[anshul_UVA]

Hi All,

We (my wife, 4 month old daughter and I) need to cover the distance between Lucknow and Varanasi in mid-February as a part of a long multi-destination trip.

I have 2 options for covering this distance, on which I wanted opinions from people more experienced in traveling those regions. Our flight reaches Lucknow at 2 PM on the day of arrival.

1) Train - Train from Lucknow departs at 5 50 Pm and arrives Varanasi at 11 20 PM. No other trains between 2 and 5 50 on that day.

2a) Road (Taxi) - I mostly want opinion on this option from the community. Google maps shows the journey time of around 5 hours via various routes. Our daughter seems relatively comfortable in the car (sleeps in the car seat comfortably). But this should be the case with train too. So the questions are

a) Whats the best route (road conditions and safety wise) on this stretch? I do not want to go on a bumpy potholed road. Would rather spend additional hour for smooth roads.
b) What would be an optimal travel time assuming 3-4 short breaks? Though we do not have a time constraint, we would like to reach before 9-10 pm, which comes to 6.5-7.5 hours assuming no flight delays.

2b) Road (Volvo bus - UPSRTC) - Any comments? I have some doubts because I dont know how our little one will behave in a bus. Also comfort etc?

Thanks in advance for any comments / suggestions.

Anshul

[ottocycle]

I would recommend Train instead. I do see a few trains between 2PM to 5 PM.

12552BSB GARIB RATH
LKO02.30BSB08.1505.45RxYxYxYx xxAvxxxxx14004NDLS NFK EXPRES
LKO02.30BSB08.1505.45RYxxxYxx xAvAvxxAvxx18104JALIANWALA B EX
LKO02.45BSB09.3506.50RxxxYxYx xAvAvxxAvxx14864MARUDHAR EXPRES
LKO03.10BSB08.3505.25RYxYxxYx xAvAvxxAvxx14866MARUDHAR EXPRES
LKO03.10BSB09.3006.20RxxxYxxx xAvAvxxAvxx14008SADHBHAWNA EXP
LKO03.35BSB09.1505.40RxxYxYxx xxAvxxAvxx14016SADHBHAWNA EXP
LKO03.35BSB09.1505.40RYxxxxYx xxAvxxAvxx14018SADBHAVNA EXP
LKO03.35BSB10.3006.55RxxxYxxx xAvAvxxAvxx14854MARUDHAR EXPRES
LKO03.40BSB10.3006.50RxYxxYxY xAvAvxxAvxx19313INDB PATNA EXP
LKO05.40BSB11.1005.30RxxxYxxx xAvAvxxAvxx

Otherwise you can take national highway 56. It's in very good condition. Google map doesn't give the proper driving direction.
http://www.mapsofindia.com/driving-d...tions-map.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationa...56_%28India%29

National Highway 56 (NH 56) is a National Highway in Northern India entirely within the state of Uttar Pradesh. NH 56 links State Capital Lucknow with Varanasi. The total length of NH 56 is 285 km (177 mi). [1]
Starting from Mahatma Gandhi Marg in Lucknow, NH 56 ends at Sarnath road at Varanasi. The road is called Jaunpur road and Kautilya Kon road as it approaches Varanasi.

[ampere]

@ottocycle,

Is it a 2L highway? I mostly remember folks taking trains. How are the break options on the route? Also how is the status around Sultanpur-Jaunpur?

[anshul_UVA]

@Ottocycle,

Thanks for the reply, but the trains you mentioned are between 2 AM and 5AM. But thanks for the road update. If it is a good condition hwy, I will think about that option.

[sgiitk]

Let me add that from Allahabad you are on NH2. There is also a bypass for Allahabad, pricey but fast.

[rishab.k]

@ Anshul,

You haven't mentioned the day but Himgiri Express leaves at 3:30 pm but only three days in a week (Mon,Tue & Fri).

If you wish to travel by Volvo then you have barely enough time to catch the one that leaves at 3 pm.
Check this link. UPSRTC

You can take a pre-paid taxi to reach the Alambag bus station, which is about 5 Kms form the Airport.or else, you can take a taxi from the Airport to Varanasi & instead of entering the city ,head towards Mohanlalganj from the Airport & take the NH 24B.Do check Google maps for this.

[anshul_UVA]

All,
Thanks for the suggestions. My journey is on a Thursday, which has a drought of trains in that time frame.

For now, have converged onto
a) Varuna Express
b) Taxi straight from the airport, via NH 24B and then onto NH 2.
c) UPSRTC bus at 3.

Will let you all know if I do take the road. :-).

Enjoy!
Anshul

[entropy]

Folks

Can any fellow bhpian update how is the current condition of this route esp. the Sultanpur to Varanasi stretch via Jaunpur. Many thanks in advance.

[entropy]

Originally Posted by entropy

Folks

Can any fellow bhpian update how is the current condition of this route esp. the Sultanpur to Varanasi stretch via Jaunpur. Many thanks in advance.

Since I took this route today I'll update the current condition. From Lucknow upto badlapur via sultanpur is bearable with some quite good stretches.

From badlapur things start getting bad but still quite motorable. The jaunpur to varanasi part is however in absolute ruts. The route is few kms of good road followed by stretches that fully test cars suspension sturdiness as well as the sturdiness of all your body joints. The good bad ratio is about 50-50 from jaunpur to varanasi. It is not possible to go beyond 10 kmph on bad stretches.

Overall however this route is still advisable compared to GQ route via Kanpur due to the length of the route (about 120 kms of difference overall).

[itwasntme]

Bumping up an old thread on road conditions between Lucknow and Varanasi. Exploring a trip in mid-October. Can anyone update please? Thanks!

[drsnt]

I plan to travel from Dhanbad to Varanasi and Lucknow. I would like to know How is road condition between Varanasi to Lucknow after Allahabad.
Thank you in Advance

[evilminstrel]

Originally Posted by drsnt

I plan to travel from Dhanbad to Varanasi and Lucknow. I would like to know How is road condition between Varanasi to Lucknow after Allahabad.
Thank you in Advance

Hey there,

Any heads up on the Lucknow-Varanasi stretch. Am planning to cross this stretch in June next week. This route is the first time for me, usually, I go through Delhi- Kanpur-Allahabad- Varansi route.

[drsnt]

Originally Posted by evilminstrel

Hey there,

Any heads up on the Lucknow-Varanasi stretch. Am planning to cross this stretch in June next week. This route is the first time for me, usually, I go through Delhi- Kanpur-Allahabad- Varansi route.

I am traveling in 1 week of June on same stretch, so will update accordingly.
Before that my friend is traveling from Bokaro to Dehradun via Varanasi, Lucknow, Agra, Noida route. Will ask him when he travels.
Regards

[drsnt]

Originally Posted by evilminstrel

Hey there,

Any heads up on the Lucknow-Varanasi stretch. Am planning to cross this stretch in June next week. This route is the first time for me, usually, I go through Delhi- Kanpur-Allahabad- Varansi route.

When I went in October, my experience was bad. In Varanasi was all dug up with road expansion work. Google map suggested me to go through Sultanpur as road before Allahabad (at Handia) was as usual jammed. Google map took me to a bottle neck while going out of Varanasi and I got struck for 1 hr before taking a u turn and rejoining the the road from a different route. It took me through Machlishahar.
It's a typical state highway nothing exceptional but a lot of 2 wheeler traffic. Later Sultanpur Raebareilly Lucknow is toll road. Well maintained.
On returning I decided to take Allahabad route and got struck in massive jam at Handia due to road expansion work. Lost 2 hrs. Reached Varanasi in 9 hrs.