Pune - Indore - Faridabad Drive in a Honda Brio
Our about to be 4 years old daughter, wife and I drove to Faridabad in our Honda Brio over two days. My wife can drive so we shared the journey behind the wheel. Day 1: Pune to Indore, Friday 30th July, 2021
Departure time: 5:30 am
Route: Pune - Nashik - Dhule - Indore
Stops:
Breakfast: Kamat, post Alephata on Nashik Highway
Lunch: Orchid, Dhule
Tea break:
Panchwati, near Gujri, MP
Hotel: Effotel by Sayaji, Indore
Arrival time: 7:30 pm
Travel time: 14 hours
Behind the wheel: 12 hours
Lunch break to tea break driven by wife.
Kms: 648 km
Tolls: Rs. 812
Day 1 breakfast
Day 1 lunch
Day 1 tea
Natrax, was calling!
Tips:
- Exit Pune - Chakan MIDC area before day break, as company bus movements start early in industrial areas
-
Don't take the route suggested by Google maps to avoid Nashik, after Sangamner to Chandwad. We were advised prior, it's a single lane state highway, might slow you down.
- Traversing through Nashik city can be tricky for first timers like us but follow Google maps and Highway sign boards for effective movement
- A flyover construction is in progress while entering Nashik.
- MP border check post is well marked for private and commercial vehicles, just follow the yellow lane, no stopping.
- Indore city service roads has crater like pot holes and the evening traffic was crazy in Indore city. From NH52 to hotel took 30 mins, seemed even longer after the highway run!
- Petrol in MP is costlier, Rs. 111 compared to Rs. 107 in MH on the same day
Day 2: Indore to Faridabad, Saturday 31st, July 2021
Departure time: 5:30 am
Route: Indore - Guna - Gwalior - Agra - Mathura - Faridabad
Stops:
Breakfast:
Hotel Simla, post Sarangpur on Agra Highway
Lunch: We skipped, did a hot swap near Gwalior and a Tea break at a random Dhaba in between Guna & Gwalior as it was raining heavily
Tea & snacks break:
Sainik Family restaurant, post Agra-NH2 bypass
Destination: Faridabad
Arrival time: 10:10 pm
Travel time: 16:40 hours
Behind the wheel: 14 hours
Breakfast break to Guna and Gwalior to Agra (tea break) driven by wife.
Kms: 824 km
Tolls: Rs. 1,155
Tips:
- Exit Indore via NH52, Agra highway, Google maps suggested the AB Road exit and we took it, early morning was not an issue
- NH52 is cement road from Indore
- Plenty of cows on this route
-
Don't take the route suggested by Google maps to avoid Guna town, the bypass is filled with craters. Single lane and construction in progress. One heavy vehicle breakdown causes traffic jams. Go through Guna town. (This reminded us of Ahmednagar bypass)
- The Gwalior bypass seemed never ending and the pot holes got deeper. I'm not sure if we should have taken the the town itself.
- Gwalior to Agra stretch was the worst in the journey, rowdy drivers including truck drivers with air horns. Intersections, motorcyclists, markets and everything you don't expect on National highways were present in this stretch!
- You cross RJ border check post and then UP check post, no stopping for private vehicles.
- We took the Mathura road as our destination was in Faridabad. It's in very good state, recommended.
- The night stretch, Agra - Faridabad was fine except the Haryana border check post which was a mess. The private vehicles had to filter though the heavy vehicles which occupied all the lanes. Thanks to some stewards who braved to stand in front of the trucks to stop them!
- Palwal town was the last hurdle, bypass construction is in progress and you need to cautiously go through the town.
Day 2 breakfast
The Doctor's Highway!
Views entering Gwalior. Post Gwalior the scenic views ended, we missed the ghats!
The worst patch, Gwalior to Agra. If you're the only driver suggest to take a break before you enter this stretch
Common:
- We had a kid and lady along so all stops above had decent washrooms
- I'm pure veg only on the highways
- The 1st lane (right most) has more potholes all along, preferred the 2nd lane
- NO CHECKING OF RT-PCR or anything else experienced. Only trucks were stopped at Police border check points.
- The rains were constant and good to keep the temperatures down and the car dirty!
- Post Gwalior, there was no long spells of rains but some stretches the road was wet and mucky.
- Those without rear wash & wiper in their cars like us, be prepared to clean the rear glass in breaks
- All tolls had Fastag
- We are spoiled in MH with better food plazas, not much options here, mostly truck wala style dhabas and the ones nearing Delhi, the Gulshans!
- More than on road time if you can control your break times your journey time would be effective. It was challenging for us with a kid.
- Breaks are important and if you have a co-driver then it's a bonus!
- We're still not sure if we would take the same route for the return journey
- This post has details for first timer long road trippers like us, pros can ignore
Mighty impressed with the big hearted Brio and it's dynamics!
We were pretty relaxed and had a full day in reserve as we were not sure of our capabilities and limits! But all of us did it without breaking a sweat.
I kept updating my status and location with fellow bhpian
sukiwa and another friend. It was great to log this post as it has all the details. They were on standby if we needed any rain or road update. Luckily we needed none except the Mathura road status update which
sukiwa got from this forum itself.
Traveling is the best experience, experience is the best teacher! No experience can match the behind the wheel experience, those who're in doubt, hit the road, it's satisfying!
Love & respect to all BHPians who do it regularly
Drive safe,
surjaonwheelz