Pune-Bangalore via Hubballi in my Creta: Would I take this route again

The sheer pleasure of using cruise control on my Hyundai Creta was worth every penny.

BHPian IamGetz recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Just completed the return leg from Pune to Bangalore on 17 May with an overnight stop at Hubballi.

• The return leg of the journey left much to be desired compared to the Bangalore to Pune leg. It showed up as increased journey strain cum bodyache post trip.
• Vithal Kamats Satara remains our preferred spot for breakfast. I tend to hog on the last bit of Maharastrian delicacies (misal pav, poha, sabudana vada etc) before returning to the land of masala dose, aka Bengaluru.
• Maharashtra NH 48 roads have some of the worst undulations, especially near a couple of hilly uproads. I believe these are due to loaded container trucks struggling to move uphill, with poor road quality materials, resulting in deep road undulations.
• Watch out for both unmarked speed bumps on the diversions and service roads and road humps joints near newly laid road streches. Any momentary lapse of concentration or speeding on these will surely extract a heavy toll on your vehicle's suspension and your spine.
• Karad traffic was a gigantic mess even without rains. Due to the huge pileup on the flyover joining bridge over the river, most of the cars turned right back and joined an alternative route over a smaller bridge across the river. That U-turn manoeuvre itself must have saved us at least 45 minutes.
• The toll plaza on the Maharashtra side adds to journey time and delays. I wonder why. Saw some drivers arguing with the toll plaza employees. This added to the frustration of those stuck behind in the queue.
• Entering Karnataka via Nipani-Belgavi feels like entering the gates of heaven (figuratively).
• The local road quality and waterlogging in Bangalore remain our favourite punch-bag topics, but believe me, the stretch from Belgavi to Bangalore feels nothing less than driving abroad. The sheer pleasure of using cruise control on my Creta was worth every penny, especially on this stretch.
• Denissons Hotel in Hubbali was our overnight pit stop. A nice hotel with ample parking was the best way to unwind. By the way, our pitstop on the Bangalore-Pune leg was at the Marriott in Belgavi.
• The drive from Hubballi to Bangalore was uneventful due to lower traffic volumes on Saturday. Had a late lunch enroute at Paakashala in Sira.
• As always, the Tumkuru to Nelamangala stretch remains a sticky spot with impatient drivers performing crazy overtaking manoeuvres as they approach Bangalore. Watch out for these crazies, as a lot of BHPians have recommended.

All in all, the 855 kms journey gave us a much-needed break and quality time spent with family.

Would I repeat the same route from Pune to Bangalore?

Maybe I would give the Solapur route a try for a couple of years till things settle down on NH48.

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