[SidharthaN]

Can anyone tell me if total toll charges on NH 2 will be lesser than YEW, ALE, Purvanchal Expressway. I will be travelling on 2 dec and want to know which route is cheaper toll wise

[Wanderers]

Originally Posted by SidharthaN

Can anyone tell me if total toll charges on NH 2 will be lesser than YEW, ALE, Purvanchal Expressway.

Tolls on NH vs Expressway are comparable and difference is less than 10%. You save time and most important tension-free drive so one should take expressway even if they are priced higher.

Completed my Delhi-Ayodhya-Bokaro-Patna-Panna- Khajuraho-Delhi drive last week. Thanks for all the info in this thread, I was well informed except for a speed challan in Sasaram. The NH is under expansion and speed limit has been reduced and yes they have put temporary speed limit sign which varies from 30 to 60 kmh. While the challan photo is not clear, I could still read captured speed (76kmh) and probably it was a 60 kmh zone. As such road was pretty good and could have driven even 90-100 kmh. Online echallan system has armed state govt with enough power to make use of any such opportunity to earn revenue. No wonder supreme court had to step in to say one has to display notice saying speed camera ahead. I can understand speed challan for crossing general highway limit (80kmh) but just because you have some expansion work, put up a lower speed limit sign and be ready to challan.

Other important points/discoveries.

1. To take Durgawanti route after Mohania, one just need to take service road on opposite side before Durgawanti bridge. Google will show you as well. AI learning may be as it was not showing when I was checking few days before my journey.

2. Gargi Surya Vihar at Aurangabad is good only for clean restroom. Quality of non-veg food is not great (not fresh) and same time relatively very expensive.

2. For first time I can say that Bihar roads have improved and infact bettered than Jharkhand. Barhi-Patna is 90% four laned and has long elevated sections with good restaurants on the way. Similarly Patna- Mohania (partially through Arah-Buxar Highway) is 98% four lane/tolled once you are out of Patna (after Bihta) I could reach Mohania in 2.15 hours having started at 6 AM in morning.

3. Varanasi- Rewa which used to be nightmare few years back is delight to drive now. This road continues to south (old NH-7)

4. Bundelkhand Expressway- It would be shame to call it a expressway except that its elevated and barricaded. The newest of all expressways is in very bad shape with many section depressed, non-uniform, plenty of humps and repaired patch work looked like its a 10 years old. This has only 4 lanes and you face sand trucks who not only occupy both the lanes, they even park on expressway just like NH. In Comparison, Agra-Gwalior-Khajuraho might be better (based on some of travelogues on this forum) but yes it still saves time I guess.

5. Ayodhya Sri Ram Mandir- Guys the temple and the city would be a transformations. The facilities would be nothing less than airport and everything is likely to be free. You can imagine 4 times of Akakshardham temple in 10 times of football field with arrival lounge with attached car parking bigger than T3 Delhi. The walkway would be modern architecture like an airport but open. Also city people are being trained to be guide and speak like a pro with everyone.

[amartya_bhp]

Originally Posted by Wanderers

Tolls on NH vs Expressway are comparable and difference is less than 10%. You save time and most important tension-free drive so one should take expressway even if they are priced higher.

Completed my Delhi-Ayodhya-Bokaro-Patna-Panna- Khajuraho-Delhi drive last week. Thanks for all the info in this thread, I was well informed except for a speed challan in Sasaram. The NH is under expansion and speed limit has been reduced and yes they have put temporary speed limit sign which varies from 30 to 60 kmh. While the challan photo is not clear, I could still read captured speed (76kmh) and probably it was a 60 kmh zone. As such road was pretty good and could have driven even 90-100 kmh. Online echallan system has armed state govt with enough power to make use of any such opportunity to earn revenue. No wonder supreme court had to step in to say one has to display notice saying speed camera ahead. I can understand speed challan for crossing general highway limit (80kmh) but just because you have some expansion work, put up a lower speed limit sign and be ready to challan.

Other important points/discoveries.

1. To take Durgawanti route after Mohania, one just need to take service road on opposite side before Durgawanti bridge. Google will show you as well. AI learning may be as it was not showing when I was checking few days before my journey.

2. Gargi Surya Vihar at Aurangabad is good only for clean restroom. Quality of non-veg food is not great (not fresh) and same time relatively very expensive.

2. For first time I can say that Bihar roads have improved and infact bettered than Jharkhand. Barhi-Patna is 90% four laned and has long elevated sections with good restaurants on the way. Similarly Patna- Mohania (partially through Arah-Buxar Highway) is 98% four lane/tolled once you are out of Patna (after Bihta) I could reach Mohania in 2.15 hours having started at 6 AM in morning.

Thanks for the information. Could you please upload a Google map snippet to share the exact route? Thanks

[Wanderers]

Originally Posted by amartya_bhp

Thanks for the information. Could you please upload a Google map snippet to share the exact route? Thanks

Which route you need info as I did not go to Patna or Bokaro directly, similarly return was a big detour via Khajuraho.
Anyway just follow google as it did not throw any surprise.

[Ltinsane]

Planning on driving from South Kolkata to Shree Badrinath via Varanasi and maybe Nainital. Followed by Kedarnath, on the way back, Via Haridwar. Any route suggestions and places to stay in Varanasi? How are the road conditions? Any info will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[ssjr0498]

Guys, will be driving down from Jabalpur to Kolkata with an halt at Varanasi. This will be on the 27th April, the day after the elections!

Since I will be travelling with my family (kids), I have 2 questions

1. Is it okay to travel right after the general elections to and fro Varanasi?
2. Any COCO outlets within 150km from Varanasi as I will be doing a tank fill at BP Sihora (MP) and should have that much range left.

Thanks in advance.

[Wanderers]

Originally Posted by ssjr0498

Since I will be travelling with my family (kids), I have 2 questions

1. Is it okay to travel right after the general elections to and fro Varanasi?
2. Any COCO outlets within 150km from Varanasi as I will be doing a tank fill at BP Sihora (MP) and should have that much range left.

Thanks in advance.

If you drive a normal 5 seater petrol car and not having MP or UP number you are absolutely safe from election duty roaster. As such even 7 seater SUV is fine as idea is not to trouble people. Just be prepared for friendly frisking at multiple check points enroute. Do not keep more than 50K in cash and/or liquor.

Plenty of good fuel station as you approach Varanasi /NH-19. Can’t say about any specific COCO. Try to fill at Rewa but I have seen many good pumps between Rewa and Varanasi. It’s food you should be worried than fuel as I did not see any good dhaba. Look for MPT (MP Tourism) highway retreats. They have decent food but very clean washrooms.

Also please drive carefully and not on median side as this route is famous for cattle menace.

[ssjr0498]

Thank you so much for the suggestion. Ill be driving my WB registered Jetta (diesel). Found this Indian oil pump, just before Rewa ( Om filling station), will try!

Also, what are the general thoughts on Jio-BP and Nayara diesel?

Thanks,
Shrey

Originally Posted by Wanderers

If you drive a normal 5 seater petrol car and not having MP or UP number you are absolutely safe from election duty roaster. As such even 7 seater SUV is fine as idea is not to trouble people. Just be prepared for friendly frisking at multiple check points enroute. Do not keep more than 50K in cash and/or liquor.

Plenty of good fuel station as you approach Varanasi /NH-19. Can’t say about any specific COCO. Try to fill at Rewa but I have seen many good pumps between Rewa and Varanasi. It’s food you should be worried than fuel as I did not see any good dhaba. Look for MPT (MP Tourism) highway retreats. They have decent food but very clean washrooms.

Also please drive carefully and not on median side as this route is famous for cattle menace.

[Sail]

Hi Folks,

Recently completed my Gurgaon – Kolkata – Gurgaon summer trip.

Gurgaon – Kolkata:
I took via Palwal > JEW > ALE > Good old NH-19. Total distance: 1470 km

Night-over at Aurangabad, hotel Vaishnavi Heights. Good hotel for family. 953 km drive from Gurgaon to the hotel, in 15 hrs. No traffic jam etc experienced. Only Avg speed was down during evening & night in UP after Varanasi.

Second day, 10 hrs ride to Kolkata. Panagrah – Dankuni still under construction. But, no of diversions are less compared to last year.

On the way back we were excited that we will take the Purvanchal Expressway for the first time.

Kolkata - Gurgaon:

Total distance: 1556 km.

First day we drove from Kolkata to Mohania. We stayed at Hotel Swastik at Mohania right on the NH-19, just 12 Kms from Durganti. Okays’ hotel just for a night with car park. Don’t expect anything out of it.

Second day, after a 15 min traffic snurl at Mohania toll Plaza, we entered from Durganti at 0815 hrs and embarked on Purvanchanl Exprerssway at 1040 hrs. Special thanks to @ SS Da, your video still holds good, the section remains completely unchanged and that tractor is still there.

Roads are small, need to hold on to your nerves for this 2.5 hrs. Road surface around Zamania are broken at places. 10 mins delay level crossing of Zamania. Numerous speed bumps on the complete stretch from Durganti to Ghazipur. Road condition improves after Ghazipur market.

Purvanchal expressway: All the speed cameras are working now, decent refreshment places on the stretch including petrol bunks, no complain. But I found road surfacing of ALE is better than Purvanchal Exp. Though on ALE from Etawah connector to Agra, road surface is uneven at places due to patch up works.

Total driving time (engine running) from Kolkata to Gurgaon home was 26.5 hrs, which is unacceptable to me.

It is my opinion only, that if we are heading to Delhi or North India, except Lucknow and that side, using Purvanchal expressway is completely useless. Proper approach is not there, it is approx. 80 kms more, using more fuels and more time on the wheels. On Delhi-Kolkata route, the stressful sector is from Varanasi till Topchanchi at present. And we can’t avoid this sector. Hence, taking Purvanchal expressway does not justify, where road conditions after Varanasi till Delhi is a smooth sailing.

Brdgs
Sail