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Hot summer drive, destination Jammu : Hubli to Mumbai or Delhi to Jammu? Read on...

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  • #1

    Hot summer drive, destination Jammu : Hubli to Mumbai or Delhi to Jammu? Read on...

    Hi all,

    continuing my biking tour of India I will soon be heading to Hampi from Kannur, Kerala. Everything's planned, short trip, no problem.

    After Hampi I will need to go north asap, think high high mountains, I am sick of the heat and have thus planned to go up to Kashmir & Ladahk to drive "in the cool"... and do some trekking

    I will cover most of the journey on a train, luggaging the bike along. I have two options about which I could do with your enlightened opinions.

    1) Driving from Hampi/Hospet to Hubli, then boarding the Hubli Delhi Express, 3 days. Afterwards driving from Delhi to Jammu (700km).

    2) Driving from Hampi to Mumbai (700km also) then boarding the Mumbai Jammu Swaraj Express, 2 days.

    I have opted out of the possibility of using two trains because I do not wish to stay in either Mumbai or Delhi and I have a feeling the whole "unload bike from train 1 then load it on train 2" will be a nightmare. Plus I like driving, that's how I discover india best i feel.

    The driving, either 1 or 2 will take place beggining of June (between the 1st and the 10th max as I need to be in Jammu by then) and I would like to know which option I should choose regarding their respective :

    -road conditions
    -heat
    -possible monsoon impact
    -scenery

    I imagine the experience will differ greatly between option 1 and 2, very different regions, landscapes, terrain... I want to take the most hassle-free & enjoyable one. Looking at weather reports the west coast is much cooler than the Delhi-Jammu region, but is that really so and will it still be so in 2 weeks time?

    Itineraries are welcomed, I've checked out Google maps & mapmyindia's but they rarely tell the whole story as opposed to XBHP'ers...

    Thanks for your help and greetings from a Frenchman on the road in India!

    s0l


    PS: Jammu to Dharamsala is only 200km, but is the road good? Can it be done in a day?
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Topic Approved. We hope you like India and cherish a lot of memories from the places you visited.

    I think option No. 1 should be more suited if you're the kind of traveller who stops at an unknown place and starts clicking pics. But be aware that while loading a bike onto a train, there should be no fuel/ petrol in it. Best of luck brother.
    ---
    Brotherhood, Rules, Freedom. Xbhp.
    Indian riding = Alertness, Anticipation and Adjustment.

    Comment

    • #3
      -road conditions: Here

      -heat, -possible monsoon impact

      The western ghats shall begin cooling off in June 1st week with drizzles and rain. Rains on these belts are more like whip lashes and thunderstorms when it peaks. But the monsoon is not predictable. I doubt you would see a lot of rain action during the first 10 days of June

      -scenery
      The entire western ghats are very scenic in monsoon.
      You have two options to ride to Mumbai

      (Hospet - Hubli - Belgaum- Sawantwadi - Stick to NH17 until Mumbai)
      NH17 - Longer due to curves, single carriage way but a LOT more scenic. Its also called as most notorious highway in Maharashtra.


      (Hospet - Hubli - Belgaum - Kolhapur - Satara - Stick to NH4 till Pune \ Mumbai)
      NH4 - Wider, Dual carriage way, 6 lanes, not a lot to see, infact almost nothing to see minus the farms on the sides)


      If you enjoyed Hampi, you would probably like Bagalkot, Pattadanakal, Badami.. However that route will take you to Solapur. And Solapur - Pune is a extremely bad stretch with lot of traffic and shoddy roads


      Alternatively you could go to Goa, and load the bike from there!
      Last edited by satyenpoojary; 05-21-2012, 03:53 PM.
      Super CommuTOURer� - Talk less, Ride more

      .: FB :.|.: TW :.|*IG*| Ex       PowerDrift:.

      #Give thy opinion, write em, dont throw em
      #Everyone errs, accept it, defending/cribbing about it only makes it worse
      #Dont defend a manufacturer as if you work for them
      #Write. Think. If relevant hit submit. If not hit yourself
      #Be kind in your choice of words, you never know who would make you gulp em
      � Satyen Poojary

      Comment

      • #4
        Hello Satyen,

        thanks for your reply, up to 10 minutes ago I had reconsidered driving to Mumbai and rather going from Hubli to Mumbay by train but on indiamike.com they posted this news yesterday :

        HUBLI: The South Western Railway (SWR) has banned the booking of transportation of two-wheelers by trains in the Hubli, Bangalore and Mysore divisions following the Hampi Express accident which claimed 25 lives. India Rail Info News - Can't ferry bikes in trains: R - India Rail Info - A Busy Junction for Travellers & Rail Enthusiasts


        Therefore I have no choice but driving. I hope I can make it in 2 days. Regarding NH17, do I have to go via Sawantwadi or can I go up to Kohlapur on NH4 and then go west Sahuwadi & Sakarpa and then resume on Goa-Mumbay NH17? Is this road stretch bad? It seems this option would be faster or is it not? :


        Any particular suggestions on this route? Roads to avoid? I checked out your Road Condition thread, thanks for contributing it was very hepful!

        Thanks again!

        s0l
        Last edited by s0l; 05-29-2012, 03:09 PM.

        Comment

        • #5
          Originally posted by s0l View Post
          Hello Satyen,

          thanks for your reply, up to 10 minutes ago I had reconsidered driving to Mumbai and rather going from Hubli to Mumbay by train but on indiamike.com they posted this news yesterday :

          HUBLI: The South Western Railway (SWR) has banned the booking of transportation of two-wheelers by trains in the Hubli, Bangalore and Mysore divisions following the Hampi Express accident which claimed 25 lives. India Rail Info News - Can't ferry bikes in trains: R - India Rail Info - A Busy Junction for Travellers & Rail Enthusiasts


          Therefore I have no choice but driving. I hope I can make it in 2 days. Regarding NH17, do I have to go via Sawantwadi or can I go up to Kohlapur on NH4 and then go west Sahuwadi & Sakarpa and then resume on Goa-Mumbay NH17? Is this road stretch bad? It seems this option would be faster or is it not? :


          Any particular suggestions on this route? Roads to avoid? I checked out your Road Condition thread, thanks for contributing it was very hepful!

          Thanks again!

          s0l
          I did read about the accident and was hoping you didnt board a train! (Which is why I kept coming back to check this thread! Glad to know you are safe)

          If speed is the criteria blindly take the NH4

          Its a 6 lane spotless track for most of the places... and can be done in a day too!

          The route that you have shared is much more scenic, and is risky only because of the curves and single carriageway stature... You can get to NH17 via Sawantwadi
          Super CommuTOURer� - Talk less, Ride more

          .: FB :.|.: TW :.|*IG*| Ex           PowerDrift:.

          #Give thy opinion, write em, dont throw em
          #Everyone errs, accept it, defending/cribbing about it only makes it worse
          #Dont defend a manufacturer as if you work for them
          #Write. Think. If relevant hit submit. If not hit yourself
          #Be kind in your choice of words, you never know who would make you gulp em
          � Satyen Poojary

          Comment

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