[pratik_2810]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

While I have been regularly doing Mumbai-Pune-Bangalore or even Rajkot/Ahmedabad - Bangalore since more than 15 years, I always say that I learn more and more from each of these drives. Here are some of the tips that I can give you to prepare yourself for the long drive:

I agree with you Parag. I just completed my return leg from Rajkot to Bangalore on 12th Nov, that too with my 9 month labrador who was on such a road trip for the first time. I have experienced that discipline is important to have a fruitful drive without getting bored, tired or overworked. Start early, even when you are on multi-days journey make sure you start early.

Cheers, happy driving!

[s4ch]

Thanks to everyone for all their excellent suggestions, really helped. A quick report on our trip Pune to Bangalore in our 2016 Scorpio S10 automatic:

Left Pune around 6:45am Saturday morning. 25 mins from our place to the highway. Going through Katraj was faster but hate that route so joined NH48 somewhere from around Anand Nagar.

The first stretch till Katraj tunnel was pretty ok, but after that the roads are not great, bouncy, uneven and several diversions into the service lane where flyovers are being constructed on the highway. Pretty much the same till Satara ghat.

Satara ghat was an absolute joke. No lane discipline, everyone pushing in and trucks all over the place. Almost like playing a video game but with your life instead. The second worst part of the journey but thankfully over in about 15 mins.

After this pretty decent roads till Kolhapur. Not much traffic in Kolhapur but slow speeds till you exit the city limits.

At the Karnataka border there are 2 lanes. The left one had no barrier and many were driving straight through, even Pune and Mumbai cars, not just local ones. The right lane had a queue and there was checking by the police. Took the right lane just to be safe. Only a few cars in the queue and no more than a 3 minute wait. The police only had a cursory glance at our RT PCR and let us through. Not sure what the system is here but very smooth.

And then luxury as soon as you enter Karnataka. Smooth roads and minimal traffic, a real pleasure to drive on.

We were making good time here but 70km before Belgaum we realised that unfortunately our AC had suddenly stopped cooling even though the blower was working fine. A quick check online and found a Mahindra dealership in Hubli. Gave them a call and they suggested I call the Belgaum service manager as that was closer. He spoke great English and immediately sent the location of the ASS in Belgaum. Headed there and reached within an hour. The service center is a good 12-15 km from the highway and you have to go through Belgaum to get there, that itself took almost 30 mins. Got there about 1pm and was seen to very promptly, straight in to the workshop. After checking the AC filter, which was brand new and had just been replaced in the service a few weeks ago, it turned out the coil had frozen over and hence was not cooling. They suggested to run the heater for about 15 mins to let the ice melt while they had lunch. A whole load of water did fall out. After a quick lunch checked the AC again and it still wasn't cooling. A quick consultation with the workshop manager and they started reclaiming the refrigerant gas and then refilling. Said it would take an hour and a half or so. My wife and I had packed lunch and we pretty comfortable sitting on some chairs outdoors. Within about 40 mins the gas recharge was done. Checked for leaks and there were none, so as I hadn't used the car at all for about 9 months it seems there may have been a slow leak, hence the low gas and the coil freezing over. This was our first long drive since then so probably never noticed it before, although I did vaguely feel the cooling was not as powerful as earlier. Will anyway monitor this over the coming weeks to see how it goes. The AC did chill immediately after and was perfect all the way till Bangalore. After billing was out of the service centre by 3pm. Google maps suggested a route through some narrow lanes but worked well and we were back on the highway in 15 mins.

Belgaum to Dharwad is great and we made a quick stop at the coffee day outside IIT Dharwad. It is on the opposite side of the road so does involve going a km ahead taking the service lane, going through the underpass, back a km and then repeating again for going back. Definitely worth a stop though for decent coffee and clean toilets.

Then comes the worst part of the journey, the Dharwad-Hubli single lane nightmare. Heavy rain and people trying to overtake from the left, right, above you and underneath etc! Thankfully over in 40 mins or so. Did see a commercial pickup skid off the road but no major human damage.

After Hubli fantastic roads mostly all the way till Tumkur. Heavy rains so the usual idiots driving with their hazard lights on. Did get dark but the roads are so good that you can easily maintain 100-110 with the cats eyes lighting up the road ahead. Somewhere before Davangere there are 2 or 3 diversions where flyovers are being built, terrible roads, but not more than a km stretch each. There is a cafe coffee day on the service lane of the second or third diversion.

Crossed Davangere and onto Chitradurga, these are roads of what dreams are made of. Smooth, cats eyes, some even have lamp posts. The best roads of the entire journey. This continues till almost Tumkur.

Just before Tumkur, it goes from 3 lanes to 2, quite a bit of traffic and lots of overtaking required. Everyone seemed in a rush here and had to drive extremely defensively. Then that is where things go downhill again, terrible roads from Tumkur to Neelamangala. Bumpy, rough, potholed, an absolute abomination that this is a toll road and you have to pay to use it. As other members have pointed out, sticking to the left lane as much as possible helps but not always possible. This was the second worst part of the journey.

Finally Neelamangala elevated highway to Yeshwantpur is nice and smooth, wide and fast. Traffic as you get down but not long from there to the Sheraton, about 15 mins.

All in all, a great journey. Besides the stop at Belgaum a total of around 11 hours driving time door to door.

A big shoutout to the Workshop Manager in Mahindra Belgaum, Amit, who had us seen to very fast and diagnosed the problem very quickly. Ayaz the electrician and ac specialist there was excellent too and very thorough. Recommend them as a backup incase your Mahindra has any problems on this route.

Fastag worked brilliant all the way with no hassle at all. Besides the AC hiccup, the Scorpio was brilliant, munched miles and extremely comfortable. Averaged 16kmpl. Cafe coffee day and Shell toilets were exceptionally clean. We fueled at Reliance somewhere before Kolhapur and the Shell just after Hubli.

Next day we drove to Coorg and it was a good decision to break the journey in Bangalore rather than Belgaum. Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions.

[vivek95]

Been driving my Polo every fortnight from Mumbai to Belgaum and back but not posting here because there isn't anything significant to share. Just note that, the RTPCR thing at the MH--KA border is thankfully scrapped. You are only asked to mention your origin and destination and that's about it. All the potholes on Satara--Pune--Satara have been filled up since more than a month now and one can comfortably maintain 110-120 kmph accordingly. My last drive from Belgaum to Mumbai (Panvel) on 4th November had been the fastest, covering 444 km distance in 5 hours ( non stop drive, just a 5 min fuel break )

[normaltusker]

Originally Posted by blueshift

Any advice for me considering this is my first long drive?

In addition to what has been mentioned already, please also consider the below:

1. Get your car serviced if it is due in the next couple of weeks. It helps to have the car thoroughly checked before the drive.
2. Next, if not already done, get your tires aligned, rotated, balanced if it is due. Also get the air pressure checked on all 5 tires to ensure you are not left with a flat while replacing a flat.
3. Check if all the tools that would be required to change your tires in case of a flat are in place and in prim and proper condition.
4. Mandatorily get your PUC checked if it is due. This is the first thing that the cops at the border ask for. Please get it done even if you are in a new car.
5. Download offline maps on your and one more family member's phone. Please do not rely on GMaps Online only option because that may not work all the time. Invest in an offline map solution like Navimaps / Sygic etc. It helps.
6. Keep a soft copy of all your vehicle papers on your phone and DigiLocker. You can also use mParivahan since that is also accepted by the cops.
7. If you are in the habit of listening to music while driving, download them for offline play and avoid buffering. Create playlists if you have a favorite bunch of songs. You can thank me for this later.
8. Carry lots of food irrespective of whether you are travelling with the kids or only adults. It is human tendency to feel hungry minute you are travelling.
9. Have sufficient sleep and get good rest the night before you travel. This will prevent you from feeling sleepy when you are driving.

Last but not the least, have fun, drive safe and be considerate of other drivers / travelers on the road with you!

[cyberwhizs]

Originally Posted by vivek95

. Just note that, the RTPCR thing at the MH--K.A border is thankfully scrapped. You are only asked to mention your origin and destination and that's about it.

Thanks for sharing. Was trying to get hold of the govt notification- it seems that one does not require the RTPCR if one is on a short visit - 2 days . I am planning to travel this weekend. I am seeking confirmation/clarification from folks who have recently travelled that RTPCR is not required when entering KA from MH, irrespective of duration of stay.

I need this info so that I can plan my trip this coming weekend.

Thanks.

[rajivtelang]

Traveling to Mumbai from Bangalore in mid December with overnight halt at Belgaum (usual Sankam Residency). Please help me with good eateries en route since I need to take short breaks after every 200km or so for my dad. He cannot sit for long and needs a short break after every 3-4 hours. This is my long trip with him after a very long time. Stopping at eateries will help him to walk around for a few minutes and others can enjoy food if needed.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by rajivtelang

I need to take short breaks after every 200km or so for my dad.

• Bangalore to Upadhya Ruchi ~ 180 Km
  
• Upadhya Ruchi to Ganesh Hotel ~ 208 Km
  
• Belgaum to Sai International, after Kolhapur ~ 150 km
  
• Belgaum to Hotel Saffron, Karad ~ 180 Km
  
• Hotel Saffron to Burger King, Pune Bypass ~ 170 Km
  
• Hotel Saffron to Expressway food court before Lonavala ~ 200 km

[daspranab]

Originally Posted by pratik_2810

I agree with you Parag. I just completed my return leg from Rajkot to Bangalore on 12th Nov, that too with my 9 month labrador who was on such a road trip for the first time. I have experienced that discipline is important to have a fruitful drive without getting bored, tired or overworked. Start early, even when you are on multi-days journey make sure you start early.

Cheers, happy driving!

Very nice set of suggestions!

[amitayu]

Wonderful collection of tips on long drives. Agree to all the points mentioned earlier by other members. Here is sharing some personal perspectives:

a) highway drives are all about average speed; and is never about top speed. A 10 minute break can delay you more than driving at 80KMPH than 100KMPH. I advise DO NOT try to go for speed as it only tires you up in short stretches. Maintain a leisurely driving speed, but maintain it over long time periods.

b) As a corollary, avoid unnecessary breaks as much as possible.

c) always carry news paper and water to clean your windshield and rear glass. A good duster is an absolute must before you apply water.

d) Have someone you are fully comfortable with in the passenger seat. He/She can help you a lot if you both are in sync, starting from managing audio playlist to handling drinking water and snacks to chatting with you when you feel a bit drowsy. A perfect partner makes a big difference in long drives.

e) Do not roll down windows in high speed. It is better to drive with auto climate AC and all windows rolled up. Drag efficiency aside, you really never know what might enter your car cabin in our highways! A friend of mine had a stray plastic suddenly blow-in on his face!

[Artyom]

This post comes at the right time for me. I am travelling to Bangalore->Hyd->Bhopal->Gwalior->Agra->Punjab of course with a 1-week halt at Bhopal. Last year around the same time we did the same route but since that was the first time I was travelling such large distances my focus was to cover distances. This time it would be a mix of observations, Enjoyment and more exploration. Will create a separate post for all the places visited and my overall experience.

[rajivtelang]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

• Bangalore to Upadhya Ruchi ~ 180 Km
  
• Upadhya Ruchi to Ganesh Hotel ~ 208 Km
  
• Belgaum to Sai International, after Kolhapur ~ 150 km
  
• Belgaum to Hotel Saffron, Karad ~ 180 Km
  
• Hotel Saffron to Burger King, Pune Bypass ~ 170 Km
  
• Hotel Saffron to Expressway food court before Lonavala ~ 200 km

This is great data Paragbhai. Could you please recommend good petrol bunks on this route all the way till Mumbai? The BPCL after Ranebennur is the COCO where I usually fill up while going to Goa but this time will need one around Belgaum and one further before Pune. Please suggest.

[vivek95]

Originally Posted by cyberwhizs

Thanks for sharing. Was trying to get hold of the govt notification- it seems that one does not require the RTPCR if one is on a short visit - 2 days . I am planning to travel this weekend. I am seeking confirmation/clarification from folks who have recently travelled that RTPCR is not required when entering KA from MH, irrespective of duration of stay.

I need this info so that I can plan my trip this coming weekend.

Thanks.

Hi

When are you driving ?? In a latest development, RTPCR negative report is once again made mandatory when entering Karnataka from Maharashtra
Plan accordingly !

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by vivek95

In a latest development, RTPCR negative report is once again made mandatory when entering Karnataka from Maharashtra

Hello Dr, will a negative rt pcr report be necessary even if I am fully vaccinated and en route to Goa with an overnight halt in Belgaum?

[cyberwhizs]

Originally Posted by vivek95

Hi

When are you driving ?? In a latest development, RTPCR negative report is once again made mandatory when entering Karnataka from Maharashtra
Plan accordingly !

Was planning to reach bengaluru today but I have had to postpone my trip.

Regarding RTPCR - Yes, I had looked it up and that is exactly what the govt notifications seemed to suggest. Only exceptions were for folks from karnataka who were on a short i.e. 2 day visit into Maharashtra.

So had planned for RTPCR, accomodation etc but a few unforseen events, including the circular about school reopening came in and had to call off my travel plans a day before the journey. Was really looking forward for this trip. Been cooped up for nearly a year and half. But for a short trip to lonavala a couple of months back, havent driven anywhere.

Anyway, all for the best. I may travel in the next couple of weeks if the situation permits. Keep your posts coming. They are most helpful. Thanks.

[autoweirdo]

Here's a quick update from my friend who travelled from Pune to Davangere on 27th Nov. Roads are fairly good and early start helped to avoid traffic at Khed Shivapur toll. No RTPCR check at KA border, only papers were checked post Hubli bypass tolls. Few diversions still remain on Hubli - Davangere stretch but the diversion roads were in good condition.
Start Time: 5.30 AM from Pune reach Davangere at 6PM with major stops at Kittur fort and Harihar Temple for sightseeing.