[rajivtelang]

Originally Posted by cyberwhizs

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.

New rules for travellers from MH and KL will make things worse further. Along with negative RTPCR, tests on arrival are being added. Not sure what that means. My trip to Mumbai in mid December is doubtful now. I need to stay there for 2 weeks and return. Fingers crossed.

[vivek95]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

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?

Yes, unfortunately you require an RTPCR report for an overnight halt in Belgaum. The police and administration have no brains as you very well know ( not everyone, but most of them in the system ).

[rajivtelang]

Originally Posted by vivek95

Yes, unfortunately you require an RTPCR report for an overnight halt in Belgaum. The police and administration have no brains as you very well know ( not everyone, but most of them in the system ).

Bit confused. Does that mean I need to carry RTPCR reports while entering MH? I have a halt at Belgaum while going to Mumbai.

[TROOPER]

Originally Posted by rajivtelang

Bit confused. Does that mean I need to carry RTPCR reports while entering MH? I have a halt at Belgaum while going to Mumbai.

If you start from Bangalore towards Bombay, you need vaccine second dose certificate or -ve report.

While returning, -ve report irrespective of vaccination status.


I find it amusing that no one seems to have raised this issue, where Karnataka seems to be the only state which doesn't care for vaccination status of the people of MH and KL. Apparently if you are from these two states, the vaccine doesn't work for you. Completely atrocious rules considering the same party has been peddling vaccines at the centre.

[pandey.jai]

Karnataka government sees people from MH and KL as lesser mortals or easy targets so to speak. Every time there’s any news about things changing for the worse with the pandemic, the Karnataka government appears to target people of MH and KL first, before anyone else.
It’s not a shared border issue either. Tamil Nadu, Goa, Andhra and Telangana also share border with Karnataka but they’re never as scrutinized as the folks from Maharashtra and Kerala.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by rajivtelang

Could you please recommend good petrol bunks on this route all the way till Mumbai?

Guess you missed this post that has complete list for both directions for Food and Fuel breaks:

Originally Posted by paragsachania

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

Where to refuel

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

Where to refuel

Originally Posted by rajivtelang

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.

With my Ertiga and the longer range, I always fill up just before entering Maharashtra near Nippani. However, here are 2 good choices for you, one which is 440 km from Bangalore and another around 600 km from Bangalore and both are BPCL COCOs:

BPCL COCO, Dharwad Industrial Area
BPCL COCO, Nippani

If you are keen on Reliance, here is the list:

Originally Posted by paragsachania

• After Hubli, Towards Bangalore : Location
  
  
• Before Dharwad, Towards Pune : Location
  
  
• After Sankeshwar, Towards Pune : Location
  
  
• After Khedshivpur - Towards Bangalore : Location
  
  
• Karad Bypass - Towards Bangalore : Location
  
  
• After Karad, Just near/Before Sai International, Towards Bangalore : Location
  
  
• After Kolhapur, Towards Pune : Location
  
  
• After Belgaum, Near Sankeshwar, Towards Pune: Location
  
  
• Before Hattarigi Toll Plaza, towards Bangalore: Location
  
  
• After Ranebennur bypass, towards Bangalore: Location
  
  
• After Chitradurga, towards Bangalore, Opp to VRL Depot: Location
  
  
• Between Tumkur and Dabaspet, Towards Bangalore: Location

If you are specific about Shell, here are the options:

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Shell outlet after Sira, towards Pune

Shell outlet, 8 km after Dharwad, towards Pune

Shell outlet 15 km after Hubli, towards Bangalore

There are Shell outlets on Pune bypass as well as Belapur road in Mumbai too but am not including them as they will be too close to source/destination.

[jithin23]

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:

• Start very early, 0400am types - This will help you get the best average speeds and cover longer distances before everyone else gets on the road
• Drive at steady speeds and merit of roads
• Do not have a set target to reach a specific destination or break point
• Don't constantly keep looking at Googlemap's ETA - It can show delays or faster progress and that can alter your mindset and driving depending on whether you are too late (and hence will drive faster) or early (and would want to reach even earlier)
• Expect the unexpected - Traffic jams, roadblocks, delays to cross the booth
• Expect the expected - Unruly drivers, misc town and village traffic, traffic police flagging you down during the day to check documents etc
• Keep yourself hydrated all the times
• As your family regularly if they need a break and take one (or many) if needed
• Have at least 2-3 options for both your refueling as well as food breaks - This helps you whenever you have made better progress or are delayed. Feed these locations onto the maps or share them with your fellow passengers over a text message/whatsapp so it is handy and you dont have to spend time searching for one
• Accept the fact that you can be delayed to reach your destination and no 2 drives on such long stretches can be the same in terms of timing and can vary significantly
• When you are closer to reaching your destination, try to exercise extreme patience for it is natural to get irritated by the behavior of fellow road users when you have another 2 hours to reach. You don't want to rush to reach that destination and this rush should not be a reason for any untoward incident that can spoil your trip
• Lastly, drive in such a way that the energy and enthusiasm levels remain consistent throughout the journey - I have often seen drivers overtake at superfast speeds and then somewhere ahead they are driving dead slow only because they are either tired or have lost interest due to driving all day. This can be done well only when you drive at a consistent speed than rush

Adding a few more points to this already well built list.

1. Keep some loose change in the car as it may be useful in an unexpected situation.
2. I keep a base ball bat+ pepper spray in my car for safety reasons.
3. Dashcams are very useful. I've avoided several unnecessary confrontations due to this little camera.
4. Drive at your own pace and don't keep a target destination fixed in your mind unless the distance is realistic and doable as per road conditions and your own body/car condition. That way you can enjoy the drive and if the time is around 8.30PM, you can start searching for stays on Booking or Agoda. I find Oyo to be a kinda shady in smaller towns.

[girishglg]

I am travelling with family to Gujarat this weekend. The first stop is Pune enroute to Vadodara and would like to know if the localities in Pune such as Wakad / Hinjawadi are good to make a night halt as we would need the closest location to the highway as possible to avoid any city traffic.

Are there any other localities that has good hotels and close to the highway and if you can suggest any names of accommodations as well.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by girishglg

Are there any other localities that has good hotels and close to the highway and if you can suggest any names of accommodations as well.

Wakad makes perfect sense to stay when crossing Pune towards Mumbai due to its proximity to Mumbai Pune expressway and also because of a lot of options around here to stay.

Sayaji and Ginger are two that are right on the highway. I am unsure of the traffic inside Hinjewadi these days but if you are hitting Pune over the weekend, consider some more options in Hinjewadi Phase 1 as well since it is hardly 3 km detour from highway but due to a concentration of many IT companies here, there are many hotels for stay too.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by girishglg

I am travelling with family to Gujarat this weekend. The first stop is Pune enroute to Vadodara and would like to know if the localities in Pune such as Wakad / Hinjawadi are good to make a night halt as we would need the closest location to the highway as possible to avoid any city traffic.

Wakad is the best choice for an overnight stay. There are a few good hotels right on the highway.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Sayaji and Ginger are two that are right on the highway.

Agree with Parag. These two are good choices. In addition, The Orchid Hotel (link: https://g.page/OrchidHotelPune?share) is also a very good choice. This is right on the highway towards Mumbai, so you will have to make zero detour if you stay here. This is a good, clean, typical business hotel that is not very expensive as well. I stayed here once recently when I needed to stay in the Wakad area and also on the highway to Mumbai, and I had a good experience.

[nileshch]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Sayaji and Ginger are two that are right on the highway. I am unsure of the traffic inside Hinjewadi these days but if you are hitting Pune over the weekend, consider some more options in Hinjewadi Phase 1 as well since it is hardly 3 km detour from highway but due to a concentration of many IT companies here, there are many hotels for stay too.

I like Holiday Inn Express in Hinjewadi as well. Its not too far from the highway (straight road to Hinjewadi junction). Clean, efficient, inexpensive and plus you get IHG points, if you are into that sort of thing.

[efgritesh]

Originally Posted by jithin23

if the time is around 8.30PM, you can start searching for stays on Booking or Agoda. I find Oyo to be a kinda shady in smaller towns.

Thanks for sharing! one query though, does this always works like you get some place to stay on the go? I spend lot of time shortlisting my stay options and calculate my destination carefully so that i reach there in time.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by nileshch

I like Holiday Inn Express in Hinjewadi as well. Its not too far from the highway (straight road to Hinjewadi junction). Clean, efficient, inexpensive and plus you get IHG points, if you are into that sort of thing.

Right. Hence I mentioned that Hinjewadi itself will offer lot of options with a very small (but worthwhile) detour. I have hardly stayed in a hotel in Pune but since I have worked at Hinjewadi, for sure know that Hinjewadi has a lot better options to stay for the night and not too far away from the highway.

During one of the our Monsoon drives in 2012, we drove from Bangalore straight to Hinjewadi Phase 1 because next day we had to take Pirangut road to head towards Taminhi.

[ninadtarambale]

Originally Posted by TROOPER

If you start from Bangalore towards Bombay, you need vaccine second dose certificate or -ve report.

While returning, -ve report irrespective of vaccination status.


I find it amusing that no one seems to have raised this issue, where Karnataka seems to be the only state which doesn't care for vaccination status of the people of MH and KL. Apparently if you are from these two states, the vaccine doesn't work for you. Completely atrocious rules considering the same party has been peddling vaccines at the centre.

Latest govt guidelines from Maharashtra (released on 1st Dec) state RTPCR test within 48 hours of arrival is compulsory without exceptions. Has anyone travelled between yesterday / today? Are they expecting RTPCR reports or would they test on arrival?

We are planning to travel to Pune from Bangalore either on Friday (3rd Dec) Late night or Sat (4th Dec) early morning. To be safe, I'll carry hard copies of the vaccine certificate & RTPCR reports.

[TROOPER]

Originally Posted by ninadtarambale

Latest govt guidelines from Maharashtra (released on 1st Dec)…….

Sorry mate. Only God knows what the MH govt is upto.

I’d just carry the latest rt pcr and get on with it. Have a safe and smooth journey.