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BHPian automachine recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
For my Bengaluru to Gujarat journey, I wanted to explore alternative route so instead of regular NH48 via Pune and Mumbai, I took the Bengaluru-solapur-beed-Aurangabad route. The distance of approx 960 km from Bengaluru to Aurangabad took 13.5 hrs in my Honda city sedan. I started on 26th April morning at 4am from Hennur road and took the STRR near Devanahalli and joined the NH48 at Dobbaspet. After a coffee break at Shell Sira, continued till Chitradurga and then took the NH50 towards Hosapete. I had planned to stop for breakfast at AnandVihar near Hosahalli however it was closed.
Somehow I missed the NH50 turn near Hosalli/Hitnal toll and landed up on NH67 going towards Ginigera/Koppal. After realizing the error took a U turn and came back on NH50. I could not find any decent restaurants for breakfast and restroom. I stopped at Kyriad Prestige, Ilkal for breakfast. From outside it looks like a decent hotel with restaurant. However does not live up with regards to breakfast and cleanliness. NH50 and later NH52 is mostly 4 lanes and the common issues are of speed breakers in some stretch, lack of decent establishment for food or restrooms and because of four lanes you really drop your speed when two trucks occupy both the lanes trying to decide who can get ahead. Once crossing over to MH side the options for food stops are more compared to KA. Stopped for lunch at Food town after Dharshiv (https://maps.app.goo.gl/hEkdh4DNdAbzk6G79).
I would highly recommend it for the food. Reached Aurangabad hotel at 5.30pm for a night halt. From here I have two options to take the Aurangabad-Nashik-Saputara route to enter Gujarat and I have done Nashik-Saputara several times before. However I am trying a different route tomorrow via Dhule-Navapur-Songadh. Overall a good alternative to NH48 if you plan to halt at Aurangabad. If you can pre-plan your break options I think this route is good option as I felt the overall traffic is less compared to NH48 and it completely avoids the Pune and Mumbai/Thane traffic madness.
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BHPian prasad14 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Was in Kukke last week. Thought of an update. Went via Shiradi and returned via Bisle. Few things:
1. Hassana bypass is in a bad shape. Too many deviations and speed breakers. There was a long traffic jam too in one of the junctions. Too many vehicles on the wrong side specifically between Channarayapatna and Hassana (noticed it both ways).
2. Roads continue to be bad after Sakaleshapura for 5-10kms, due to construction. Like really bad. Also got behind a loooong truck carrying some special equipment, which further added to agony. Got stuck behind a couple of slow moving trucks in the ghats. Still a decent time of 5.5hrs from JP Nagar.
3. Road widening is going on for the first few km on the Bisle ghat road (from Kukke), but not a problem. Could get tricky if it rains. Roads pretty good though bumpy all the way till Sakaleshapura. Added about 20more minutes, but worth it both due to the scenery and escaping the highway construction. Lush green forests all along, but no waterfalls anywhere.
Saw this on the Bisle ghat. Appears like a Monitor lizard. Any idea what is this. Didn't get down, nor took the car closer. It quietly moved after a minute or so. Was majestic!
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BHPian nasirkaka recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
My daily commute involves 25 km of riding at night while returning from work. This is around Bangalore outskirts (Jigani to Kasavanahalli) where the roads are bad & broken and there are no street lights as well.
My problem is with the oncoming vehicles that keep their headlight on High-beam, and there are plenty of them on the road. Even when I flash in protest, they do not dip the light. Some of these modern LED headlights and additional lights are very, very bright and blinding. This is very irritating and hazardous, especially as a two-wheeler rider around suburban roads.
Almost every day, I lose my cool. I end up shouting and showing my hand to some of the vehicles that have that little extra bright light on high-beam.
I know I might get into trouble one of these days, as someone may not take my protest lightly, but it's really difficult to control. Why can't people drive sensibly and within the rules?
Radio FM channels keep playing stupid prank calls in a loop, but do not run campaigns teaching drivers that it is illegal to use high beams in city limits and such.
Our RTOs issuing driving licenses do not have a theoretical system of teaching basic rules, thumb rules, right of way, dos and don'ts and etiquette of riding/driving. All they do is make one identify a few road signs for namesake.
A lot of incidents of road rage would come down if the problem were nipped in the bud.
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BHPian Stryker recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Returned from a weekend trip to Gokarna from Bengaluru. Jotting down the route details here.
We took the Bengaluru - Chitradurga - Haveri - Sirsi - Devimane - Gokarna route for the onward journey, as we wanted to visit the famous Marikamba Devi Temple in Sirsi.
Traffic upto Sira is a major pain, with too many heavy vehicles hogging the road. After that AH47 all the way to Haveri is bliss. Especially the section after Chitradurga, dead straight roads, visibility for kilometers ahead, you can maintain high speeds. Once you turn off the highway, NH766E to Sirsi is good too, with a few kilometers of bad patches midway. Sirsi to Devimane is a reasonable section and after Devimane in the beautiful Western Ghats is a wide concrete white top road, but there are innumerable small deviations where they are constructing minor bridges or uncompleted patches. This increases overall time and makes driving a chore. After you get down from the ghats, you join NH66 for a few kilometers before the turn off to Gokarna.
For the return journey, we decided to take the Gokarna - Kumta - Honnavara - Sagara - Shikaripura - Ranebennur - Chitradurga - Bengaluru, although it was longer by nearly 80 kms. Best decision, as it turned out. NH66 from Gokarna to Honnavara is excellent, with some bumpy sections around Kumta. Otherwise it is four lane all the way. The best part was the road from Honnavara to Sagara via Jog Falls. The climb up the Western Ghats and the journey down is just mind blowingly lovely and the road is new and perfectly maintained all the way, with zero bad patches. And the twisties, oh the twisties!! Sagara to Shikaripura is also butter smooth and very wide, you can cover the distance in no time. From there to Ranebennur is so-so, but nothing to slow you down. After that we are back on AH47. As usual, from Sira it is painful all the way back home!
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BHPian IamGetz recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Reached Pune today afternoon via the NH48 route via Belgavi, Kolhapur, Satara and Pune.
Since my earlier visit last year, there has been a marked improvement in the quality of service roads near most of the diversions.
There are a few diversions starting from Belgavi and then more service road diversions from Kolhapur to Karad.
I saw work ongoing on the third lane being added as part of the new development.
This has definitely helped improve manoeuvering space, especially when faced with one slow truck overtaking another loaded container truck.
My progress from Belgavi to Satara was much faster than I had anticipated. Lighter traffic volume today definitely helped travel faster
As repeated by others, things to watch out for:
All in all, this route has improved considerably since my last year's visit.
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BHPian rkv_2401 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
I took the Ranipet-Chittoor route, joining the Katpadi-Chittoor road via NH40. I started at 3:15PM, and the 11 or so diversions meant that I only reached Murugan Idly shop outside Kanchipuram at 5:40. I was stuck behind a slow moving truck in the well-lit sections before the ghats, passed him 20 mins later only to face HEAVY winds and moderate bursts of rain on the Ranipet-Chittoor ghat sections. The crosswinds were heavy enough to sway a loaded car w/ 4 pax, but the bikers and cyclists were somehow able to keep it on the road even in these conditions and despite being blinded by the rain (no helmet ofc) - tremendous respect to them.
Google Maps randomly redirected the route without informing us, so that instead of continuing to Chittoor on the NH40 route, it turned right at a random point (with loads of concrete walls on the road acting as a barricade) before the RTO checkpost. This was the only scary moment of the ride, the road was not lit at all, moderate rains, there was next to no traffic and it was narrow + two-lane so I couldn't turn around either. Found the "suggested" route back to NH40, which was literally abandoned and only suitable for bikes in the best of times, used it to take a U-turn, then hightailed it out of there.
Then, after more rains and some bad roads for 10km until meeting the Katpadi-Chittoor route, it was good for a while until around 30 mins after crossing Chittoor. At this point, we got pelted with extremely heavy rains, visibility dropped to <10m, and some other vehicles stopped altogether, but I was able to soldier on at 50km/hr. Even with the fog lamps on, I could only just about make out where the end of the road was at this speed.
I only hit 100km/hr in the last hour and a half of the journey.
Eventually reached Hoskote around 10:30PM, much later than I'd anticipated, with my Carbon Steel Vento resembling the Toffee Brown colour more than black. It was quite an eventful first drive on this road!
On the way back (Bangalore-Chittoor-Ranipet-Chennai):
i) There was a great restaurant, VVR Sri Srinivasa Grand (not affiliated in any way), just before the Nangli toll plaza when going from Mulbagal to Chittoor. GMaps inexplicably tells you to cross the toll and then take a U-turn, costing you an extra ~150Rs. for no reason.
They had great service and some delicious paneer butter masala, the best meal I've had in a few months now, but they don't accept card payments AFAIK - only UPI and cash. Other dishes may be on the spicy side.
ii) There are some high-speed downhill ghat sections where everyone is racing around in, located about an hour - 1.5 hours from Mulbagal that suddenly, and with no clear warning, turn into rumbler strip territory. I guess these are the Mogli to Palamaner ghats that BHPian ravib warned me about in his post.
These rumblers are very intense, I had to take them at ~10km/hr in a sedan (Vento). A truck had also broken it's wheel on these rumblers. I don't understand why they need to be so intense.
I saw a Baleno racing with a Thar go over them at 50, and while the Thar kept pushing, the Baleno slowed down to normal speeds soon after.
iii) There's a section after Chittoor where the traffic suddenly becomes two-direction. I guess this is the Gudipala to Chittoor section. I'd read about this in earlier posts by BHPians, but it still catches you by surprise because there are no warnings or markings on the road AFAIK. Stay careful on the blind curves and the hilly section here!
iv) I only encountered this on the day I came back (16th April), but there were some sort of concrete barricades on the NH40 ~10kms from the RTO checkpost on the Chittoor-Ranipet road, near the section where the road is completely dug up for some infrastructure work. The gap between the barricades was just about sufficient for commuter cars to squeeze through, with the ORVMs closed. A Fortuner got stuck here for 5 mins.
v) The Ranipet-Chennai section is much better than I remember it being. There are still diversions, but there are also some beautiful, well-lit 6-lane expressways between the diversions. And there are no serious potholes in the diversions either.
Took the Kundrathur route to escape the Ayyapanthangal-St.Thomas Mount metro work. The Chennai ORR from near Kundrathur to Tambaram is a thing of beauty. It's not well-lit, but you can use cruise control pretty much throughout this road!
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BHPian tharian recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
I hate to be the one promoting rail travel on a road travel thread having traveled by car most of the times between Bangalore and Chennai.
I travelled by the morning Vandhe Bharat from KR Puram to Chennai yesterday and was impressed. This was the 8 coach one and it picks up speed probably quicker than a Volvo intercity bus. Departed KR Puram and reached Chennai Central exactly 4 hours later. The impressive part was that it reached Banagrpet in less than 30 mins and Jolarpet in little more than an hour. From KR Puram, the train is more or less at 130 kph now all the way and was able to maintain it. Some sections, time was lost due to line clearance or track work and some un-scheduled stops at couple of stations.
The ride comfort in VB is much better than in the Shatabdi especially when it does 130 kmph. The speed is noticed when nearing Central in the suburbs due to the proximity of buildings.
Overall a comfortable journey and way more convenient than driving, atleast till the expressway is fully opened. I did notice a new expressway being built with the bridge over the railway line nearing Sholingur, not sure if it is the Bangalore - Chennai one.
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BHPian dr.jjp recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
I did the BLR–TVM–BLR drive last week and had quite a smooth experience overall. The onward journey started at 4:35 AM from Bangalore, near KSR. Since it was an early start, I managed to completely avoid the usual city traffic.I took the Krishnagiri route, which was in good condition for the most part, with only a few diversions due to ongoing construction. The first major stop was for breakfast at A2B near Namakkal around 8:00 AM. After a quick break, I resumed the drive by 8:30 AM. There was a short fuel and loo break near Virudhunagar, and I continued the journey steadily from there. The drive remained smooth until Nagercoil. However, the last 30 kilometers—from Nagercoil to the Kerala border—turned out to be quite a painful stretch due to poor road conditions and local traffic. I finally reached Parasala, on the outskirts of Trivandrum, at 2:50 PM.
The total time for the onward leg was 10 hours and 15 minutes, including all breaks.
The return journey began at 5:30 AM from Trivandrum. I reached Nagercoil by 6:55 AM and stopped for breakfast at Thazhakudy Neelakandan Nagercoil, I also refueled along the way. The drive continued smoothly through the morning, and I reached Salem by 12:20 PM. I had lunch at KFC Salem and resumed the journey by 1:00 PM. Another refueling stop was made at the IOCL Swagat outlet near Dharmapuri. I entered the NICE Road stretch around 4:00 PM and eventually reached Tumkur by 5:25 PM.
The return leg took a total of 11 hours and 55 minutes, including all breaks.
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BHPian speedster786 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
It was a peaceful Saturday morning. The kind where you plan to do absolutely nothing—and hit the bullseye. The house was quiet, sunlight gently peeking through the curtains, and the only decision pending was whether to have another cup of tea or take a nap.
That’s when my wife, sipping her chai with an unusually mischievous smile, casually blurted out:
"Let’s go to Shirdi."
I froze mid-sip. "Now? As in, right now?"
"Yes!" she said, eyes wide with excitement. "Let’s just pack up and drive. We need some positive energy—and anyway, we didn’t plan anything for the weekend."
I, ever the man of reason, ran a mental checklist. No hotel booking, no packed bags, and definitely no itinerary. I looked at her calmly and said:
"You do realize this isn’t a Bollywood movie, right?"
She rolled her eyes. "Says the guy who once drove 150 km just for a plate of biryani!"
Touché.
Ten minutes later, I found myself shoving clothes into a bag while she scrambled to find matching dupattas.
"Do I need my heels?" she asked.
"Yes, in case Sai Baba decides to roll out the red carpet," I muttered.
She didn’t laugh. I did—quietly.
Meanwhile, the Verna had its own thoughts: “Ah, wonderful. They remembered me. Just when I thought I could kick back and relax in the shade, here comes another impromptu road trip with half a tank and no tire checks. Classic.”
We finally hit the road at 11 PM. Since we live in Whitefield, Bangalore, I took the expressway from Hoskote, which offered a smooth, traffic-free stretch all the way to Dabaspet. From there, we merged onto the Tumkur Highway (NH 48), setting us on the right track for a long overnight journey.
While the expressway made for a fantastic drive, it’s important to note that it isn’t fully operational till Mumbai. The current exit is at Ghoti, after which you switch over to the standard highway for the remainder of the journey.
The night is when a city truly comes alive.
The roads were calm, the weather was just right, and the Verna was humming along beautifully — as steady as a rock on every turn, effortless on every stretch.
Of course, the in-car comedy continued:
Her: “Don’t go too fast; we’re not in Fast & Furious.”
Me: “We’re in a Verna. We’re the comfort and furious.”
Verna (in her head): “Finally, some praise! Now, please use the brakes like you actually care about me.”
This trip wasn’t just a quick run—it was a full-blown adventure. In total, we clocked 2,700 kilometers, and the Verna, our loyal steed, delivered a commendable 21.2 km/l on the highway—not bad for a diesel workhorse that’s no stranger to long rides.
Route & Stages:
We took a couple of chai breaks to stretch our legs and keep the yawns at bay, and by the crack of dawn—around 5 AM—we rolled into Hubli-Dharwad. But the honeymoon phase ended soon after Belgavi. The roads turned into a patchwork quilt of potholes and diversions, thanks to endless roadwork.
As we crossed into Maharashtra, traffic hit us like a ton of bricks—and from there, it was bumper-to-bumper with no end in sight.
By then, Verna had been running on fumes after faithfully hauling us all the way from Bangalore. I pulled into the Kognoli Bharat Petroleum outlet—a company-owned, company-operated (COCO) station—just in time to top her up and let her catch her breath.
Just after topping up the Verna’s tank, we spotted Viraj Junction, a food court right near the Kognoli toll gate—like a silver lining after the rough patches of the road. Our stomachs had been singing a chorus of complaints for a while, so we followed our noses and stepped right in.
There’s also a play zone with go-karting and a bunch of fun games, making it a magnet for kids and a perfect pit stop for families looking to unwind.
After a brief and refreshing stop at Viraj Junction, we resumed our journey toward Pune. Unfortunately, the road conditions deteriorated significantly, with numerous diversions and heavy traffic—particularly between Kolhapur and Pune. This stretch added a few unexpected hours to our trip and made the drive more exhausting than we had bargained for.
During our drive, we stumbled upon a Safari that was truly on a mission—it was undertaking the spiritual journey of a lifetime, visiting all 12 Jyotirlingas across the country. The car was decked out like a moving postcard, with each side showcasing vivid visuals of the holy sites on their itinerary.
I truly hope their trip is a great success and that they travel safely, carrying blessings with every mile.
We finally reached Shirdi by 3 PM and decided to call it a day. I had booked a 2BHK Airbnb hosted by Sandeep at Saburi Apartments, just half a mile from the Mandir. The place exceeded expectations—spacious, spotless, and very comfortable. At ₹4,000, it was well worth every penny.
We had a peaceful darshan in Shirdi and spent the rest of the time immersed in prayers and spiritual activities. Since mobile phones weren’t allowed inside the Mandir, I couldn’t capture many moments. The darshan itself took about an hour, and it was truly fulfilling.
Just as we were winding down after a long day of prayers and peace in Shirdi, the calm was once again about to be shattered — predictably, by my ever-enthusiastic wife.
I was lying flat on the bed, digesting both the darshan and the day, when she walked in with that same mischievous glint in her eyes — the one that usually means my plans for rest are about to be hijacked.
"So..." she began, drawing out the suspense like a TV soap opera cliffhanger.
I raised an eyebrow. "So...?"
"Let’s go to Mumbai tomorrow!"
I blinked. “Mumbai? Now?”
“Not now-now,” she grinned, “but tomorrow morning. We’re this close already! When will we get a chance like this again?”
I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off, clearly sensing resistance.
“Come on! Don’t be boring. It’s just a few more hours of driving. You love driving. The Verna’s practically begging to hit the highway again!”
In the corner, I imagined the Verna giving me the side-eye.
“I just got a break, bro. Don’t drag me into this.”
I sighed, knowing I was fighting a losing battle. This is the same woman who once convinced me to take a detour to Hyderabad “just for lunch” on a trip to Hometown.
"Okay," I said finally, pretending to resist a little longer for dramatic effect. "But this time, you handle the traffic in Mumbai."
She laughed, grabbed her phone, and began checking out cafes in Colaba like it was already decided.
And just like that, our peaceful pilgrimage turned into a high-octane sequel — Shirdi Diaries Part 2: The Mumbai Mayhem.
With our minds recharged and bags packed again, we set off for Mumbai the next morning. We took the Samruddhi Expressway — and what a beauty! Smooth, wide, and perfect for cruising.
The expressway seemed to cut right through forested stretches, and we even got a close-up view of the windmills along the way.
While the expressway made for a fantastic drive, it’s important to note that it isn’t fully operational till Mumbai. The current exit is at Ghoti, after which you switch over to the standard highway for the remainder of the journey.
We made it to Mumbai from Shirdi in just about 4 hours and headed straight to Colaba. After a bit of rest and freshening up, we stepped out to soak in the vibes at Marine Drive. As expected, it was buzzing with life — one of the best spots to relax by the sea.
Trident Hotel
Next on our list was the majestic Taj Mahal Palace, just a short drive from Nariman Point. Bathed in golden lights against the night sky, it looked absolutely breathtaking — and of course, we couldn’t resist snapping a few photos.
We ran into a bus that was clearly made for taking the scenic route — a perfect pick for tourists ready to see the city through a window with wheels.
A towering symbol of colonial history and Mumbai pride.
Every time I see the Taj — whether in person or in pictures — the memories of 26/11 come rushing back. A day when the city bled, and countless innocent lives were lost. The scars still remain. Heartfelt salute to the brave martyrs — you will never be forgotten.
We made our way to Bademiya — the OG of Mumbai street-style dining. Packed to the brim, as always, but totally worth it. The Bheja Fry and kebabs? Chef’s kiss!
The attention to detail at Bademiya was impressive — even the water bottles had “Specially made for Bademiya” printed on them. It’s not just a restaurant; it’s a legacy.
From Bandstand, the Worli Sea Link stretches like a silver ribbon across the sea.
All good things must come to an end. With a bag full of memories and smiles, we hit the road back to Bangalore. Mumbai, you always know how to steal a piece of our hearts.
This time, we took the Mumbai-Pune Expressway — and I must say, it truly lives up to the name of a real expressway.
And so, with the sun setting on our Mumbai adventure, we began the journey back to Bangalore, feeling like seasoned travelers, but also wondering if we’d ever get around to actually taking a proper weekend off.
As we drove, I caught my wife glancing over at me with that smile—half mischievous, half innocent. I knew something was coming.
“Wouldn’t it be nice,” she said, “if we just took a road trip every weekend? Just like this, no plans, no itinerary, just us, the road, and the Verna.”
I looked at her, feigning shock. "Every weekend? You mean like, forever?"
She nodded sagely. "Well, it’s either that or we become couch potatoes. And you know, I’m really starting to miss those spontaneous lunch detours."
I shook my head, laughing. "I’ll tell you what: How about we plan a week where we don’t go anywhere? No spontaneous trips, no ‘Let’s just pack and go.’ Just us and Netflix."
She raised an eyebrow. "Netflix? You mean you’re finally ready to binge-watch that series I’ve been asking you about for months?"
"Absolutely," I said, with a grin. "But you’re in charge of the snacks."
"Deal," she said. "But next time, I’m the one driving. I’ll even handle the traffic in Mumbai."
I sighed, knowing full well that no matter where we went, I was never truly in control. And that, I realized, was the perfect balance of adventure and comfort.
With the hum of the Verna, and the endless possibilities of future spontaneous trips ahead, I couldn’t help but smile.
And yes, I still maintain that some of those detours were definitely not in the plan. But hey, that’s life with the perfect wife.
End of story.
If you made it this far, give yourself a pat on the back — and thank you! This being my first post on Team-BHP, I promise the road (and the writing) only gets better from here.
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BHPian minzanurag recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Days - 11th and 12th April 2025
Route taken
Day 1 - Bengaluru - Hyderabad - Nagpur (1,100 kms) (Start time 04:00 - End Time 21:00)
Day 2 - Nagpur - Jabalpur - Katni - Satna - Chitrakoot - Bundelkhand Xway - Lucknow XWay - Agra XWay - Noida (1,230 kms) (Start Time 05:30 - End Time 23:45)
Road Condition
Decent food options disappear after Hyderabad.
Also did not find anything for lunch except MTDC outlets after Jabalpur.
Bundelkhand Xway even though has fuel bunks but the adjoining eateries are very basic.
Apart from that from Jabalpur till the Lucknow Xway food junction I could not find decent enough place to stop and eat. Please keep in mind this might be about 7-8 hours of drive.
Carry enough water and snacks.
Hope this helps.
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