[Pacifica]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Go Ahead. Its all safe on NH4 at nights and you can easily do this without much bother.

In case you want to refuel in Karnataka, make sure you do that before Dharwad at many BPCL and IOCL COCO outlets than trying to look around for a reliable (and functional) fuel station post midnight between Hubli and Chitradurga.

There may not be much options for you to break for snacks and tea and hence please rely on tapri shops at the entrance/exit of every toll booth.

Be advised about speedbreakers, fortunately all of them are well marked now.

There are rumblers (freshly laid 2 days back at the same location) soon after Hirebagewadi toll (70/-) with flashing lamp post and enough signage.

Same is the case with another huge one just before Harihar Bypass.

So, please pay attention to signage and flashing lights on the median at night.

Between Chitradurga and Tumkur 6 lane work has resulted in around 19-20 diversions onto service lane but each of these is well marked. Ensure you slow down at each of these diversions as a couple of them have speedbreakers before you get diverted and a few of them have speedbreakers on the service lanes as well. Overall, good markings make this an easy task to manage at night. Also, flash lights to signal overtaking on these diversions and you would normally see that truckers make way for you even on the narrow service lanes.

Dear Parag,

Thank you so much for all your informative posts on the Bangalore - Pune road. They have been of inestimable help in planning my itinerary.

I am planning to drive from Pune to Salem, TN, via Bangalore next week. I would be driving at night (since that's when my hyperactive 11-month old son will be quiet and asleep). We plan to leave Pune by 8 or 9pm at night.

From your posts (and HVK's) I am not too worried about the night driving, and we will be carrying all the food and water we would need.

The only thing I wanted to check with you was the availability of clean restroom facilities along the way - would these be available along the highway itself or would we have to detour into the towns along the way? If so, could you point me to some of them so that we can plan our rest breaks accordingly?

Thanks in advance.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Pacifica

Thanks in advance.

Locations of few Kamaths on the highway

1. Sankeshwar (on the other side while you drive towards Salem)
2. Just before Dharwad bypass begins (on your side)
3. 10-11km after Hubli bypass (on your side)
4. Davanagere (on the other side)
5. Sira just after the bypass on your side
6. Dobbaspet one on your side and two on the opposite side.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Pacifica

The only thing I wanted to check with you was the availability of clean restroom facilities along the way - would these be available along the highway itself or would we have to detour into the towns along the way? If so, could you point me to some of them so that we can plan our rest breaks accordingly?

Thanks in advance.

Finding cleaner restrooms on this Highway is not an easy task if you are accompanied by family. Since most the places which are "Ideal" from restroom perspective are Hotels/Restaurants, they would obviously remain closed all along this route after 11/11:30pm Max and that includes Kamat as well.

The best option would be to make use of good COCO Fuel stations. They normally oblige and pass you the keys of these rest rooms which are acceptable in terms of cleanliness. I consider them safer too and my daughter has had many of her late night dinners walking around the lawns of these fuel stations.

Though I shouldn't get too specific here, as much as possible make use of rest rooms available as part of your food breaks and refueling stations.

There are Plenty of Fuel stations and a BPCL COCO after 4-5 kms of Dharwad.

After you pass this area, mind you, you would find no good fuel stations all the way till you are in Kolhapur bypass.

If you want to detour, at that time of the night, you can always enter Belgaum (Bus Stand is less than 4 kms from the Bypass Turn-off) or Sankeshwar or Nippani as well (which will be 3-4 kms inside). These Bus Stands are alive at nights due to high number of KSRTC/NWKRTC/MSRTC buses plying from many MH towns into North Karnataka towns. I wont comment much on the cleanliness part of these rest rooms but they are safer opposed to any other option then!

Once you enter MH, there are many fueling stations (as well as the 24 hours McDs on Kolhapur Bypass) which you wont miss.

[alto99]

Originally Posted by Pacifica

I would be driving at night (since that's when my hyperactive 11-month old son will be quiet and asleep). We plan to leave Pune by 8 or 9pm at night.

Driving at night from Chitradurga (or is it even before?) to Bangalore was a nightmare due to the mining truck activity last year. the Mining trunks, generally slower, block both lanes and do not allow almost any kind of overtaking.
Situation might have changed now but be prepared for that if it has not.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by alto99

Driving at night from Chitradurga (or is it even before?) to Bangalore was a nightmare due to the mining truck activity last year. the Mining trunks, generally slower, block both lanes and do not allow almost any kind of overtaking.
Situation might have changed now but be prepared for that if it has not.

Its definitely not bad at all since the mining ban came into effect. In fact, despite the diversions (19) which exist now due to the 6 lane work in progress between Tumkur and Chitradurga are managed well and wide enough to allow you overtake a truck even on the service lane.

Further to the time when 6 lane work started, I have driven more than 8 times (latest being Jan 1-3, 2013) and the situation is absolutely better at night comparing to those mining days. The absence of ruffian mining trucks also makes the single carriageway Hubli-Dharwad bypass safer than before.

However, the best time at night to pass Tumkur-Chitradurga stretch (about 130 kms) is only between 10pm-1am because you would then encounter huge outflow of Bus traffic from Bangalore that usually starts around 10:30/11pm at least till Davanagere which will bring down the overall experience driving on those diversions.

[Pacifica]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

The best option would be to make use of good COCO Fuel stations. They normally oblige and pass you the keys of these rest rooms which are acceptable in terms of cleanliness. I consider them safer too and my daughter has had many of her late night dinners walking around the lawns of these fuel stations.

There are Plenty of Fuel stations and a BPCL COCO after 4-5 kms of Dharwad.

After you pass this area, mind you, you would find no good fuel stations all the way till you are in Kolhapur bypass.

Hi Parag,

Thanks for the advice. So going by this, we would plan for one halt at a good fuel station at the Kolhapur bypass (approximately 250km from Pune), then another between Dharwad and Hubli (approx. 200km from Kohlapur), again at Chitradurga (another 250-odd km), and finally once in Bangalore or Hosur.

My wife and I plan to alternate driving duty at each break, assuming our son stays asleep. I'd prefer her to drive on the sections that have double lanes with dividers, while I drive on the non-divided stretches. Could you please advise as to which sections are not doubled/divided?

Also, we're a bit worried about being caught up in the huge flow of bus traffic between Bombay/Pune and Bangalore at night, and a 9pm start would seem to put us right among the buses. Would it be preferable to start a tad earlier, say around 6 - 7pm?

One last question - which of the three states, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, has cheaper petrol? That'll help me plan when/how much to tank up with.

Thanks in advance again.

Originally Posted by Pacifica

which sections are not doubled/divided?

Road-widening works are in progress between Pune and Satara, Chitradurga and Tumkur & Hosur and Krishnagiri. These sections have a lot of diversions.

which of the three states, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, has cheaper petrol?

Karnataka has the dubious distinction of selling the costliest petrol with the prices in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are, more or less, the same [less than Karnataka's price by ~ 2.50/litre of petrol].

That'll help me plan when/how much to tank up with.

You car can have tankful of petrol at BP COCO outlet at Vadgaon located some 30 km ahead of Kolhapur on the LHS of NH 4 or at HP COCO outlet just before Kolhapur located on the RHS of NH 4. Similarly, your car can have tankful at HP COCO outlet [with McD and CCD attached] at Shoolagiri or at BP COCO & Ghar Dhaba outlet [with A2B] at Chinnar, both located on the LHS of NH 7 between Hosur and Krishnagiri. All the sides mentioned are from Pune to Salem.

[SafeDrive]

Originally Posted by Pacifica

Hi Parag,
One last question - which of the three states, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, has cheaper petrol? That'll help me plan when/how much to tank up with.

There's an interesting site for this. Check it out - http://www.mypetrolprice.com/

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Pacifica

Hi Parag,

Could you please advise as to which sections are not doubled/divided?

All the sections are double carriageway (4 laned and 6 laned at many places where work is complete). The Diversions are on either sides of the road. There are:

• Approximately 19-20 Diversions between Tumkur-Chitradurga
• Around 2-3 between Dharwad-Belgaum
• 2-3 Between Satara and Pune
• couple of them on Pune bypass.

The only stretch which is single carriageway without a median is the Hubli-Dharwad Stretch which is a distance of 30 kms.

Also, we're a bit worried about being caught up in the huge flow of bus traffic between Bombay/Pune and Bangalore at night, and a 9pm start would seem to put us right among the buses. Would it be preferable to start a tad earlier, say around 6 - 7pm?

The best time to start from Pune would be between 9:30-10:00 PM.
Doing this will ensure you are least bothered about the queues at the 4 toll booths in Maharashtra and much of the private and miscellaneous traffic would have thinned.

Most of the night buses would actually stop for dinner after Khedshivpur and nearby places during which time you can pass them with ease.

There will be plenty of COCO outlets nearing Satara, After Karad and soon after Kolhapur (Konduskar on the left hand side). The best while driving downsouth is to fill up at Konduskar as this is just before the MH-KA Border.

One last question - which of the three states, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, has cheaper petrol? That'll help me plan when/how much to tank up with.

Thanks in advance again.

Depending on the range of a Petrol car (I assume 450-500 kms), You are better off for your first refill at Konduskar (Kolhapur).

From here you can drive all the way till Chitradurga and find many good BPCL outlets soon after passing this town and refill here.

In fact you can stop-over at Kamat (SIRA) and do the second refilling at the BPCL here if your range permits.

From Sira the KA-TN border will be around ~150-170kms via NICE Road and hence you may want to refill the second time accordingly to benefit from the cheaper price in TN. As soon as you cross KA-TN Border, there are plenty of stations.

EDIT: Starting anything around 5-6pm from Pune side is absolutely disastrous as you will reach Bangalore around 4-5am which is a time where lots and lots of Bus and truck traffic is moving towards Bangalore side. With so many trucks and buses, those 19 odd diversions between Chitradurga-Tumkur would be a pain. Best time to leave is 9/9:30pm from Pune.

[Pacifica]

Dear Parag, Safedrive, and Ravi,

Thank you all for your advice in helping me plan this trip. I am now back in Pune after my Pune - Bangalore - Salem - Bangalore - Pune trip, and your advice was quite invaluable, especially Parag.

Thanks again.

[goandude]

Travelling Bangalore Pune this weekend. Any BHPians similarly placed? Would be nice to catch up enroute.

[santoshr]

Wanted to share this pic I took at Kamaths at Dobbaspeth. Shows a list of all the Kamaths in and around the Bangalore route in Karnataka.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by goandude

Travelling Bangalore Pune this weekend. Any BHPians similarly placed? Would be nice to catch up enroute.

Driving to Indore on tomorrow via Pune-Nagar-Aurangabad-Dhule-Mhow route. Staring around 7PM from Tumkur road. Return route is not yet decided but will mostly take a different one this time via Sholapur-Bijapur-Hubli-Bangalore.

[nileshch]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Return route is not yet decided but will mostly take a different one this time via Sholapur-Bijapur-Hubli-Bangalore.

Don't know if you have taken this route earlier. But had read somewhere on TBHP that this may not be the best. Roads are not good for quite a stretch. I had considered this route when coming from Jalgaon to Bangalore. Finally came via Nanded and Hyderabad.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Driving to Indore on tomorrow via Pune-Nagar-Aurangabad-Dhule-Mhow route. Staring around 7PM from Tumkur road. Return route is not yet decided but will mostly take a different one this time via Sholapur-Bijapur-Hubli-Bangalore.

@Condor had covered this section some time back. He said, it tires you down. Bijapur-Sholapur is a 2-lane highway, with trucks.

Bijapur-Hospet : 4-lane.
Hospet Bypas: The lesser said the better.

Hospet-Chitradurga : Decent enough 2-lane (Regularly updated in the Hampi thread).

I would say take the regular road. There is not even a scenery to enjoy on the alternative route. Unless you want to take a day off at Hampi. Again not worth it, as it would be hot.