BHPian Tushar_olive recently shared this with other enthusiasts: I’m planning a drive from Gurugram to Pune, travelling with my wife, and I would appreciate some updated guidance from members who have recently taken either of the two possible routes. Google Maps is currently showing two options: 1. Gurugram Jaipur Kota Neemuch Mandsaur Ujjain Indore Pune 2. Gurugram Jaipur Ajmer Bhilwara Ratlam Dahod Dhule Pune I’m trying to understand which of these two is better right now in terms of: Road quality between Kota-Neemuch-Mandsaur-Ujjain vs Ratlam-Dahod-Malegaon Number of diversions or ongoing construction Safety and suitability for a couple doing a long interstate drive Smoothness of traffic around Indore bypass vs. the Gujarat-Maharashtra stretch Availability of clean food stops and fuel stations Overall comfort for a long single-day or two-day run If the Ratlam Dahod Dhule route is rough in patches or has heavy truck traffic, I would like to know. Similarly, any updates on the Kota Neemuch belt would be very useful. Also, for night hault, which city would be the better and safer option for a couple-Ratlam, Ujjain, Indore, or somewhere around Dhule? Would really appreciate recent first-hand experiences from fellow members. Thank you in advance! Here’s what BHPian mygodbolehad to say on the matter:Quote from BHPian Tushar_olive:Also, for night halt, which city would be the better and safer option for a couple-Ratlam, Ujjain, Indore, or somewhere around Dhule?Caution: MP has plenty of cattle on any highway. Maharashtra is littered with unmarked speed breakers. Also Maharashtra highways are still work in progress, some are excellent, many are decent, quite a few are downright bad. With that out of the way, here goes: Gurgaon > Ratlam (drive time eight hours +): NE 4 starts in Gurgaon. With two stretches (Sawai Madhopur > Lalsot {60km} and Gopalpur > Chechat {40km}) not on NE4, Gurgaon > Ratlam on NE4 should not take more than nine hours. Information on fuel stops and clean washrooms is available on the Delhi-Mumbai route pages. Ratlam > Dhule is about six hours drive time. As long as you cross over into MH in daytime, cattle menace can be managed. Once in MH, unmarked speed breakers are a headache. (From Gurgaon, Ratlam and Ujjain are similar drive times, Indore is an additional hour. If headed to Ujjain and Indore, there is a spur from NE4 to Ujjain. Ratlam/Ujjain to Dhule are also similar drive times. Depends on personal choice) Dhule > Nashik (drive time about three hours) is a decent highway with plenty of trucks. I usually am able to maintain about 70kph (distance covered, not speed) here. Google maps will try to route you via Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) instead of Nashik. Not worth it IMHO. Nashik > Pune drive time is four hours. This highway is work in progress with plenty of diversions. Also be aware of the traffic jam at Chakan. Free-flowing traffic in this section occurs only between midnight and 4am. Any other hour, there is a traffic jam. (I usually time my departure from Nashik around 9pm so as to reach Chakan around midnight and home one hour later. If you don’t mind this traffic jam, you can start in the morning and be in Pune by evening.) Nashik > Pune is a busy highway at all hours with only speed breakers and high beams (after sunset) interrupting the peace … Her Highness does complain about lack of clean washrooms on this section. I drove Ujjain > Nashik > Pune in September 2025. Left Ujjain 8am, reached Chakan a little after midnight, with a two-hour break in Nashik (drive time of 14 hours). I found MPT Midway Treat in Julwaniya with clean washrooms and decent food. From Ratlam, I suggest routing via the town of Manpur instead of Dhar (as per Google baba). This road is a 4-lane segregated highway (mostly) with plenty of trucks. There is a freeway from Nashik airport all the way across Nashik town (six lanes in some stretches and four-lane in others). This freeway has an off-ramp just before the Nashik Pune turnoff. Google maps will try to take you off the freeway many kilometers before this off-ramp. This particular off-ramp (of my choice) is just after the Godavari river crossing. Accommodation-wise, Ujjain, Indore and Dhule will offer similar options. I usually look for a place with a restaurant and dedicated secure parking within the premises. Many places offer ‘secure parking’ out on the street. Going via Gujarat is very painful. The Ahmedabad > Mumbai travel route pages should give you an idea. Mumbai-Pune Expressway has now become excessively crowded, with hours-long traffic jams in the ghat section even on weekdays. Add to that the stress of connecting from the Ahmedabad-Mumbai highway to the Mumbai-Pune Eway, via Thane. (Google baba will try to route you from Thane to expressway via some atrocious roads used mostly by truck headed to Mumbra; I suggest going Thane > Rabale > Sanpada > Panvel > MPE) Hope this helps. Post a travelogue with/without pictures afterwards. Drive safe. Wrong side driving is a national disease; High beams are also a national disease. Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.
