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My mammoth road trip from Pune to Kolkata ended on September 22nd , 2020. Ever since the lockdown started, we have been planning to return to Kolkata (hometown). We in fact booked airline tickets twice but it got cancelled at the last moment. IRCTC is not even an option even as of today. Having no other choice, we finally decided to complete this trip by car as we were very adamant of going home this time at least when Durga Puja is knocking your door. The decision was not easy as I have a 3 months old puppy too. His name is Oreo 
Alright, after I and Sayantani finally decided and agreed to take this calculated risk , I started researching online on the possible routes. I came up with two options –
Route 1 – Pune -> Aurangabad -> Nagpur -> Raipur -> Ranchi -> Kolkata
Route 2 – Pune -> Hyderabad -> Vizag -> Odisha -> West Bengal.
Honestly, after reading many travel blogs, online articles and most importantly , making this journey less boring I finally decided to opt for Route 2.
Planning Phase –
To ensure hassle free travel , I decided to have following items with me before I start my trip –
1. Auto Tubeless Tyre Puncture Repair Tools Kit– Worth Rs 299
(https://www.amazon.in/.../ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04...)
2. Mini DC 12V Air Compressor Pump for Car
https://www.amazon.in/.../ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06...
3. car Bed Inflatable Mattress air Bed Travel - Now this is something I purchased for Oreo to ensure he is comfortable. If you are travelling with your baby or have a pet – pls go for it. Local car accessories shop will offer you at a whooping price of 5000 INR. Here amazon gives you at a best price.
https://www.amazon.in/.../ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04...
4. Spare Tyre , fully checked a day before you start your trip.
5. Tool Kit . If you do not know how to replace a punctured tyre , you can search online to learn.
6. Last but very important, a Jumper Cable for your car battery.
https://www.amazon.in/Electom.../dp/B073CM6XYW/ref=sr_1_6...
Other important stuffs –
1. Get a fast tag for your car. Believe me , this will save a lot of time. You can apply it 2-3 weeks prior to your journey so that you get it delivered on time.
2. Health certificates. In my case, we did a Covid test 2 days prior to our trip ( Of course it was Negative)
3. A fit to travel certificate for Oreo and his vaccination book. Since this is the first time, he travelled, we ensured we gave him medications for Nausea and ORS (precautionary measure).
On the day of journey –
Day 1 (Sep – 19) – Pune -> Solapur -> Humnabad ->Zahirabad -> Hyderabad ( Distance = 573 Kms via NH65)
We got delayed on the first phase of the trip. We planned to start at 4 AM but due to work and some important meetings, we ended up starting at 6 AM . We were supposed to reach Hyderabad ( Telegana State ) by evening.
Well, Pune to Hyderabad has a well connectivity and roads are extremely good. You can easily cruise at an average speed of 80kmph. Do not worry about gas stations and there are plenty of small and medium hotels for a quick grab. We took our first halt somewhere near Solapur for breakfast. Oreo did his morning job without much efforts. If you are crossing Solapur in the afternoon , do check out Hotel Khan Chacha.
We reached Hyderabad around 5 PM. Since we both didn’t sleep well because of work , we were off to bed by 7 PM so that we can start early next day for Vizag.
Day 2 (Sep - 20) - Hyderabad -> Nalgonda ->Surypet -> Vijaywada -> Eluru -> Rajamundry -> Visakhapatnam. (Distance = 673 kms via NH65 & AH45 )
Once again, we overslept and finally started from our Hyderabad hotel around 8 AM. Refuelled my car and had some local Idli & Vada. Our arrival time got delayed for Vizag.
Well , first 150 kms via Neheru outer Ring road ( ORR ) was amazing. It’s a 16-lane road and I covered this with cruise control. Once we enter Andhra Pradesh, believe me it was a nightmare , specially Vijaywada and Rajmundry was pathetic. (No doubt Telangana has moved out from AP ). In addition, weather and road condition did not let us drive more than 40 Kmph. Finally, we reached Vizag around 11 PM and checked in a service apartment which was 5 minutes to the National highway. Our plan was to start for Odisha next day and stay there for a night.
Day 3 (Sep – 21) – Vizag – Bhubaneshwar – Cuttack – Balasore – West Bengal (Distance = 892 kms via NH16)
I changed my mind this time. Initially we planned to reach Bhubaneshwar and stay overnight before we start for Kolkata. But somewhere I was pretty confident that I can hit this whooping 900 Kms in a day. So despite my wife’s disagreement, I somehow managed her to believe that we would reach home by 10 PM. Therefore , we started at 5:30 AM after 4 hours of sleep. NH16 is a mix of good and bad road with numerous diversions. We managed to cross Andrapradesh around 11 AM and finally entered Bhubaneshwar around 2 PM. We had our lunch , Oreo had his too . Being a Bengali, I started feeling sleepy after my full meal in the lunch. Had to stop again for a strong coffee. My wife was still insisting to stay back but I had to stick to the plan. We managed to leave Odisha border around 7:30 PM and finally entered West Bengal border. The police stopped us but seeing family travelling , they didn’t even ask further question. We entered West Bengal finally and reach home via Kolaghat , Dakshin Eshwar , Belgharia Exp Way and finally gave a surprise to our parents.
Trip End Reading – 2195 kms
I must say , this drive would not have been easy without Sayantani who never closed her eyes for even once and constantly kept me active. I never expected Oreo to cooperate to this extend. He is a really sweetheart. He enjoyed his trip a lot on this comfortable bed and at times sneaking his face through the arm rest of my car or watching the big trucks very weirdly.
Oh , I missed one thing. The health certificates did not add any value. Unfortunately , I was booked 400 INR in my own City Pune. But those cops were more busy playing with Oreo
Anyways , this was my first 2000 kms trip and hence I thought of sharing my experience.
My friends , if you are in Mumbai / Pune / Hyderabad , you all may refer to this article. This should help you plan to visit Kolkata if you think you have the will and stamina to drive 2195 kms. Good luck and happy Durga Puja.
Alright, after I and Sayantani finally decided and agreed to take this calculated risk , I started researching online on the possible routes. I came up with two options –
Route 1 – Pune -> Aurangabad -> Nagpur -> Raipur -> Ranchi -> Kolkata
Route 2 – Pune -> Hyderabad -> Vizag -> Odisha -> West Bengal.
Honestly, after reading many travel blogs, online articles and most importantly , making this journey less boring I finally decided to opt for Route 2.
Planning Phase –
To ensure hassle free travel , I decided to have following items with me before I start my trip –
1. Auto Tubeless Tyre Puncture Repair Tools Kit– Worth Rs 299
(https://www.amazon.in/.../ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04...)
2. Mini DC 12V Air Compressor Pump for Car
https://www.amazon.in/.../ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06...
3. car Bed Inflatable Mattress air Bed Travel - Now this is something I purchased for Oreo to ensure he is comfortable. If you are travelling with your baby or have a pet – pls go for it. Local car accessories shop will offer you at a whooping price of 5000 INR. Here amazon gives you at a best price.
https://www.amazon.in/.../ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04...
4. Spare Tyre , fully checked a day before you start your trip.
5. Tool Kit . If you do not know how to replace a punctured tyre , you can search online to learn.
6. Last but very important, a Jumper Cable for your car battery.
https://www.amazon.in/Electom.../dp/B073CM6XYW/ref=sr_1_6...
Other important stuffs –
1. Get a fast tag for your car. Believe me , this will save a lot of time. You can apply it 2-3 weeks prior to your journey so that you get it delivered on time.
2. Health certificates. In my case, we did a Covid test 2 days prior to our trip ( Of course it was Negative
)3. A fit to travel certificate for Oreo and his vaccination book. Since this is the first time, he travelled, we ensured we gave him medications for Nausea and ORS (precautionary measure).
On the day of journey –
Day 1 (Sep – 19) – Pune -> Solapur -> Humnabad ->Zahirabad -> Hyderabad ( Distance = 573 Kms via NH65)
We got delayed on the first phase of the trip. We planned to start at 4 AM but due to work and some important meetings, we ended up starting at 6 AM . We were supposed to reach Hyderabad ( Telegana State ) by evening.
Well, Pune to Hyderabad has a well connectivity and roads are extremely good. You can easily cruise at an average speed of 80kmph. Do not worry about gas stations and there are plenty of small and medium hotels for a quick grab. We took our first halt somewhere near Solapur for breakfast. Oreo did his morning job without much efforts. If you are crossing Solapur in the afternoon , do check out Hotel Khan Chacha.
We reached Hyderabad around 5 PM. Since we both didn’t sleep well because of work , we were off to bed by 7 PM so that we can start early next day for Vizag.
Day 2 (Sep - 20) - Hyderabad -> Nalgonda ->Surypet -> Vijaywada -> Eluru -> Rajamundry -> Visakhapatnam. (Distance = 673 kms via NH65 & AH45 )
Once again, we overslept
and finally started from our Hyderabad hotel around 8 AM. Refuelled my car and had some local Idli & Vada. Our arrival time got delayed for Vizag.Well , first 150 kms via Neheru outer Ring road ( ORR ) was amazing. It’s a 16-lane road and I covered this with cruise control. Once we enter Andhra Pradesh, believe me it was a nightmare , specially Vijaywada and Rajmundry was pathetic. (No doubt Telangana has moved out from AP ). In addition, weather and road condition did not let us drive more than 40 Kmph. Finally, we reached Vizag around 11 PM and checked in a service apartment which was 5 minutes to the National highway. Our plan was to start for Odisha next day and stay there for a night.
Day 3 (Sep – 21) – Vizag – Bhubaneshwar – Cuttack – Balasore – West Bengal (Distance = 892 kms via NH16)
I changed my mind this time. Initially we planned to reach Bhubaneshwar and stay overnight before we start for Kolkata. But somewhere I was pretty confident that I can hit this whooping 900 Kms in a day. So despite my wife’s disagreement, I somehow managed her to believe that we would reach home by 10 PM. Therefore , we started at 5:30 AM after 4 hours of sleep. NH16 is a mix of good and bad road with numerous diversions. We managed to cross Andrapradesh around 11 AM and finally entered Bhubaneshwar around 2 PM. We had our lunch , Oreo had his too . Being a Bengali, I started feeling sleepy after my full meal in the lunch. Had to stop again for a strong coffee. My wife was still insisting to stay back but I had to stick to the plan. We managed to leave Odisha border around 7:30 PM and finally entered West Bengal border. The police stopped us but seeing family travelling , they didn’t even ask further question. We entered West Bengal finally and reach home via Kolaghat , Dakshin Eshwar , Belgharia Exp Way and finally gave a surprise to our parents.
Trip End Reading – 2195 kms
I must say , this drive would not have been easy without Sayantani who never closed her eyes for even once and constantly kept me active. I never expected Oreo to cooperate to this extend. He is a really sweetheart. He enjoyed his trip a lot on this comfortable bed and at times sneaking his face through the arm rest of my car or watching the big trucks very weirdly.
Oh , I missed one thing. The health certificates did not add any value. Unfortunately , I was booked 400 INR in my own City Pune. But those cops were more busy playing with Oreo
Anyways , this was my first 2000 kms trip and hence I thought of sharing my experience.
My friends , if you are in Mumbai / Pune / Hyderabad , you all may refer to this article. This should help you plan to visit Kolkata if you think you have the will and stamina to drive 2195 kms. Good luck and happy Durga Puja.
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