[Selective]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

Will check out Landmark and Native, though from a cursory reading of their online reviews, it seems both these places don't have their own secured parking (will have to park on the road). Still, will confirm this point by calling them.

Six months ago, I stayed at Landmark for two nights. Very clean and VFM option. The parking is on roadside, but the road is wide and parking on roadside is not a problem. They have a restaurant at ground level which serves nice food.

If you need a car wash, talk to the watchman/security at night, they can wash your car in the morning.

[krackr]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

I am planning to stay in Belgaum (en route to Goa) in a couple of weeks, and continue to Goa the next morning via Chorla. The last time we stayed in Belgaum was 2-3 years ago in Hotel Ramdev, but the experience wasn't so good. So, seeking recommendations for a decent family hotel to crash for a night.

We have stayed at Sankam Residency once, and then have used that as a longish stopover twice later. It's near the highway. This itself was basis recommendations from helpful BHPians earlier. Always loved it. It has been a while, but you could check.

I wasn't aware about the other suggestions put on the posts above, so your query has also helped me get more options!

[travelhead]

I'm traveling from Bangalore to Chikodi on Friday via Belgaum. Has anyone received speeding fines on this route recently? I'm guessing that's not the case since no one reported here, but just want to double check. I read in another thread couple of weeks back about someone getting it. This is my usual route to go to my hometown and so far I haven't got any tickets / fines.

[autoweirdo]

Originally Posted by travelhead

I'm traveling from Bangalore to Chikodi on Friday via Belgaum. Has anyone received speeding fines on this route recently? I'm guessing that's not the case since no one reported here, but just want to double check. I read in another thread couple of weeks back about someone getting it. This is my usual route to go to my hometown and so far I haven't got any tickets / fines.

I generally find RTO vehicle with speed gun near Davangere bypass and Chitradurga bypass, luckily have not received any fine (my car is MH registered with BH number so atleast on Parivahan site do not see any challan). Other than these hotspots I guess need to be cautious near Hubli.

[travelhead]

Originally Posted by autoweirdo

I generally find RTO vehicle with speed gun near Davangere bypass and Chitradurga bypass, luckily have not received any fine (my car is MH registered with BH number so atleast on Parivahan site do not see any challan). Other than these hotspots I guess need to be cautious near Hubli.

Yes, I have seen vehicles with speed guns as well. I should have been more specific. I was referring to speed cams (similar to Bangalore Mysore expressway). If anyone got fined.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Fairfield by Marriott, Belgaum is a really good one. It's on the highway too.

Originally Posted by vivek95

Newer ones are Landmark by Pai and Native hotel ( on right side near 3rd railway gate, opposite D-Mart ).

Originally Posted by Selective

Six months ago, I stayed at Landmark for two nights. Very clean and VFM option

Originally Posted by krackr

I wasn't aware about the other suggestions put on the posts above, so your query has also helped me get more options!

Thanks to all those who replied. I finally booked Landmark for my stay, and it turned out to be a good decision. Room was spacious, clean and service was also quite good. Breakfast was included in the tariff and was served early, which was good for me, as I wanted to start for Goa before 8 AM.

There's a restaurant called Shree Panjurlli right opposite Landmark, where we had dinner. This is a good alternative if you want to try something other than the in-house restaurant at Landmark.

[napster]

Planning to travel from Bangalore to Chatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Auranagabad, MH) on 30th October. I will be accompanied by my family (two ladies and a child).

Will be taking the following route
Bangalore -> Chitradurga -> Hospete -> Vijapur -> Solapur Bypass -> Beed -> Aurangabad.

Had travelled on this route in August and the overall road condition was pretty good. Hoping that the road condition has not changed much after the monsoon.

I know the pain of travelling on this route is less availability of roadside amenities.

I am planning to stop for lunch at "Kyriad Prestige Ilkal" as some of the members had suggested this property for stay. Though I do not plan to stay there but was hoping that I would get decent lunch over there.

Any alternative that any member can suggest on this route?

Will be starting from Bangalore around 4 am, so I do not plan to stop anywhere for breakfast/lunch before Hospete as mostly the outlets would not be opened that early.

Thanks

[travelhead]

Originally Posted by napster

Will be taking the following route
Bangalore -> Chitradurga -> Hospete -> Vijapur -> Solapur Bypass -> Beed -> Aurangabad.

Had travelled on this route in August and the overall road condition was pretty good. Hoping that the road condition has not changed much after the monsoon.

Thanks

Last 10 km stretch to Tumkur has developed a few big potholes. Just be cautious of that. I did Bangalore - Belgaum (Chikodi) on 25th October.

[condor]

Heard that due to the road expansion work on the Hubli-Dharwad by-pass, toll collection has been suspended. Or it could be what @ghodlur said - half (collected on one side only).

Any info on this ?

[travelhead]

Originally Posted by condor

Any info on this ?

Yes, that is correct. The toll collection is stopped and the toll booths on both sides have been demolished.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by condor

Heard that due to the road expansion work on the Hubli-Dharwad by-pass, toll collection has been suspended. Or it could be what @ghodlur said - half (collected on one side only).

Any info on this ?

All toll booths are demolished. I did Pune Bangalore on 28th Oct and returned yesterday.

[jkrishnakj]

How are the stretches from Dharwad to Kolhapur coming up? Last time I drove this road a year back, it was quite painful with so much of construction work and deviations. Is it still as big a pain these days?

[condor]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

How are the stretches from Dharwad to Kolhapur coming up? .. Is it still as big a pain these days?

It's not Dharwad to Kolhapur, but more like after Belgaum. Doesnt look like the work has been completed till now.

But now you can add Just the Hubli-Dharwad by-pass to this, but that's before Dharwad

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

How are the stretches from Dharwad to Kolhapur coming up? Last time I drove this road a year back, it was quite painful with so much of construction work and deviations. Is it still as big a pain these days?

I did Pune - Belgaum - Goa last week, and
there are still lots of diversions (probably 75-80% of the route) from Kognoli toll till Belgaum. There are diversions from Pune to Kognoli too, but not as many as in the Kognoli - Belgaum patch. A journey that used to take me 6 hours of sedate driving took 7.5 hours. I'd think it'd be somewhat similar in the other direction too.

[ghodlur]

I had gone to Pune from Bangalore for Diwali and returned via a new route.
My Onward journey through a VRL bus from Bangalore to Pune was pathetic, more details in the link below.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/comme...ml#post5867392 (Intercity Bus travel reviews)

Since the bus journey was uncomfortable, decided to skip the return journey by bus and checked for online ride sharing apps options. Found one on Blabla app car posted by a Puneite who was travelling to Bangalore and had a passenger already. So booked the car (Kia Seltos). Started at 5.45 am (was supposed to start at 5 am and reached Bangalore at 9 pm. Its a looong story). The route taken was Pune-Shirwal-Pandharpur-Zalki-Vijaypura-Chitradurga-Bangalore. The section wise details as below:
1. Pune-Shirwal-Phaltan-Pandharpur:
Pune Shirwal section was OK with some roads closer to Khed Shivpur too before and after. Shirwal-Phaltan NH965 stretch is a single lane tar road with 4 laned roads in some sections. If no traffic good speeds can be reached here, the road goes through some villages and there are marked speed breakers. 10 kms after Phaltan which is marked with diversions due to ongoing flyover construction, the 4 laned tar road opens up (mainly built for Warkaris) and Pandharpur is reached fast.
2. Pandharpur - Mangalwedha-Zalki:
Before Pandharpur, one needs to enter the city for a small stretch (concrete roads single laned) and there is a bypass to connect to NH561A to Mangalwedha. Again single laned road going through villages and having plenty of speed breakers at every village. There is a bypass available for Mangalwedha which is a longer route, hence we took the the road which cuts through the town to head to Zalki. The road to Zalki is not that great and marked by broken roads, again single laned road. Plus the road from Mangalwedha to Zalki is not marked properly and one may take the road to Vijaypura directly. But we wanted to get on the NH 50 as soon as possible at Zalki.
3. Zalki-Vijaypura-Chitradurga-Bangalore:
The usual 4 laned NH50 and one can start covering up on speeds.
Cons:The entire stretch of NH50 from Zalki till Chitradurga is devoid of any good restaraunts. Hardly any hotel was open due to Diwali festivities and Sunday. Luckily we found one hotel Savji Swagat hotel at Ilkal which was opening up and it took 15 mins for them to serve the food. This is a non veg hotel with only couple of veg dishes. Ate whatever was available. Folks travelling on NH50 - pls ensure you have something packed in case of emergency.

The actual pain of the entire trip started from Chitradurga as the the NH48 was swarmed with vehicles probably returning from festivities. Add to that huge traffic jams at couple of diversions where 5 laned traffic on NH48 was squeezing in the 2 laned diversion road making travel to a literal crawl. This continued all the way till Nelamangala and then till Yeshwantpur. The ordeal finally ended at 9 pm. This trip took a record15 hrs by road with 3 breaks.

Conclusion: Will I take this route again? Maybe if the NH48 is totally undriveable. Had I returned yday through Kolhapur-Belgavi route I would have definitely reached earlier for sure. I am ok with 1 hr of pain rather than through out the trip.