[jigar1791@gmail]

Originally Posted by Aniket Verma

Mumbai
- Post midnight drive on Ghodbundar Road ( Once Truck Traffic is reduced)

Wouldn't recommend the Ghodbunder road during night. Absolutely risky.
WIth the amount of construction activities happening all along the road, right upto Gaimukh, dumpers and lorries are always up on the move there.
Plus, container traffic moving up north from JNPT/Nhava-Sheva also makes life difficult for motorists post 11 PM.

Regards,
Jigar Shah

[Samba]

Kolkata

My choices are-

Rajarhat/Newtown



2nd Hooghly Bridge



Chingrihata flyover to Newtown



GardenReach flyover



Maa flyover



Between, all these stretches have speed cams! Though these roads will tempt the driver to go fast specially at night, the driver needs to be content with speeds within the permissible limit.

[landcruiser123]

In Bangalore, any road on which traffic flows is fun.

One of my favorites was Arekere to Karmelram Railway Station before 5 AM. Cool early morning weather and empty ORR made it extremely fun. One of the rare times I'd not use the car AC in the city and keep the windows cracked ~2 inches while cruising at 60 kmph the whole route.

Other notable favorites are:
1. KIA to Arekere, Bannerghattta road
2. PES University (near Mysore road) to Arekere (Bannerghatta Road)
3. Drives to both Bangalore Cantonment and City railway station late night
4. Any drive when you stop at corner house for icecream :P

[iamitp]

Originally Posted by GTO

Mumbai:
We do this all the time . Bombay early in the morning than late at night. Both have their own unique charm, but I prefer the mornings more

I preferred morning drives in Chennai too for the sunrise views and brilliant breakfast options, some of which would run out by 10 AM. Morning drives work in Mumbai too I guess because of the breakfast options (being a working man's city) and more traffic at night.

Cities like Delhi like limited early morning breakfast options and very little traffic at night - hence more rewarding to drive at night for the illuminated monuments. Hyderabad and Bangalore are kinda neutral, I think.

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

Another lovely route is the Marine drive road from Puri to Konark. It’s another scenic route passing by the sea and lined with trees on both sides.

Also, this leisure route travel invariably ends with a hearty meal at the Park street with its array of restaurants !!

Oh yes, I've been in a cab on that route. Witnessed a sunrise on the Chandrabhaga beach too

How's the parking situation on Park Street (no pun intended)? When I went last year around Christmas, it seemed impossible to park.

Originally Posted by Samba

Kolkata
Though these roads will tempt the driver to go fast specially at night, the driver needs to be content with speeds within the permissible limit.

Fantastic pictures

After Delhi, I'd say Kolkata has the best sights and night especially with the two bridges over the Hooghly lit up.

[Aniket Verma]

Originally Posted by jigar1791@gmail

Wouldn't recommend the Ghodbunder road during night. Absolutely risky.
WIth the amount of construction activities happening all along the road, right upto Gaimukh, dumpers and lorries are always up on the move there.
Plus, container traffic moving up north from JNPT/Nhava-Sheva also makes life difficult for motorists post 11 PM.

Regards,
Jigar Shah

By GB road, I meant stretch between Gaimukh & Hotel Fountain. It used to be my goto route towards Western Suburbs from Thane b/w 2008 & 2016. Then Heavy Vehicle traffic used to ease out after 1:00 AM.

An early morning click from Gaimukh.

[Arreyosambha]

Night drives have been a source of great relaxation during these times - nothing quite compares to the joy of smoothly sailing along on the same roads that are usually choked with traffic, with some soothing music for company.

In Delhi, my usual route, albeit a short one, is one I never tire of. I turn into the Outer Ring Road from Savitri Cinema, and coast along till the IIT flyover, from where I turn right onto Aurobindo Marg. From there, a straight stretch with some iconic landmarks (AIIMS and the intersection with all the flyovers and underpasses, Safdarjung Tomb) and then turn right onto Lodhi Road. Proceed down the length of Lodhi Road (one of the most gorgeous roads in the city in my opinion), another right from the Nizamuddin roundabout, and then straight down through the Lajpat Nagar and Moolchand flyovers back to the Outer Ring Road. I particularly love the sight of the Metro descending into or ascending from the underground near the Lajpat Nagar flyover. A few odd red lights and police barriers are scattered throughout, but the car almost never comes to a complete stop.

On days when I have more time to kill, I love getting on the Outer Ring Road and then the NH8, all the way till I hit Cyber City, from where I take the Golf Course Road and breeze down till the roundabout near the Genpact building, and then drive down Sunset Boulevard and the Mehrauli Gurgaon Road on my way, and then back onto Aurobindo Marg till the Outer Ring Road.

Of course, the major deterrent to such drives these days is turning out to be the burgeoning petrol rates

[iamitp]

Originally Posted by Aniket Verma

An early morning click from Gaimukh.

Gaimukh looks so tranquil! I had no idea about its existence till now.

Originally Posted by Arreyosambha

I particularly love the sight of the Metro descending into or ascending from the underground near the Lajpat Nagar flyover.

Of course, the major deterrent to such drives these days is turning out to be the burgeoning petrol rates

I have practically the same routes! My GF loves Cocoberry near Savitri Cinema and I, the Kuremal & Naturals opposite Aurobindo Market.

This is how I end up spending Rs. 15K on petrol every month when my office is 3 KM away! But hey this is why I also got a car and we are on Team-BHP I guess

[igemini]

While everyone talks about the nice roads for night drives, while me in Kerala

We have nice ghat roads, well that might not be very ideal for night drives.
But yeah we have roads that are overcrowded with vehicles all day long. That too pothole-ridden during monsoon for that surprise element!

If not a 4 and 6 line highway with traffic lights in every 2 minutes. Needless to say, those have tolls too for going using those amusement park effects on the road.

Yeah probably the narrowest national highway in India too, again with overload capabilities and an impeccable total average speed of under 30-40 km. NH 17 in Kerala is awesome with many such features. Especially the starting stretch from Kochi to the next 60 km or 100. Fewer buses these days, if not it would be more magnificent.

[hothatchaway]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

As Blackpearl said above, the route mentioned by him is every driver’s delight here in Calcutta. Just that the turn after crossing the Eden Garden is towards Princep street and not Strand Road as he mentioned (of course staying out of India has its pitfalls ) Also, this leisure route travel invariably ends with a hearty meal at the Park street with its array of restaurants !!

Absolutely, this is a very soothing stretch to drive on and is somewhat of a ritual for us during Sunday afternoons. Cruising past a rain soaked racecourse and the maidan is sheer bliss!

[jeeva]

Has nothing to do with cities, but for people like me (non-resident Keralite -NRK), nothing can ever come close to the legendary Thamarassery churam. Climbing up the ghats in a powerful RWD german sedan in the middle of the night when it's drizzling is absolute bliss! And if you have a slightly open exhaust, then that's a match made in heaven.

And the customary chaaya and smoke stop at Vythiri. Good old days!

[Stribog]

Surprised nothing from TN, so let me do the honours.

East Coast Road - Start at the war memorial, drive up Marina Beach - butter smooth roads always (a lot of senior Police offices are located alongside), broad, crystal clear signage, lots of British Raj era heritage buildings along the route. Hit Santhome, the Santhome church is beautifully lit up at night always (pre covid at least), then work your way upto the boring heavily built up stretch from Adayar on to Neelankarai (about 8 kms which at low traffic times would be about 15-25 mins).

Then comes the beautiful ECR. Esp if you choose a full moon night, you have the moon over the ocean to your left, a road of international standards (all signages were done up during the Modi / Xi visit in Mahabalipuram), and except for the speed traps (you have MANY so please go slowly, a friend of mine was hit with 3 separate ones and paid a cumulative fine of some 3k iirc, they are all automated so no change of arguing with the cops) the road has not a single obstacle.

Put your cruise at 79 (speed limit of 80 KMPH) and just enjoy the scenic drive all the way to the stunning town of Mahabalipuram, about 40 kms which can be done in 30-40 mins easily.

U-turn and if you want a change of pace, drive down OMR, while the roads are broad, you only get the bog standard IT city infra - tall glass building after tall glass building.

The total distance from the war memorial to Mahabs is about 60 kms, and if done at night (say around 10 PM start time) can be covered in about an hour or so roughly.

[sarav_a]

Originally Posted by iamitp

Chennai

- ECR Thiruvanmiyur to Mahabalipuram: So many sights on the way but the Bay of Bengal over Casuarinas and the Shore Temple at Mahabs alone make it worthwhile. My favorite beach on this route is at Neelankarai.

.

+1. Especially on full moon nights, with glitter sea by your side, the ride will be amazing. My favorite is to park the car near Muttukadu bridge and watch the full moon rise out of the sea from the bridge.

[NiInJa]

I don't have photographs, but drive from Srivardhan to Diveagar on a full moon was an awesome experience. The road runs along the shore and you can see the waves glittering under the moonlight with fishing boats with their twinkling lights!

[manchandap]

For Delhi-NCR people, depending on your location following are the additional options for a leisurely drive:

• Faridabad-Gurugram Road
• Delhi-Gurugram Expressway, till Kherkhi Dhulan Toll
• Noida-Greater Noida Expressway
• Noida-Yamuna Expressway

Originally Posted by iamitp

- Special mentions: Drive on Mathura Road just to see ASI's latest and best lighting effort in Delhi at Khan-i-Khana from up close.

Can you share the location for this.

[arjab]

Siliguri to Kurseong via Pankhabari.
Post 9pm.
The fun starts from the famous wooden bridge just after Pankhabari village post office.
Empty roads, 1 in 5 gradient 1st gear hairpins, sudden fog drifting in without any warning, the chilly Himalayan air, the continuous chirping of the crickets, the sudden dips and off camber bends, specially around the many culverts, the forests just before Makaibari Tea Estate. (If you are lucky you can even spot the odd fox or the civet cat cross the road!)
It ends at the facade of the wonderfully lit up heritage toy train station of Kurseong as you crest the summit.
In around 15 odd kilometres you climb from sea level to 4800+ feet.
It tests every sinew of your driving faculties. It teases you and your car, titillating your automotive senses. It teaches you to understand your limits and be one with your machine.
For me, it's a classic