Bangalore To Shirdi Route


Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
388
Likes
313
Location
Bengaluru
Re: Bangalore To Shirdi: Route Help

Guys,
I'm planning to do a Shirdi trip from Hosur coming long weekend of Aug 15. Planning to go via Pune.
All the way good roads is what I hear. Although it is a journey of 1050-1150kms. You should be able to do it in 15-17 hrs with breaks.

Bangalore bypass - Hubli - Belagavi - Kolhapur - Satara - Pune bypass - Ranjangoan - Shirur - Ahmednagar - Shirdi.

Pune - Shirdi, there could be road humps. Please be beware of those. There are many places you can stop over for breakfast / lunch / dinner as well as bio-breaks.

Since you are probably starting on 13th Aug (Sat early morning), expect queue at all major tolls.

All the best.
 
Joined
Oct 4, 2012
Messages
77
Likes
42
Location
Hyderabad
Hello All,
Feeling nice to be back in the forum after a long time and as usual looking for suggestions / feedbacks in planning a family trip.

This time I am planning to do a bangalore - pune - bangalore form 27 - 31st August. It will be a family trip to visit my sister who lives in Pune. I will be travelling with 2 ladies(wife & cousin) and a kid(3 year old daughter).The drive will be a swift(petrol). The vehicle is in excellent condition with 29K kms clocked and serviced recently. It is still running the stock MRF zvtv tyres and are in very good condition.

Now with all the above mentioned conditions, I am need suggestions in the below mentioned points.
1.Is it ok to plan such a long trip with a 3 year old?
2.If yes, what precautions should I take. Wife is a bit worried about comfort of the little one.
3.Is it advisable to drive continuously or should I break the journey near Belgaum / Satara?
4.What else should I consider before starting?

Also it would be great to join someone else planning the same stretch around those times. It would be great to drive together.

Please let me know your suggestions / advices.

Thank you.
 
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
388
Likes
313
Location
Bengaluru
Hello All,
1.Is it ok to plan such a long trip with a 3 year old?
2.If yes, what precautions should I take. Wife is a bit worried about comfort of the little one.
3.Is it advisable to drive continuously or should I break the journey near Belgaum / Satara?
4.What else should I consider before starting?
It is a 850+ kms trip. Good roads all throughout, although some sections could have developed some potholes / top tarmac coming off due to the relentless rains this season. Nothing major to worry.

1. If your family enjoys road trips, why not? The trick is in the breaks you plan for. Photo ops, bio breaks, fuel breaks, etc. Plan for break at-least every 1.5-2 hrs. Keep your cool always. No bad/slow driver can irritate you.
2. Of course, many precautions. (a) Lots of variety of packed food for the kid (b) Move the cousin to the front seat. Leave the mom & child plenty of space (c) Lots of toys for the kid
3. Roads are fantastic & many options to break as well. With enough breaks, you can do it in 14+ hrs. As much as possible, maintain constant speed, it soothes passengers, doesn't tire you & you don't necessarily loose journey time. Do it in a day & rest well the next day. 4 days of continuous journey (to & fro) could be tiresome for all.
4. The usual long journey preparations. Car, tires, maps, packed foods, drinks.
 
Joined
Oct 4, 2012
Messages
77
Likes
42
Location
Hyderabad
It is a 850+ kms trip. Good roads all throughout, although some sections could have developed some potholes / top tarmac coming off due to the relentless rains this season. Nothing major to worry.

1. If your family enjoys road trips, why not? The trick is in the breaks you plan for. Photo ops, bio breaks, fuel breaks, etc. Plan for break at-least every 1.5-2 hrs. Keep your cool always. No bad/slow driver can irritate you.
2. Of course, many precautions. (a) Lots of variety of packed food for the kid (b) Move the cousin to the front seat. Leave the mom & child plenty of space (c) Lots of toys for the kid
3. Roads are fantastic & many options to break as well. With enough breaks, you can do it in 14+ hrs. As much as possible, maintain constant speed, it soothes passengers, doesn't tire you & you don't necessarily loose journey time. Do it in a day & rest well the next day. 4 days of continuous journey (to & fro) could be tiresome for all.
4. The usual long journey preparations. Car, tires, maps, packed foods, drinks.
Thank you for your response and your valuable inputs. Some followup questions:
1.What kind of precaution can I take so that the kid doesn't vomit as kids are prone to motion sickness?
2. 27th to 31st are 5 days. I am planning to start 27th Saturday morning and planning to start the return journey on 31st Wednesday morning. As you mentioned I am planning to reach by Saturday night, 3 days stay in pune at my sisters place and return back on Wednesday so that I can reach Bangalore by Wednesday night. So there will be 2 days for journey and 3 days stay.Will it be too hectic ?
3. I am not an aggressive driver. I like to drive between 80 - 100 km/h as I feel confident on these speeds and as you mentioned, it will take 14 hours with breaks. So if I start by 4am, I should reach by 7pm. Is that a bad time to enter Pune?
4.What is a good time to leave Pune on Wednesday morning ?
 
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
388
Likes
313
Location
Bengaluru
1.What kind of precaution can I take so that the kid doesn't vomit as kids are prone to motion sickness?
2. I am planning to start 27th Saturday morning and planning to start the return journey on 31st Wednesday morning. So there will be 2 days for journey and 3 days stay.Will it be too hectic ?
3. I am not an aggressive driver. I like to drive between 80 - 100 km/h as I feel confident on these speeds and as you mentioned, it will take 14 hours with breaks. So if I start by 4am, I should reach by 7pm. Is that a bad time to enter Pune?
4. What is a good time to leave Pune on Wednesday morning ?
Always welcome with more questions.
1. I suppose there isn't much we can do. Cars are very small spaces & kids tend to get claustrophobic after some time. Better to break for 15-20 min every 1.5-2 hrs so that the kid has time to breathe nice outside air. Feed them only when hungry. Avoid oily items such as Potato chips, etc. Adults too. Carry plastic / sick bags, just in case. It is better not to get tense when it happens. Just part of the journey. All of us have experienced it. Let us make it easy for the kid / wife to forget & move on. Usual toys are distractions, which help & familiarise the place for the kids. If your kid enjoys videos (in YouTube), use offline downloads & play them back to them.

2. No, not a hectic plan. Sleep well on days prior to the travel. It will be tiring for the driver as well. But definitely doable with breaks.

3. 80-100kms is good enough. Not exactly a golden rule. But overall, maintain in that range. 7pm is a bad time to enter Pune city if you are going towards North of Pune (Pimpri Chinchwad), but not worse than Bangalore traffic though. If you can let me know the exact place, I can get directions from my brother, who used to stay in Pune. I am sure your sister too can pitch in.

4. Plan to enter Bangalore around 9pm. Wednesday is a working day, most office going traffic would have gone home by then. So you can leave Pune between 6-7am on Wed. It might be tempting to start at 4am at Pune & pass Satara between 6-7am for the nice views of Sun rise in the Satara Valley. But you might end up in a long traffic snarls (outskirts of Bangalore) after a 12-14+ hrs journey. You want your last leg of the journey to be peaceful.
 
Joined
Oct 4, 2012
Messages
77
Likes
42
Location
Hyderabad
Always welcome with more questions.
1. I suppose there isn't much we can do. Cars are very small spaces & kids tend to get claustrophobic after some time. Better to break for 15-20 min every 1.5-2 hrs so that the kid has time to breathe nice outside air. Feed them only when hungry. Avoid oily items such as Potato chips, etc. Adults too. Carry plastic / sick bags, just in case. It is better not to get tense when it happens. Just part of the journey. All of us have experienced it. Let us make it easy for the kid / wife to forget & move on. Usual toys are distractions, which help & familiarise the place for the kids. If your kid enjoys videos (in YouTube), use offline downloads & play them back to them.

2. No, not a hectic plan. Sleep well on days prior to the travel. It will be tiring for the driver as well. But definitely doable with breaks.

3. 80-100kms is good enough. Not exactly a golden rule. But overall, maintain in that range. 7pm is a bad time to enter Pune city if you are going towards North of Pune (Pimpri Chinchwad), but not worse than Bangalore traffic though. If you can let me know the exact place, I can get directions from my brother, who used to stay in Pune. I am sure your sister too can pitch in.

4. Plan to enter Bangalore around 9pm. Wednesday is a working day, most office going traffic would have gone home by then. So you can leave Pune between 6-7am on Wed. It might be tempting to start at 4am at Pune & pass Satara between 6-7am for the nice views of Sun rise in the Satara Valley. But you might end up in a long traffic snarls (outskirts of Bangalore) after a 12-14+ hrs journey. You want your last leg of the journey to be peaceful.
Thank you for your reply. It feels really good when there is someone who clears the exact doubts which boosts confidence. Will it be too much to ask for a possible itinerary which includes possible eating places and the refueling considering the limitations I have.

I'll be following the default google maps for this drive from Electronic city, Bangalore to Pune. Hope it is showing the correct route.

Many thanks in advance.
 
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
388
Likes
313
Location
Bengaluru
Will it be too much to ask for a possible itinerary which includes possible eating places and the refueling considering the limitations I have.

I'll be following the default google maps for this drive from Electronic city, Bangalore to Pune.
I have tried my best to put an itinerary. You could improvise as you go along.

Assuming the start time as 4am on Sat, 27 Aug. Swift Petrol tanked up previous night. Mileage of 18kmpl.

1st break: 1.5 - 2 hrs. Around Sira. Places to stop (a) Abiruchi (left side) (b) Kamat Upachar (right side). If the places are open, you could stop. Otherwise, just continue. Abiruchi has decent washrooms. I have heard similar thing about Kamat as well.

2nd break: 3.5 - 4 hrs: Around Davangere / Ranebennur. For breakfast around 730/8am.
Davangere: You have to go into the town. The NH (default google route will go through bypass). Stop by a service road & ask for good Davangere Benne Dosa stalls, you should be able find one nearby. Your last option can be Kamat Upachar (just before Ranebennur). I have marked a location inside the Davangere town & Kamat Upachar, Ranebennur in the route link.

3rd break: ~8 hrs. Fuel stop. ~550kms from ECity. BP Coco. Just after Belgaum. Not sure if this still operates. You should be able to find IOCL / HP bunks nearby. You could also stop over for bio-breaks (if necessary) @ Hubli / Dharwad bypass roads.

4th break: 9.5 -10.5 hrs. Lunch between 130pm-230pm, depending on your other breaks. Inside Kolhapur town. I have marked the way point. This is in the old Pune - Bangalore Highway. I have also marked a McD in the NH, just in case. This will serve as a good break (inside town) for both driver & passengers. Opal is just one of them. There are many around, from which you can choose one, you feel good about.

5th break: ~12hrs. Somewhere near Satara. I have marked a location ('Big bite' is unknown to me), just to indicate the stop. You can find nearby hotels to take a break. No idea about which places to stop with decent washrooms. Probably other members can pinpoint.

Deviations to NH: Google is suggesting a deviations post Satara. Just before Wai. Instead of going through Bhuinj, it is recommending a route to Wai & then join back NH. You can check with the locals before proceeding further. May be a washed over bridge, I am unsure.

Here is the route link for your reference https://goo.gl/maps/CYVcwBhM1N92.

You could use most stops on the return trip as well. Since breakfast options during the return trip are rather limited, it is better carry breakfast from home. Hope this helps.
 
Joined
Mar 19, 2014
Messages
1,032
Likes
1,289
Location
Pune
Will it be too much to ask for a possible itinerary which includes possible eating places and the refueling considering the limitations I have.
You are always welcome to ask questions. Almost CasualSurfer has answered most of your queries, i would like to add some points as below

1) Pune traffic is worse on evenings whether it is weekends or weekdays. Similarly, morning hours are also jammed in weekdays.

2) If you are taking exit to Wai then do visit Mapro food park. They have clean washrooms and kids enjoy in their campus as well.

3) As soon as you come out of Khambatki tunnel via coming towards Pune then do keep an eye on left side for Vittal Kamat restaurant. Because it is located in HP COCO bunk.

4) After 20Kms from Bhor exit on NH4 you will come across bumpy and potholed filled roads with lots of pune traffic on it. But still you need to pay Rs.80 at Khed Shivapur toll plaza[frustration]

When you are travelling with kids then be gentle on your drive. Don't make fast turns which may disturb them. As CasualSurfer said, you need to take 15-20 mins of pit stop after atleast 1 hour. In these pit stops always ask your kid to come out of the car, enjoy the breeze and become fresh.

Happy journey and drive safe buddy !!
 
Joined
Oct 4, 2012
Messages
77
Likes
42
Location
Hyderabad
I have tried my best to put an itinerary. You could improvise as you go along.

Assuming the start time as 4am on Sat, 27 Aug. Swift Petrol tanked up previous night. Mileage of 18kmpl.

1st break: 1.5 - 2 hrs. Around Sira. Places to stop (a) Abiruchi (left side) (b) Kamat Upachar (right side). If the places are open, you could stop. Otherwise, just continue. Abiruchi has decent washrooms. I have heard similar thing about Kamat as well.

2nd break: 3.5 - 4 hrs: Around Davangere / Ranebennur. For breakfast around 730/8am.
Davangere: You have to go into the town. The NH (default google route will go through bypass). Stop by a service road & ask for good Davangere Benne Dosa stalls, you should be able find one nearby. Your last option can be Kamat Upachar (just before Ranebennur). I have marked a location inside the Davangere town & Kamat Upachar, Ranebennur in the route link.

3rd break: ~8 hrs. Fuel stop. ~550kms from ECity. BP Coco. Just after Belgaum. Not sure if this still operates. You should be able to find IOCL / HP bunks nearby. You could also stop over for bio-breaks (if necessary) @ Hubli / Dharwad bypass roads.

4th break: 9.5 -10.5 hrs. Lunch between 130pm-230pm, depending on your other breaks. Inside Kolhapur town. I have marked the way point. This is in the old Pune - Bangalore Highway. I have also marked a McD in the NH, just in case. This will serve as a good break (inside town) for both driver & passengers. Opal is just one of them. There are many around, from which you can choose one, you feel good about.

5th break: ~12hrs. Somewhere near Satara. I have marked a location ('Big bite' is unknown to me), just to indicate the stop. You can find nearby hotels to take a break. No idea about which places to stop with decent washrooms. Probably other members can pinpoint.

Deviations to NH: Google is suggesting a deviations post Satara. Just before Wai. Instead of going through Bhuinj, it is recommending a route to Wai & then join back NH. You can check with the locals before proceeding further. May be a washed over bridge, I am unsure.

Here is the route link for your reference https://goo.gl/maps/CYVcwBhM1N92.

You could use most stops on the return trip as well. Since breakfast options during the return trip are rather limited, it is better carry breakfast from home. Hope this helps.
Thank you for a detailed route plan. It seems really good to me. It is providing me with enough confidence. Though there may be a last minute change in schedule as I am trying to combine(Personal & professional) work while in pune. Therefore I am waiting for a confirmation to meet someone in Pune related to work. As soon as I know the date I will fix a start date. It may be this Monday or mid of next week. I'll confirm once the date of the meeting is fixed.

You are always welcome to ask questions. Almost CasualSurfer has answered most of your queries, i would like to add some points as below

1) Pune traffic is worse on evenings whether it is weekends or weekdays. Similarly, morning hours are also jammed in weekdays.

2) If you are taking exit to Wai then do visit Mapro food park. They have clean washrooms and kids enjoy in their campus as well.

3) As soon as you come out of Khambatki tunnel via coming towards Pune then do keep an eye on left side for Vittal Kamat restaurant. Because it is located in HP COCO bunk.

4) After 20Kms from Bhor exit on NH4 you will come across bumpy and potholed filled roads with lots of pune traffic on it. But still you need to pay Rs.80 at Khed Shivapur toll plaza[frustration]

When you are travelling with kids then be gentle on your drive. Don't make fast turns which may disturb them. As CasualSurfer said, you need to take 15-20 mins of pit stop after atleast 1 hour. In these pit stops always ask your kid to come out of the car, enjoy the breeze and become fresh.

Happy journey and drive safe buddy !!
Thank you for your quick reply. All your points are valid. Hope to catch up with you if time permits while in Pune.

My wife was a bit nervous about such a long trip with our 3 year old daughter. but after reading both of the replies, she also is feeling confident. [:)].
 
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
388
Likes
313
Location
Bengaluru
As soon as I know the date I will fix a start date. It may be this Monday or mid of next week. I'll confirm once the date of the meeting is fixed.

My wife was a bit nervous about such a long trip with our 3 year old daughter. but after reading both of the replies, she also is feeling confident. [:)].
It happens. If it gets postponed till 3-5 Sept weekend (onward or return), then there will be a lot of traffic snarls everywhere. Consider that in your planning.

Humbled that these posts are confidence-inspiring!
 
Joined
Oct 4, 2012
Messages
77
Likes
42
Location
Hyderabad
It happens. If it gets postponed till 3-5 Sept weekend (onward or return), then there will be a lot of traffic snarls everywhere. Consider that in your planning.

Humbled that these posts are confidence-inspiring!
It may not be postponed that long. Most probably we'll start mid of next week, either Wednesday or Thursday. One more change in the plan. I have some meetings popped up in Hubli. Therefore I am planning to stay there at night and start next day early morning.
Can you please suggest an economic yet good family stay option in Hubli?
 
Joined
Mar 19, 2014
Messages
1,032
Likes
1,289
Location
Pune
Deviations to NH: Google is suggesting a deviations post Satara. Just before Wai. Instead of going through Bhuinj, it is recommending a route to Wai & then join back NH. You can check with the locals before proceeding further. May be a washed over bridge, I am unsure.
There is no need to take this long diversion into WAI. I have confirmed with few of my travelers friend and they said there is nothing wrong on highway. Its just Google Maps have gone bonkers in this case. It also showing "Khed-Shivapur" near to Panchwad, Satara [glasses]
 
Joined
Oct 4, 2012
Messages
77
Likes
42
Location
Hyderabad
Update :
Finally we have fixed our date and starting tomorrow morning at 5am form Electronic city, Bangalore and will be halting for 1 night at Hubli. The question I want to ask now about the Bandh tomorrow?

I am looking for suggestion if I should start tomorrow or wait till saturday morning?
 

Top Bottom