[shreeps]

I am planning a trip from Pune-Bangalore on 23rd or 24th (depending on some personal constraints). Will be traveling by car with wife, 3 year old kid and mother. I am planning to start from Pune at 4-4:30AM.
I have done this route a couple of times over the last 2 years but nothing recently.
Anything I should be aware of?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by shreeps

I am planning a trip from Pune-Bangalore on 23rd or 24th (depending on some personal constraints). Will be traveling by car with wife, 3 year old kid and mother. I am planning to start from Pune at 4-4:30AM.
I have done this route a couple of times over the last 2 years but nothing recently.
Anything I should be aware of?

There are about 2 diversions between Pune and Satara and the condition of the same wasn't great when I drove 3 weeks before but not much to bother, just drive slow as you may have a deep pothole filled with water/slush due to rains.

Road surface has deteriorated till Satara but not bad that you need to bother much and after Satara its good concrete surface all the way nearing Kolhapur.

Kolhapur-Kagal-Belgaum-Dharwad remains in excellent shape as ever and you would perhaps have to drive on a maximum of 2 diversions between Belgaum and Dharwad.

Dharwad-Hubli-Bankapura-Haveri-Harihar-Davanagere is in good condition.

Approaching Harihar bypass, slow down to avoid a speedbreaker right below the horizontal signage running atop the road as the road will fork into 2 allowing traffic flow on individual corridors. Please don't take the wrong side of the road to avoid the simple detour for Bangalore bound traffic. Doing so is a dangerous stunt as from what I have faced when driving to Pune and idiots coming right in front of me from nowhere on a blind curve.

Davanagere and Chitradurga is in good condition and there are absolutely NO SPEEDBREAKERS now in this stretch and all of them have been removed since late May.

Between Chitradurga and Tumkur, there were 12 diversions due to 6 lane work (last when I drove 3 weeks before) but the condition remains good and you may hardly have to drop a gear to continue in your pace.

The 6 lane work is almost complete barring these 12 diversions.

These 12 diversions in any way wont change much in terms of your average speeds as you can see from the picture below that I recorded when I was driving to Pune and took the usual 4h20 minutes to reach my friend's farmhouse in Shiggaon for breakfast with my usual 90-100-110kmph speeds with my parents, wife and daughter aged 2 years in my WagonR.



Have a safe trip

[shreeps]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

There are about 2 diversions between Pune and Satara and the condition of the same wasn't great ... SNIP ... Have a safe trip

Just too good!! I can't thank you enough for this detailed info

I am going to take a printout of this and keep it right next to me!! Looks like you are on your way to become another walking road encyclopedia (like HV Kumar sir).

[rajeshchand]

Originally Posted by shreeps

I am planning a trip from Pune-Bangalore on 23rd or 24th (depending on some personal constraints). Will be traveling by car with wife, 3 year old kid and mother. I am planning to start from Pune at 4-4:30AM.
I have done this route a couple of times over the last 2 years but nothing recently.
Anything I should be aware of?

I just did this stretch on 20 Aug, after having driven almost on all highways across India, i can say that this is one of the best constructed stretch, all the villages and townships are bypassed, they are insulated from local traffic and hence you dont need to slow down until and unless you need to get on to a village or town for fuel for vehicle or self.

I completed this stretch in 10 hours and 30 minutes, of course, it was only me and my wife, since you are with family, you might like to keep the speed a little lesser, but howsoever you should not take more than 12 hours with a long break of one hour in between. In our trip we had 2 long breaks of more than half and hour and 3 short breaks of 15 mins each. I was pushing the limits of speed on certain stretches upto 160 kph, so i could maintain an average speed of 100 kph. You will only find bad patches of road for around upto 100 kms after Pune and then some diversions 150 km before Bangalore, other than that it is a smooth drive.

[speedsatya]

Originally Posted by shreeps

Just too good!! I can't thank you enough for this detailed info

I am going to take a printout of this and keep it right next to me!! Looks like you are on your way to become another walking road encyclopedia (like HV Kumar sir).

Parag has shared his notes( speedbreakers , potholes, speedguns,..) with me a couple of times and they are spot on.Good thing about Parag is that he doesnt talk much if he isnt aware of road conditions. So he is reliable

[raghuinc]

Drove this route, after a long time, on 31st August-1st September. As part of Navi Mumbai-Bengaluru-Chennai-Trichur-Bengaluru-Navi Mumbai

A few comments on roads and stay FYI
* Parag is thorough :-)
* In order to get tanked up before crossing into Karnataka (to get the cheaper MH rates, I presume) one needs to do it before Kolhapur. The pumps after the town looked dubious.
* The diversions on chitradurga-tumkur stretch ate time. It was evening traffic though (4-8pm)
* Entry to NICE expressway was poorly marked.
- It is marked as the route to Bengaluru International Exhibition centre
- It comes about 12km after the Neelamangala toll plaza (It is a left exit)
- Missing it involves a longish roundabout.
* Stay:
Broke my journey at Belgaum and stayed at Sankam Residency (heard about it on forums). Getting to the hotel is easier from Bangalore side (as the signboard is visible) Better check it out on map, if approaching from Kolhapur. Also, the online rate at Makemytrip is slightly cheaper than the walk-in rate) Hotel is under renovation and the rooms are, as Mallya says, in a holding position. Good food and service though.

Etc.
* A local service contact after Katraj (around KhedShivapur) - Nitin (9850102133).
My car's timing belt broke right in front of the Reliance petrol pump (5km from the toll plaza). He did a good job. FYI, the restaurant right next to the pump is nice to sit down for simple stuff. They had good poha and kothimbir vadi (Vada made out of Coriander).
* Didnt know that NH4 is AH 47 as part of the Asian highway network. Nice.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Highway_Network

[lateshnair]

All,

I'm planning Bangalore - Mumbai over the weekend with family, this is my first trip via road to Mumbai.
I read through this thread it is very helpful but I'm little confused which city I should halt for the day. I'm planning to start from Bangalore (Bannerghatta Road) at about 4:30am.

Bangalore - Mumbai is 14 hours (Google Navigation).

Many of you suggested Belgaum would be ideal stop over point. As per google navigation, Belgaum is about 7hrs(approx) from Bangalore. Considering that I would reach Belgaum by 12PM, which is quite early stop over point for me. I was thinking I will take a halt for the day at around 4-5pm in the evening. Again as per Google navigation I would be somewhere between Satara and Pune during that time.

Is this timing realistic? I definitely don't want to break my journey at 12 - 1 pm.
So my question is which would be the ideal place to halt for the day at around 4-5pm and then continue my journey to Mumbai the next morning?

Appreciate your expert advice

Cheers!

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by lateshnair

All,

I'm planning Bangalore - Mumbai over the weekend with family, this is my first trip via road to Mumbai.
I read through this thread it is very helpful but I'm little confused which city I should halt for the day. I'm planning to start from Bangalore (Bannerghatta Road) at about 4:30am.

A start at 4:30am from Bangalore would easily take you all the way till Pune in the next 12 hours with sedate speeds and breaks also. Stay options are plenty on Pune Bypass but I am wondering if staying in Pune (when the destination is Mumbai) will make sense at all considering another 2/2.5 hours to reach Mumbai suburbs!!

Many of you suggested Belgaum would be ideal stop over point. As per google navigation, Belgaum is about 7hrs(approx) from Bangalore. Considering that I would reach Belgaum by 12PM, which is quite early stop over point for me. I was thinking I will take a halt for the day at around 4-5pm in the evening. Again as per Google navigation I would be somewhere between Satara and Pune during that time.

Is this timing realistic? I definitely don't want to break my journey at 12 - 1 pm.
So my question is which would be the ideal place to halt for the day at around 4-5pm and then continue my journey to Mumbai the next morning?

Appreciate your expert advice

Cheers!

Yes, you shall pass Belgaum between 12-1pm and in the next 1.5 hours you will enter Kolhapur Bypass.

Satara becomes an Ideal stop over rather than Kolhapur if you plan to drive slower and with lots of breaks since that start in the morning.

Mahendra Executive is the most suitable stay option while in Satara and while driving towards Pune, this one is on the right hand side bang on the highway and you will spot a huge signage asking to take a U-Turn and is well marked too.

http://www.mahendraexecutive.com/

From Satara, if you make a very early morning start, you will easily make it to Pune bypass in 1.5 hours, another 20 minutes on the Pune bypass and finally another 1.5 hours on the expressway till Nerul (Navi Mumbai). In all, you should take 3.5 hours to make it to Navi Mumbai provided you start early.

Hope this helps.

[ethanhunt123]

Originally Posted by lateshnair

All,

I'm planning Bangalore - Mumbai over the weekend with family, this is my first trip via road to Mumbai.
I read through this thread it is very helpful but I'm little confused which city I should halt for the day. I'm planning to start from Bangalore (Bannerghatta Road) at about 4:30am.

Bangalore - Mumbai is 14 hours (Google Navigation).

Many of you suggested Belgaum would be ideal stop over point. As per google navigation, Belgaum is about 7hrs(approx) from Bangalore. Considering that I would reach Belgaum by 12PM, which is quite early stop over point for me. I was thinking I will take a halt for the day at around 4-5pm in the evening. Again as per Google navigation I would be somewhere between Satara and Pune during that time.

Is this timing realistic? I definitely don't want to break my journey at 12 - 1 pm.
So my question is which would be the ideal place to halt for the day at around 4-5pm and then continue my journey to Mumbai the next morning?

Appreciate your expert advice

Cheers!

If you reach Pune by 4-5 pm, why stop ? Mumbai is only 2-3 hrs away ! If you have 2 drivers, i would strongly recommend continuing on to Mumbai.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by lateshnair

All,

I'm planning Bangalore - Mumbai over the weekend with family, this is my first trip via road to Mumbai.
I read through this thread it is very helpful but I'm little confused which city I should halt for the day. I'm planning to start from Bangalore (Bannerghatta Road) at about 4:30am.

Bangalore - Mumbai is 14 hours (Google Navigation).

Many of you suggested Belgaum would be ideal stop over point. As per google navigation, Belgaum is about 7hrs(approx) from Bangalore. Considering that I would reach Belgaum by 12PM, which is quite early stop over point for me. I was thinking I will take a halt for the day at around 4-5pm in the evening. Again as per Google navigation I would be somewhere between Satara and Pune during that time.

Is this timing realistic? I definitely don't want to break my journey at 12 - 1 pm.
So my question is which would be the ideal place to halt for the day at around 4-5pm and then continue my journey to Mumbai the next morning?

Appreciate your expert advice

Cheers!

As Parag has mentioned,you can easily do BLR-Mumbai in a day.Yes the problem would be depending on where in Mumbai is your final destination.If it is at Panvel,Vashi,Chembur etc then I would suggest that you push on till Mumbai.If it is somewhere in Thane or the western suburbs then maybe you could stay back in Pune and then after a lazy breakfast the next day you could head out to Mumbai.If you want a better option,you could stopover some place in Khandala or Lonavla and head out to Mumbai late the next day after seeing a bit of the places.

[rajeshchand]

Originally Posted by lateshnair

All,

I'm planning Bangalore - Mumbai over the weekend with family, this is my first trip via road to Mumbai.
I read through this thread it is very helpful but I'm little confused which city I should halt for the day. I'm planning to start from Bangalore (Bannerghatta Road) at about 4:30am.

Bangalore - Mumbai is 14 hours (Google Navigation).

Many of you suggested Belgaum would be ideal stop over point. As per google navigation, Belgaum is about 7hrs(approx) from Bangalore. Considering that I would reach Belgaum by 12PM, which is quite early stop over point for me. I was thinking I will take a halt for the day at around 4-5pm in the evening. Again as per Google navigation I would be somewhere between Satara and Pune during that time.

Is this timing realistic? I definitely don't want to break my journey at 12 - 1 pm.
So my question is which would be the ideal place to halt for the day at around 4-5pm and then continue my journey to Mumbai the next morning?

Appreciate your expert advice

Cheers!

Since you are planning for a 4.30am start you can be in mumbai by evening 6.30 with a long lunch break in between, except that is you are a very slow driver and would like to keep it slow then you can plan a halt at Satara rather than Pune.

[lateshnair]

Thank you paragsachania for the quick reply.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

A start at 4:30am from Bangalore would easily take you all the way till Pune in the next 12 hours with sedate speeds and breaks also. Stay options are plenty on Pune Bypass but I am wondering if staying in Pune (when the destination is Mumbai) will make sense at all considering another 2/2.5 hours to reach Mumbai suburbs!!

I could have done Bangalore - Mumbai without any halt if I was not with my family. Considering I have a 3yr old onboard I want to halt by max 5pm.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Yes, you shall pass Belgaum between 12-1pm and in the next 1.5 hours you will enter Kolhapur Bypass.

Satara becomes an Ideal stop over rather than Kolhapur if you plan to drive slower and with lots of breaks since that start in the morning.

Mahendra Executive is the most suitable stay option while in Satara and while driving towards Pune, this one is on the right hand side bang on the highway and you will spot a huge signage asking to take a U-Turn and is well marked too.

http://www.mahendraexecutive.com/

From Satara, if you make a very early morning start, you will easily make it to Pune bypass in 1.5 hours, another 20 minutes on the Pune bypass and finally another 1.5 hours on the expressway till Nerul (Navi Mumbai). In all, you should take 3.5 hours to make it to Navi Mumbai provided you start early.

I called Mahendraexecutive Hotel & Radika hotel, unfortunately both of them are completely booked out for 22nd & 23rd. I tried few hotels in Kohlapur as well even they are booked out.

Do you know any other better hotels on the Satara or Kohlapur bypass itself which is suitable to stay with family?

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by ethanhunt123

If you reach Pune by 4-5 pm, why stop ? Mumbai is only 2-3 hrs away ! If you have 2 drivers, i would strongly recommend continuing on to Mumbai.

Am the only driver. Plus I'm going to Mumbai after a long time and I need to get to Vasai East. It might get little difficult for me to locate the correct address in the night.

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

As Parag has mentioned,you can easily do BLR-Mumbai in a day.Yes the problem would be depending on where in Mumbai is your final destination.If it is at Panvel,Vashi,Chembur etc then I would suggest that you push on till Mumbai.If it is somewhere in Thane or the western suburbs then maybe you could stay back in Pune and then after a lazy breakfast the next day you could head out to Mumbai.If you want a better option,you could stopover some place in Khandala or Lonavla and head out to Mumbai late the next day after seeing a bit of the places.

I have to reach Vasai East, never been to this part of Mumbai. So not too comfortable to search and locate the address during late evening. Halt in Pune sounds better. I usually drive slow with family onboard so looks like I should be in Pune by around 5-6pm, which is quite decent time for me to halt for the day.

Originally Posted by rajeshchand

Since you are planning for a 4.30am start you can be in mumbai by evening 6.30 with a long lunch break in between, except that is you are a very slow driver and would like to keep it slow then you can plan a halt at Satara rather than Pune.

I'm a slow driver when I have family onboard especially with a 3 yr kid. Am trying to find a hotel in Satara for night stay but looks like all are booked out for the weekend. Probably, I need to drive little faster to reach Pune by 5-6pm.

[lateshnair]

Can you folks suggest few good hotels around Pune bypass for a night stay with family. Or do I need to enter Pune city for good hotels?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by lateshnair

Can you folks suggest few good hotels around Pune bypass for a night stay with family. Or do I need to enter Pune city for good hotels?

There are many options on Pune Bypass. Ginger, Sadanand, Sayaji but just 2 weeks before (8th-9th Sept 2012) we stayed in Niraali Executive in Hinjewadi by checking in on Saturday morning till Sunday.

The hotel is VFM and reasonable with decent rooms and amenities.

Hinjewadi is a mess during weekdays due to horrible traffic owing to the presence of IT biggies. But since It was a weekend, my calculation worked out perfectly well.

The Hotel is not on the bypass but ~4kms from the bypass where you actually take left at Wakad Bridge which anyways is about 8-10 minutes before the expressway entry. On weekends, you should not take more than 8-10 minutes to reach this Hotel from the Bypass

Here is how you reach from the Bypass:
http://goo.gl/maps/HM2w6

And here is the website for the hotel : http://www.hotelniraali.com/hotel_ro...es_in_Pune.htm

Call them now and you should easily be able to manage the booking in this hotel for sure.

[sdp1975]

Planning a trip from Bangalore to cover Shirdi ,the 3 Jyotirlingas in Maharashtra , and the Mahalaxmi temple in Kohlapur. Travelling with my wife and 2 kids - 2 yrs old each in my Fiat Punto. The main aim is to cover these places ,with travelling spread out evenly in the 5 days. Please comment on the route map and hotels below.Any suggestions and improvements to the plan will be appreciated.

I intend to stay in budget hotels - since my stay will mostly be overnight. Visit is during the diwali time - starting Sunday Nov 11. Time estimates include breaks during travel - on the higher side as I'll be travelling with kids. I've never done this route before.


Day 1: Bangalore -> Pune

Bangalore -> Pune (835 KM,14 hrs ) : Depart Bangalore @ 4:30 am , arrive Sadanand Residency @6:30 pm.

Day 2 : Pune ->Bhimashankar->Trimbakeshwar->Nashik


A)Pune -> Bhimashankar Temple ( 111 km,3 hrs) : Depart Pune @ 8 am, reach Bhimashankar Temple @11 am.
B)Bhimashankar Temple -> Trimbakeshwar Temple ( 237 km,5 hrs ) : Depart Bhimashankar after darshan @1pm, arrive Trimbakeshwar@6pm
C)Trimbakeshwar -> Rajmahal Hotel,Nashik ( 30km , 1 hr ) : Depart Trimbakeshwar after darshan @7pm, arrive Nashik@ 8pm

Day 3 : Nashik ->Shirdi->Grishneshwar->Aurangabad


A) Nashik ->Shirdi ( 87km,2 hrs ) : Depart Nashik@8am, arrive Shirdi@ 10am. Depart for after darshan
B) Shirdi -> Grishneshwar temple ( 100km,2hrs ) : Depart Shirdi after darshan@ 1pm, Arrive Grishneshwar@3pm
C) Grishneshwar -> Aurangabad ( 30km,1 hr) : Depart Grishneshwar after darshan@ 5pm, arrive Aurangabad@ 6pm

Day 4 : Aurangabad->Kohlapur ( Is my route on google maps right ?)


Aurangabad->Kohlapur ( 435km,8hrs) : Aurangabad sightseeing in the morning.Depart Aurangabad@12pm, arrive Hotel Landmark Kohlapur@ 8pm

Day 5: Kohlapur->Bangalore


Kohlapur->Bangalore ( 610 km,10 hrs) : Visit Mahalakshmi temple in the morning. Depart Kolhapur@12 noon,arrive Bangalore@10pm.


Route Map :

http://maps.google.co.in/maps?saddr=...mra=ls&t=m&z=7