Seeking some guidance for a Chennai to Ahmedabad & back trip coming up towards the end of the year. The obvious route would be of course via Bangalore & Pune, a route I am well familiar with. But this now is starting to accumulate an increasing number of pain points. Chennai - Kanchipuram poor roads, bypassing Bangalore (not so bad these days), MH border to Satara traffic and diversions, crossing Pune, crossing outskirts of Mumbai, Ghodbunder snarls and the increasingly adverse reports on NH 48 in general. This prompted me for some "off the wall" speculation of a route - Chennai-Hyderabad-Aurangabad-Dhule-Pithampur-Godhra-Ahmedabad. It sounds crazy but its just about 100 kms longer than the standard route. It has its own pain points of course - questionable sections on Hyderabad-Tuljapur, poor sections around Kannad & Chalisgoan, no butter smooth 6 laners and the genaral lack of facilities all along this route.
Is this a completely nutty idea or is it worth some contemplation ?
Grateful for advice (or a kick !) from the gurus.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Secretariat
(Post 5644705)
Seeking some guidance for a Chennai to Ahmedabad & back trip coming up towards the end of the year.
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I've done Madras-Ahmedabad 3-4 times. All avoiding Pune, Bombay. Bangalore was enroute in only 1 run this summer. Otherwise I've avoided Bangalore and by extension Pune-Bangalore NH4 too during holiday season.
Here are the weirdo options I've attempted plus 2 more from fellow members:
1. Madras-Hyderabad-Osmanabad-Aurangabad-Kannad-Dhule-Indore-Ahmedabad
This is mostly good except for a 50 km section on Chalisgaon-Dhule. Kannad is no longer a problem, as HCVs are no longer allowed.
Indore-Dahod-Godhra must be done during day time only.
This was done over 2.5 days when Kannad took upwards of 2 hours to negotiate, which is no longer a bother going by multiple recent reports.
2. Madras-Nellore-Mydukur-Kurnool-Hyderabad-Aurangabad-Sinnar-Nasik-Peint-Dharampur-Chikhli-Ahmedabad
Nellore-Mydukur is good 2-lane. Though its not as empty as my 2021 attempt. It is still good enough. This was done for exploration only. You can take if you are bored of taking NAM to Hyderabad and not in a hurry.
Mydukur-Kurnool is excellent 4-lane.
Nasik-Peint is good concrete 2-lane. One member reported that roads after Nana Pondha towards Valsad have deteriorated. This was a GMaps suggested crazy route that took me on narrow roads for 10-15 km to Dharampur. Apart from this short section. Rest was wide 2-lane.
3. Madras-Hyderabad-Nagpur-Bhopal-Indore-Ahmedabad
This is even longer and not recommended. As it does not add any additional value over the above routes. Bhopal-Indore is frustrating to drive with loads of 2-wheeler traffic.
4. Baroda-Charoti-Jawahar-Triambak-Nasik
When I did in 2019, the ghat climbing to Triambak was horrendous and Charoti-Jawahar was mediocre. A fellow member did this summer
here and has reported it good.
5. Aurangabad-Niphad-Saputara-Chikhli - courtesy of Parag
here.
I wanted to do this winter, but ended up doing Peint route which I had done last summer.
6. Hyd-Sangareddy-Nanded-Washim-Sinnar-Nasik-any one of the 3 ghats-NH8
This new route is courtesy of Roadtiger
here.
