Planning a Road Trip From Mumbai To Palakkad in Kerala


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Hi guys,

I'm planning a Road trip nxt week from Mumbai to Palakkad in Kerala and return with my Father. Only we both. This is my first time long trip outside Maharashtra.

I think the best route is NH4 till Bangalore and from Bangalore NICE Ring ROAD till NH7 on Hosur area and continuing on NH7 till Salem and then finally choosing NH 47 till Palakkad from Salem.

But guys I want to know is the Road in Good condition now and Moreover what are the toll rates throughout the journey.

I also have a confusion on entry point to NICE RING ROAD in Bangalore from NH4 and also NH7 to NH47 in Salem. I checked it with Google Maps but its not clear to me.
I'm planning to leave start by 3am and I think I can reach Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu with Non stop drive for 15 hours as showing in Google Maps. Ofcouse my dad too loves long road trips hence I have no problems. But I'm doubtful even if I start by 3am can I reach Krishnagiri atleast by 9pm.?? Of course for eating and toilet will halt but not too long. I want to book Hotel as per time taken to reach there. I cannot do night driving nor my dad.

Can anyone who has done this trip help me. Or else if anyone has an alternative route please let me know. I need a time saving route with less potholes.

Please help me with this trip planning..
 
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Re: Planning a Road Trip from Mumbai to Palakkad in Kerala.

I have done several trips to coonoor from Mumbai and on an average it takes around 19 hours with minimal stops. Bangalore is possible in about 12 hours. The most amount of time wasted is at toll booths which also cost a lot. Once you leave Maharashtra roads improve a lot and average speeds of 80 to 90 kph are possible depending on the car and driver. The nice road turn off is confusing so ask the toll attendants when to get off the highway onto the parallel road. Leaving at even 2am is advisable so as to miss the poona urban sprawl traffic. If you drive to coonoor palakkad is 119kms further. Mumbai Coonoor is 1189kms if you turn off the nh4 at hiriyur and go straight to mysore avoiding bangalore totally and the road is excellent most of the way, but you would need an offline navigation system.
 
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Any one recently visited Palakkad, Kerala?

Any one from Palakkad or Wayanad?

Or anyone recently been to in and around Attapadi, Palakkad?
 
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Hi, I am planning a car journey in my 2010 Alto (mechanic says car is good for the trip, have got it serviced, and tyres changed too!) with my pet and another friend from mumbai to palakkad. Was considering the route you have taken but because i am the primary driver (friend can't drive and pet needs breaks along the way- she's a cat!) I have broken the trip into two and a half days. Day one, the plan is to drive from Mumbai to Hubbali (karnataka) stay overnight in hubbali. day two will be to drive from hubbali to bangalore with overnight on the outskirts of bangalore. Day 3, plan to start really early from Bangalore and reach palakkad by early evening. Wanted to understand if there's a better route to take? Also if the suggested route is in good condition. Please advise.
 
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I have broken the trip into two and a half days. Day one, the plan is to drive from Mumbai to Hubbali (karnataka) stay overnight in hubbali. day two will be to drive from hubbali to bangalore with overnight on the outskirts of bangalore. Day 3, plan to start really early from Bangalore and reach palakkad by early evening. Wanted to understand if there's a better route to take? Also if the suggested route is in good condition. Please advise.
Day 2, you can end with Hosur & stay there. The route suggested by Manoj still holds good (2.5 yrs ago!). Excellent highway (most of the trip) road conditions, apart from the usual issues (Pune-Satara diversions), Undulations between Tumkur - Bangalore, bypassing Bangalore using ORR/NICE, post Walayar construction works, etc.

I don't think all hotels are pet-friendly along the way. I would suggest you to check with the hotel concerned before booking.
 
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Hi, I am planning a car journey in my 2010 Alto ..with my pet and another friend from mumbai to palakkad. Was considering the route you have taken but because i am the primary driver. I have broken the trip into two and a half days. Day one, the plan is to drive from Mumbai to Hubbali (karnataka) stay overnight in hubbali. day two will be to drive from hubbali to bangalore with overnight on the outskirts of bangalore. Day 3, plan to start really early from Bangalore and reach palakkad by early evening. Wanted to understand if there's a better route to take? Also if the suggested route is in good condition. Please advise.
MumbaiRoadie,
I was a frequent traveler in this route earlier. Last trip was in May 2015.
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...p-daman-haveri-chitradurga-mysore-kerala.html

This route is excellent as suggested by manojodungat.
NH17 (now NH66 is shorter but takes more time, more traffic and narrow 2 lane roads in many stretches.)

If you are starting from Mumbai early morning, then no need to stay overnight in Hubli. Going inside Hubli town for stay is a diversion and the distance from Mumbai is too short for a break.

If you are comfortable driving full day time (Early morning till before dark), then you can easily reach Chitradurga and stay there. There are some hotels good for an overnight stay on the highway (in the service lane below the fly over). Again starting early morning from Chitradurga, say, 6:00 AM, one can comfortably reach Palakkad in daylight itself.
So you need only one overnight stay and two days of day time travel.

There could be slight difficulty in Khambatki ghat due to traffic and road conditions. (Don't know whether the tunnel is now operational in Pune Satara section. Tunnel is operational in Satara - Pune section and there fore no issue while returning). Infact road condition was not good in entire Pune - Satara stretch at that time.
Also make sure that you pass Pune before the office traffic starts.
After Satara it is a wonderful road.
Beware of speed breakers (they are constructed in a crude manner and appear without any warning sign) when it is near Hubli. When ever there is a warning with colour change and blinking reflectors, there won't be any speed breaker and then within a few hundred meters, one will appear without any warning sign.
(Most of these speed breakers some how vanished during my last trip in 2015)
Hubli bye-pass is a 30 or 40 km long two lane section without any divider.
After that it is an excellent road again.

Bye-pass Coimbatore through L&T road. After L&T road, there is diversion of 1 km to reach Palakkad highway. From there we can reach Walayar in no time (travelled this route from Chennai 2 months ago). After Walayar again it is a an excellent 4 lane road. Need to watch for signals, there are several crossings and these signals are equipped with radar they say.
 
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There could be slight difficulty in Khambatki ghat due to traffic and road conditions. (Don't know whether the tunnel is now operational in Pune Satara section. Tunnel is operational in Satara - Pune section and there fore no issue while returning). Infact road condition was not good in entire Pune - Satara stretch at that time.
Also make sure that you pass Pune before the office traffic starts.
After Satara it is a wonderful road.
There is no tunnel from Pune to Satara. You need to climb Khambatki Ghat which has 3 lanes (apart from few bends). Most of the flyovers are now open between Pune and Satara hence less diversion en route.

MumbaiRoadie,
If by any chance you need to halt your journey in Hubli then do check "Ananth Residency" hotel located near Hubli railway station and approx 1.5 Km from NH48. It is business hotel but good for families as well with good parking and attached restaurant. I have stayed here with my family on April 2017.
 
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Hello. I am planning to drive from Navi Mumbai to Bangalore. Due to some commitments, I will be able to leave Navi Mumbai only by 1 PM, which means I will have to do Hubli to Bangalore in the night. I am travelling with my family (Wife and two kids) and wanted to know if it is safe to drive this route at night. I have done the same trip during the day (starting early morning and reaching around 8 Pm in Bangalore). This will be the first time I will be on the road at night. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks
 
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Thank you. are there 24 hour petrol stations between Hubli and Bangalore. Would need to take at least couple of breaks and i assume it would be safe to stop at a fuel station than pulling over on the side of the highway at night.
 
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Thank you. are there 24 hour petrol stations between Hubli and Bangalore. Would need to take at least couple of breaks and i assume it would be safe to stop at a fuel station than pulling over on the side of the highway at night.
I do not know about 24 hours fuel bunk but think that atleast COCO are operated 24x7. Check this BP Pump along with Kamat Upchar (both pump and restaurant is 24x7)

Also check this IOCL pump attached to Kamat Upchar which is operational 24x7 along with restaurant.
 
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I do not know about 24 hours fuel bunk but think that atleast COCO are operated 24x7. Check this BP Pump along with Kamat Upchar (both pump and restaurant is 24x7)

Also check this IOCL pump attached to Kamat Upchar which is operational 24x7 along with restaurant.
Thank you very much. This is helpful.
 
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Hello..just wanted to know if all the toll booths between Pune and Bangalore have the dedicated fastag lane. Does it actually save time ? Not sure whether to get the fastag or not.
 
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Hello..just wanted to know if all the toll booths between Pune and Bangalore have the dedicated fastag lane. Does it actually save time ? Not sure whether to get the fastag or not.
I have done this route in April month. I witnessed all the booths were having all sort of vehicles. Fastag or non Fastag were not of any difference.
 

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