[black_panther]

We stayed at Hotel Anandalok off the highway between Mohania and Varanasi during our onward and return journey from MP. The hotel offers reasonably clean rooms and wash rooms and comes with ample safe parking/lawn inside it's premises. If one is just looking to spend the night and not looking for star rated amenities, this should be a good way to avoid the risk of getting into the chaotic traffic of Varanasi and unsafe parking options. We bargained at a rate that is 40 to 50 percent cheaper than the one offered at MMT. This is also a good option for people who want to drive onto purvanchal expressway.
If one is late and can only make upto Aurangabad from Kolkata, Hotel Vaishnavi Heights would be a similar or better option, specially because of their reasonably priced multi cuisine restaurant.

[rahul4640]

Friends, am presently in New Delhi after driving here from Kolkata. I made an overnight stop at Lucknow. Started from Cossipore area of north Calcutta at around half past night at night. Followed Google map throughout. After Mohaniya border google map directed me to turn right using an underpass. It was an undivided narrow road, barely wide for two vehicles and was often broken at places. Ghazipur was the place where had our lunch (was accompanied by my wife & daughter). Some twenty or so KM ahead of Purvanchal Expressway was greeted by four lane roads. Reached my hotel at Lucknow shortly after four in the afternoon. No facility at Purvanchal Expressway, though I was not charged any toll. And Lucknow to New Delhi took me possibly over just six hours.
Regards
Rahul Biswas
PS- I was driving an over ten year old Maruti SX-4 sedan (petrol)

[chinkara]

Originally Posted by rahul4640

Friends, am presently in New Delhi after driving here from Kolkata. I made an overnight stop at Lucknow. Started from Cossipore area of north Calcutta at around half past night at night. Followed Google map throughout. After Mohaniya border google map directed me to turn right using an underpass. It was an undivided narrow road, barely wide for two vehicles and was often broken at places.

27 Jan: Bodhgaya - Lucknow. Used GQ till Mohania. Then Mohania - Dildarnagar-Gazipur - Purvanchal expressway. The road from Mohania was a good 2 laner except for a horrible 10-15 km stretch around Dildarnagar. Purvanchal expressway road excellent, but boring. Was almost falling asleep - started braying loudly (even i would not call it singing) to keep myself awake.

Presumably it was the same Dildarnagar stretch?

[rahul4640]

Originally Posted by chinkara

Presumably it was the same Dildarnagar stretch?

Not sure but possibly not. I didn’t see any marker or sign for Dildarnagar anywhere, though I saw marking for Zamania railway station at least twice.

[rahul4640]

Friends,
I drove from New Delhi to Benaras today. I may safely say that going via Purvanchal Expressway you may safely cover this distance in about twelve hours, even less if you are a spirited driver. I took Delhi Agra expressway & ALE. From Sultanpur connector in Purvanchal Expressway, followed Google map. Set Benaras as destination and it made me bypass Sultanpur town. Jaunpur had too many two wheelers. But I think this is a good alternative to the conventional road going via Royberrily.
Regards,
Rahul Biswas

[rahul4640]

Originally Posted by rahul4640

Started from Cossipore area of north Calcutta at around half past night at night.

Sorry friends, what I meant was that I left home at half past eight.
Rahul

[prateekvidya]

Originally Posted by rahul4640

Friends,
I drove from New Delhi to Benaras today. I may safely say that going via Purvanchal Expressway you may safely cover this distance in about twelve hours, even less if you are a spirited driver. I took Delhi Agra expressway & ALE. From Sultanpur connector in Purvanchal Expressway, followed Google map. Set Benaras as destination and it made me bypass Sultanpur town. Jaunpur had too many two wheelers. But I think this is a good alternative to the conventional road going via Royberrily.
Regards,
Rahul Biswas

How is the speed camera situation throughout ? esp. on Purvanchal ?

[rahul4640]

Originally Posted by prateekvidya

How is the speed camera situation throughout ? esp. on Purvanchal ?

In Purvanchal Expressway, all I could see was maybe one or two police vehicles parked at the side of the road. But they were minding their own business, I felt.
One other thing, I request all fellow drivers to carry some hot tea or coffee in these expressways, as it is otherwise too boring. May even cause drowsiness. Maybe even a can of ref bull or some good music in high volume may help.
In Purvanchal Expressway, there is absolutely zero facility. Some toilets are built but they lack water. Please also check your fuel level and maybe tyre pressure beforehand.
Thanks

[chinkara]

Originally Posted by rahul4640

In Purvanchal Expressway, all I could see was maybe one or two police vehicles parked at the side of the road. But they were minding their own business, I felt.
One other thing, I request all fellow drivers to carry some hot tea or coffee in these expressways, as it is otherwise too boring. May even cause drowsiness. Maybe even a can of ref bull or some good music in high volume may help.
In Purvanchal Expressway, there is absolutely zero facility. Some toilets are built but they lack water. Please also check your fuel level and maybe tyre pressure beforehand.
Thanks

I agree - Purvanchal Expressway + ALE almost puts you to sleep. Black coffee helps.

[Spanbis]

Originally Posted by chinkara

I agree - Purvanchal Expressway + ALE almost puts you to sleep. Black coffee helps.

True... But for the disgusting traffic in between... I.e. within Lucknow... That's when we felt that there should be a flyover over the city. We got stuck for 2.5 Hrs within the city in Feb. Some VIP movement / campaigning was the main reason of this delay.

[prateekvidya]

Thanks folks for all the tips - extremely useful - did the stretch from Noida to Azamgarh in 7 hours flat (about 1074 kms) - some observations:

1. The expressways do have potential to put you to sleep - i just increased my speed so I was attentive all the time.

2. ALE seems to be the best one by far - also - very seamless connectivity from YE to ALE but I wish there was something similar between ALE and Purvanchal - the thing through Lucknow took nearly an hour including re-fuelling. Also - traffic sense on this stretch seemed abysmal.

3. They should put up signboards saying there is no working fuel station on Purvanchal - if I hadn't read it here, I would never have topped up in Lucknow and would have been in major trouble or would have been forced to take an undesirable exit from the expressway.

4. Facilities in the ALE stretch have huge scope for improvement - they are nowhere near YE.

5. Toll-free run is enjoyable but there was some politician who decided to stop his car right there and meet his followers - some 30 odd cars blocked all 3 lanes and wasted almost 25 mins to clear out one lane for the ones not interested. Seemed like some very local politician but just goes to show how we can ruin very good infrastructure !

6. Radarbot app is very useful on YE and ALE - ALE has less speed cameras but i could slow down in all of them. Purvanchal was very fun - mileage killer of course but I could gain on time for a long journey ahead.

[chinkara]

Originally Posted by prateekvidya

3. They should put up signboards saying there is no working fuel station on Purvanchal - if I hadn't read it here, I would never have topped up in Lucknow and would have been in major trouble or would have been forced to take an undesirable exit from the expressway.

It is not too much of a detour though and actually helped me stay awake. As long as you start looking with at least 1/4 tank full you should be able to find a pump with at most a 5-10 km detour.

[rahul4640]

Originally Posted by prateekvidya

ALE seems to be the best one by far - also - very seamless connectivity from YE to ALE but I wish there was something similar between ALE and Purvanchal - the thing through Lucknow took nearly an hour including re-fuelling. Also - traffic sense on this stretch seemed abysmal.

Originally Posted by Spanbis

True... But for the disgusting traffic in between... I.e. within Lucknow... That's when we felt that there should be a flyover over the city. We got stuck for 2.5 Hrs within the city in Feb. Some VIP movement / campaigning was the main reason of this delay.

I guess I was lucky in both times, while going and returning via Lucknow. Though you have to enter Lucknow, it has a four lane road even inside it, though I admit that Lucknow traffic is crazy.

[gauravdgr8]

Have an upcoming trip from Chandigarh to Varanasi.

Went through the last few pages and am a bit confused for which route to take post Lucknow.

Should I take:

1. Lucknow - Sultanpur - Jaunpur - Varanasi
2. Lucknow - Azamgarh - Varanasi

Also, i'll be making a pitstop at Agra. How much time does Agra - Varanasi take, 8 hours?

[rahul4640]

Originally Posted by gauravdgr8

Went through the last few pages and am a bit confused for which route to take post Lucknow.

Should I take:

1. Lucknow - Sultanpur - Jaunpur - Varanasi
2. Lucknow - Azamgarh - Varanasi

I took the first option some thirteen days ago. From Sultanpur connector at Purvanchal Expressway it took me around three hours to reach my hotel inside Varanasi town. Near or after Jaunpur the four laning of the highway is slightly incomplete, so you may try to cover this stretch before darkness sets in, if possible.

Originally Posted by gauravdgr8

Also, i'll be making a pitstop at Agra. How much time does Agra - Varanasi take, 8 hours?

Quite possible, if you do not get delayed by Lucknow city traffic. Purvanchal Expressway does not yet have any speed camera installed and traffic on it is also very thin, hence you may even exceed the maximum permissible speed limit of 100 KMPH by a bit (only if you feel it safe).