[Sherlocked]

We will be driving to Amritsar from Delhi on 17th morning. Planning to take the Ambala route and then the byepass from Ludhiana, Jalandhar.
Hoping this one is the best route. Kindly advise.

Also how is the road condition? Any diversions or on going repair work that I need to be aware of?

Thanks in Advance.

[Turbanator]

Ambala route and then the byepass from Ludhiana, Jalandhar.
Hoping this one is the best route.

Yes, this is best. Don't take Ludhiana bypass instead travel from inside that will be faster. once you cross Appolo hospital ( on your left ) continue straight , slight Right will be bypass. Continue straight for 8-10 Km and you should be out of Ludhiana. Overall this road is in great shape.

[NPX]

Originally Posted by Sherlocked

We will be driving to Amritsar from Delhi on 17th morning. Planning to take the Ambala route and then the byepass from Ludhiana, Jalandhar.
Hoping this one is the best route. Kindly advise.

Also how is the road condition? Any diversions or on going repair work that I need to be aware of?

Thanks in Advance.

upto ambala road condition is superb. one flyover is under construction in Karnal that too doesn't cause any problem.

[Sherlocked]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Yes, this is best. Don't take Ludhiana bypass instead travel from inside that will be faster.

Originally Posted by NPX

upto ambala road condition is superb. one flyover is under construction in Karnal that too doesn't cause any problem.

Thanks guys for the responses!
One more thing. Do we have interceptors with speed guns in the said route. Any particular route that I should be wary about them?
Also, legal speed limt is 90 kmph, right?

[Turbanator]

Do we have interceptors with speed guns in the said route.

yes , depending on the weather. If it's hot like these days, they will normally start duties around 6ish till 8 and then later return around 5 in the evening,on a pleasant day they can do all day along. Particular areas to watch - after you cross Delhi border there is a bridge under construction - (left goes to Sonipat ) about 5 km from this place to Murthal they are normally having Naka. Also occasionally before Panipat and after you cross Karnal . Beyond Kurukshetra nowhere till your destination. But if you are coming from Jaipur, you can bypass Delhi entirely

[harsh79]

If anyone visiting Amritsar is gastronomically inclined, I strongly suggest you to visit the following places.

My personal favourites:

1) Amritsari chole kulche - Monu kulcha wala - Loharika road. ( There's an impostor on the main road, avoid him, the real one is inside a lane a little further). Thinner and crispy kulchas with loads of butter and chole. You can't stop! If you can't make it to Monu and are around the Golden Temple, Kulwant kulche chole is quite decent.

2) Amritsari fried fish - a) Makhan dhaba on Majitha road. b) Bubby fish & chicken corner - Crystal chowk. Both are good, Bubbys is not as bland.

3) Tandoori chicken - Beera dhaba on Majitha road, a little ahead from Makhan. The best tandoori I've had, ever. Other tandoori items are good too.

4) Keema kulcha - Friends dhaba - Queens road. (Their glory days are behind them and they don't have good ratings anymore but the keema kulcha is still spectacular.)

5) Dry kulcha with chole and bananas mix - Behind DAV boys college. ( An oddity but yummy.)

6) Lassi - Gian Chand - Near DAV boys college.

7) Puri aloo - Kanha Sweets - Lawrence road, near DAV girls college.

8) Jalebis - Gurdas Ram Jalebi, Katra Ahuwalia, near Golden Temple. Used to love these as a kid.

9) Fruit cream - Sukhram - Lawrence road, near Novelty. Yummy and fresh fruit cream.

10) Crystal restaurant - Crystal chowk, Queens road. Good food.

The rest I don't care much about due to my aversion to excessive desi ghee floating atop almost everything, and an overwhelming assault on the senses when you enter these places.

Pure-veg ghee delight - Kesar dhaba, Bharawan and Brothers dhabas.

[Sherlocked]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

yes , depending on the weather. If it's hot like these days, they will normally start duties around 6ish till 8 and then later return around 5 in the evening,on a pleasant day they can do all day along. Particular areas to watch - after you cross Delhi border there is a bridge under construction - (left goes to Sonipat ) about 5 km from this place to Murthal they are normally having Naka. Also occasionally before Panipat and after you cross Karnal . Beyond Kurukshetra nowhere till your destination. But if you are coming from Jaipur, you can bypass Delhi entirely

I have a day work at Delhi so will depart from Delhi early morning next day and thanks for the heads up about speed guns. Will be careful at these spots.
Can you please tell me the speed limit one need's to follow.
Thanks.

Originally Posted by harsh79

If anyone visiting Amritsar is gastronomically inclined, I strongly suggest you to visit the following places.

Your post couldn't have come at a better time!!
I had already decided to visit Beera chicken and Keser Dhaba but you have given me a whole lot of options now!

When we last visited Amritsar around 15-16 years back, I remember we used to tell the rickshaw driver to take us to Kesar Dhaba, which we heard was a famous one but everytime the driver ended up suggesting a Pra Pra da dhaba.
Later we got to know that all drivers suggested this dhaba as they used to get commission for bringing in tourists.
Though this dhaba wasn't bad at all. Still remember that humongous glass of lassi.
Is it the same one, the Brothers dhaba??

[Turbanator]

Can you please tell me the speed limit one need's to follow.

Strict 90 in case you are caught else as fast you can drive

everytime the driver ended up suggesting a Pra Pra da dhaba

, it should be Bharawan da dhaba ( Brother's Restaurant! ) again a nice place in addition to what harsh has mentioned.

https://www.tripadvisor.in/Restauran...ar_Punjab.html

[harsh79]

Originally Posted by Sherlocked

Is it the same one, the Brothers dhaba??

There was just one earlier, Bharawan da dhaba. Brothers split up the business and now there are two, right next to each other. Newer one is Brothers dhaba.

[V-16]

Id still vote for Bhrawan over brothers. Although I don't understand what the fuss about the food there is about. It's oily, over greased and over saturated with masalas. Sure shot heart burn but then you're in Amritsar!! Kesar by the way is pure veg. There is one hole in the wall place In Haathi Gate called Pals. It serves awesome non veg stuff. For veg, Kesar may still be the better option.

[Sherlocked]

Completed the 1500 kms trip to Jaipur-Delhi-Amritsar-Delhi-Jaipur.

Jaipur-Delhi highway is in fairly good condition these days except for a couple of flyover construction going on.
If anyone is looking for a great place to eat look no further than Hotel Highway King on NH8 near Neemrana. Neat place and good covered parking.

After spending a day in Delhi, we headed to Amritsar next morning. started at 10 AM. Took the Ambala route as suggested by Turbunator. Roads throughout Haryana were a delight, didn't face any problem at all.
And then we entered Punjab. You'll know that you have entered Punjab when you'll come across cars with wider tyres and aftermarket Alloy wheels. From Zens to Swifts to Boleros, nearly every 5 cars out of 10 we noticed had the tyre mod done. Some of the Boleros were looking rather mean. Definitely tastefully done IMO.

Roads were good till Jalandhar but not so good after taking the right turn to Ladhowal just after Jalandhar. Road work was gong there.

Completed the 480 kms in around 7.5 hours with one tea break and one Lunch break.

Our Hotel was located on Court road, Amritsar and Golden Temple was just 3 kms as per Google maps so we thought we'll go late in the evening but got stuck in the Amritsar local traffic. The roads were very bad especially around the Golden temple area and a lot of construction work was going on so there was dust everywhere and just like every city, two wheelers and auto-rickshaws were a nightmare to tackle. We got stuck in some tiny lanes and it was a chaos! Even on the one way roads people were coming from everywhere. Took nearly 25 minutes to cover those 3 kms with my heart in my mouth.
But one mistake I think I did was that in Google maps, I set the destination as Golden temple but instead I should have set it to the Multi Level Car Park. Could have avoided those tiny lanes. Big mistake! Might have saved me from the head ache.

Finally found the entry to MLCP and parked the car there. From there it was a 500m walk or so. But the area was very very dusty due to the construction work around the Golden Temple. But once we entered inside, our moods completely changed. It was very calm and peaceful inside the Golden Temple. Totally worth it!
Fortunately while returning to our Hotel we didn't face the dreaded traffic and reached within 10 minutes.

Next day, explored the famous eateries in Amritsar and mom did some shopping. In the evening, due to the hot weather decided to skip Wagah border so instead went to Taran Taran Sahib Gurudwara to pay a visit. Its around 30 kms from Amritsar. Roads were good. No problems at all.
Just after Amritsar, there is a Grand Trunk Road. Somehow missed spotting the 50 kmph speed limit sign on the flyover and had to pay a fine for overspeeding. Others please be aware, though I fail to understand why just 50 kmph. It feels terribly slow at that speed, should be at least 70 kmph.

The return journey to Delhi took a little more time because of the traffic and narrow roads just after Amritsar till Jalandhar. But from there on, no issues at all. But we took our own sweet time and stopped at many places for breakfast, lunch and tea breaks.
From Delhi to Jaipur, it was again uneventful and covered the 280 kms to our home in some 5 hours or so.

Originally Posted by harsh79

If anyone visiting Amritsar is gastronomically inclined, I strongly suggest you to visit the following places.

Man, couldn't thank you enough for the list you gave!
Visited Sukhram, Beera's chicken, Makhan Dhaba, Bubby fish and chicken corner and just loved what they had to offer. Tandoori chicken at Beera's was simply out of the world and definitely the best I ever had!!
Missed out on having Keema Naan at Friends Dhaba and instead had it at Beera's. Wasn't that tasty IMO. But definitely on my list for next time to taste it at Friend's Dhaba.

Another place to add to the list is Giani Tea Stall at Crystal Chowk, just after Bubby Fish and Chicken corner. The tea was too good and refreshing but the quantity was high. If anyone's looking for a nice evening tea, look no further than this place. Seating space is poor though but if you have your car then you are good to try out this place.

Also visited Bhrawan da Dhaba and yes, they are definitely over rated or maybe things have changed now! Also since they are located near the Golden Temple area and road conditions are very poor due to construction so wouldn't advice anyone visiting them just for the sake of it!

Originally Posted by Turbanator

..

Thanks a lot sir for all your advices! They came in handy and were a great help through out the trip.

[harsh79]

Originally Posted by Sherlocked

Our Hotel was located on Court road, Amritsar and Golden Temple was just 3 kms as per Google maps so we thought we'll go late in the evening but got stuck in the Amritsar local traffic. The roads were very bad especially around the Golden temple area and a lot of construction work was going on so there was dust everywhere and just like every city, two wheelers and auto-rickshaws were a nightmare to tackle. We got stuck in some tiny lanes and it was a chaos! Even on the one way roads people were coming from everywhere. Took nearly 25 minutes to cover those 3 kms with my heart in my mouth.
But one mistake I think I did was that in Google maps, I set the destination as Golden temple but instead I should have set it to the Multi Level Car Park. Could have avoided those tiny lanes. Big mistake! Might have saved me from the head ache.

Heading toward the town aka 'sheher' area, Crystal chowk onwards; has always been a mess. Not paying heed to traffic signals, cutting across suddenly, wrong side riding/driving, thelas, rickshaws and highly impatient riders/drivers. It all adds up. Also the extensive ongoing construction around the Golden temple, doesn't help the situation.

I know exactly how you must've felt, have gotten stuck in the madness there on multiple occasions.

Amritsar's town area is Chandni chowk on steroids, 7 days a week.

Best option would've been, taking the elevated road via the one-way overpass; straight to the car parking.

Originally Posted by Sherlocked

Man, couldn't thank you enough for the list you gave!
Visited Sukhram, Beera's chicken, Makhan Dhaba, Bubby fish and chicken corner and just loved what they had to offer. Tandoori chicken at Beera's was simply out of the world and definitely the best I ever had!!
Missed out on having Keema Naan at Friends Dhaba and instead had it at Beera's. Wasn't that tasty IMO. But definitely on my list for next time to taste it at Friend's Dhaba.

That tandoori is definitely a big hit!

Do go to Friends the next time you visit. You missed an awesome meal.

Originally Posted by Sherlocked

Also visited Bhrawan da Dhaba and yes, they are definitely over rated or maybe things have changed now! Also since they are located near the Golden Temple area and road conditions are very poor due to construction so wouldn't advice anyone visiting them just for the sake of it!

I've always felt that they are way over rated, but some people like that food. To each their own, I guess.

Originally Posted by Sherlocked

Thanks a lot sir for all your advices! They came in handy and were a great help through out the trip.

Very glad; you enjoyed the recommendations.

[Sherlocked]

Originally Posted by harsh79

Heading toward the town aka 'sheher' area, Crystal chowk onwards; has always been a mess. Not paying heed to traffic signals, cutting across suddenly, wrong side riding/driving, thelas, rickshaws and highly impatient riders/drivers. It all adds up. Also the extensive ongoing construction around the Golden temple, doesn't help the situation.

Amritsar's town area is Chandni chowk on steroids, 7 days a week.

Yes, you have described it aptly. Some biker or auto rickshaw also brushed up against the rear mudguard and broke it. but I'm glad the damage was limited to this much only considering the madness on the road over there!

Best option would've been, taking the elevated road via the one-way overpass; straight to the car parking.

Do go to Friends the next time you visit. You missed an awesome meal.

Both of this suggestions duly noted . Lets hope we make another trip to there when the temperature settles down.

Originally Posted by Sherlocked

Another place to add to the list is Giani Tea Stall at Crystal Chowk, just after Bubby Fish and Chicken corner. The tea was too good and refreshing but the quantity was high. If anyone's looking for a nice evening tea, look no further than this place. Seating space is poor though but if you have your car then you are good to try out this place.

EDIT: The proper address of Giani Tea Stall is Cooper Road, Amritsar. Apologies as I mentioned it at Crystal Chowk. However Crystal Chowk is just neaby as well.

[Catalyst_delhi]

I am planning a road trip on the 17th December. I want to start by 4am from Indirapuram. Please let me know if the road conditions are as good as I have been reading on posts above.

[paragpatankar]

I am planning a trip in Mid October starting from Gurgaon-Amritsar-Kasauli-Gurgaon.
Day 1 would be Ggn-Amritsar ~ 480 KM- is the default Google recommended route the best one ? Any tips to avoid getting stuck in Delhi traffic, we will start around 8 am, cant start earlier unfortunately.
Day 2 would be Amritsar to Kasauli via Jalandhar-Phagwara-Nawanshahar- Rupnagar- Kurali-Barotiwala-Pinjore- Kalka-Dharampur ~ 280 km
How is the Kurali-Pinjore stretch ? rest is NH and should be fine I guess.