[dr. sen]

Dear Vipin babu,

Congrats for such a detailed write-up, complete with relevant pictures. My trip will take up exactly your route, but from kolkta - lucknow - kathgodam. then on return - kathgodam - varanasi - gaya - kolkta. Should i follow your route or you want to advise some better route. Perhaps some roads, you want me to avoid. Any hotels you want us to avoid, in the list. or recommend. Your advise is very much solicited. I plan to start on saturday 17th, morning.

Regards

[Vipin Kumar]

Hi Dr. Sen,

You must have taken NH 2 from Kolkata to Varanasi already. Please avoid NH 56 from there to Lucknow. The roads are very bad. Instead you can choose Varanasi - Allahabad bypass - Raebareilly route to Lucknow. It is 30 kms extra but it is worth the effort.

From Lucknow, you have to be on the NH 24 for sometime. Road upto Sitapur (80 kms) is superfine but then upto Bareilly will be bad with intermittent motorable patches. You have to live with it anyway if you are choosing any other short cut. I am not aware if any too.

Let us know once it is done. In between you are welcome to make any enquiry. Apologies for this delay too.

Happy driving.

Vipin.

[evilminstrel]

Diesel full-tank filled from the usual IOC in Lucknow and the pressure in the tyres checked:

Hello,
Where exactly is this COCO. I need to cross this stretch in June so information of COCOs along the route is really helpful

[Vipin Kumar]

Originally Posted by evilminstrel

Hello,
Where exactly is this COCO. I need to cross this stretch in June so information of COCOs along the route is really helpful

I had missed your message. This COCO is inside Lucknow city, near polytechnic junction. Anyway, you must not have had to go to that side of the city.

May I know which route you took? Did you take the Handia/Allahabad - Varanasi/Sasaram stretch? How are the road conditions/works in progress?

[evilminstrel]

Originally Posted by Vipin Kumar

May I know which route you took? Did you take the Handia/Allahabad - Varanasi/Sasaram stretch? How are the road conditions/works in progress?

I went by Lucknow Prahaladpur - Varanasi -Sasaram route. Came back by Sasaram -Varanasi- Handia route. Roads on Varanasi Sasarm route is a breeze, I didn't realize when did I cross Sasaram. However, Sasaram-Varanasi-Handia route is annoying and with diversions. Work still in progress.
This was June 2019 by the way .