 0830am and ideal time for Breakfast - All this with decent pace between 100-110kmph only.

If I were you, I would either pick Apoorva or Kamat at Ranebennur bypass for a break.

[subirdas]

Armed with the treasure of information amassed from T-BHP, did a round trip of Pune-Mysore-Ooty-Bangalore-Pune (2500Km). It was an absolute bliss to drive on the NH4 and more so on the 36 hairpins in Kalahatty en route to Ooty. As reported somewhere, I was apprehensive whether I would be allowed to climb down the Kalahatty route, but there were no issues whatsoever.

The comprehensive information posted by Parag earlier on eateries and fuel stops on NH4 were very useful along with the texts I exchanged with him. The icing on the cake was to meet him in flesh whilst I was Bangalore bound ( coordinated by him - I just had to mention how many Kms I had travelled from Pune ).

Parag, your help is much appreciated buddy - many thanks.

[nitheeshsreeram]

I did the Bangalore - Mumbai trip on Friday the 13th. A big thanks to Parag for the awesome info. As a lot of posts before have pointed out, an early start is very important but I started only 5 15 AM from marathalli which meant it was 6 15 AM before I reached yeshwanthpur.There were traffic jams even that early. The roads throughout karnataka are as smooth as butter and a pleasure to drive on. But after kolhapur upto pune there was bad traffic and lot of diversions between satara and pune. And the mumbai-pune expressway was full of vehicles. Surprisingly my average speed on the expressway was lower than my average speed from Bangalore to pune. Reached sion panvel highway by 6 30 PM and reached my friends place at marol by 8 00 PM. So did the trip in a little under 15 hours. Total Distance 999 km, total stops 2 food breaks and 3 bio/refuel breaks. I would definitely do it again but start an hour early this time.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Shabzhere

Hi Folks,

I am driving this Thursday from Pune to Bangalore , starting around 5 AM sharp .

Any inputs if anyone recently just taken this route on present road conditions till Kholapur ?

I intend to complete by journey of 860 kms in around 13-14 hours , hope that's doable.

• Its a weekday that you will drive, so makes things even easier than a typical weekend when Kolhapur-Pune is more messier than usual days
  
• I drove onward on 7th and returned on 11th during my Aurangabad drive
  
• Overall, the road conditions are very good to good and this includes the Kolhapur Pune Section as well
  
• Kolhapur to Satara the road is now better as the surface is asphalted all the way till Satara
  
• Satara - Pune is undergoing 6 lane work and there are diversions (At least 5-6) but again, each of these diversions has good tarmac (few have speedbreakers)
  
• Since you are driving on a weekday, traffic will be smooth.
  
• Even post Khedshivpur, the bypass work at Pune has progressed including the fork where old bypass meets new
  
• Bangalore-Kolhapur will be breeze as usual
  
• Plan an early morning start - Say 0430 so that you can lunch at Kolhapur or Karad and reach Pune before 1700
  
• Overall, you can easily do this in anything between 11-13 hours with ample breaks and usual cruising speeds

Given below are the toll details till Pune starting from NBTL, Bangalore (you can read this from bottom to top):

1. Nelemangala (NBTL) - 20
2. Tumkur - 34
3. Karjivanahalli - 70
4. Guilalu - 55
5. Chalageri - 75
6. Hebbala - 95
7. Bankapura- 70
8. Hubli Bypass- 55
9. Bagewadi - 80
10. Hattaragi - 20
11. Kognoli - 40
12. Kini - 68
13. Taswade - 68
14. Anewadi - 55
15. Khedshivpur - 80

We had started from our North Bangalore home exactly at 0445 and reached Pune (Sinhagad Road) at 1645 which is 12 Hours for 825 kms.

We took the following breaks -

1. Kamat Ranebennur for Breakfast - 30 Minutes
2. Nippani BPCL COCO for Refueling - 15 Minutes
3. KFC/MCD on Kolhapur Bypass - 60 Minutes (Blame it on Play area for kids )
4. Kailas Bhel after Khedshivpur - 30 Minutes

So that is about 145 Minutes (2h15m) of total break time. We took the last break just before Pune as we were headed for Aurangabad and I didn't want to stop anywhere inside Pune city while bypassing it. Also, with a Kid, each of your break will add 5-10 extra minutes!

Our return drive on a Wednesday was even better with a 0545 am start from Shivajinagar (Model Colony), Breakfast at Amar at 0830, Refueling at Haveri around 12 noon and lunch at Apoorva at Davanagere and home by 1645.

That was only 11 hours and with good breaks, thanks to very less traffic on this odd day and the middle of festival.

[SPDSTR]

Did Mumbai -Coimbatore- Mumbai. Started on 7th Nov. and was back on 14th Nov. Parag's posts on where to take breaks and refuel were spot on and my family and I would like to thank you Parag for that wonderful bit of information.

[Pam81]

Took 2 weeks break from work and did a long road trip in my Diesel iGen i20.

Places driven: Pune - Hosur - Madurai - Rajapalayam - Thiruchendur - Rajapalayam - Coimbatore - Pune

I have put details in line with the interests of this thread (Mumbai - Bangalore).

Onward Journey:
Hit the road at 6.15am from Pune. Originally planned to leave by 4am but could not do so. Stopped at some tree shade after Satara by 8.45am for break-fast (brought from home). Had to go through the 2 wheeler menace from Satara to Kohlapur and beyond to some distance. It did slow me down and took most of the morning. Reached Belgaum around 12.45pm. Took tea instead of lunch as I thought to reach Hubli bypass to stop @ Kamat for Lunch, which happened around 2.15pm. Left by 3.15pm and reached Tumkur around 7pm and filled fuel as it was low. Stopped at Pavithra Idly hotel and had some vadas & coffee. Left there by 7.40pm and reached Hosur around 9.30pm.

Speed breakers after Hubli at some village junctions due to no-flyovers. double-road stretch in Hubli is a menace as well. At some areas where the roads are re-laid the transition to old road were sudden. If you miss to notice and maintain 100+, you will experience a loud thud due to sudden drop or bump. Other than these, journey was smooth. NICE road is not in a good state, lots of truck traffic and road undulations.

Return Journey:
Left Coimbatore at 5.30am and reached Hosur around 9.00am. Had breakfast and reached Tumkur Road (NICE road exit) by 11.00am. Stopped for lunch somewhere in a straight stretch before Chalageri toll gate by 2.30pm. We brought home made food, especially for my kid and it made sense to prepare common for all. Left at 3pm and reached Belgaum around 6.10pm. Reached Sai International by 8pm. We did not planned to stay this time, mostly due to my kid. She was not well and may not adjust to new place. I was confident and did not felt fatigue. It was drizzling and that's a concern for sure. Decided to go slowly and started from Sai International by 9.15pm and stopped for tea at some crowded place before Bhor / Kapurbhol by 11.30pm. Don't know the place name, seen lots of cars & families having tea / snacks and series of shops. Some light trucks stopped as well. Reached home around 1.15am.

Due to circumstances I had to drive in the night, but generally it is good to avoid. High beam and drizzles were of problems. Judging the gap between trucks & VOLVOs is a trouble for overtaking maneuvers. Loved the partial 3 lanes between Satara and Pune but it suddenly merged into 2 lanes, risks do multiply at night!!!!

maintained 95 ~ 100kmph as average speed with some highs on the open / straight stretches (130kmph).

Overall, it was a well informed trip and thanks a lot to Parag & other BHPians for sharing details on food / fuel stops.

[nitheeshsreeram]

Originally Posted by Pam81

Return Journey
Left Coimbatore at 5.30am and r.

Wow that sounds brutal.Kudos to you for doing such a long drive. The kolhapur Pune stretch had sapped all my energy when I did Bangalore Mumbai but I really loved the two lanes road after Hubli, very different landscape.

[Pam81]

Originally Posted by nitheeshsreeram

Wow that sounds brutal.Kudos to you for doing such a long drive. The kolhapur Pune stretch had sapped all my energy when I did Bangalore Mumbai but I really loved the two lanes road after Hubli, very different landscape.

My original plan is to leave Coimbatore around 3pm on Friday afternoon and stay at Hosur for the night. Leave Hosur by 4am on Saturday and try to reach Pune before 6pm the same day. Friday became impossible due to unavoidable reasons.

But I did experience eye strain due to 20 hour long drive the next day and took complete rest to recover.

Yes, 2 Lane road after Hubli is good for sightseeing and it is a good road, no undulations. What I hate is the NWKRTC buses trying to overtake trucks just like cars. Close cuts and quick steering maneuvers (zip-zap). I happen to follow them and terrified with overtaking style.

[Mnjdnght]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Naveen Regency and Ravi Mayur International on Chitradurga bypass are your options. Again, food on the average side only.

In fact if you can stop at Chitradurga, you are as well better off driving another 40 minutes for Apoorva itself.

With a 0430am start, you need around 4 hours for Kamat, Ranebennur which will be around 0830am and ideal time for Breakfast - All this with decent pace between 100-110kmph only.

If I were you, I would either pick Apoorva or Kamat at Ranebennur bypass for a break.

Thanks. That would be my preferred plan too. However with family on board, I needed to have options just in case :-)

[INNOWAGON_CL]

Travelled between Chennai to Mumbai. Total toll cost is Rs. 1675. Total travel time 20hrs 10 minutes for distance of 1307 km from Annasalai to Goregoan. Good hotels available in Hubli. Overnight halt taken there. Avoided night driving after reaching Hubli.

Further after chennai halted at Komalas for breakfast after kancheepuram outskirts, reliance petrol at Hosur, slow traffic before nice entry, halted at kamats afer Tumkur, and again Reliance fuel at Ranbennur and tea ar kamat before reaching Hubli. Thus covered 730kms in 12 hrs due to very bad roads between chennai and Vellore and traffic jam before NICE entry. Next day covered 577 kms in 8hrs with halts at hotel sankam belgaum for tea, fuel at Reliance outlet 200kms after Hubli and halt at Kamat again enroute. Had curd rice packed earlier from hotel sankam which was good. Parked the car at the side of the road before 29kms from satara for lunch. Halted again for tea after lonawala ghat section ar the Food Court plaza before reaching Goregoan taking Airoli JVLR. Less city traffic on Saturday yesterday. Overall better roads than previous trip from Mumbai-Bengaluru-Coimbatore-Bengaluru-Mumbai in 2011 December.

[ndalal02]

Planning to travel to Mumbai next month from Bangalore. Does anyone know if the FASTTAG has been implemented ? Is it worth buying or better paying cash at the toll plaza.

[hangover]

Originally Posted by Pam81

What I hate is the NWKRTC buses trying to overtake trucks just like cars. Close cuts and quick steering maneuvers (zip-zap). I happen to follow them and terrified with overtaking style.

Those are all ancient Ashok Leyland's, are they not? And have speed governors.

How did they overtake an i20?

Are you referring to them overtaking while coming towards you? Meaning, facing you and taking the whole road?

Else all the Hyundai guys will get upसेट!

[INNOWAGON_CL]

Originally Posted by ndalal02

Planning to travel to Mumbai next month from Bangalore. Does anyone know if the FASTTAG has been implemented ? Is it worth buying or better paying cash at the toll plaza.

FASTTAG not yet implemented between mumbai and bengaluru. It is available between bengaluru and chennai in south as on date.

[JohnyBoy]

Originally Posted by ndalal02

Planning to travel to Mumbai next month from Bangalore. Does anyone know if the FASTTAG has been implemented ? Is it worth buying or better paying cash at the toll plaza.

It's better to pay cash.

I drove from Trivandrum to Bangalore yesterday. Saw the FASTTAG lanes in few toll booths. In one place, it was open to all - people paying with cash also went through the same lane. So the advantage of Zip-Zap-zoom with the tag is lost.
In another booth, the tag lane was blocked and a person was standing there. He checks the tag, once confirmed that the car has tag, he removes the block and allows the car to go past. Again the advantage of tag is lost. (I have seen the same technique in few toll plazas in Navi Mumbai).

Till the lance enforcement is better and people start following I don't see any advantage in the tag.